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England > Needles XC Half & Full Marathon
Isle of
Wight,
England, UK
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Date
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Event
Details
Named for the three distinctive chalk and rock formations that jut out
from the water off the western coast of the Isle of Wight, the Needles
XC Half and Full Marathon is a tough, challenging race along the hills
and gorgeous, dramatic coastal cliffs of this island that sits just
miles off the shore of southern England. With much of its land
preserved in its wild and natural state, the western part of the Isle
of Wight offers some major climbs and uphill stretches, two of which
feature prominently in the half-marathon portion of the event.
Both the half and the full marathon share the same starting and finish
line area, at the West Wight Sports Centre just off Brookside Road and
School Green Road near the town of Freshwater. From there, the course
follows a counter-clockwise loop around the island's western corner,
taking runners out along School Green Road to Church Place and up
northward toward Freshwater. Runners follow the race route along rural
backroads northward toward the island's northern coast, and then turn
left onto Westhill Lane after crossing through Norton.
Most of the rest of the half marathon route takes runners along the
edges of the island's coastline, along what is often muddy, wet terrain
and up and down some seriously challenging hills. The race route
travels along the coastline all the way down to Alum Bay, where runners
should be able to catch sight in the distance of the Needles chalk
formations sticking out from the crashing waves of the English Channel.
After
making their way around the peninsula of land that looks out into Alum
Bay, runners then head east along the southern shore all the way to the
half-marathon turnoff, which takes those completing the 13.1-mile route
back up to the finish line at the West Wight Sport Centre. Those
running the full, however, continue on for another 13 miles. Thanks to
its difficulty and its remote location, the race is a small one -- in
2008, an estimated 75 runners crossed the finish line in both races
combined.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located just off the coast of southern England, just miles across the
water from the city of Southampton, the Isle of Wight is a famously
sought-after English resort area for a reason -- in addition to the
dramatic natural beauty of its coastlines, the island experiences
generally milder and sunnier conditions for longer periods of the year
than much of the rest of the country. The town of Freshwater, near the
island's western corner, experiences average monthly temperatures that
range between 16°C and 8°C in May.
Fees
£10 for runners in the half, without United
Kingdom-affiliated
running club membership
£12 for runners with UK running club membership
£2 additional if registering on the day of the event
Registration
To reserve your spot in the spring 2009 running of England's
Needles XC Half or Full Marathon, register
online at RunnersWorld.co.uk or
print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Website
needlesxcmarathon.blogspot.com
Half
Marathon Course Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in England's annual Needles XC Half or Full Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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