Field of 2,000 runners to compete in 30th Brass Monkey run (From York Press)

Field of 2,000 runners to compete in 30th Brass Monkey run

10:53am Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Athletics By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

ONE of Britain’s favourite road races celebrates its 30th anniversary on Sunday.

A top quality field, and a total of 2,000 runners, will take to the streets of York as Knavesmire Harriers host their annual Brass Monkey half marathon.

The race, which attracts some of the best northern runners as well as a strong contingent from the rest of the UK and overseas, was started in 1983 by president Brian Hughes who, legend has it, founded the club with Ray Wilstrop after meeting under a tree on Knavesmire.

Initially designed to be a race for club runners, it has expanded enormously and attracted some of the country’s best to participate – including former world 100 kilometre champion Caroline Hunter-Rowe and Olympic 10,000 metre runner Angela Tooby-Smith.

The course, all on public roads, starts in Bishopthorpe Road, goes through Acaster Selby, right to Appleton Roebuck and then back through Bishopthorpe before finishing at the racecourse and is renowned as one of the fastest in the country.

The men’s course record is held by New Zealand runner Paul Martelletti, of Victoria Park Harriers and Tower Hamlets AC, who smashed the previous best last year when winning in one hour five minutes and 20 seconds.

Former Scottish Commonwealth Games athlete Hayley Haining holds the women’s record, with a time of one hour 11 minutes and 46 seconds, set in 2008.

Looking back on the last three decades, Hughes said: “It is a runner’s race. It is marshalled by runners – members of Knavesmire Harriers – and I think that’s the difference. It was just a club run when we started and it was over 20km.

“What I enjoy about it is the camaraderie of the club. It gets everyone together and it just flows. I have met some wonderful people and they come from all over – from the Isle of Man, Scotland and abroad. To be able to keep something like this going (for so long) is wonderful.”

The race begins at 10am and will be started by BBC Look North’s Claire Frisby, whose husband is one of the participants.