THE LONDON Marathon MAY BE THE MOST FAMOUS RUNNING EVENT IN THE COUNTY, BUT THE NORTH HAS AN ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING, WITH DOZENS OF WORTHY MARATHONS OF INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE. ONE OF THE FINEST IS THE LIVERPOOL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MARATHON, SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST U.K. RUNNING EVENTS IN FOUR CATEGORIES THIS YEAR.
The Liverpool Rock ‘N’ Roll marathon has been going since 2011 when 12,000 people signed up to kick off the event. The race is the successor to the Mersey Marathon, which last took place in 1992. This year, runners can enter the full marathon for £55 or join one of the equally exciting side events: the half marathon, 5K run or the 1-mile race.
Participants receive an exclusive T-shirt, a ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ gear bag, entry to a health and fitness expo and, of course, entry to the race itself. The maximum time for the half marathon is three and a half hours, and the limit for the full marathon is six hours. Medals will be given out for participation, and the top man and woman from each race will also win prize money.
But aside from being a serious marathon of international standard, the Liverpool Rock ‘N’ Roll race is also a lot of fun. Expect music on the streets, bands and entertainment, including headline act SPACE storytelling and playing funky tunes. Whether racing or spectating, this is a marathon with a touch of northern charm — it manages to take itself seriously while still having a laugh!
The route begins at the Albert Dock before passing through the city centre and taking in sites like The Cavern Club, where The Beatles once performed, two major football grounds, Goodison Park and Anfield, home to Everton and Arsenal, respectively, Stanley Park, the Liver Buildings and Chinatown. The end of the route takes runners down a waterfront promenade and past thousands of spectators to the finish line at the Liverpool Echo Arena.
It’s recommended that runners train for the race, especially if aiming to run the full marathon event. Build up distance and speed gradually and remember, it’s all about stamina. Training should reflect this, and so should your pace on the day. You are not a sprinter trying to catch up and beat the people in front of you. You are not Usain Bolt trying to catch Kevin Hart like in this footrace between the pair at the PokerStars Caribbean adventure. This is a 26-mile race down the streets of Liverpool!
During training, you should always stretch, warm up and cool down again afterwards to prevent pulled muscles and other injuries and strains. Even if you plan to run often to build up strength and stamina, take regular days off for resting and rebuilding. Having goals and targets are essential. The idea is that you can comfortably go the distance on marathon day, so build up to the 26-mile mark by regularly increasing the distances you run during training. The Liverpool Rock ‘N’ Roll race takes place on the 19th and 20th May. The main event, the marathon itself, takes place on Sunday, 20th May.
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