Bath Half Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bath Half Marathon |
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| Date | March |
| Location | Bath, United Kingdom |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Half marathon |
| Established | 1981 |
| Course records | Men's: 1:01:45 (2016) Robert Wambua Mbithi Women's: 1:09.27 (2007) Liz Yelling |
| Participants | 11,693 (in 2015) |
The Bath Half Marathon, also known as the "BATHALF", is a popular running event. It happens every year in Bath, England. This race is a half marathon, which means runners cover a distance of about 21 kilometers (13.1 miles). It usually takes place on a Sunday in March.
The first Bath Half Marathon was held in 1982. It was started a year after the first London Marathon. Many runners use the Bath Half to get ready for the London Marathon. The race was cancelled in 2018 because of heavy snow.
This event is the biggest single-day charity fundraiser in South West England. In 2016, it helped raise over £2.2 million for different charities. Since 2000, a company called Running High Events Ltd. has organized the race.
What is the Bath Half Marathon Course Like?
The Bath Half Marathon course is known for being mostly flat and fast. It runs along both sides of the River Avon. The race begins and ends on Great Pulteney Street. This street is one of the widest Georgian boulevards in Europe.
The first part of the race goes slightly downhill. Then, runners complete two identical loops. These loops take them past Green Park station and around Queen Square. They then head out of the city center along the A4 road. Runners cross the 'New Bridge' at the 'Twerton Fork'.
From there, the race turns back towards the city center on the A36. After crossing Churchill Bridge, runners start the second lap. At the end of the second lap, they finish back on Great Pulteney Street. The course has been the same since 2006. An official measurer described it as "officially flat, with three undulations" (small hills). The starting area for the race is the Bath Recreation Ground.
Who Won the Bath Half Marathon?
This table shows the winners of the Bath Half Marathon over the years. You can see the fastest times for both men and women.
| Year | Competitors | Men's winner | Women's winner | ||||
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| Athlete | Nationality | Time (h:m:s) | Athlete | Nationality | Time (h:m:s) | ||
| 1982 | Nigel Gates |  United Kingdom |
1:03:01 | Joyce Smith | United Kingdom |
1:11.45 | |
| 1983 | Nigel Gates | United Kingdom |
1:04:24 | Annette Roberts | United Kingdom |
1:15.35 | |
| 1984 | Maurice Cowman | United Kingdom |
1:04:13 | Priscilla Welch | United Kingdom |
1:12.13 | |
| 1985 | Steve Anders | United Kingdom |
1:03:29 | Veronique Marot | United Kingdom |
1:11.10 | |
| 1986 | Steve Anders | United Kingdom |
1:02:35 | Veronique Marot | United Kingdom |
1:10.23 | |
| 1987 | John Wheway | United Kingdom |
1:03:02 | Veronique Marot | United Kingdom |
1:11.53 | |
| 1988 | John Wheway | United Kingdom |
1:04:11 | Sally Ellis | United Kingdom |
1:11.38 | |
| 1989 | John Wheway | United Kingdom |
1:04:26 | Bronwen Cardy-Wise | United Kingdom |
1:15.20 | |
| 1990 | Steve Brace | United Kingdom |
1:05:11 | Veronique Marot | United Kingdom |
1:13.46 | |
| 1991 | Chris Buckley | United Kingdom |
1:04:41 | Karen MacLeod | United Kingdom |
1:13.31 | |
| 1992 | Colin Walker | United Kingdom |
1:03:59 | Ann Roden | United Kingdom |
1:15.26 | |
| 1993 | Steve Brace | United Kingdom |
1:04:05 | Andrea Wallace | United Kingdom |
1:09.39 | |
| 1994 | Chris Buckley | United Kingdom |
1:03:44 | Hayley Nash | United Kingdom |
1:13.15 | |
| 1995 | David Taylor | United Kingdom |
1:04:22 | Karen MacLeod | United Kingdom |
1:14.17 | |
| 1996 | Phil Makepeace | United Kingdom |
1:05:15 | Hayley Nash | United Kingdom |
1:16.10 | |
| 1997 | Gareth Davies | United Kingdom |
1:06:55 | Hayley Nash | United Kingdom |
1:18.37 | |
| 1998 | Stuart Hall | United Kingdom |
1:06:52 | Melanie Ellis | United Kingdom |
1:15.34 | |
| 1999 | Tony Graham | United Kingdom |
1:06:58 | Debbie Gunning | United Kingdom |
1:18.36 | |
| 2000 | Alan Sheppard | United Kingdom |
1:05:48 | Helen Purdy | United Kingdom |
1:15:55 | |
| 2001 | Paul Green | United Kingdom |
1:04:57 | Annie Emmerson | United Kingdom |
1:11.13 | |
| 2002 | William Musyoki |  Kenya |
1:04:14 | Jo Lodge | United Kingdom |
1:14.01 | |
| 2003 | Huw Lobb | United Kingdom |
1:04:51 | Debbie Robinson | United Kingdom |
1:11.57 | |
| 2004 | Joseph Riri | Kenya |
1:02:20 | Miriam Wangari | Kenya |
1:14.37 | |
| 2005 | Simon Tonui | Kenya |
1:02:53 | Susan Partridge | United Kingdom |
1:13:10 | |
| 2006 | 6,000 | Simon Kasimili | Kenya |
1:04:08 | Cathy Mutwa | Kenya |
1:12:43 |
| 2007 | 8,165 | Tewodros Shiferaw |  Ethiopia |
1:02:09 | Liz Yelling | United Kingdom |
1:09.27 |
| 2008 | 10,054 | Raymond Tonui | Kenya |
1:05:21 | Roman Gebresse | Kenya |
1:13:09 |
| 2009 | 10,700 | Simon Tonui | Kenya |
1:03:09 | Joyce Kandia | Kenya |
1:11:49 |
| 2010 | 10,800 | Ezekiel Cherop | Kenya |
1:03:03 | Michelle Ross-Cope | United Kingdom |
1:12:07 |
| 2011 | 12,000 | Edwin Kipkorir | Kenya |
1:04:00 | Edith Chelimo | Kenya |
1:11:25 |
| 2012 | Edwin Kiptoo | Kenya |
1:02:01 | Jane Muia | Kenya |
1:11:19 | |
| 2013 | 12,000 | Tewodros Shiferaw | Ethiopia |
1:03:26 | Polline Wanjiru | Kenya |
1:10:28 |
| 2014 | 11,300 | Nicholas Kirui | Kenya |
1:03:13 | Perendis Lekapana | Kenya |
1:10:53 |
| 2015 | 11,693 | Paul Martelletti | United Kingdom |
1:05:27 | Emma Stepto | United Kingdom |
1:13:48 |
| 2016 | 11,352 | Robert Mbithi | Kenya |
1:01:45 | Lenah Jerotich | Kenya |
1:12:24 |
| 2017 | 12,748 | Ben Fish | United Kingdom |
1:05:16 | Ruth Barnes | United Kingdom |
1:15:32 |
| 2018 | Cancelled due to snow | ||||||
| 2019 | 11,348 | Chris Thompson | United Kingdom |
1:03:09 | Kate Reed | United Kingdom |
1:12:44 |
| 2020 | 6,827 | Paul Pollock |  Ireland |
1:04:14 | Becky Briggs | United Kingdom |
1:14:34 |
Images for kids
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Leading runners in 2006, Simon Tonui and Simon Kasimili
