runbritain
 

The runbritain Grand Prix moves into its second year in 2012.

The events to make up the 2012 series are confirmed as:

 
Mizuno Reading Half Marathon - 1 April

Field: 16,000

Closing date: expected to be in January 2012 (5 March and free entry for sub 70 men and sub 80 women)

Race Director - Chris Sumner (events@sweatshop.co.uk)

Open prize money - £4,000 pool (£1,000 1st place)

British prize money - £2100 (£400 1st place) plus time bonus money

British time bonuses -

Sub 64/71 (men/women) £500

Sub 63/70 £1,000

Sub 61/68 £5,000

Course records: Patrick Makau 61:19/ Liz Yelling 69:35

One lap, flat, fast course.

22 of the top 250 men's and women's UK Half Marathon performances came from Reading in 2011. We aim to deliver even greater depth for men and women and PB's across the board in 2012. With no IAAF World Cross Country in 2012, we are pleased to see that many leading UK runners are already targetting Reading as a way to round off their winter seasons in style or to complete their Marathon racing preparations.


BUPA London 10000 - 27 May

Field - 14,000

Race Director - Dave Bedford (martinm@london-marathon.co.uk)

British prize money £13,000 pool for individuals/£9,500 for club teams (£2,000 1st place)

Course records - Mo Farah 27:44/ Mary Keitany 31:06

One lap course, based on Olympic Marathon loop, finishing in The Mall.

"40 of the UK's leading 250 men's and women's times at 10k in 2011 came from the BUPA 10000. 29 men broke 31 minutes. The leading British athletes have their own warm-up area and start zone. In 2012, the race once again hosts both the UK Championships and round two of the runbritain Grand Prix. In a home Olympic year, our target is to have 30 British men below 30 minutes for the first time since the 1980s as well as 30 British women under 36:00. The BUPA London 10000 is proud to be playing its part in raising the standards of British running at club and international level. The 2012 race will be another classic. We look forward to welcoming as many ambitious Brits as possible in May.


Admiral Swansea Bay 10k - 23 September

Field - 4000

Closing date: usually August

Race Director: Nigel Jones (nigel.jones@swansea.gov.uk)

British-only prize money: £1000 pool

British-only time bonuses: TBC

Course records: Felix Limo (27:39)/ Rehab Ddungu (32:36)

Entries are now open, currently guaranteeing 2011 fee levels, on the runbritain free online entry service.

Swansea has always provided super-fast times on an established out-and-back course that follows the sweep of Swansea Bay. The early afternoon start time will enable runners to travel from much of Wales and England and we invite those from further afield to come and make a weekend of it in Swansea in September. The event has a strict entry limit that is always reached early, so apply now for your 2012 PB.

Bristol Half Marathon - 30 September

Field - 20,000

Closing date - 21st September or when full

Race Director - Georgette Van Hoof (Bristol@frsystems.co.uk)

Course records: (new loop in 2012) Haile Gebrselassie (60:03) and Paula Radcliffe (66:47) won the IAAF World Half Marathon titles in 2001.

British prize money - £2,775 pool (£750 1st place) See runbristol for prize list.

British time bonuses-

sub 66/74 £100
sub 65/73 £200
sub 64/72 £300
sub 63/71 £500
 
Flat, fast loop from the city centre.
 
Entries open on 1 January. Look out on the website for special UKA club deals and offers. Bristol has hosted the UK Championships many times in the past and we pride ourselves on the support and opportunities we present for British athletes. We are aiming for our best ever in-depth field in 2012.

 


Perkins Great Eastern Run - 14 October

Field - 7000

Closing date - 8 October or when full

Race Director - Stuart Hamilton (stuart.hamilton@peterborough.gov.uk)

British prize money: £4000 pool (£1000 1st place)

British time bonuses:

sub 64/71 £500

sub 63/70 £1000

sub 62/69 £2000

sub 61/68 £5000

Course records: Edwin Kipyego (62:16) and Liz Yelling (72:14)

One lap course on fast and flat route through city centre and residential streets. Good spectator support.

Entries for 2012 now open. Peterborough produced the second fastest man's time in the UK in 2010. The course is consistently quick and, by hosting the UK Championships and final runbritain Grand Prix race, we can offer PB potential to runners of all standards.

Grand Prix points

Points will be awarded at each race for the leading 250 British (eligible to compete for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the date of the race) finishers from the men’s and women’s separate individual results. 250 points will be awarded for the first British finisher, down to 1 point for the 250th British finisher.

A runner’s best four individual points scores from the five races count towards the overall runbritain grand prix.

Time bonus points will be awarded at each of the five races.

 

Time bonuses

Men

10k

   

Half Marathon

(non-cumulative)

additional points

   

additional points

sub 28:00

   

500

 

sub 61:00

 

500

sub 28:30

   

400

 

sub 62:00

 

400

sub 29:00

   

300

 

sub 63:00

 

300

sub 29:30

   

200

 

sub 64:00

 

200

sub 30:00

   

100

 

sub 65:00

 

100

               
   

Women

         

sub 31:00

   

500

 

sub 67:00

 

500

sub 31:30

   

400

 

sub 68:00

 

400

sub 32:00

   

300

 

sub 69:00

 

300

sub 32:30

   

200

 

sub70:00

 

200

sub 33:00

   

100

 

sub 71:00

 

100

 
Prize money, based on the highest accumulated points totals from each British runner’s best four scores across the five events will be awarded on the basis outlined below.

1st £3,000
2nd £1,500
3rd £1,000
4th £500
5th £400
6th £300
7th £250
8th £200
9th £150
10th £100

 

The results from the 2011 series are on the board.
 
Phil Wicks, winner of the 2011 men's Grand Prix said,"I'm delighted to be the winner of the inaugural runbritain Grand Prix series. Road running has always been my first love and so I was delighted to hear about the formation of a domestic road racing series in the UK. In its first year the series has had a great impact on attracting high quality domestic fields to some of the UK's premier road racing events. Everyone involved, including the respective race organisers of the Reading Half Marathon, Bristol 10km, BUPA London 10000, Admiral Swansea Bay 10km and BUPA Great Birmingham Run, should be congratulated for their efforts in producing a fantastic series of races for UK athletes. Given the success of the Grand Prix series in 2011 I'm sure that it will continue to grow over the coming years and in doing so help to improve the standards of British road running on the world stage."

Steel was equally delighted and said, "I have enjoyed every race on the calender but missed the Reading Half Marathon due to running in the World Cross. However, I would love to do it next year! The runbritain Grand Prix has given me some fantastic opportunities such as meeting and beating my idol Paula Radcliffe and standing on the podium with the great Haile Gebrselassie, which will stay with me for a long time to come. I love the way the series has raised the profile for road running. I am not known as a track runner and it has given me a platform to showcase my skills and do what I do best on the road. I have gained more recognition as an elite athlete. The races were well spread out on the calendar and this helped to keep me focused towards the end of the season. It has set me up nicely for the cross country season."