This year was the 30th running of the Shaffield Marathon / Half Marathon

The Big Three-0

  In the three decades the race has taken place an increasing number of athletes have donned their running shoes making the half marathon one of the city's biggest participation events. Organisers were hoping that the 30^th year would prove to be the best for the ten local charities. Last year (2010) 5,500 entries were secured for the springtime race with thousands of pounds being raised for charity.

At the launch of this years event Margaret Lilley, chair of the Sheffield Half Marathon organising committee, said: "After the massive success of the race in April 2010, we are very excited about 2011.  already   "It is fantastic that the Sheffield Half Marathon continues to go from strength to strength, as over the years regrettably we have seen a number of regional events fall by the wayside. Our 2011 race promises to be another spectacular day in the sporting calendar and we want to urge runners from across the region and further afield to sign up, start training and start to sign up pledges of sponsorship. "We have seen in previous years that the South Yorkshire public is becoming increasingly health conscious and their commitment to keeping fit and active is matched only by their generosity to our benefiting charities. "Even during difficult economic times, it is great to see that people are still keen to get involved and do their bit to raise money for fantastic causes."

 Richard Green, Sales Director for the northern division at sponsors SIG Insulations, said: "Year on year the Sheffield Half Marathon has witnessed success after success and we are delighted to once again pledge our support to the race. "In our fourth year of sponsoring the race, we are aiming to break new ground in both participation and money raised for charity."

Two new charities to benefit from the 2011 SIG Insulations Sheffield Half Marathon will be St. Luke's Hospice, Sheffield, and British Heart Foundation.

The chosen charities for 2011 are: Sheffield Teenage Cancer Trust, Motor Neurone Disease Association South Yorkshire, British Heart Foundation, Myasthenia Gravis Association, St Luke's Hospice, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre South Yorkshire, Sheffield Wildlife Trust, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.

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The SIG Insulations Sheffield Half Marathon took place on Sunday 8th May 2011 at Sheffield International Venues managed facility Don Valley Stadium, and  followed a route through the city centre, along Ecclesall Road returning to the city via Devonshire Green, past the Town Hall and Ponds Forge International Swimming Pool before finishing in the stadium.

The weather was again kind to us and  the South Yorkshire Branch provided volunteer helpers in the Stadium and "staff" for Water Stations on Ecclesall Road and Bramall Lane. Altogether we had nearly 50 volunteers.  ( 30 % of the total number of Charity volunteers.) More importantly there were even more sponsored runners raising money for MND in either the Half Marathon or Fun Run. More about the amounts raised when all the money has been collected.

Click  HERE  for photos   

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