Organisers of this years Strabane Lifford Half Marathon have seen a big surge in entries over the past 48 hours as participants avail of the Early Bird Fee before Sunday.
The event itself is eight weeks away and already, entries have been flooding in, with many availing of the cut price Early Bird rate introduced just a few short weeks ago. No doubt entrants are mindful of last years Half Marathon, which saw the event sold out a number of weeks in advance of the race.
When this race started in 2014, there was a sizeable entry of over 600 that took to the streets of Strabane and Lifford for the inaugural event. The numbers more than doubled in 2015, with numbers swelling to the 1500 capacity last year. Now in its fourth year, this years Half Marathon will be held on Sunday 14th May, and with capacity being increased by an additional 400 places, expectations are high that the 2017 race will be yet another sellout.
The Half Marathon is a joint initiative between Lifford Strabane AC and Derry and Strabane District Council. The unique cross border nature of the event, the first such cross border race has been a unique attraction for participants. The course has been recognised as one of the fastest Half Marathon routes on the island, with the flat course certainly a big bonus for those seeking personal best times or indeed less of a challenge for first time runners.
While the race has so many attractions and selling points, in terms of value for money, it is unlikely there is a comparable race anywhere on the island. An Early Bird rate of only £17 has been available for the past few weeks but which will end this Sunday, 19th March. From Monday, the rate will rise to the normal rate of £22, still outstanding value for a Half Marathon event.
The reach of this Half Marathon in only four years has seen entries from across the island as well as England, Scotland and Wales. Indeed, the reach has extended even further this year, with our first participants from America already entered.
To guarantee your entry and to avail of the Early Bird rate, get your entry in by midnight on Sunday. On Line entries are available through the Derry and Strabane District Council website with further information and entry links available on the Strabane Lifford Half Marathon Facebook page.
For further information or details, please contact Brendan O’Donnell, Race Director on 086-0489377.
