Running - Trails races atrract 1,300 to Cartmel (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Running - Trails races atrract 1,300 to Cartmel

1:10pm Thursday 31st March 2011 in Sport

A HUGE field of 1,300 competitors will contest the first of the 2011 Lakeland Trails events at Cartmel Racecourse on Saturday.

It is almost double the number that took part last year and will feature visitors from the United States, Holland, Germany and Belgium.

The three main events during the day are the 10k Sticky Toffee Trail Run (11am), the 18k Cartmel Challennge (1pm) and the 18k Cartmel Trail Race (2pm).

Sub-four minute miler Neil Speaight of Belgrave Harriers, who represented England at the Commonwealth Games, is the favourite for the 10k title.

International-class athletes wil lbe feature in the Trail Race, including 2009 winner Nick Leigh (Altrincham AC) and GB mountain running man Gareht Raven (Sale Harriers).

Kendal AC's international Sarah Tunstall is targeting the women's 18k race as she continues her comeback from long-term injury.