The Morton Challenge
Posted on April 23 2016
This year sees the 11th running event in Morton.
The event started as the Morton Fun Run in 2004 with a 6 km road race which took the runners out of the village along Stretton Road up to the A61, onto the wide pavement to Mickley, along Mickley Lane to Higham Lane, coming back into the village on Church Lane, to run back down Main Road onto the school field. This first event was held the year of the very heavy summer rains, which caused widespread flooding around the region, the event had to start and finish at the school gates because of the heavily waterlogged playing fields in the village.
The following year the event was held again, this time it started at the school gates and finished on the school field, with the addition of a second event; a 1 mile run along the trail that circles the colliery mound for younger runners.
This format continued until 2009 when it was decided to change the race format in 2010 to a 5km trail run. The run started on New Street playing field and followed the trail around the base of the colliery mound, a loop through Colliery wood before the challenging climb of the colliery mound, before dropping back onto the playing fields for a second lap. The event has since been called the Morton Challenge. The two run races have always directly preceded the opening of the village gala.
This year, the event will be held on Sunday June 26th, with the 5km Morton Challenge starting at 11am and the 1 mile Morton Mini Challenge at 12 noon.
The 5km Challenge is open to runners aged 12 and over, the 1 mile Mini Challenge is open to all aged 6 and over.
Signing on for the events open at 9.30am on New Street playing field with entry fees of £5 for over 16’s, £3 for under 16 in the 5km Challenge, and £2 for all runners in the Mini Challenge.
All runners receive finishing medals, with trophies for age group winners in the 5km Challenge, and trophies for first boy and girl in the Mini Challenge.
The Morton Challenge is a tough event, please come fit and ready!
The Mini Challenge is open to all runners, not just youngsters, it is an ideal event if you are just starting out running, come and have a go!