Bath Half Marathon

The Bath Half Marathon (also known as the "BATHALF") is an annual road running half marathon held in Bath, England, normally on the second or third Sunday in March. It has been held every year since 1982, except for 2018 when it was cancelled due to snow. The race was first run in the year after the first London Marathon in 1981 and has remained a popular race for runners preparing for that event. The next race is scheduled for Sunday 14 March 2021.

Bath Half Marathon
DateMarch
LocationBath, United Kingdom
Event typeRoad
DistanceHalf marathon
Established1981 (1981)
Course recordsMen's: 1:01:45 (2016)
Robert Wambua Mbithi
Women's: 1:09.27 (2007)
Liz Yelling
Official sitebathhalf.co.uk
Participants11,693 (in 2015)[1]

It is the largest single day charity fundraising event in South West England, raising over £2.2 million for charity in 2016.[2][3] Since 2000 the race has been organised by Bath-based Running High Events Ltd.

Course
Main group of runners in 2009, on Pulteney Road, Widcombe

The Bath Half is a fast flat course, straddling both sides of the River Avon. The race starts and finishes in Great Pulteney Street, which with its roadway spanning 46 feet (14 m) is one of the widest Georgian boulevards in Europe. The first mile is gently downhill on Pulteney Road to Churchill Bridge, then the route follows two identical laps from Churchill Bridge, rising up past Green Park station, round Queen Square, then down Charlotte Street and westbound out of the city centre along the A4 road (Upper Bristol Road and Newbridge Road) to Newbridge and crossing the 'New Bridge' at the 'Twerton Fork' at the beginning of the dual carriageway. From here the race heads eastbound on the A36 back towards the city centre, along Lower Bristol Road, before crossing over Churchill Bridge and up Green Park again for the beginning of the second lap. At the end of the second lap the runners pass across Churchill Bridge, then up Pulteney Road to the finish back in Great Pulteney Street.

The course route is unchanged since minor modifications in 2006. It was remeasured in 2006 by IAAF official course measurer Hugh Jones, describing the course as 'officially flat, with three undulations'. The assembly area for the race is the Bath Recreation Ground.

Results
Year Competitors Men's winner Women's winner
Athlete Nationality Time (h:m:s) Athlete Nationality Time (h:m:s)
1982 Nigel Gates  United Kingdom 1:03:01 Joyce Smith  United Kingdom 1:11.45
1983 Nigel Gates  United Kingdom 1:04:24 Annette Roberts  United Kingdom 1:15.35
1984 Maurice Cowman  United Kingdom 1:04:13 Priscilla Welch  United Kingdom 1:12.13
1985 Steve Anders  United Kingdom 1:03:29 Veronique Marot  United Kingdom 1:11.10
1986 Steve Anders  United Kingdom 1:02:35 Veronique Marot  United Kingdom 1:10.23
1987 John Wheway  United Kingdom 1:03:02 Veronique Marot  United Kingdom 1:11.53
1988 John Wheway  United Kingdom 1:04:11 Sally Ellis  United Kingdom 1:11.38
1989 John Wheway  United Kingdom 1:04:26 Bronwen Cardy-Wise  United Kingdom 1:15.20
1990 Steve Brace  United Kingdom 1:05:11 Veronique Marot  United Kingdom 1:13.46
1991 Chris Buckley  United Kingdom 1:04:41 Karen MacLeod  United Kingdom 1:13.31
1992 Colin Walker  United Kingdom 1:03:59 Ann Roden  United Kingdom 1:15.26
1993 Steve Brace  United Kingdom 1:04:05 Andrea Wallace  United Kingdom 1:09.39
1994 Chris Buckley  United Kingdom 1:03:44 Hayley Nash  United Kingdom 1:13.15
1995 David Taylor  United Kingdom 1:04:22 Karen MacLeod  United Kingdom 1:14.17
1996 Phil Makepeace  United Kingdom 1:05:15 Hayley Nash  United Kingdom 1:16.10
1997 Gareth Davies  United Kingdom 1:06:55 Hayley Nash  United Kingdom 1:18.37
1998 Stuart Hall  United Kingdom 1:06:52 Melanie Ellis  United Kingdom 1:15.34
1999 Tony Graham  United Kingdom 1:06:58 Debbie Gunning  United Kingdom 1:18.36
2000 Alan Sheppard  United Kingdom 1:05:48 Helen Purdy  United Kingdom 1:15.55
2001 Paul Green  United Kingdom 1:04:57 Annie Emmerson  United Kingdom 1:11.13
2002 William Musyoki  Kenya 1:04:14 Jo Lodge  United Kingdom 1:14.01
2003 Huw Lobb  United Kingdom 1:04:51 Debbie Robinson  United Kingdom 1:11.57
2004 Joseph Riri  Kenya 1:02:20 Miriam Wangari  Kenya 1:14.37
2005 Simon Tonui  Kenya 1:02:53 Susan Partridge  United Kingdom 1:13.10
2006 6,000 Simon Kasimili [4]  Kenya 1:04:08 Cathy Mutwa [4]  Kenya 1:12:43
2007 8,165 Tewodros Shiferaw  Ethiopia 1:02:09 Liz Yelling  United Kingdom 1:09.27
2008 10,054 Raymond Tonui  Kenya 1:05:21 Roman Gebresse  Kenya 1:13:09
2009 10,700 Simon Tonui  Kenya 1:03:09 Joyce Kandia  Kenya 1:11:49
2010 10,800 Ezekiel Cherop  Kenya 1:03:03 Michelle Ross-Cope  United Kingdom 1:12:07
2011 12,000 Edwin Kipkorir [5]  Kenya 1:04:00 Edith Chelimo [5]  Kenya 1:11:25
2012 Edwin Kiptoo  Kenya 1:02:01 Jane Muia  Kenya 1:11:19
2013 12,000 Tewodros Shiferaw [6][7]  Ethiopia 1:03:26 Polline Wanjiru [6]  Kenya 1:10:28
2014 11,300 Nicholas Kirui [8]  Kenya 1:03:13[9] Perendis Lekapana [8]  Kenya 1:10:53[9]
2015 11,693 Paul Martelletti [1]  United Kingdom 1:05:27 Emma Stepto [1]  United Kingdom 1:13:48
2016 11,352 Robert Mbithi [10]  Kenya 1:01:45 Lenah Jerotich [10]  Kenya 1:12:24
2017 12,748 [11] Ben Fish  United Kingdom 1:05:16 Ruth Barnes  United Kingdom 1:15:32
2018 Cancelled due to snow[12]
2019 11,348 Chris Thompson  United Kingdom 1:03:09 Kate Reed  United Kingdom 1:12:44
2020 6,827 Paul Pollock  Ireland 1:04:14 Becky Briggs  United Kingdom 1:14:34
Leading runners in 2006, Simon Tonui and Simon Kasimili

