Where Stonehenge, Wiltshire
When May 6, 2007
First Man Neil Parry and Milly 1:32:33
First Woman Claire Page and Fly 1:48:15
Last Finisher 2:41:36
No. of Finishers 31
CaniX – where runners race attached to their dogs – celebrated the end of a successful 2006-2007 season by staging its longest race yet: a half-marathon run in conjunction with the Neolithic Marathon and Half on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
CaniX competitors set off half an hour before the other half-marathon runners along the Ridgeway, all carrying the regulation dog bowl and litre of water for emergencies. Every one of the regular water stations also offered water bowls for the four-legged runners, as well as plastic cups for their owners.
At Wexland the course turned off the Ridgeway and into a strong headwind across Salisbury Plain military training area. The wind might have prevented the dogs from overheating but it also made the second half of the race hard going for runners.
With around two miles to go, the silhouette of Stonehenge on the horizon provided an excellent incentive for one last push to the finish, where the dogs looked distinctly fresher than their owners.
A generous bag of tasty edibles for every finisher, consumed on hay-bale tables and chairs, topped off a great event.
