Frinton Half Marathon

A little known event that I have never seen publicised. It is run from a school in Frinton and is classed as a fun run (along with a 5 mile and 2 mile event). There are ample changing facilities and showers at the school and as the runs are part of the school's Spring Fair their are all sorts of refreshment stalls, a car boot sale etc etc. As a fun run it doesn't have an official permit but the organisers stated that it is accurately measured.

It's a fairly flat course which at worse could be described as undulating. After a couple of miles around the streets of Frinton the course runs along the esplanade to Walton where it snakes through the streets and down to the promenade. It then swings back towards Frinton and runs for a couple of miles along the promenade before turning back up to the esplanade and back through Frinton to the finish. I would estimate that at least eight miles of the course are either along the promenade or within sight of the sea and there are water and sponge stations every mile!

The only down side was the small field of only seventy-one runners but this is probably due to the fact that the organisers don't appear to advertise the race outside Frinton. Most of the runners appeared to be fun runners and the only other club runners were from Harwich, Colchester and Great Bentley who took the team prize. The winner finished in 1hr 10min and the first lady's time was 1hr 26min.

All in all an event that has a lot going for it and one that I would do again - next year's race - 10.30am, Sunday 11th May 2003.

The Stowmarket Striders results are:-

Pos	Name	Time
	Chris Gladwell	1:43.26

There were 71 finishers.