Our local Stroud Half Marathon is an event we thoroughly enjoy and support every year. After weeks of training, It’s a morning where we see lots of our running friends challenging themselves and racing in search of that all important personal best time.  The local community is out in force cheering the runners on all around the course, it’s such a great race which makes us very proud to be part of.  Having run it on numerous occasions in the past, these days we tend to volunteer as race marshals to help our club, Stroud & District Athletics Club and FullonSport/Total Buzz Events who require over 60 people each year to allow the race to proceed.

This year which was the 35th Stroud Half race saw record numbers of over 1500 runners on the start line in the Cainscross Road beside Marling School.  The runners we greeted with perfect weather conditions, a nice still cool overcast morning.  Yes no head wind, that’s a bonus!

The race was dominated and won by David Bell from Cirencester AC who stormed across the line in 1:10:09. Closely on his heel from start to finish on the 13 mile course was our good friend and fellow Stroud AC member Alastair Cambell who finished in a new PB of 1:11:15.  First lady was Bristol & West AC’s Annabel Granger who ran a strong race completing the course in 1:21:01.

If you are looking for an Autumn Half Marathon we can recommend the Stroud Half.  Run on local roads, it’s a mainly flat course with a personal best potential. There is one hill of around 200 metres at around 6 miles. As I mentioned earlier it is very well supported so you get lots of encouragement all the way around.  At the end you always get a nice technical t-shirt and medal as well as the homemade cake stall which is always a place to dash to when you have finished!