| Sport by Andrew Smith
On your, marks get set,
Spud Run!
Organised by March Athletic Club and now in its sixth year the Spud Run comprises a five mile main run and a one and a half mile Fun Run. This year’s edition takes place on Sunday July 6th, with the Fun Run commencing at 10.15am followed by the five mile Spud run which starts at 11am. Stephen Cowell, Club Secretary of March Athletic Club and Spud Run Director, briefly explained the history of the run and how it acquired it’s unusual name, he said: “It was the previous chairs idea he wanted to have a unique name for it and the course that he set ran
and send it to me (Stephen’s details are on the application form), or they can come to the club house on Elm Road when we’re there on a Tuesday or a Thursday evening. “There are normally some application forms in the club house so if anybody wanted to pop in after 7.30pm they can, but the easiest way is to go on the website and print off a form. And it’s the same form whether you’re doing the Fun Run or main run; you just tick a different box.” He then described the route for anyone unfamiliar with the race, he said: “Its starts at the sports ground on Elm Road and then it goes into
“...the course that he set ran between two sets of fields of potatoes at the time so he thought ah, we’ll call it the Spud Run!” between two sets of fields of potatoes at the time so he thought ah, we’ll call it the Spud Run! And also because it is sponsored by QV Foods and they donate a bag of spuds to everybody who finishes the main spud run.” The main run is open to everyone from people who aren’t serious runner’s right through to club athletes, and the Fun Run is for children, their parents and anyone who doesn’t fancy running five miles. If you want to sign up for the run Stephen explained how, he said: “They can either go on the website, print off an application form 22
Discovering March June 2014
the nature reserve next to the prison, there’s a quick circuit of that and back out onto the roads before it goes through some farmers tracks and onto the bank of the Twenty Foot River. It then comes back through the nature reserve and finishes on our field, so it’s almost totally off road.” To find out more about the race and to print off an application form visit: http:// marchathleticclub.co.uk/Home.php and look for March Spud Run.