This year’s Gin Pit Double Marathon saw our greatest number runners on record and I’ve found it very hard work too!! It’s taken a lot out of me, am I getting to old for all this?
What a great weekend, even though it wore me out. I loved the challenge of both running in the event as well as staging it. On top of that it brings so many of my running friends together and the opportunity to make a few new friends. It was great to welcome lots of past and current Brathay 10in10ers. If it wasn’t for the Brathay 10in10 then I would have never invented and started holding this event.
Once again we were blessed with good weather, dry and fine with plenty of nice spells of sunshine both days. Day 2 had a bit more of the usual prevailing westerly wind which made the going along the 11 mile canal section hard and tiring, meaning I and many of my fellow runners couldn’t wait to turn off the canal on to the roads through Platt Bridge and get the wind behind us.
The weather has been that good, with a record breaking warm February and dry spring that the infamous “Bog of Doom” wasn’t the wet, muddy and troublesome obstacle I’d been advertising to runners this year, instead it was more of a “Disappointing Dust Bowl”.
The event never seems to go without incident and Day 2 this year was no exception. One year we even had a murder in Bickershaw and the runners had to run along the edge of the police barrier tape. This year the police cordoned off the last section of the canal for an incident. Luckily Spencer and Stuart had warned us early enough to implement an emergency plan so I had to arrange for my brother to alter a few signs and relocate Check Point 3, thankfully it all went well. Later we learned a man’s body had been found in the canal apparently there were no suspicious circumstances.
I’m very pleased to announce that financially we have had the most successful Gin Pit Marathon weekend ever, raising a fantastic total of £2339.74 for the Brathay Trust.
The Half marathon also had a new record number of runners and made £686.30 for Astley & Tyldesley Road Runners with plenty of members helping out at the Check Points.
I wish to thank all the helpers, some of whom have become regular helpers over the years and seem to enjoy the weekend as much as the regularly returning runners. Every year you all do a fantastic job and this year was no different. I always get lots of praise from the runners about you all as they cross the finish line. So a BIG thank you to:-
Day 1 at the check point stations; Cath, Nicola, Kerry, Tim, Suzanne and Mike.
Day 2 at the check point stations; Jon, Dawn, Phil T, Darren, Graham, Paul and Phil L.
Terry for the fantastic photos taken both days and share out with the runners for free.
In the Kitchen, Han May and Abbey for feeding us all with Clapham’s pasties.
Mike and Amanda for time keeping the Half Marathon.
And lastly a special thank you for Yuk-Lam for time keeping both days and for many other matters behind the scenes leading up to the event, including putting up with me organising it each year. The plan back in 2011 was only ever to hold it the one time, it has now been 9 years. With lots of runners wanting to return, does this mean we will be having the 10th Gin Pit Double in 2020?
