Winchester Half Marathon, expertly promoted by ReesLeisure, has morphed into Winchester Marafun with the addition of the brand new Winchester Hilly 10K and a Fun Run. The Chandlers Ford based organisers of the hugely successful ABP Southampton Marathon and a variety of triathlon, cycling, swimming, and sailing events are bringing their expertise to a refreshed Winchester Marafun on 25 September 2022.

We reported on the 2019 Winchester Half Marathon – when 1,364 finished in monsoon conditions – but the 2020 event was a non-starter due to the Covid pandemic. In 2021 there were 736 finishers while we were still cautious about mass participation events but this year will see a full throttle return of the half marathon and supporting events.

The current half marathon champions are local Winchester athlete Guy Brayn (1:16:50) pictured above and Laura Butchart (1:33:37) – the winning times reflecting the 'undulating' nature of the course, with 281 metres of elevation.

The addition of Winchester Hilly 10K and Fun Run extends the appeal of Winchester Marafun to a wider range of ages and abilities, making this a true family day out in the historic city of Winchester on the edge of the South Downs National Park. Highlights for visitors include medieval Winchester Cathedral and Winchester Castle with its round table linked to King Arthur. 

Looking ahead to Winchester Marafun, Chris Rees, Director of ReesLeisure, said: “The Winchester Hilly 10K distance is designed to encourage all runners from a variety of ages and abilities to take part in a fun event in a historic and beautiful setting. Winchester has always been a successful venue for our previous events, and we know runners love coming here hence why we have provided participants with more options to get active”.

For essential race details and free training plans click on the revamped Winchester Marafun website

For a quick link to previous race results visit runABC South race listing here

Image courtesy Winchester Marafun on Facebook