Sheffield half marathon cancelled due to lack of water

Sheffield half marathon – Image credited to Sheffield Telegraph

Organisers of the Sheffield half marathon were left red-faced yesterday when the race was cancelled with 4000 people waiting at the start line.

The event, which is in its 33^rd year, was scrapped due to a failed water delivery before the race began. Organisers decided that this was the only option due to concerns over health and safety.

Runners competing in the event described the day as shambolic.

Alan Biggs, a sports reporter from Sheffield, compared waiting at the start line to waiting in an airport or railway station.

He said an announcement over an ineffective public address system was only heard by the elite runners at the front of the pack and rumour began to filter through the rest of the competitors.

Alan Biggs

“It could have been handled so much better.”

Alan was running the half marathon for a ninth time but said this year, those who have given time to arrange the event have come up short.

When the runners heard the race was cancelled, Alan said there was a mutual feeling to run. “Sod them, we’re going to do it.”

There were rumours the police were setting up a roadblock and runners would be arrested but most of the runners finished the race.

Thousands of spectators resolved the water situation by buying water and filling empty coffee cups to hand to the runners. The Sheffield Telegraph reporter said the reaction of the public was remarkable and describe it as “wartime spirit”.

Alan recorded a time of around two hours and 20 seconds and those who finished the race were still awarded a medal and t-shirt at the finish line.

Former sports minister, Richard Caborn, also ran the unofficial race. He said they were told they were “running at their own risk”.

He said: “It was a cock-up by the organisers but they should have still given people the option to run.

“People have been training for months and had raised hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.”