2017 Shrewsbury Half Returns After 2016 Success

The organisers of the Shrewsbury Half Marathon, UKRunChat Events, have confirmed that entries are open for the 2017 event which takes place on Sunday 18^th June 2017.

This will be the second consecutive year that UKRunChat Events manage the popular Shropshire race, having turned it around to huge success in 2016. UKRunChat director Joe Williams, Shrewsbury born and bred and a passionate runner himself, is expected to build on the success of his debut event and produce another first class race this summer in the attractive Welsh border town.

With just under 1,500 participants in 2016, the Shrewsbury Half Marathon is set to welcome 2,500 runners in 2017, many of whom will come from the town and the nearby area. It is also a fantastic race for those coming from further afield, taking place in an exceptionally beautiful part of the country that offers a perfect weekend break.

The Shrewsbury Half provides a great mix of historic town and stunning green countryside, the route taking runners firstly through the Medieval town centre – past over 600 listed buildings, many of which are black and white timber framed – and through narrow streets with obscure names including Wyle Cop, Dog Pole and Milk Street. Runners should also look out for Shrewsbury School, whose old boys include Charles Darwin and Michael Palin, and the magnificent 11^th century Shrewsbury Castle.

The second half of the race then takes runners out into the verdant Shropshire countryside before finishing back at Shropshire County Showground, where the race village is located and where the race starts. Covering a vast area, with ample free parking, toilets and the ability to host thousands of people, the Showground is an excellent and convenient base for the Shrewsbury Half Marathon, at the same time offering the race plenty of potential for future growth.

The Shrewsbury Half Marathon is supported by Salop Leisure and a number of local running clubs, many members of which volunteer at their home town race. To have a good proportion of marshals as runners themselves certainly contributes to the smooth running of what promises to become a key event in the UK running calendar.

Director of UKRunChat Joe Williams commented, “We are excited to be running our second Shrewsbury Half Marathon this summer after the overwhelming success of the event in 2016. Shrewsbury is something of a hidden gem and I cannot overemphasise how stunning the setting is for runners looking for a friendly race in beautiful surroundings. We are delighted to see many runners from 2016 returning for the 2017 event, which promises to be the biggest and best Shrewsbury Half yet. We are privileged to be able to use the fantastic Shropshire County Showground once again for the race village, which makes the race really accessible and convenient for runners and spectators alike.

“With registration now open I would encourage runners to secure their place on the start line of what has to be one of the UK’s most picturesque half marathons. Now is the perfect time to kick start a half marathon training plan and have a superb summer race to look forward to.”

All finishers of the Shrewsbury Half Marathon will receive a bespoke medal, technical t-shirt and goody bag. Trophies will be awarded to the overall 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd 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+.

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.

UKRunChat was founded three years ago and has quickly grown to become one of the UK’s largest online running communities. UKRunChat Events is the events arm of this popular online community, other key events including the very first Oswestry Half Marathon on 30^th April 2017.

Registration for the Shrewsbury Half Marathon is now open and places are expected to sell fast. Entry costs £24.50 for affiliated athletes and £26.50 for non-affiliated athletes. Team entry for four runners costs £100.

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.

Images ©Sussex Sport Photography