200 runners completed Burnham-On-Sea’s annual Half Marathon on Sunday (October 6th) during ideal running conditions.
Winner Luke Scott, 29, from Taunton cut the finishing tape in a fast time of one hour, 11 minutes and 49 seconds.
Luke, pictured in Berrow Road, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We had brilliant running conditions – mild with no wind or rain. This is a really flat, fast course and it was great today.”
He said that a broken down caravan at Edithmead had held caused tailbacks of traffic along Queen’s Drive at the start, meaning the runners had to safely negotiate their way between the vehicles, but the event otherwise went without any hitches. Read the full results here.
A crowd of spectators cheered on the runners at the start at Burnham’s BASC Ground. The runners headed along Love Lane and Queen’s Drive, before turning left along the A38 towards Brent Knoll and then on to East Brent, Lympsham, Wick Road and Red Road, before returning to Burnham.
Taunton’s Kim Hill, right, was the event’s quickest lady finisher in a time of 1:30:57.
And the first Burnham finisher was local doctor Stuart Anderson from Burnham Harriers running club in a time of 1:33:37.
Among the runners was Jim Plunkett-Cole who is running 10km every day for a year to raise cash for Cystic Fibrosis, the Somerset and Dorset Air Ambulance, Positive Cancer Action and Happy Landing. More details are online here.
Another local runner was fundraising soldier Darren Hatch who completed the run wearing a huge rucksack. he is running 529 miles to raise £2,000 for SSAFA, the National Armed Forces Charity, after a friend was killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan. To support Darren, click here.
Organiser Brian Beale from Burnham Harriers Club told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We had a late flurry of over 90 entries due to the good weather and were really pleased with the turnout. We also thank our sponsors, Highbridge’s M5 Glass and Proper Job of Burnham, for their support.”
The top three placed runners celebrate their success
The runners setting off at 11am after the starting gun was fired
Fundraising soldier Darren Hatch completed the run wearing a huge rucksack
The run attracters participants from across the south west
Charity runners joined the event to raise cash for local good causes
Burnham-On-Sea doctor Stuart Anderson was among those taking part
Burnham runner Sue Nicholls also took part – she was named the UK’s top half marathon runner in her age category earlier this year, as we reported here
Macmillan Cancer Support was among the good causes benefiting
Local and regional runners were among those taking part
The runners streamed along Queen’s Drive at the start of the run
Among the runners was Jim Plunkett-Cole who is running 10km every day for a year to raise cash for charity
The runners coming along Stodden’s Road in the final mile of the race
One of the runners being met by his proud daughter on the finishing line
