RUNNERS have been hard in training for the annual Shakespeare Marathon.
Nearly 3,000 competitors from across the country will be taking part in the 36th annual marathon and half marathon, organised by Stratford upon Avon Rotary Club, on Sunday (May 7).
Setting off from outside Stratford District Council’s Elizabeth House headquarters at 9am, en route runners will take in sights including Holy Trinity Church and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the villages of Long Marston and Welford, before finishing on the banks of the Avon at the Recreation Ground in Stratford.
The half marathon front runners are expected home at around 10.15am, and the first of the full marathon competitors will cross the finishing line at around 11am.
Elite Athlete and marathon runner, Amy Whitehead, will be starting the race. Amy was selected to run for England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and this year, has been mentoring 20 runners from Shakespeare Martineau – one of the Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon sponsors – as part of the company’s wider health and wellbeing programme.
The Shakespeare Marathon has been awarded the BARR Gold standard, reflecting the high standards achieved in every aspect of its organisation.
As some elements of the event are sponsored and it is organised and marshalled solely by volunteers, an absolute minimum is spent on administration and facilities.
More than half the money raised from the event goes to local charities including the Shakespeare Hospice (founded by Rotary), Stratford Samaritans, Lifespace Trust and ESH Works.
Visit www.shakespearemarathon.org.uk for further details.
