Tides out – time for a wallbanger!
Another cliffhanger expected at Broadstairs on Saturday
It's time for one of the Southeast's favourite events at 9:00am on Saturday morning (30 July). Just as the nation lines up for parkruns everywhere, Thanet Roadrunners' Race Director Maxwell Hubbard will welcome a few hundred runners who have discovered the hidden gem that is the Harbour Wallbanger.
This is one race where you are bound to hit the wall and it's only 7K long! The clue is in the race title and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to run from beautiful Viking Bay, Broadstairs, along the beach in the shadow of the cliffs to the imposing Ramsgate Harbour, where a friendly marshal will ensure you 'bang on the wall'. You then retrace your steps before the tide removes the telltale footsteps you left in the sand on the way out.
The date and start time of this event vary each year according to tidal conditions but the route remains the same, subject to minor variations as competitors seek firmer sand or less rocky ground between the two resorts.
As you leave Charles Dickens' favourite holiday haunt in Broadstairs you'll pass the photogenic chalk stacks at Louisa Bay and continue on the Undercliff Walking Trail past Dumpton Gap and continue to the massive concrete wall that marks the halfway point. The closing stages are when tactics are all important as the tide may have modified the optimal route and runners are spread across the beach to find the best going.
Our image above, courtesy of Thanet Roadrunners' Facebook feed, shows the spirit of the event and there was a worthy winner of the unofficial caption competition by Soloman Longshanks: "Incredibly supportive couple of ladies help a shattered marshal back to race HQ". Thanet Roadrunner's Ian Lockyer was the 'shattered marshal' in question who later confirmed the facts were as recorded!
Last year's winner was Dean Evans (Vegan Runners, 27:33) and defending champion Liz Weeks (Ashford RRC, 32:44) retained the women's trophy. There were 156 finishers in 1:20:15 and under 47 minutes got you into the top 100 places.
Race details and possible late entries are available via the Thanet Roadrunners website here
Previous race reports and results are via runABC South race listing here
