Race As Old As Time
Fancy taking part in the country's oldest half marathon?
Make your mark this summer at the UK's oldest half marathon. It is the Freckleton Half that claims this title and, having staged a race since 1965, it certainly is something of an 'elder statesman' on the running calendar.
This year the race will take place on 18 June and all involved are hoping that the usual good weather will prevail! The course is flat and fast, so should produce plenty of PB times.
As well as being the oldest half marathon in the UK, this race is rated as one of the top races in the country. In 2011 it was rated at number 15 in the UK and, if you just take half marathons into account, it was placed at number 8 in the UK.
A spokesperson from the organising committee said: "We are committed to building on the success and long traditions of this wonderful race. Our 2 mile family fun run has now become firmly established, taking in part of the Half Marathon course and open to everyone.
But what of the race's history? The race was first staged on 19 June 1965. The event was the idea of the then Chairman of the Sport Committee, Councillor Dick Rhodes who was inspired by Ron Hill’s entry in the marathon in the 1964 Olympics; he suggested that Ron be invited to run in the first race.
By today’s standards, the entry was modest with some 53 entrants, mainly from local athletic clubs in Lancashire but some from further afield. The race was a success, not least because Ron Hill had accepted the invitation to run and indeed won the race in a time of 65:44. Four years later, he set an event record of 64:45 which stands to this day.
If you'd like to try and break Ron's record, or simply take part in a race with real history then visit the Freckleton Half Marathon Facebook page for more details.
Image: Freckleton Half Marathon Facebook