This weekend’s Twilight 5K road races, which will include the England National 5K Road Race Championships, begins a busy schedule of running events throughout Suffolk and North-East Essex for the summer ahead.
Ipswich will once again host a mixture of races for elite athletes, club runners, fun runners and juniors throughout Saturday afternoon and evening, based at the Waterfront and sponsored by Ipswich Building Society, with Carl Aston as the Race Director.
It will all begin at 2pm with 'The Daily Mile' event, for Suffolk schoolchildren, followed by a variety of other events including 800m races for ladies and men, a family 2K and culminating in the sub-20 minute elite race at 7pm.
Thousands of spectators are expected to line the route, with international stars such as Jessica Judd and Laura Weightman set to spearhead the elite ladies' field, and defending champion Nick Golbad poised to try and defend his men's title. Top Suffolk athlete Kieran Clements, of Hadleigh, is also expected to run.
The following day, attention switches to the track when the Suffolk County Track & Field Championships will take place at Northgate Stadium in Ipswich.
And across the border, the annual Halstead Marathon will incorporate the Essex Marathon Championships (Sunday at 10am).
FIXTURES
List of selected main local races over the next three months:
MAY
Sat, 11 - Twilight 5K (Ipswich)
Sun, 12 - Suffolk Track & Field Champs (Ipswich).
Sun, 12 - Halstead Marathon & Essex Marathon; Sun, 12 - Bury to Clare Challenge (18 miles)
Sun, 19 - Woodbridge 10K; Sun, 19 - Colchester Stampede 10K; Sun, 19 - Alton Water 10K/5K
Fri, 31 - Kirton Friday Five
JUNE
Sun, 2 - Stour Valley Marathon
Fri, 7 - Framlingham Flyers Friday Five
Sun, 9 - Boxted 10K
Fri, 14 - Sudbury Friday Five
June 14/15/16 - Suffolk Trail Racing Festival (24-hour race, 12-hour race, 10K, 3K etc)
Sun, 16 - Capel Five
Fri, 21 - Bury Friday Five
Sun, 23 - Mersea Island Round the Island; Sun, 23 - Orwell Marathon/Half Challenge
Fri, 28 - Stowmarket Friday Five
JULY
Fri, 5 - Gt Bentley Friday Five
Sun, 7 - Newmarket 10K
Sun, 14 - Ekiden Marathon Relay (Woodbridge School)
Fri, 19 - Brantham 5
Fri, 26 - Ipswich Twilight 10K
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