Run Gatwick Half Marathon 2022

WITH THE end of lockdown and things returning to a new normal Run Gatwick opened it's doors to their half marathon on Sunday May 8th, with a new start/finish line and route.

The first run took place at Southgate Park, Crawley on the 31st October 2018 and ran for two years. Like many events it had to shut it's doors due to the COVID pandemic and reopened in 2022 for it's third event, excluding virtual runs.

Starting at the Gatwick Aviation Museum the route went past the end of the runway, at the point aircraft were coming in low and landing. Running the Lowfield Heath Road to the side of the runway the route came back on itself to the end of the runway before turning down to Ifieldwood. Running down to Rusper and back to the museum in a large loop and couple of run backs.

The new route brought the race to Gatwick, with most of the run being directly below the flight path. During the run you could feel the road vibrate with the power of the aircraft engines coming into land, an amazing run experience and great new route.

I was coming back from an injury caused by running down hill and missing a tree root that, literally, sent me flying. All of which seems very apt for Run Gatwick.   I didn't get the time I wanted but was really pleased I entered and enjoyed the run, right up to the point my right calf decided to seize on me.

I am now thinking back over the run and looking forward to Run Reigate which takes place in September (see Race Diary on the tabs above for full details).   It's good to see that Run Reigate have evolved taking on Gatwick and now a 10km trails run at Gatton Point on the north end of Redhill.

I did the inaugral Run Reigate Trains at the beginning of the year and it was so successful they are running it again in the summer.   Gatton Point is beautiful and it's worth thinking about this challenging run.