The Reading Half Marathon climbing Russell Street in West Reading in 2004

In 2005, Julius Kimtai chases down Malack Olemengera and a wheelchair athlete.

The Reading Half Marathon is a half marathon road running event held on the streets of the English town of Reading. The race is normally held on a Sunday in March or early April of each year and was first ran on March 13, 1983. The race is open to everyone from fun runner to elite athletes, and was one of the first town races to include wheelchair athletes. In 2005 the race had 12,000 registered entrants, and the 2006 race had 13,500 places available.

[edit] Course

The Reading Half Marathon has had several courses over its life.

The current course starts in GreenPark Business Park to the south of Reading. The route initially proceeds eastwards through Whitley Wood to the University of Reading's Whiteknights Campus, where the 4 mile marker is passed. The course then heads north to the town centre, which it traverses between miles 6 and 7. Leaving the town centre by a steep climb up Russell Street, the course then loops around West Reading until mile 10. The course then heads back south to GreenPark, which it circuits before finishing in the adjacent Madejski Stadium.^[1]

[edit] Records

The current male course record is 61 minutes 19 seconds, by Patrick Makau in 2008. The female record is 69 mins 35 seconds, set by Liz Yelling in 2008. The male wheelchair record is 45 minutes 59 seconds, set by David Weir in 2006, while the female wheelchair record is 66 minutes 37 seconds, set by Shelly Woods in 2004.^[2][3][4]

[edit] Dates and Winners

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Reading Half Marathon website
• BBC photos: Reading Half Marathon 2009 - have we snapped you?

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