Marathon warm-up race set to take place on 99th anniversary of Titanic’s maiden voyage As building work continues apace on Titanic Belfast, set to be Northern Ireland’s premier tourist facility, so the build-up begins to the 2011 Titanic Quarter 10K – the official warm-up race for the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon.
This year’s race date – Sunday, April 10th – will have the added poignancy for runners of being exactly 99 years to the day since the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. Those taking part will also enjoy a close-up view of the ever-expanding Titanic Quarter development on Belfast’s historic Queen’s Island.
Sponsored by Titanic Quarter Ltd and Belfast Harbour, and organised by Athletics Northern Ireland, the event is now in its fifth year and has established itself as Northern Ireland’s premier 10K road race. It is also supported by retail outlet Podium 4 Sport. This year’s run will have a new start and finish point – the public realm space at Abercorn Residential Complex (ARC) – where a family fun day will be hosted with a range of activities before, during and after the race.
Cool FM DJ and Northern Ireland celebrity Pete Snodden will once again be running the race, on behalf of Cash for Kids, and is determined to beat his finishing time last year of 54:13.
Denise Shields of Titanic Quarter Ltd said:
“The Titanic Quarter 10K has been dubbed the ‘City Run with a View’ and, while that view has got better each year, the 2011 event will live up to its billing even more so than ever.
The cladding process is now underway on the iconic Titanic Belfast building, due to open in April 2012, Premier Inn has opened, the new PRONI office is complete, work on the new Belfast Metropolitan College is drawing to a conclusion and the new state-of-the-art Audi showroom is open for business.
“That is not to mention the riverside apartments at ARC, the third and final stage of which was completed recently, and the public realm space which will provide a welcoming finish area for runners. Adding to the fun aspect of the day, we are pleased to welcome the Belfast Titanic Society in traditional costume plus a bouncy castle, face painters and a range of other exciting activities taking place throughout the day, so we would encourage families of participants to come along and enjoy the occasion.”
All runners will once again receive a text message to their mobile phones once the race is over with details of their individual position, official time and category position. A LED screen will display every runner’s name, race position and time once they cross the finish line.
Looking forward to the race, Pete Snodden said:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the race last year and would encourage runners of all abilities to join me in taking part. Titanic Quarter is making a generous donation to my chosen charity, Cash for Kids, and if anyone else would like to make a donation please get in touch with myself or Titanic Quarter.
“My aim is to beat my time from last year, but if I don’t at least I will have a good excuse. My wife, Julia, is due to give birth to our first child in mid-February, so I am not sure if I will be able to devote as much time to training. Hopefully they will both be able to come along and cheer me on.”
John Glover, President of Athletics NI, said:
“The success of this race has grown significantly each year, with 1,200 runners taking part in 2010. It’s become an integral part of the Northern Irish athletics calendar, especially as the Titanic Quarter 10K is the ideal preparation run and official warm-up race for the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon in May.
“The new finish line in the public realm area at ARC gives the race a new dimension this year and we look forward to once again seeing fun runners, joggers and club athletes joining elite international athletes in taking part in the race.”
There is a total prize fund of £2,000 with each entrant receiving a special commemorative goody bag and the ever popular Junior Race for Under 15s will take place before the main event.
Entry fees are £10 for athletic club members and £12 to unattached individual runners. Entry forms are available from Athletics NI, other athletic clubs and leisure centres. Online entry is available at www.niathletics.org, where there will also be access to a race map and details of the family fun day. The closing date for website entries is Monday 25th March.
BUILD-UP BEGINS: Helping to launch the event are Cool FM DJ Pete Snodden, Northern Ireland athlete Jessica Craig and Denise Shields of Titanic Quarter. The race is sponsored by Titanic Quarter and Belfast Harbour and organised by Athletics Northern Ireland. For entry details, go to www.niathletics.org