Runner's World

088 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JUNE 2018

TO BE HONEST I’m not a fan of most
out-and-back courses. Running to a
set marker before heading back the
same way leaves my running mojo deep in
sleep mode. I’ve run enough of them on dull
streets in uninspiring locations to know that
if it’s ‘meh’ on the way out it’s going to be
‘double meh’ on the return.
So when I was asked to race and review the
Swansea Half Marathon my expectations
dipped somewhat once I saw the course map.
But at the same time I was intrigued to find
out why this race has become so popular in
such a short time. With a field of 6000 (up
from 2000 when it began in 2014) it’s now
second only in size to Cardiff in the Welsh
half-marathon pecking order. I soon
discovered the excellent reasons why.

A WALES OF

A TIME

RW’s Adrian Monti finds the

Swansea Half Marathon is

really a race of two halves

We began in the hub

of Swansea close to its

ancient castle ruins and

the modern high street. On

cue moments before the

off the steady drizzle that

threatened to dampen

proceedings ceased and

sunshine took over.

As a first-time visitor to

Swansea I was happy to

circle and see the city

before heading out along

the main coast road. As

well as noting the civic

buildings the university

and the superb national

swimming centre the

towering floodlights of

St Helen’s Rugby and

Cricket Ground caught

my eye at mile two. Being

something of a sporting-

trivia anorak I knew this

was where West Indian

great Gary Sobers made

history in 1968 when

he smashed six sixes

off a single over in a

cricket match.

LET YOUR RUNNING LOOSE

RACE