STEVE Cram will celebrate his 50th birthday by running “the most beautiful marathon in the world” after launching the Kielder Marathon yesterday.Nowadays the Olympic silver medalist spends more time cycling and skiing than doing the sport which made his name.
However, biking around Northumberland’s Kielder Water gave him the idea for a new athletics event – and with the first running three days after his landmark anniversary he plans to join the field in October.
Cram admitted: “Living in Northumberland I go to Kielder quite a lot – probably more on the bike these days than running.
“Over the years the ability to run closely to the lake has increased.
“When the Lakeside Way was finally finished and I went around on the bike I thought, ‘Hang on a minute, this is about 26-and-a-half, 27 miles’, which is the perfect marathon distance.
“It is my 50th birthday just beforehand and I always said I would run a marathon to celebrate my 50th, so it is in the diary.”
The organisers plan to take things slowly for the inaugural event on October 17, but Cram and backers One North East hope it can boost the region.
He added: “We have seen what events can do for areas.
“This is not going to be another Great North Run, but there is a lot of appetite for off-road events, what we call destination events – at places where you might spend the weekend.
“People go as far afield as Europe. Kielder is such a beautiful venue it seemed like a no-brainer.
“You have a ready-made, off-road fantastic trail which gives us a chance to show Kielder off in all its glory.
“Even people in the North East probably do not realise how much is available.
“If you do a city marathon running in long straight lines along concrete, this could not be any more different.
“Almost every corner you turn you have fantastic views.
“We have called it Britain’s Most Beautiful Marathon because we are convinced it will be. We think people are going to come not only from the North East but all over the country.
“We are going to limit entries in year one to around about 1,000 so we are encouraging people to enter quickly because I am pretty sure there is going to be a good response.
“We will develop it in years two and three.
“We just want to make sure people have a good experience.” The organisers hope to attract a handful of elite athletes, and will hold a parallel children’s event.
With the Great North Run a fixture in the national sporting calendar and the Blaydon Race’s enduring appeal, the North East has a stronghold on mass-participation athletics. Cram can see signs of it translating to elite level.
He said: “Ricky Stevenson from Teesside has had a great start to the year. I hope this summer he has a chance of getting into the team for the Europeans or the Commonwealths as a first step.
“I am helping out a young girl from Morpeth, Laura Weightman, who is our top-ranked 1,500m runner, in UK and Europe, at the under-20 age group.
“Kate Avery is a Shildon girl who’s having a great cross-country season, and represented Great Britain at the European Cross Country Championships.
“We have three or four very good athletes who hopefully will be able to provide inspiration for others in the area.”
Anyone interested in joining the ballot for places at the Kielder Marathon can do so at www.kieldermarathon.com.
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