Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Liz Yelling will join a field of 10,000 runners at the home of British motor racing this Sunday in the official warm-up race for next month’s Virgin London Marathon.
The adidas Half Marathon on 14th March marks the start of an important year for Silverstone as it resumes its role as the home of the British Formula 1 Grand Prix. But before Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher perform there this summer, runners from all over the UK will head to the Nottinghamshire venue to test their fitness over a 13.1 mile course just six weeks before the 30th London Marathon takes over the capital’s streets on Sunday 25th April.
Yelling holds the women’s course record for the annual race, and the 35-year-old marathon runner returns to the famous racing track this weekend to make only her second appearance since giving birth to her first child last year.
“I am very pleased to be returning to Silverstone because the race has some happy memories for me,” said Yelling, who set the course record of 72 minutes 46 seconds in 2008 before going on to qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games by finishing top Briton at the London Marathon.
“I have won here twice and am proud to hold the course record. I don’t expect to run so fast this year because I am still regaining my fitness but I know it will be a great experience to compete on the Silverstone circuit again with so many fellow runners.” [you better check this quote with Ashley or Martin!]
Among the other notbale names who will come under starter’s orders at 12 noon will be British 400m record holder Iwan Thomas, Conservative MP Alistair Burt, TV actress Jo-Emma Larvin, and numerous TV stars such as Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw and Nicola Wheeler, and Taggart’s John Michie, all of whom are honing their preparations for the full marathon next month.
Appropriately, a number of British racing drivers will also be running at Silverstone this year, including former British Formula 3 champion Jonny Kane, Sportscar and GT driver Rob Barff, former All-Japan Formula 3 champion Peter Dumbreck, and Le Mans series driver Stuart Hall.
While Silverstone has been a home to motor racing for more than 60 years, its role as a distance running venue is relatively recent, dating back to 2 March 2003 when the first Silverstone half marathon was held.
Swindon athlete Matt O’Dowd made the most of the glorious conditions that year to become the first men’s champion in 65:40, a time beaten only once since, when Tipton’s Matt Smith completed the looping course in 65:23 in 2005. The first women’s winner was Amy Stiles, and Yelling set course records in both 2007 and 2008.
Even on half marathon day, racing tyres aren’t entirely absent from the Silverstone tarmac as elite wheelchair races have been part of the event since 2005. Shaho Qadir won the first three wheelchair races and held the course record until last year when Brian Alldis smashed it by more than seven minutes in 53:15.
Alldis will be defending his title this year alongside Yelling and many of the country’s best club runners who will join the throngs of fun runners and fund raisers as they enjoy a day out at one of the country’s greatest sporting venues while gearing up to play their part in one its greatest sporting events.
Past winners of the adidas Half Marathon
Men
2003 Matt O’Dowd (Swindon) 65:40
2004 Matt Smith (Tipton) 66:67
2005 Matt Smith (Tipton) 65:23
2006 David Mitchinson (Newham) 67:08
2007 Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 66:53
2008 Tim Hartley (Nottingham) 68:07
2009 Darran Bilton (Leeds City AC) 67:23
Women
2003 Amy Stiles (Bristol) 75:11
2004 Birhan Dagne (Belgrave) 75:54
2005 Birhan Dagne (Belgrave) 76:25
2006 Jude Craft (Headington) 80:36
2007 Liz Yelling (Bedford) 74:34
2008 Liz Yelling (Bedford) 72:46
2009 Juliet Doyle (Charnwood AC) 77:26
Wheelchair winners
2005 Shaho Qadir 61:08
2006 Shaho Qadir 65:54
2007 Shaho Qadir 66:07
2008 No wheelchair elite race
2009 Brian Alldis 53:15
For further information and accreditation for the event, please contact the Virgin London Marathon press office:
Nicola Okey: 0207 902 0182; 07799 661345; nicolao@london-marathon.co.uk
Natasha Grainger: 0207 902 0199; natashag@london-marathon.co.uk
www.virginlondonmarathon.com
Natasha Grainger
Press Liaison Assistant
Virgin London Marathon
Marathon House
115 Southwark Street
London
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