Imber Ultra returns to the plains

The sixth annual Imber Ultra Marathon, organised by the Rotary Club of Westbury and the Avon Valley Runners, will take place on Sunday 3rd March, starting at 9am.

The 33-mile trail run follows the range path anticlockwise around Salisbury Plain, starting from the Leighton Recreation Centre at 9am, through checkpoints at Scratchbury, Chitterne, Tilshead, Highland Cottage (Near Gore Cross) and Bratton Gate, and ending at the Leighton Recreation Centre in Westbury.

On the way, runners pass through some of the most remote parts of southern England, and may even encounter the odd tank or military vehicle. Runners can face a raft of climatic conditions, including the potential challenge of the prevailing westerly head wind for the final 8 miles along the northern escarpment of the Plain.

It has become a popular event for runners, and it attracts entrants from as far afield as Devon, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Yorkshire, as well as closer to home. Occasionally, entrants come from abroad, such as Australia. Over 100 competitors have already registered, but numbers are limited to 140, to ensure that the race can be safely monitored and supported.

Profits from the event are given to charities that Westbury Rotary Club supports. Last year, it was Julia’s House and a Nepalese school; this year prostate and breast cancer charities, and a Ugandan well project will be the principal beneficiaries, along with other smaller, local club charities.

Application details and photographs from previous years can be found at www.imber-ultra.org , and anyone who would like to join in the fun by cheering on the runners around the course or helping to manage the checkpoints will be most welcome. Please contact Rotarian Mervyn Harris (meeharris@ icloud.com) or visit the Westbury Rotary Club website for more information – Google ‘Westbury Rotary uk’.

Report by Mervyn Haris