New man takes over running of Shrewsbury Half Marathon

Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Hospital has announced that the 2016 Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Half Marathon will take place next June.

The race, which will raise funds for local charities including Hope House and Severn Hospice, is being organised by UKRunChat.

Joe Williams, director of UKRunChat, said: "I feel so honoured to have been invited to organise the Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Half Marathon in 2016. We have a nationwide network of runners and I am confident that they will be interested in this event, so growing it and taking it to the next level.

"I am a local lad and very importantly I'm a runner, and I really want to give Shrewsbury a race that the whole town can be proud of."

Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Hospital is the main sponsor of the event, which is now in its fourth year.

Participants of all ages and volunteers will receive a Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Hospital T-shirt and a race medal. To register for the event go to www.ukrunchat.co.uk

The Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Hospital's team will also take over the Berwick Pavilion on the showground and will rebrand it as the Nuffield Health and Wellbeing Pavilion. The pavilion will include a team of nurses to take blood pressure and a team from pathology who will carry out haemoglobin and glucose checks.

Tired runners will again be able to benefit from free sports massages and other MOT based health activities.

Mike Haffenden, hospital director at Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Hospital, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have UKRunChat organising the Nuffield Health Shrewsbury Half Marathon for us in 2016."

The course will measure 13.1 miles and people of all abilities can take part, even those who want to run and partly walk.

Roads will be closed off just for this race, with the route winding all the way round the town taking in the historic town centre including Saint Chad's church, Shrewsbury Cathedral and the Quarry, ending up at the West Mid Showground.

UKRunChat plan to have new partners on board, and there will be an athletes village and family entertainment at the showground.

This year's half marathon which took place in June and attracted 1,500 runners was organised by In The Running. The race descended into confusion when race marshalls mistakenly guided runners along the wrong road, shaving half a mile off the route.

Many runners were left dismayed that their race times would not be valid for qualifiers for other races.