Athletes celebrate 25 years since the first Hereward Relay
Sunday saw athletes compete in March Athletic Club’s Hereward Relay, which was celebrating 25 years since first being run.
The relay follows the route Hereward the Wake took from Peterborough Cathedral to Ely Cathedral, but nowadays, because of modern-day traffic the route starts at Peterborough athletics track and finishes at the Ely Outdoor Sports facility.
The relay is split into four stages with runners handing over to the next runner in their team at Whittlesey, March and Welney. Some runners choose to run the complete route which is just short of 40 miles.
The weather conditions on the day were ideal for distance running, dry, cool and with very little wind, and the majority of the route off-road.
To mark the 25th Anniversary Hereward himself made an appearance, offering the runners some motivational words before they started! The first group of ultra runners left at 7:30am, the second, and quicker ultra runners left at 8.30am with the majority of runners leaving at 9am to run the first leg of the relay.
The first team to complete the route came from Ryston Runners, Ryston Leveretts in a time of three hours and 52 minutes. Second was a home team from March Athletic Club, The Fit, The Fast and the Hungover in a time of four hours and 35 seconds.
In total 82 teams completed the course with teams coming from as far afield as Skegness, Bishops Stortford and Dunmow. There were 10 teams competing from St Edmund Pacers from Bury St Edmunds.
First ultra runner home was Alastair Angus from St Edmund Pacers in an amazing time of five hours and 18 minutes, second in was Daniel Yallop from Wymondham AC, third runner was Andy Cole from March AC and the fourth runner was the first lady to finish, Michelle Prior from March AC.
All runners who complete the event are given a medal specific to the stage they have run which, if they run all the stages over the years, they can build into one super medal.
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