Report by: Hannah Wright

Race Date: 17^th December 2023

Top tip: don’t eat curry the night before race day… or sleep in the same room as someone who snores like a train.

It has become tradition that when me and my friend from Suffolk meet up we always squeeze in a race… no matter how worse for wear we are. So after a Christmas do in Liverpool we rise early and tip toe round the house trying not to wake sleeping friends whilst trying to find our trainers and gels. From reports we were not as quiet as I thought we were. (My multiple trips to the toilet didn’t help).

Finally we were on our way. My friend is always super early to races. Even to the extent he has fitted in power naps in the carpark before a race. So of course we were there early. One of the first in the carpark. Shockingly someone was there before us. That allowed time to check out the race village, pick up numbers and again multiple trips to the loo.

The course was 4 flatish laps around the Aintree race course. One lap compromised a large loop and a smaller loop. There were also pacers on the course. The Half Marathon offered a unique opportunity to run round the world-famous Aintree Racecourse, best known for annually holding the world-famous Grand National steeplechase.

I was surprised I didn’t get bored doing 4 laps but was glad to see the finish line and then the loo (again).  (5K and 10K races were also offered.)

If you enjoy flat fast races I would recommend Aintree.

Link to results here.

First man was TIM STRATTON (CITY OF YORK AC) in 1:11:09 and first lady was LAURA HESKETH (CLAYTON HARRIERS) in 1:21:07.

Strider’s results: