There are less than two months to go until children from across Shropshire complete the final leg of an exciting half marathon challenge in association with Shrewsbury Half Marathon.
The 2018 Shropshire Primary Schools Half Marathon takes place on Saturday 16th June 2018, the day before Shrewsbury Half Marathon, and the event has encouraged children from across the region to get active and involved in this weekend celebration of running.
Right now, hundreds of children are working towards their very own cumulative half marathon, where the first 12 miles of the challenge are completed at school, one mile at a time, and the final 1.1 miles are run at Shropshire County Showground on the morning of 16th June.
Two schools in particular are in full swing with their half marathon challenge and there is great dedication and excitement as they tally their progress. Baschurch CE Primary School and Myddle CE Primary School, located just outside Shrewsbury, have entered 47 and 21 children respectively into the Primary Schools Half Marathon, and they are now in week 5 of running weekly miles towards it.
Children aged 4-11 from across both schools are taking part and the little ones are just as keen as the older ones, all excited to complete their mile at a set time each week and colour in their very own chart to log their runs. The schools then have a big display to tick off progress, for all to see, and it is very much a fun, joint effort.
It’s not just the children who have embraced the challenge either. Keen to lead by example, Clare Williams, Executive Headteacher to both Baschurch and Myddle Primary Schools, will be running Shrewsbury Half Marathon on Sunday 17th June along with teachers Gareth Hughes and Huw McGrath – plus a few more teachers are considering joining them! The idea is that the teachers will watch the children on the Saturday and the children will watch the teachers on the Sunday, each providing welcome support on race day as well as great motivation in the run-up to the event.
A good number of parents are also turning up to run the weekly miles at Baschurch and Myddle, making the challenge a brilliant community event and a great way for families to support each other.
“It has been wonderful to see how happy the children are running their weekly miles,” reports Headteacher Clare, a keen runner herself who completes each mile at school along with the children and parents. “They are so proud to be doing the challenge and are really excited to be finishing on race weekend in front of their family and friends. The support from the parents has been incredible and it’s really helped to motivate the children and make the challenge a success. Having an achievement chart for each child to fill in and a tracker chart for the school is a brilliant incentive, too. We can’t wait to watch the kids complete their challenge on race day – and then they in turn will be cheering us on at the half marathon the following day!
“I think there are many more who wish they had signed up to the 2018 Shropshire Primary Schools Challenge, having seen the levels of excitement around the challenge at both schools. It is definitely something I would want to do again in 2019, so here’s hoping we get even bigger numbers next year!”
All children entered into the Shropshire Primary Schools Challenge will get the full race experience on Saturday 16th June, including race bibs, a marshalled route, music and a start and finish gantry, allowing them to enjoy the thrill of a big sporting event and to be cheered on by friends and family. They all receive a half marathon medal and a t-shirt for their efforts.
Race Director Joe Williams commented, “We are thrilled to hear how well Baschurch CE Primary School and Myddle CE Primary School are getting on with their Primary Schools Challenge. Even the smallest children at just 4 years old are getting involved and loving the challenge, which is fantastic to see! The Shropshire Primary Schools Half Marathon is not so much a race as an inclusive challenge that encourages children of all abilities to exercise regularly and have fun. There is no pressure to compete, yet they are gaining huge confidence in working towards and completing something as big as a half marathon. It sounds like they have the full support of teachers and parents at Baschurch and Myddle, making it a big all-round effort. Good luck to all young runners and we can’t wait to cheer you on come race day!”
Any schools wishing to find out more about the Shropshire Primary Schools Half Marathon, or wanting to arrange a meeting or phone call, should email shrewsburyhalf@ukrunevents.co.uk.
Entries are still open for Shrewsbury Half Marathon on Sunday 17th June 2018. The closed-road race takes runners through Shrewsbury’s Medieval town centre and some of Shropshire’s most beautiful countryside.
A total of 3,500 places are available for Shrewsbury Half Marathon and entry costs £28 (affiliated) or £30 (non-affiliated), plus a booking fee. All finishers receive a bespoke medal, technical t-shirt, goody bag, free pre and post-race massage, and free races photos worth £19.99.
Go to www.shrewsburyhalf.co.uk for further details and to register.
You can also like the Facebook page @Shrewsburyhalf and follow @ShrewsburyHalf #RunShrewsbury on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news.
