Durham Coastal Half-Marathon, 16th June 2019
Maria Duenas chose the Durham Coastal Half-Marathon for her first run in Britain and sends us this report and photos. Well done, Maria – it sounds too tough and I think I will stick to the Northumberland version!
“The Durham Coast Half Marathon was my first race in the UK and first race in blue Claremont Colours! The race, which started at Nose’s Point, Seaham and ended at Crimdon Dene, Hartlepool, was entirely off road, extremely challenging and very scenic. After a week’s worth of non-stop rain, the course included (very) muddy clifftop paths with steep ascents and descents. It was a beautiful route and definitely a brutal trail run, especially with those 320 steps and some knee deep streams along the way. The finish line was full of friendly and cheerful spectators. The best part was the Durham Argus butterfly medal, as well as the ample selection of cake, coffee, and tea waiting for me at the end!
Overall, the route was clearly labeled and the race was well organized, with three water/sweets stops. I finished a little under two hours, at 1:59:38 and 85th out of 409 racers (12th female overall). This race has the reputation for being the ‘most brutal half marathon in the North East’ and it did not disappoint! Definitely worth repeating next year.”
