On Sunday, five members of Newport & District Running Club took on the Ironbridge Half Marathon, a tough local race which takes runners on a tour of Ironbridge and other areas to the south of Telford Town Centre. The race has well over 220 metres of climbing included, most of which is in the second half of the race, as the runners ascend from Ironbridge back towards the Town Park.
Starting and finishing in “the arena” of the Town Park, runners first head south on the Silkin Way (with a diversion in place this year due to a sink hole that opened up near Randlay Pool) before completing a clockwise lap around Madeley, Coalport, Jackfield, Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale, including a crossing of the famous Iron Bridge, before returning to the finish area via the Silkin Way.
456 runners took on the challenge this year, and Emma Glanville was the first NDRC finisher, clocking a time of 1 hour. 59 minutes, 14 seconds in 204th position; a PB for her, and even more impressive after she attained a Hyrox PB in london just the day before! Phil Link was next, in 241st place, with his time of 2:04:05, whilst Heather Campbell-Miles finished 323rd in 2:16:17. Matthew Humphries, running in his first half marathon, was 410th in a time of 2:33:09, and Louise Patterson placed 426th with her time of 2:39:21 as part of her Manchester marathon training.
Emma said afterwards: “It was my second time doing the Ironbridge Half Marathon, and the hill was not as bad as I remember it! The support from the club was great as usual.”
Newport & District Running Club 