Criticism in 2020

The 2020 event faced criticism after it went ahead despite the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic. A number of organisations pulled out, and local MP Wera Hobhouse called for it to be cancelled, saying "protecting the most vulnerable in our city from a further spread of the infection must be the priority." Organisers denied accusations they were irresponsible, and the event took place with half the usual number of participants.[13] Bath MP Wera Hobhouse later said lives probably would have been saved had the event been cancelled, but the "organiser had no guidance from Government to stop the event." Bath Half race director said "We are not aware of any data or evidence linking outdoor participation events such as the Bath Half with the spread of COVID-19, or with any fatalities from COVID-19 ... In the absence of any such data this type of discussion could be regarded as speculation, even scaremongering."[14]

References
  1. Bath Half 2015: Paul Martelletti is first British winner since 2003 after recording fourth half-marathon success in a month, Bath Chronicle, 1 March 2015, archived from the original on 2 April 2015, retrieved 12 March 2015
  2. "Bath Half Marathon". Bath Half. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  3. "Bath Half Marathon". Visit Bath. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  4. Bath Half Marathon 2006, Running High/Sports Systems, 19 March 2006, retrieved 6 December 2014
  5. "Thousands compete in 30th Bath half marathon". BBC Somerset. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  6. Ellis, Rachel (4 March 2013). "Runners Praise Best Ever Bath Half". Bath Half Marathon. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  7. Organisers say Bath Half Marathon 2013 is best ever, This is Bath, 3 March 2012, retrieved 7 March 2012
  8. Ellis, Rachel (3 March 2014). "Record attendance and high spirits at the 2014 BATHALF". Bath Half Marathon. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. "2014 results". Bath Half Marathon. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  10. Ellis, Rachel (14 March 2016). "VITALITY BATH HALF MARATHON 2016 EVENT REVIEW: RUN-FAST ATHLETES ROBERT MBITHI AND LENAH JEROTICH CLAIM TITLES". Bath Half Marathon. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  11. "More than 700 Bath Half runners left without medals". BBC Somerset. BBC. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  12. "Runners turn out for cancelled Bath Half Marathon". BBC Somerset. BBC. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  13. "Coronavirus: Bath half marathon goes ahead despite backlash". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  14. Sumner, Stephen (13 May 2020). "MP says cancelling mass gatherings "probably would have saved many lives"". Bath Echo. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
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