Race Date: Sunday 9th October 2016

There was a good turnout of Striders for this year’s Yorkshire Marathon, on a day that saw plenty of PBs fall, and a couple of course records set by those opting for the shorter 10 mile race instead.

The marathon course is generally sold as a flat PB course. For a flat course, it’s perhaps a little bit lumpy, but the weather was perfect for running. Tim Holt, James Smith, Paul Ledger (and several others I’m sure) all beat their previous bests, with James Smith beating his effort here last year by a very impressive 18 minutes.

Support around the course was very good, and with several out-and-back sections there are plenty of opportunities to spot club-mates and share encouragement, which always adds to the atmosphere.

The race is part of Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All event series. As with all Run For All events, the organisation is outstanding. That doesn’t just mean doing the normal things well, like providing good pre-race communication and a nice goody bag. They also provide extras like texting you your official finish time, so that when you get to the free medal engraving tent you know what time to ask them to put on your medal. Pretty slick.

The overall winner was Paul Martelletti in 2:19:36. The first woman was Sheffield RC’s Sarah Lowery in 2:45:53. First Strider was Tim Holt in 3:13:04, with Amy Earnshaw our first woman in 3:23:28.