Latest news with #SouthamptonMarathon
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Island man's first marathon raises £800 for sea pool project
An Isle of Wight man has raised £800 for charity after completing his first marathon. Ian Wallace raised the money for the Isle of Wight Sea Pool Project at the Southampton Marathon. He started running two years ago after starting with Couch to 5k, and signed up for the Southampton marathon after seeing an advert. In 2022, Ian was suffering from anxiety and depression, and started cold water swimming to help. Read more: Marathon-running Island chef reveals his culinary guilty pleasures He chose to do his first swim with experienced swimmers, and has since become involved in the community. Ian said: "My first swim was transformational, I felt a rush unlike anything I had ever experienced. "I couldn't really swim much, but I felt safe because I was with experienced sea swimmers. "That first time sea swimming had an immediate impact on my mental health, and from then on I was hooked." Ian chose the Isle of Wight Sea Pool Project as his charity for the marathon. The project aims to create an accessible and sheltered tidal pool in Yaverland to help everyone experience swimming in nature. Ian said: "'The Isle of Wight Sea Pool Project means so much to me. "The accessibility of a tidal sea pool on the island will bring so many benefits to the whole community. "I want this pool to happen.'
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All you need to know on the route map for the 2025 Southampton Marathon
The ABP Southampton Marathon will be returning to the city on Sunday (April 6) for its 10th anniversary, and thousands are set to take part. Aside from the main event, there will be other distances people can run along, including a half-marathon, 10k, 5k and a Fun Run. All distances will start and finish at Guildhall Square, with the routes taking runners past landmarks like Itchen Bridge and St Mary's Stadium. If you're taking part on the day, you might want to give the route map a look just to have an idea of how you'll be going around the city. According to the event website, the full marathon route begins in Guildhall Square, where you'll run past the ABP Southampton docks. The Southampton Marathon route (Image: APB Southampton Marathon/Strava) After that, you'll go over Itchen Bridge, which offers "glorious views across the Southampton Waters, The Solent and, even, the New Forest". It adds: "Following a section by the shoreline at Weston Shore, the route takes you inside the legendary St Mary's Football Stadium, home to Southampton Football Club (aka The Saints!). "Passing over Northam Bridge with riverside views once again, you will run through the beautiful Riverside Park before crossing into Portswood and running through Southampton Common (home to the UK's second largest parkrun!)." From here, you'll then repeat a second lap of the course to make it a full marathon. An interactive map of the route can be found on the website here. See what's on in your local area (Image: Newsquest) The 10k and 5k route maps are slightly different and can be viewed on the website here and here. For those on the 10k route, you'll go through Queen's Park, over the Itchen Bridge and then complete a loop of Woolston. After that, you'll head back to the city centre, past St Mary's Stadium, before running around many of the city's green spaces. Recommended reading: Dozens of roads to close this weekend for Southampton Marathon: Full list Runners to play chess throughout ABP Southampton Marathon 10k Southampton Marathon 2024 - see 88 amazing photos from the big day You'll conclude with a short distance along Above Bar Street. Meanwhile, the 5k route will take you through Queens Park but will avoid going over the Itchen Bridge and doing the Woolston loop. With St Mary's Stadium in your sight, you'll then turn up towards Solent University and some of the city's green spaces before getting to the finish.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
DJ who ran first Southampton marathon in 1982 to tackle it again this weekend
A DJ who ran in the first Southampton Marathon in 1982 is set to take on the challenge again this year. Jon Vamplew, who used to volunteer as a host for the city-wide event, has completed 22 marathons overall in his life. Together with his wife Eleanor, he will tackle the half marathon this time out - 44 years after running his first full race in Winchester in 1981. Jon explained that he was originally inspired to run a marathon after being involved in a motorcycle accident in Eastleigh. 'A car pulled across me and I fractured my wrist and knee,' he explained. Jon Vamplew before the ABP Southampton Marathon in 2022. (Image: Jon Vamplew) 'I started getting better, fit to run and out came the London Marathon. I couldn't get into the London so I went into the Winchester Marathon, and then the first Southampton Marathon.' READ MORE: Dozens of roads to close this weekend for Southampton Marathon: Full list Jon used to race with the likes of Kriss Akabusi, though his motorcycle accident ended his time as a track runner. 'I started running to work because I lived in Eastleigh and worked in Bitterne Park,' he said. 'So I used to run part of the marathon track every day when I ran to work, I could tell you blind folded where the drains are.' Jon will be running in his tenth Southampton Marathon this weekend, though on reflection, he thinks that last year's race was the hardest he had ever faced. Jon Vamplew running in the ABP Southampton Marathon and hosting the event. (Image: Jon Vamplew) 'It was 55 mph gusting winds,' he said. 'On the first lap it was fine because you were hidden behind people, on the second lap we were going on Weston Shore running sideways to avoid the wind, and over the Itchen Bridge. 'The wind was just battering. I've done South Downs, I've done London, but that was probably the hardest one. I saw someone get blown over at the bottom of Southampton.' READ MORE: Three others from Jon's running club the Halterworth Harriers will be running in the event, which he previously hosted. Jon Vamplew's tshirt for this year's ABP Southampton Marathon. (Image: Jon Vamplew) In 2017, he ran the full race, had a shower and then went on stage for two and a half hours to cheer other people on as they approached the final straight. Jon explained that he, quite literally, likes to get stuck in. "I belong to running clubs and like to get a bit of mud," he said. "Most people try to avoid it but I try to aim for it."
