401 challenge grantham

The Start and Finish is located at the:
South Kesteven Sports Stadium, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincs, NG31 7XQ

Information for runners

We will be gathering in the stadium from 9:30 am. Runners are welcome to run 1 mile, 26.2 miles or anything in between and you can either join the pack from the start or pick us up anywhere on route. Ben normally runs at a pace of 10 to 12 min/mile but will be happy to go along with the slowest of the group. We will be having 2 main stops for refreshments and snacks (Ben needs his carbs) so this is an ideal opportunity to join the pack. Please remember to bring some money if you are going to eat and drink. We shall make arrangements to have plenty of water available on route. Please see the 'Live Tracker' page to see where we are at any point in time if you want to join us mid run. if you want to download the route for your Garmin, PC or other device  click the type you want gpx, tcx, Google Earth, Garmin Connect or Ride with GPS.

On our route we will be calling at 19 schools - could we ask all runners to hang back as we approach the schools allowing Ben to go to the front leaving an obvious gap between him and the pack. This will then make it obvious to the school children (and teachers) which runner is Ben. The plan is that Ben will go into the schools and run round whatever grounds they have with any of the children that want to run with him. We think most schools will allow the rest of the pack to run around the grounds but again could we ask you to stay in a fairly tight group behind Ben and the group of children. If you don't plan on doing the full marathon (or just want a short breather) you are of course welcome to wait just outside the school gates. Thank you for your cooperation on this.

RUNNERS SAFETY & DISCLAIMER - All runners should be aware that they join Ben on his Grantham run with us at their own risk and they should be physically fit and healthy to undertake the distance they plan to run and that the organisers accept no responsibility for any loss or damage. A large proportion of our route is in an urban area with lots of road crossings - so can we ask that you remain vigilant at all times. Please use proper crossings where available and follow the instructions of the organisers on the day. There could be a large group of runners so please be respectful to other pavement and road uses. When we are running in the open countryside where no footpaths exist please all keep on the same side of the road (facing the oncoming traffic).

RUNNERS COMFORT - Please remember our event isn't a race and there will be plenty of stopping and starting. We will be visiting lots of schools and some of these visits may not go quite so smooth as we hope - so there could be a bit of hanging around while they get ready or for a photo opportunity. Please be patient the day isn't just for us runners. The pace will be really steady and you may find that you are out for much longer than you would be to cover the same mileage, especially with the school and  planned food stops. So please consider bringing some warmer clothing with you - either another top or a wind jacket that you can carry would be ideal. Some people find a small rucksac or large bumbag useful. You can obviously pack your phone, drink, and maybe snacks in there too (not forgetting money for a snack if you are having one). We hope to have a couple of water stations on the route but you may want to consider carrying your own which can be refilled at the planned stops.

CYCLES - if you are supporting us on a cycle please be aware that the first 2 sections are predominately urban and would be better suited to a mountain bike. 

FOOD and DRINK - Ben's marathons probably take on average 6 hours and he needs to eat 6500 calories a day to fuel his runs, so we will be having a couple of stops. You will probably get hungry too if you are running the whole distance or just fancy some nosh. Please remember to bring some money if you will be eating and drinking. The time on our planned stops is fairly limited and if there are quite a few runners waiting for orders to be sorted it could take a while. So if you know you want some food you can pre-order it on route and we will phone it through. Please download the menu and we will take your order on the day.

Information for schools

If you have asked for a 'route visit' your school will be listed below. For the approximate time we will arrive at your school please see the table at the bottom of the page, but please note that this is likely to change as the run progresses.  You can follow Ben and gauge the time of his visit by looking at the 'Live Tracker' page. The plan is that you wait at the school gate, welcome Ben and the group and run round your school grounds (if that's what you have arranged). We hope you understand that Ben needs to keep running so we won't be able to stop for a talk or questions (there will be the opportunity for a school photo with Ben before we leave though). Schools are welcome to join us at the stadium where Ben will give us a talk at 9:45am.  

Chris Graves from Inspire+  will hopefully be arriving at schools 10 or 15 minutes before Ben's group arrives - this will  give schools a bit of notice enabling pupils to assemble at the entrance.

TIME TABLE