Residents of West Sussex in Great Britain have another great occasion to look forward to every year: The Barns Green Half-Marathon.
This marathon is special due to being run on some of the most serene and tranquil country roads to be found in the entire UK.
As the name itself suggests, this half-marathon celebrates the greenery of the area and makes people aware of the need to preserve it and treasure it. It is a great way to bring physical activity into the minds of the people along with creating awareness about environmental issues.
1. Basic Details About Barns Green Half-Marathon
2018 witnessed the 36th edition of this annual event and as always, the response from the local people was one of excitement and active participation. This event is no longer just about the race but about giving the entire community of the area an opportunity to take part in a lovely and festive atmosphere and enjoy the day.
The festivities begin well before the race as some of the participants start practicing to the music being played on the Barns Greens. The atmosphere around the starting area is one of carnival with food trucks serving ice cream, hot dogs and other delicious stuff for children who have come to cheer on the participants.
The participants have two options as far as the race is concerned. They can opt to run the full course of the half-marathon which would be 13.1 miles or they can participate in the 10K race.
As stated above, both pass through beautiful roads that are decked on both sides with lush greenery that would spur on the participants and make their journey comfortable.
This year, the entry fee for the participants of the entire half-marathon was 25 to 27 pounds while for 10K runners it was in the range of 17.50-20 pounds.
The minimum age for entry into the 10K run was 16 while for the half-marathon runners, it was 17.
The half-marathon began at 10 AM while the 10K race got underway at 10:20. The roads through which the marathon passes are closed down for traffic.
The route of the marathon passes through Christ’s hospital and, much to the relief of the participants, the last milometer of the route is downhill, allowing for a fast finish.
The route is double-looped and challenging but is still capable of giving the participants an opportunity to secure their personal best.
The organisers take great care to keep the atmosphere of the race extremely lively.
Not only do the starting and finishing areas provided with great music, food stalls and other types of lively entertainment, even in the course of the half-marathon, there are five bands which play in order to keep the participants charged up and going strong.
2. My Future Expectations
This half-marathon is good enough to become popular nationwide rather than just remain confined in its appeal to the Sussex county. The organisers should do their utmost to make the entire racing-conscious public of the UK aware of the great advantages this marathon has.
It’s biggest attraction undoubtedly is the scenic race course. Plus, the community’s participation makes it lively. It is true that these qualities are partially dependent on this being not as high-profile an event as others but, a little bit of increase in popularity is not going to harm.
But my biggest expectation from the organisers is that they should make this half-marathon a stage for raising environmental issues and making people aware of the dangers of global warming.
The picturesque background of the race should be used to provoke people into understanding that nature has blessed them and the world with abundant beauty and the reckless destruction that it is being subjected to has to be stopped.
Since the whole local community is taking part in the event heartily and lot of kids are brought to the venue as well, it is a great opportunity to educate them about how they can personally contribute to the preservation of the environment.