Plymouth Half Marathon: Be part of race day!
With under a week to go until Plymouth’s Half Marathon, the sell-out event on Sunday 17th April promises a memorable city race that everyone can be part of!
The race will start in style at 9am on the Hoe, providing not only the perfect picturesque backdrop to set off Plymouth’s runners, but also ample space to line up and support friends, family and colleagues taking on this years 13.1 mile challenge!
As the route wraps around the harbour, runners will follow a flat, straight course along Gdynia Way, crossing Laira Bridge. After crossing the bridge, runners will take a gradual climb along Billacombe Road, and into the stunning grounds of Saltram Park, where runners can enjoy a fast downhill stretch passing Saltram House with views across Plymouth.
There are a number of key spots along the way, where you can situate yourself to shout, cheer, hand out jelly babies, hold up a poster and high five Plymouth’s runners! Jamie Warren, Head of Marketing at organisers GO2 said: “You don’t have to run to be a part of something special! This years event has proved to be incredibly popular with entries selling out, so we have more runners than ever that need your support! We are encouraging everyone to take to their doorsteps to cheer on our runners through the 13.1 mile course! Everyone feeds off the support of the spectators and the buzz of race day, it really makes a massive difference to everyone taking part!”
The official charity partners for the 2016 race are Macmillan Cancer Support and Children’s Hospice South West, alongside CLIC Sargent who have partnered with the race for The Schools Challenge, which will see over 3,000 pupils run the final mile of their own half marathon challenge!
There will of course be thousands of runners out there fundraising for a number of worthy causes. Nel Wilton, aged 52, will be taking on the challenge to fundraise for Cornwall Search & Rescue Team (CSRT), in memory of her husband Del Wilton, a Paramedic who took his life in 2013. Nel praises the charity for all their hard work in helping to find and recover Mr Wilton’s body from the Hell’s Mouth in 2013, and has undertaken a number of fundraising initiatives for CSRT to keep his memory alive.
Plymouth mum and NHS worker, Kathleen Crean aged 40, has gathered together a fabulous team of female family members and friends, aged between 19 and 50, to celebrate turning 40 by taking part in Plymouth’s Half Marathon! Kathleen started the team to fundraise for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), to help raise money to fund accommodation for parents to access when children are on the ward.
You can follow all the excitement around the preparation leading up to race day on Plymouth’s Half Marathon Facebook page and Twitter @PlymouthHalf. Organisers will also be providing updates throughout the race and after.
Full route and access information to help plan your morning can be found on www.plymouthhalfmarathon.com
