This weekend the world’s finest athletes at the running a very, very long way competition are gathering in Belfast for the IAU 24 hour World Championships.
This is an occasion that you can really get behind as a Brit because WE ARE REALLY GOOD AT THIS!
Here’s the format. At 12pm on Saturday 1st July runners from many nations will set off round a 1.7k loop in Victoria Park, Belfast. The route is concrete path and each loop has a total elevation of only 4.45m but they’ll all add up. The runners will go anti-clockwise for the whole 24 hours. At 12pm on Sunday 2nd July they will stop and have a big rest.
Team GB consists of 11 of our top runners: Dan Lawson, James Stewart, Marco Consani, Pat Robbins, Robbie Britton, Steve Holyoak, Jess Baker, Beth Pascall, Debbie Martin-Consani, Ali Young, Sharon Law. We'll be rooting for all of you.
Team GB (photo by Natalie White @natsmountain)
Because 24 hour running seems to inspire people to ask quite silly questions let’s try to head these off at the pass now.
1. How long is the race? Err, 24 hours.
2. How far is the race? As far as they can run in 24 hours. Are you really not getting this?
3. Don’t they sleep? Not unless it goes really wrong.
4. Will they eat? Yes, they can grab whatever they feel like on the way past the team tent.
5. Don’t they stop to go to the toilet? Yes, in one of two sets of toilets at 600m and 1200m round the course.
6. Isn’t it very bad for their knees? Please shut up now.
Learn more about the race and hopefully follow the runners
here.
