Shakespeare Marathon: Sunday, April 28WHY RUN IT?Scenery, speed, value for money This is the Midlands’ alternative to London, and is held on the weekend nearest to Shakespeare’s birthday, in Stratford-upon-Avon. It is a pleasant,reasonably fast

doesn’t reach 20 metres above sea level, so fast times are still achievable. It’s like mountain running, but without the mountains.Black and white houses line the route in StratfordShakespeare Marathon and Half-Marathon (Warks, April 24) Now in its 24th

&S Leisure GROUP Marathon: Sunday, April 28 Lochaber Team Strides Marathon, Inverness-shire, SCOTLAND: Sunday, April 28 Shakespeare Marathon: Sunday, April 28Belfast Marathon: Monday, May 6 Leeds GE CAPITAL Marathon: Sunday, May 12 Isle of Wight Marathon

for the next couple of places, with Robin Hood’s size (despite a few organisational problems) just inching it ahead of the smaller, but more scenic, Lochaber.1 Flora London Marathon (1) 2:07:11/2:23:57The greatest race in the world? Probably 2002 date: April

Hill, the race gives runners the chance to see parts of ‘Shakespeare’s Country’ as it winds along country roads.Before reaching a testing climb up the imaginatively named Long Hill, runners will run down into pretty Loxley – alleged burial ground

Marathon, April 29Shakespeare Rotary Marathon (and Half-Marathon) (Warwickshire, April 29) Enjoy a dose of Olde England in this predominantly flat, long-standing race that combines the medieval delights of Stratford-upon-Avon with the beautiful

races.Bolton 10K (Greater Manchester, April 23) While 40,000 runners have April 23 marked down in their calendars as Flora London Marathon day, 1000 in the North-west will have the Bolton 10K down instead. Run on the same day, the race offers a

& 1/2M 634 87 Shakespeare Marathon & 1/2M 631 88 Derwentwater 10 630 89 Notts 10 629 90 Bradford 10K (50) 620 91 Wakefield 10K 619 92 Ackworth 1/2M 619 93 Wycombe 1/2M 618 94 Kerridge 10 617 95 Roding Valley 1/2M 617 96 St Albans 1/2M 616 97

The Edinburgh Marathon, a new entry at 22To help you choose which events to enter in 2004, we once again bring the RUNNER’S WORLD Top 100 UK Races of the Year. It’s based on the experiences of the RUNNER’S WORLD team, our UK-wide network

stretches characterise the first few miles out of Bungay: those tackling the full distance can expect to face these climbs again as they embark on a second loop. The staggered start provides marathon runners with welcome company for the latter miles, while