Athletes and sporting heroes from across the UK and further afield are getting geared up to take on the first road marathon of the year in Wales this Sunday. The 2wish Great Welsh Marathon and Half Marathon events also happen to have one of the longest legacies of marathon events in South Wales. The event for the first time in its history has partnered with the Welsh bereavement charity 2wish to help raise the profile of the charity and the support they offer to those affected by the sudden death of a young person.
The events will take place this Sunday (2nd April) from Pembrey Country Park, starting at 9 am and 9.30 am respectively. Participants will experience a fantastic event that offers the very best of coast and country, with miles of beach and woodlands to enjoy as they put in their best performance to #RunCymru. The race is expected to host a relatively small field of runners of up to 1,500 participants, which makes it one of the friendliest races around!
The race is organised by the Front Runner Events team and delivered with the help of crew members and volunteer race makers. Tash Smith, race director said:
“We are very excited to return to Pembrey Country Park for what we hope will be a tremendous event for everyone! This is the first year we will be hosting the event with our headline partners at 2wish and I look forward to seeing all our charity runners lining up at the start line. In addition, we will once again be welcoming an excellent field of international runners and others who hope to qualify for some of the top five races worldwide.”
For those taking part or spectating the key timings for the event are as follows:
- 07:30: Car Park, Race Village and Information Point Open
- 08:30: Runners MUST be parked & heading to the start area
- 08:50: Road closure commences
- 09:00: Great Welsh Marathon Race Starts
- 09:30: Great Welsh Half Marathon Race Starts
- 10:35: Winner of the Great Welsh Half Marathon Expected
- 11:00: Half Marathon winners presentation takes place
- 11:28: Winner of the Great Welsh Marathon Expected
- 12:00: Full Marathon winners presentation takes place
- 15:00: The last finisher expected
- 15:30: Event Closes
Nick Francis, Technical Director added:
“We are extremely grateful to all our race makers who volunteer their time to help deliver an amazing experience for all. The marathon is a challenging event for anyone so our crew really can make all the difference to someone who is on their final few miles. I look forward to seeing all our runners and volunteers on what will be an amazing day for everyone!”
Anyone who would like to volunteer at any of the Front Runner Events can register their interest by emailing: volunteers@frontrunnerevents.co.uk and the team will be in touch to let you know what roles are available.
Organisers have also produced a Race Day Guide that features all your need-to-know information about the event, including safety notes, car parking and race day information. To download your copy, and find further event details CLICK HERE.
Anyone wanting to follow your loved one on the route can do so via our app where you’ll find Live Race Tracking. Just head here or go to the app or play store and look for Front Runner Events. To stay ahead of all the news as it happens, like the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GreatWelshMarathon or follow @WelshMarathon #RunCymru #BeYourBest on Twitter. Entry will open for the 2024 2wish Great Welsh Marathon Events on race day so make sure you snap up your Early Bird Entry or check out more events here: https://www.frontrunnerevents.co.uk