The city of York was abuzz with excitement at the weekend as the Yorkshire Marathon Festival celebrated its 10th Anniversary. Adding to the excitement, Katy Wood set the Run For All 10 Mile and Yorkshire 10 Mile Female Course Record.

Drawing participants of all ages and abilities both nationally and internationally, over 10,000 fun-runners, fundraisers and club runners returned to the city’s streets in a carnival-like celebration of running, fundraising and Yorkshire pride.

Attracted by the opportunity to run through the city of York and surrounding Yorkshire countryside, this event has proved itself a destination marathon since 2013. Showcasing the true beauty of the county and encapsulating the city of York, the marathon course passes local sights such as York Minster and the ancient city walls, before travelling north eastwards out of the city.

A standout moment was Harvey Gration, the son of the late BBC Yorkshire Broadcaster Harry Gration MBE, officially starting the marathon. Lacing up his trainers in aid of Myeloma UK, a type of blood cancer his dad had in the later years of his life, Harvey then joined the masses of marathon runners to take on the 26.2-mile challenge.

The fastest male in the marathon was Joe Sagar in 2:24:10, with Gary Briscoe 2:26:05 and Mohamed Abshir taking third place in 2:26:34. First woman home was Melissah Gibson who clocked 2:40:41. Hannah Berry finished second in 2:43:14 and Jenny Blizard was third in 2:52:21.

The men’s 10 Mile race was won by Carl Mills in 50:18, followed by Euan Brown who took second place in 50:27 and Arun Dight who took third place in 50:28. Katy Wood set both the Run For All 10 Mile Female Course Record and Yorkshire 10 Mile Female Course Record, crossing the finish line in a time of 56:53. Julie Briscoe took second in 59:19 and Ruth Cole came third in 1:01:00.

Commenting on the day Run For All's Mike Tomlinson said: “A huge congratulations to everyone who took part in today’s 10th Anniversary Yorkshire Marathon Festival. It was wonderful to celebrate this monumental milestone with so many.

“A truly spectacular day and an amazing atmosphere from start to finish, it was wonderful to once again see so many participants of all ages and abilities join us on the start line. Whether it to be fundraise for a special cause close to their heart or to chase a personal best, we hope that everyone who took part enjoyed their Yorkshire Marathon Festival experience."

The day also saw over 50 teams take part in the Yorkshire Marathon Relay. Racing to become the fastest team on the day, teams of six including colleagues or friends each took on one leg of the course and passed their armband baton to their waiting team members.
 
Discounted entries are open for next year’s Yorkshire Marathon Festival which is set to take place on Sunday 20 October, you can find out more at the Run For All website.

Image: Run For All