Race news: Garmin Kingston Run Challenge - Sunday, October 11, 2015
A marathon distance will be on offer when the Garmin Kingston Run Challenge returns on Sunday 11 October 2015. The 26.2 mile test of body and mind endurance will join the returning 8 and 16 mile courses which will start from the traditional point of ancient market square in Kingston-Upon-Thames. High demand for the new marathon distance has seen entries surpass the combined total of the other routes.
Each of the three distances will follow a picturesque riverside route alongside the Thames and pass by the world famous Hampton Court Palace. The course also touches the edge of Esher and goes through charismatic Thames Ditton. The Garmin Kingston Run Challenge course has gained a reputation in the running community for being particularly flat, making it appeal to amateurs who don’t wish to take on tough inclines, and also to regulars who see it as an ideal opportunity to score a personal best time.
Plenty of help will be on hand to assist runners of all abilities in achieving their goals. The Garmin Pace Team will be running at 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 minutes per mile with flags to clearly identify them amongst the packs of participants. The idea behind the team is to help runners achieve a steady pace and reach their target finish time. Those who would prefer to track their own pace can hire a state-of-the-art GPS watch completely free of charge thanks to Garmin.
“We have been organising running events in Kingston for 25 years” said Nick Rusling from organisers Human Race Events. “We have been keen to bring this marathon to Kingston for a while but did not want to compromise the 8 and 16 mile runs that people know and love. We are delighted that after a lot of hard work by our planning team we can offer all three great running events on 11 October as part of the Garmin Kingston Run Challenge”.
Members of the surrounding community will have extra motivation to take part this year as Kingston Hospital Charity will become an official partner of the Garmin Kingston Run Challenge. Did you know that Kingston has one of the highest rates of Dementia in the country? Nearly 50% of the hospitals patients over 75 have Dementia so Kingston Hospital Charity is aiming to raise £750,000 over the next 12 months to make their elderly care wards dementia friendly. If you are interested in running for the Dementia Appeal please contact the fundraising team on 020 8934 2470 or email fundraising@kingstonhospital.nhs.uk
Places in the 2015 Garmin Kingston Run Challenge can be secured by visiting www.humanrace.co.uk/running, where you are also able to pre-book your Garmin hire
