Bath Half Marathon

Main group of runners in 2009, on Pulteney Road, Widcombe

The Bath Half Marathon is an annual road running half marathon held in Bath, England. The has been held every year since 1981, normally on the second or third Sunday in March. The race was first run in the year after the first London Marathon in 1980 and has remained a popular race for runners preparing for the London Marathon. The next race is scheduled for Sunday 2 March 2014.

Raising over £1.4 million for a wide variety of local, regional, national & international charities in 2010 the Bath Half Marathon is one of the largest annual charity fundraising events in the southwest region.^[1][2]

The Bath Half is a fast flat course, straddling both sides of the River Avon. The race starts and finishes in Great Pulteney Street - with a roadway spanning 46 feet (14 m) - one of the widest Georgian boulevards in Europe. The first mile is gently downhill down Pulteney Road to Churchill Bridge, then following two identical laps from Churchill Bridge, rising up past Green Park station, round Queen Square, then down Charlotte Street and westbound out of the city centre along the A4 road (Upper Bristol Road and Newbridge Road) to Newbridge and crossing the 'New Bridge' at the 'Twerton Fork' at the beginning of the dual carriageway. From here the race heads back eastbound on the A36 road back towards the city centre, along Lower Bristol Road, before crossing over Churchill Bridge and up Green Park again for the beginning of the second lap. At the end of the second lap the runners pass across Churchill Bridge, finally rising up Pulteney Road to the finish back in Great Pulteney Street.

The course route is unchanged since minor modifications in 2006, the current course being close to the original course used in early years of the race. It was remeasured in 2006 by IAAF official course measurer Hugh Jones, describing the course as 'officially flat, with three undulations'. The assembly area for the race is the Bath Recreation Ground.

Recent race results

Current course records:

• 2012 Edwin Kiptoo (Kenya) 1:02:01 Male
• 2007 Liz Yelling (Bedford UK) 1:09.27 Female

Leading runners in 2006, Simon Tonui and Simon Kasimili

The 2013 Bath Half Marathon took place on Sunday 3 March. It was won by Tewodros Shiferaw of Ethiopia who finished in 1:03:26. The first woman across the line was Polline Wanjiru who finished in a time of 1:10:26.^[3]

The 2012 Bath Half Marathon took place on Sunday 11 March. It was won by Edwin Kiptoo of Kenya in a new course record of 1:02.01 and Jane Muia in 1:11.19. Glamour model, Nell McAndrew represented Cancer Research UK and set a new personal best time of 1:21.54, and TV front-man, Dermot O'Leary completed it in 1:47.48.

The 2010 Bath Half Marathon was held on Sunday 7 March with 10,800 finishers (14,000 entries), won by Ezekiel Cherop (Kenya) in 1:03:03 and Michelle Ross-Cope (Stoke) in 01:12:07

The 2009 Bath Half Marathon was held on Sunday 15 March 2009 with 10,700 finishers (15,000 entries), won by Simon Tonui (Kenya) in 1:03:09 and Joyce Kandia (Kenya) in 1:11:49

The 2008 Bath Half Marathon was held on Sunday 16 March with 10,054 finishers (15,000 entries), won by Raymond Tonui (Kenya) in 1:05:21 and Roman Gebresse (Kenya) in 01:13:09.^[4] The 2008 Bath Half Marathon was the 3rd largest half marathon in the UK, after the Great North Run and Reading Half Marathon

The 2007 Bath half marathon was held on Sunday 25 March 2007 with 8,165 finishers (12,500 entries), won by Tewodros Shiferaw (Kenya) 1:02:09 and Liz Yelling (Bedford) 1:09.27 — both in new course record times, Liz Yelling breaking a 13-year old record set by Andrea Wallace (Torbay) in 1993 (1:09.39)

The 2006 Bath Half Marathon was held on Sunday 19 March with 6,000 finishers (10,000 entries), won by Simon Kasimili of Kenya in 1:04:08.^[5]

References

External links

• Bath Half Marathon website
• Bath Half Marathon on the ARRS website