THE Associated British Ports Southampton Marathon will return to Guildhall Square for its 10th consecutive year next weekend.
The event will see thousands flood to take their place on the starting line before pushing themselves to their limits to help raise funds for their chosen charity.
As part of the marathon’s route, runners will be passing through St Mary’s Stadium, the home of Southampton FC.
The event offers participants four different distances to choose from: 5km, 10km, 13.1 miles (half marathon) and 26.2 miles (full marathon).
This helps accommodate for people of various running abilities and confidence levels.
Last year, 21-year-old Southampton Solent University student Archie Warner, ran the ABP Southampton Half Marathon, despite having very little running experience.
“I used to run a little bit but I haven’t run anything crazy,” he told Solent Sports News.
He added: “I trained for the half marathon by running three or four times a week, a couple of months before the event.”
The dedication to training paid off for Warner as he beat his own predicted time, which added to the excitement of the event.
“It wasn’t quite an olympic time but I completed the course in around two and a half hours, which made me happy,” he claimed in a comedic tone.
While beating his personal best, the 21-year-old was full of joy as he crossed the finish line, knowing that had successfully raised funds for a charity that sits close to his heart.
“I chose to support Prostate Cancer UK at the half marathon, as one of my family members has the disease, therefore, the charity means a lot to me.”
Warner raised £400 for Prostate Cancer UK and hopes to see many people this year take to the streets of Southampton in their running gear, like he did last year.
To hear more from Archie and to learn more about his Southampton half marathon experience, check out his interview in Solent Sports News’ 13:30 TV news bulletin.
