Hello, on July 12th 2015, you’ll be organizing the first Rugby Half Marathon. Can you tell us where it is located?
It is located in Rugby Town. It starts from Caldecott Park, takes in the beautiful surrounding countryside of Warwickshire before finishing at the Whitehall Recreation Ground.
This will be the first edition of the race. What was your motivation in creating it?
We had some local contacts within Rugby town and we agreed that such a famous town in the UK should have a Half Marathon. This coupled with the fact that Rugby is celebrating a festival of culture this year fueled the idea.
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What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it?
The route takes you from the market town of Rugby, home of Rugby School and famous for the invention of rugby football by William Webb Ellis, whilst also exploring the beautiful surrounding countryside of Warwickshire. It’s iconic, beautiful and fairly fast.
How many runners do you expect on Sunday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract?
We expect around 1500 runners of all abilities and ages to join us for the race. We’re also organising a fun run and some mile races for juniors. So hopefully there will be something for everybody.
Have you planned festivities around the event?
Yes there will be music and entertainment in the event village as well as a whole host of activities for the family to get involved in.
The race finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Rugby before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing?
You can discover the roots of rugby football by visiting The Close at Rugby School, before walking to the statue of William Webb Ellis – the perfect backdrop for photographs. Across the road you’ll find the Webb Ellis Rugby Football Museum, which houses unique memorabilia and artefacts tracing the history of the game and its players.
You can explore Rugby’s rich history further by following the town’s Pathway of Fame, a collection of 50 bronze plaques set into the pavement celebrating iconic figures from the world of rugby, and delve deeper into Rugby’s heritage by taking the Blue Plaque trail, which celebrates the town’s famous buildings, people and events.
In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the Rugby Half Marathon?
You won’t find a better all round, well organised, fun and professional run event than the Rugby Half Marathon.
Interview with Rob Samuel, Event Manager.