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Inverness Half Marathon

Inverness Half attracts record number of entrants

Confidence in events clearly growing as race entries rise by 15%

A record number of participants have signed up for this year's Inverness Half Marathon, which will take place this Sunday (13 March 2022), following cancellation in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Three thousand four hundred runners have signed up for the 13.1 mile race, exceeding the previous record set in 2020 by 15%. Nearly one thousand have also signed up for the Inverness 5K, to be held on the same day. 
 
Race Director Malcolm Sutherland said: "It's great to see runners come out in their thousands to take on the Inverness Half Marathon & 5K 2022. It just shows how much we've all missed events like this.”

For his part, River Ness 10K champion Sean Chalmers will attempt to make local athletics history when he heads to the start line on Sunday. 

The men’s title has never been won by a member of Inverness Harriers in the 37-year history of the race, but the Scotland international looks more than capable of putting that to rights.

He is the fastest man in the field, having set a personal best time of 1.04.22 at Farnborough in January – five seconds quicker than the Inverness race record set by Deeside’s Robbie Simpson in 2018.

And despite a disappointing marathon debut in Seville three weeks ago, when he recorded 2.25.05 after suffering from a stitch and stomach cramps, Chalmers still looks to be the man to beat.

One of his main rivals will be fellow Scotland international Kenny Wilson, who hopes it might be a case of third time lucky this weekend. When the Moray athlete and North League Cross-Country champion made his first Inverness appearance, in 2017, he finished third in 1.08.37 and followed that up in 2020 by taking second position in 1.06.35. 

Also set to give Chalmers and Wilson a run for their money are James Donald (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers), Dougie Selman (Corstorphine AAC) and GB international trail runner Tom Owens (Shettleston Harriers).

In the women’s race, Fife AC’s Annabel Simpson is the fastest entrant, having set her best time of 1.16.28 at the 2018 Edinburgh marathon.

Sunday will be Simpson’s first appearance in the Inverness race and she’s looking forward to the occasion. Simpson said: “I've heard a lot of good things about it and I believe it’s a fast course and a well organised event. There’s a few of us from Fife AC going up for it so it should be good.”

Simpson revealed that she doesn’t look at the entry list to see who else is running, but when she stands on the start line she’ll find a few other athletes capable of challenging for the top prizes.

One of these is Metro Aberdeen’s Claire Bruce, who is confident of improving on her first attempt at the Inverness half marathon seven years ago (1.37.51) and her 2019 effort (1.22.35). Her PB currently stands at 1.18.27, which earned her a Scottish championship bronze medal in Glasgow in 2018.

The big question is whether Central AC’s experienced campaigner Jen Wetton can pull off what has so far proven to be an elusive first victory in the race. The Stirling athlete is making her seventh appearance over the past eight years and during that period she has never finished lower than fourth. She has taken second top spot on the podium three times. In her last outing, in 2020, she was third.

Others hoping to feature towards the head of the women’s field include Lauren Wilson (Edinburgh AC) and Avril Mason (Shettleston Harriers). The local challenge will come from Amy Hudson, Catriona Fraser-Lennox and Lesley Hanson of Inverness Harriers, Louise Cartmell (Moray Road Runners) and Kirstie Rogan (Highland Hill Runners).

But while the elite runners will be slugging it out for cash prizes – including the £300 award given to the men’s and women’s champions – Race Director Malcolme Sutherland emphasises that Inverness has a superb reputation for welcoming runners of all levels.

Sutherland said: "We are delighted to see a record number of runners choosing Inverness and we can assure everyone that they’ll receive a warm and enthusiastic welcome.  There's a fantastic level of support along the route and the atmosphere in the stadium at the finish is always enthusiastic and heart-warming. Every finisher is treated like a champion.”

Image: Inverness Half Marathon 

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