Southport Beach 10K Entry Details And Route Map

25 August 2011: Southport Beach Race (by Brian Grice)

The famous Southport Beach Race is back after a gap of 15 years. The DW Fitness Southport Beach 10K starts on the beach next to the pier at 10am on Sunday September 4th with about 2 miles on the beach and the rest on the good tarmac path along Marine Drive. This is a UKA event over a certified accurate course. The Southport Beach Race was organised by Southport Waterloo AC from 1983 to 1996 when the beach looked very different with miles of compacted sand all the way to Ainsdale and beyond. In the early years the Beach Race was held over 10 miles with an amazing field of more than 1,200 runners in 1984 won by Gerry Helme who went on to set the course record (50.27) in 1986. Kate Harrison had a remarkable hat trick of wins for the club in the Beach Race, including a win over 10 miles in 1990 and then successes over 10K when the distance was changed in 1991. The revived Beach Race starts with about one mile on the sand from the pier to Weld Rd and then almost 3 miles on the path/pavement along Marine Drive to a point beyond Hesketh Rd. The return leg includes a stretch along the beach before rejoining Marine Drive. There are good prizes at stake with £100 to the winner and £75 to the second in both the men’s and women’s events. Of course, everyone is guaranteed a fast start on the vast wide expanse of Southport Beach. This is a fast course on a calm day with very little of the race on soft sand. Nostalgics will love the new 'Beach Race' even if most of our beach has disappeared under a swathe of mud and grass. Further information and entry Winners of past Southport Waterloo Beach Race 1983 - 96 2011 Course map GARMIN DATA ROUTE PROFILE http://www.walkjogrun.net/routes/current_route.cfm?rid=06BFB427-9138-87FD-D6CC424BF7AA7744&success=1