Less than 200 places left for Shrewsbury Half Marathon
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The organisers of the Shrewsbury Half Marathon, UKRunChat Events, have confirmed that less than 200 places are left for the 2017 event which takes place on Sunday 18th June.
With less than four weeks to go, now is the time to snap up a place at this much-loved race in the attractive Welsh border town of Shrewsbury. Runners can look forward to a friendly welcome, superb crowd support, a first-class venue and a fantastic course that offers a mix of historic town and stunning green countryside. For those coming from further afield, it makes for a perfect weekend break in an exceptionally beautiful part of the country.
The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Jane MacKenzie, will be the official starter of the Shrewsbury Half Marathon and local running celebrity Amy Hughes, of 53 Marathons fame, will be leading the warm-up before joining in the race herself.
A local DJ will be playing and the starting horn will sound at 9am, sending the runners off on the 13.1-mile route through the Medieval town centre and out into the verdant Shropshire countryside.
For the first time this year the Shrewsbury Half Marathon will be providing race pacing to help runners hit their target times, and this will be led by ASICS Frontrunner and local athlete Peter Butler at 90 minutes. Pacers will then be available every 15 minutes from 90 minutes up to 2 hours 45 minutes.
The race village is the highlight of race day and is located at the Shropshire County Showground, where the race begins and ends. The 53-acre venue lends itself perfectly to all the entertainment, catering, parking and toilet requirements of the race and promises to be a hive of activity for runners and spectators throughout the morning. Open between 7.30am-1pm, visitors can expect activities such as face painting, cage football and a bouncy castle, plenty of food and drink options and stands hosted by Army recruitment, local gyms and six local charities. Among the charities is The 53 Foundation, run by athlete Amy Hughes, Hope House, Severn Hospice, Trans House, Movement Centre and Harry Johnson Trust.
The Berwick Pavilion is the place to go for pre- and post-race massages by respected physiotherapist Chris Skitt, from CS Physiotherapy, who is Head of Sports Medicine at Shrewsbury Town FC.
In addition to hosting the race village, the County Showground offers well-priced camping facilities for those needing last-minute accommodation and wanting to make the most of the long summer evenings.
Shortly after the Half Marathon the Kids Race will begin at 9.15am. A brilliant scheme to get kids active and into health, the Kids Race will enable 75 young runners from two local schools to experience the thrill of a big sporting event.
The children, aged 8-11, will run 1.1 mile on race day after having completed the remaining 12 miles of the half marathon distance in the weeks leading up to the Shrewsbury Half Marathon. The Kids Race has been actively supported by the parents and the two schools, Harlescott Junior and Belvidere Primary, and will be coordinated by local PE teacher Steve Grey. Parents will be marshalling and handing out medals to the children as they complete the final stage of their run.
The prize giving for the Half Marathon takes place at 11.15-11.30am at the front of the main building near the race finish, with the Mayor handing out prizes.
All finishers will receive a bespoke medal, technical t-shirt and goody bag. Trophies will be awarded to the overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed male and female, and to the first placed male and female in the following age categories: 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+.
A Residents Guide to the Shrewsbury Half Marathon 2017 can be viewed on the race website and gives details of road closures.
Director of UKRunChat Joe Williams commented, “There is less than four weeks to go before the Shrewsbury Half Marathon and we are excited to deliver another first-class day of sport and entertainment to match the success of the event in 2016. Shrewsbury may be a lesser-known race location, but those who do come here to race are always left in awe at the stunning setting and friendly welcome. Indeed, we have many runners from 2016 returning for this summer’s event, which promises to be the biggest and best Shrewsbury Half yet. Once more, we are proud to have the support of Salop Leisure in 2017.
“With less than 200 places left, I would encourage runners to register now to secure their place on the start line of what has to be one of the UK’s most picturesque half marathons.”
Salop Leisure’s Chairman, Tony Bywater, added, “We are delighted to support the half marathon, which is a great attraction for Shrewsbury and promotes health and fitness, which is important to our company”.
The Shrewsbury Half Marathon will be offering free event photography for all competitors through Pic2Go, which allows instant social media sharing and identification of event photos so competitors can immediately share their experiences with friends and family.
Registration for the Shrewsbury Half Marathon is open and the last places are expected to sell fast. Entry costs £25.50 for affiliated athletes and £27.50 for non-affiliated athletes. Team entry (x 4) costs £102. Entry to the Kids Race is closed.
Visit http://www.ukrunchat.co.uk/shrewsbury-half-marathon/ for further details and to register, like UKRunChat on Facebook and follow @ShrewsburyHalf #RunShrewsbury on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news.
