LATEST NEWS - RACE IS NOW HALF FULL
LATEST HERALD-EXPRESS Monday March 30th 2009 articles....
College staff on starting blocks
FLEET-FOOTED staff at Paignton Community and Sports College are limbering up for a mass assault on the Torbay Half Marathon.
More than 600 competitors have already signed up for the annual event — and more than 20 of those will be college employees.
They have been persuaded to take part by Simon Romaine, head of science, who is a regular runner himself.
Simon said: "We've got 21 people so far, with the possibility of about 10 more. My goal was to get 30, and I think I will get that.
"They are all staff so far, but next week the sixth form assembly will be asked if anyone is interested in taking part, so our numbers could grow even more.
"It'll be quite a crowd of us taking part, possibly the biggest corporate team in the race. I'd be surprised if there were any bigger. It's creating quite a bit of interest around here.
"There's not much rivalry among runners at the moment, but as we get closer to the big day rivalries might develop.
"We're a very diverse bunch. We've got people who've never done any kind of running, but we've also got some who are pretty good.
"We're hoping to raise money for a couple of charities, but those haven't been decided on yet."
Torbay Half Marathon takes place on June 21, with places available for 1,750 competitors.
Organisers are predicting it will be the best race in the competition's 19 years, with an international line-up which will include some world-class athletes.
The course stretches from Paignton Green, along Torquay seafront and back again.
There is also a one-mile fun run around Paignton Green for people of all ages.
Aspiring competitors can apply by filling in the entry form. Alternatively, log on to the Herald Express website at
thisissouthdevon.co.uk and go to the sports or athletics sections, or the official website at
www.torbayhalfmarathon.co.uk
