Will Mycroft and Georgina Schwiening win 2018 Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon
The 2018 Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon took place last Sunday 4th March, and proved once again why it is such a coveted date in the running calendar each spring. Despite unseasonably cold temperatures and snow leading up to the race, resulting in race organisers OSB Events issuing a weather precaution earlier in the week, the race was able to go ahead much to the delight of the thousands of runners signed up to this popular spring event.
An impressive total of 7,040 runners crossed the finish line of the spectacular 13.1-mile route around Cambridge’s most important landmarks, cheered on by crowds of spectators braving the cold and with headline Saucony ensuring a professional and inspiring atmosphere. It was the seventh edition of this annual race and OSB Events have been praised for their slick organisation and for delivering another first-class event.
The Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon has long had an excellent reputation in the running community, and this was a race that saw local Cambridgeshire runners lining up at 9.30am at Victoria Avenue alongside runners from all over the UK. The race had sold out within hours of entries opening last October, and for many it was an ideal event to kick off race season.
Contributing to the lively atmosphere were hundreds of runners raising money for Cancer Research UK, the official race charity.
The winner of the 2018 Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon’s men’s title was Will Mycroft (handicap -0.9), who crossed the finish line in a time of 1:07:03. James Straw (handicap -3.6) took second place in a time of 1:07:42, and third place was closely fought with Aaron Scott (handicap -4.1)securing it in 1:09:40.
Jack Gray (handicap -4.9) had in fact been the first runner to cross the finish line after running his first ever half marathon in an impressive time of 1:06:52 but he was disqualified for running under somebody else’s race number.
In the women’s race, local club Cambridge & Coleridge claimed the top two spots, with Georgina Schwiening (handicap 0.1) taking first place in 1:15:32 and Victoria Knight (handicap 0.6) following one minute later in 1:16:30. Third place went to Sara Bird (handicap 5.2) of Ipswich Jaffa RC in 1:20:03.
The race also saw 50 participants take up Individual Corporate VIP Entry, which gave them access to extra facilities such as separate toilets, bag storage and refreshments in the VIP marquee. It was the first year that the race had offered such an option and it was a great success among individuals wanting to represent their companies and showcase fitness in the workplace.
runbritain RESULTS
Race Director Adam Moffat commented: “We were thrilled with the turnout for the 2018 Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon, which proves what a key event the race has become for the UK’s running community. It was a tough week leading up the race with such adverse weather conditions, but we worked hard alongside the Cambridge City and Cambridgeshire County councils to ensure that the race could go ahead and thankfully the weather thawed out enough to let this happen.
“We work very hard to make the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon one of the best city centre half marathons in the UK in terms of value for money, registration process, course and experience on the day. The atmosphere this year was incredible, from the supporters cheering on at the side lines to the runners themselves, who put in an outstanding effort!
“We would like to congratulate all those who crossed the finish line and give our particular thanks to our amazing volunteers and marshals who made it all possible. A big thank you also goes to our Headline Sponsor Saucony.”
The one-lap route of the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon gives runners a spectacular whistle-stop tour of this iconic city. The race starts and finishes at Victoria Avenue and passes by The Backs and King’s College before taking runners through picturesque Grantchester, Market Square and the Round Church.
Saucony is the Headline Sponsor for the Cambridge Half Marathon and Cancer Research UK is the Official Charity Partner. Event partners for 2018 included Cambridge Consultants, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge Property Lettings, Cambridge News, Erdinger Alkoholfrei, HIGH5, Cambridge City Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Run Britain.
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