Where Salisbury, Wiltshire
When November 30, 2008
First Man Nick Buis 1:16:41
First Woman Diane Hier 1:33:09
Last Finisher 2:45:28
No. of Finishers 303
The rain, wind and near-zero temperatures made for tough going on this undulating half-marathon on the edge of the New Forest. The conditions meant there were few spectators, but the marshals, huddled under their umbrellas, did their best to offer some encouragement.
The race got off to a slightly chaotic start with the gun being inaudible to all but those at the front. This meant many runners were still chatting amongst themselves when they noticed the race had already started.
There was also a pre-race announcement that the use of headphones was banned as it was considered dangerous, but by the time it was made, it was obvious that many people already had Eye of the Tiger blaring into their ears and failed to hear the announcement, as 13 finishers were disqualified for "illegal use of headphones".
These quibbles aside, the lovely scenery, shrouded in mist, was a boon for those not struggling too much to take it in. The course followed a series of winding, undulating country lanes, past groups of New Forest ponies, and ended back where it started in Downton. Finishers were treated to a T-shirt, a medal, a cup of tea and a sticky bun at the local school afterwards.
