Gosport Half Marathon
IT could be all change with the date of this autumn's Gosport Half Marathon.
The popular two lap race, which starts and finishes at Bay House School, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 18th.
The event forms race three in the Hampshire Road Race League.
However there are "venue issues" with the race, and Gosport Runners are looking to move the race to another date.
Coincidentally, the Hayling 10, which was scheduled to take place on November 25th, may not be going ahead this year because of police considerations. Although normally part of the HRRL series, the Hayling race, organised by Havant AC, is not part of the circuit this season.
So it is possible that the Gosport Half Marathon may be slotted into the November 25th space. The HRRL committee have said they will keep clubs posted over any changes.
Last Saturday's HRRL opened at Overton attracted 29 participating clubs who fielded 340 runners. Chairman Graham Coleman said: "This bodes well for the health of the league but also means that any popular races likely to fill up may do so even earlier than previously."
Entry forms for the next race, which is the newly named Solent Half Marathon (previously the Hardley A Half) are available from the HRRL website which is: www.hrrl.org.uk/
The Solent Half starts and finishes at Gangwarily Leisure Centre on Sunday, October 7th. It is a lovely 13-miler which sweeps from the forest down onto Lepe Beach, and then with an interesting finish back to Gangwarily.
The Eastleigh 10k, which is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, looks set to be definitely on. Organised by Southampton Running Club, there were some doubts whether it would be able to go ahead and the Totton 10km race on March 30th was on standby to count as an HRRL event. Now the Eastleigh 10km will also become the Hampshire 10km Championship race.
A final word to the wise, that the Chichester Priory 10km race takes place on Sunday, October 7th instead of its traditional February date. This race always sells out and if you want to enter then you need to get in quick.
The race will form part of the UKA and AAA 10km Championships, and will include inter-county and inter-area matches. So the quality of the field will be top drawer.
The race is based at the Northgate Festival Theatre. It is a fast course with a lovely downhill finish over the final 2km, and the event starts at 11am. For more details log onto: www.chichester10krace.org.uk