Sharp’s Big Run Makes Strides For Marine Conservation
Sunday 6th March 2016 saw the annual event, THE BIG RUN, sponsored by Sharp’s Brewery, take place with a record number of entries. Visitors and locals alike were invited to sign up and take part in one of three runs on offer. The routes, ranging from a challenging 17.3 miles to a more casual 5.5, guided the runners along the famous and naturally beautiful Camel Trail, running from Wenfordbridge to Padstow harbour. The entry fee and sponsorship money raised will go to the National Lobster Hatchery to help their continued work in education, conservation and research.
Runners that have their sights on the London marathon later in the year set themselves personal challenges in ‘The Super Serious Run’ whilst families, friends and those just eager to take part opted for the more leisurely but equally important shorter courses in ‘The Serious Run’ and ‘The Little Run’.
Now in its third year, those who have entered before can come back to beat last year’s personal best. Keeping away from traffic, ‘The Big Run’ is an off-road flat trail run that winds through stunning countryside and follows the beautiful River Camel through to the mouth of the estuary. And if that wasn’t incentive enough to take part, the runners each received a free pint of Sharp’s Beer to celebrate finishing their race.
Sarah Coates, event organizer, said; “The aim is to inspire locals and visitors to utilise this amazing natural resource on their doorstep with a hope to create a fun personal challenge whilst raising money for local charities that support our fragile coastal communities. I want to say a massive thanks to our sponsor Sharp’s Brewery and all the volunteers who helped make this event happen.”
James Nicholls, Sharp’s Brewery Senior Brand Manager, added; “We are proud of our home here in Cornwall, and the local spirit to support each other and raise money for charities. We were really thrilled to be able to support The Big Run again this year.”
This year’s winners were:
Super Serious Run
Gareth Smith 1:48:02
Rachel Bunting 2:02:50
Serious Run
Max Sheppard 1:13:26
Sarah Hirons 1:16:33
Little Run
Nikki Hughes 31:08
David Hinsley 32:34
For anyone interested in the next challenge, ‘The Big Swim’ is an open water sea swim for all abilities and takes place on Sunday 28th August, visit http://www.thebigswimcornwall.co.uk/.
