Monday, July 25, 2011

 

Robin Hood Half Marathon Welcomes Nordic Walkers

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Not everyone lining up at the start of the UK based Robin Hood half marathon this year will be planning to run the event on 11th September 2011.

Along with the thousands of runners who will be taking part in this year's iconic Nottingham race, a record number of Nordic Walkers will be planning to swing their poles around it too.

The Nordic Walkers will be travelling from far and wide to get to Nottingham to see if they can beat the current course record for a Nordic Walker of two hours 54 minutes –a time set last year by Bronya Glet, a GP practice manager from Boston, Lincolnshire. This year, her record may come under threat from local Nordic Walkers, as well as a team from south Wales who are coming to the city in a bid to get one over on their English cousins...

They will also be joined by two walkers from the south west, a couple of London-based Brazilians, and two Nordic Walkers who are coming all the way from New Zealand specially to take part.

The Robin Hood half marathon is one of the few big UK events that allows Nordic Walkers to compete alongside runners. Nottingham-based Catherine Hughes, director of British Nordic Walking, arranged back in 2006 for walkers to be able to take part.

She says: “Nordic Walkers start right at the back of the pack, then gradually overtake the tail-end runners. They are particularly fast going up the hills on the course where the slower runners walk."

The first Nordic Walker has so far always been a woman, so as well as the Welsh versus English battle, there is also a chance for a man to claim the title for the first time.

British Nordic Walking will be offering Nordic walkers a free technical t-shirt if they enter and notify them 4 weeks before the event.

To enter go to www.experianfestivalofrunning.co.uk

Thank you

Catherine Hughes

Director
British Nordic Walking Ltd
www.britishnordicwalking.org.uk

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