THEY’RE ON COURSE FOR RACE FUN
Get under starter’s orders with form guide to new Ayr event
A RACE meeting of a different kind is set to take place on the hallowed turf of Ayr Racecourse next month when the inaugural Ayr Classic Road Run takes place. Gates open at 7am on Sunday, giving you plenty of time to warm up and soak up the atmosphere. Admission is free, so friends and family can cheer you round the course. And don’t worry about the weather, either, as you can watch from the comfort of the Main Stand. With 37 events on their calendar, Ayr Racecourse are experts in staging big events. There’s plenty of food outlets catering for all tastes, excellent toilet facilities and a secure baggage drop area. If you fancy a wee drink to celebrate, the famous Ayrshire Suite will be open. You don’t need to cross the finishing line first to pick up a prize. Everyone will go home with a unique commemorative medal, whose beautifully crafted horseshoe design reflects the heritage of the course plus a souvenir “I Ran Ayr” T-shirt. The three courses have been measured right down to the last millimetre and sanctioned by Scottish Athletics. Everyone will be chipped timed by Perfect Timing, who provide state-of-the-art services for runs around Scotland. You get your time the minute you cross the finishing line. Enjoy the freedom and peace of mind of a traffic-free zone with plenty of stewards to guide you on the way.
On the Ayr Classic Five Mile Road Run course, you set out from the front of the Royal stand, pass the Winners Enclosure and start the first of two loops around the famous course.
At four and a half miles, it is then up through the stables, before coming back in past the Winners Enclosure and on to the final straight and the winning post in front of the Princess Royal stand. The junior run and the family run take a shorter route but start and finish at the same point as the five-mile run. There’s ample free parking at the racecourse, just a few minutes’ stroll from the registration area. There is a regular rail service to Ayr from all parts of the country and the course is less than five minutes by car or a one mile “warm-up” jog. They say life begins at 40 – the average age of our runners is 41 – with the youngest, Abby Lawson, just three, and the oldest entrant a sprightly 66. The course is among the flattest in the UK, so there is a great chance to set a personal best.
The prize funds will attract a top field, too, with the first man and first woman past the finishing post picking up £500 each, £250 for second and £100 for third, with an elite prize pot of £1000 for the man and woman who break the Scottish five-mile records, which have stood for 30 and 20 years respectively.