Major new sponsor for Chester Half Marathon
The organisers of the Chester Half Marathon have announced the signing of a major new sponsor for the event.
“We are very pleased to welcome Cheshire Oaks who will be the title sponsor for the race,” said Race Organiser Chris Hulse. “Their support will help us move forward with the Half Marathon as it moves into an exciting new phase.”
Mark Schofield, Deputy Centre Manager: “We are delighted to be supporting the Cheshire Oaks Chester Half Marathon in 2012. This is a prestigious event for the City of Chester attracting thousands of runners from across the region. Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet is home to some of the world’s great sporting brands such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Asics so it’s a great opportunity for us to support a major regional sporting event in this year of Sport.”
The 13.1 mile race, being held on Sunday 13 May will start at Chester Racecourse but instead of heading for Eccleston as in recent years will take the athletes up Parkgate Road towards Two Mills, then back through Saughall and Blacon before returning to the city.
“The old course just could not safely accommodate greater numbers and we were also keen to create a city centre finish that people would remember,” explained Chris. “A finishing straight down Northgate Street to a spectacular Finish area flanked by the Town Hall and Chester Cathedral will be fantastic!”
Training Runs
“We can also announce we are arranging a series of free, informal 'pop along and join in' training runs,” added Chris. “These will give runners the opportunity to run with others and chat about their training.”
The first training run will be held on Sunday 5th February, with runners assembling in the cafe area at Total Fitness, Liverpool Road, Chester CH2 1AQ at 9am to run along the traffic free Greenway before returning for coffee, cakes and a chat.
“We will split into different groups based on distance and pace, so there should be a group for everybody from those who want a long/fast run to those who’d rather do a couple of miles walk/jog,” says Chris. “We’re a friendly bunch and no one should feel under pressure to do any more than they want to or are capable of doing!”
More information about the event including how to enter and the training runs can be found at www.chesterhalfmarathon.co.uk. The website also features information on the MBNA Chester Marathon which will be held on Sunday 7 October 2012.