Carlisle 10k, 17th March 2024
Luke Woodend sends a fan’s report from Carlisle:
“Authentic grey Cumbrian skies greeted the runners for the 2024 Run Carlisle Half Marathon & 10k on Sunday morning.
Starting at Carlisle United’s Brunton Park football ground, this relatively recent addition to the running calendar compliments the autumn’s Great Cumbrian Run as a chance for a longer leg stretch around the Border City.
Perhaps due to the 9am start the majority of club vests in attendance looked relatively local, with Eden Runners & Dumfries Running Club appearing to be the biggest attendees. There were though a few north easterners making the trip across the A69 including Marie & Richard Slack (formerly of this Claremont parish) representing South Shields Harriers and taking in the Half Marathon distance.
For me it was the 10k, which I found to be a very enjoyable route around Carlisle and through the greenery of Bitts Park. I’m very much embracing my “it’s the taking part that counts” era, so after a shout out to Claremont from the chap on the start line microphone I soon settled into a comfortable pace and enjoyed taking in the city sights (and the novelty of running through The Lanes indoor shopping centre).
The course is largely flat but does twist and turn a fair bit. This, coupled with some city centre cobbles and one not insignificant incline from Hardwicke Circus mean it probably isn’t a PB course. That said a scan of the results show that a sub 40 run would land you in the top 20, so perhaps a sniff of a prize for some of the quicker Claremonters. I was content to come in at just over 56 minutes.
The finish line is inside Brunton Park itself, alongside the pitch. Given that Carlisle United currently sit rock bottom of the third tier of the English football pyramid it would be quite a reach to call this particular turf “hallowed”, but this United fan got a kick out of it. A nice St Patrick’s Day themed medal and t shirt, haribo, water and a banana was the reward.
Overall a fun, well organised event that I can highly recommend.”
