Marathon apologises to runners as course was 'too long'

Marathon organisers have apologised to runners after the course was found to be “too long”.

Pic: Lewis Mitchell/Huw Evans/Shutterstock

The Newport Marathon took place on Sunday 28 April and was expected to be a 26.2-mile race.

Run 4 Wales said it had been looking into reports “around the accuracy of the marathon course distance”.

The organising body said the issue had been taken “very seriously”.

The Association of UK Course Measurers concluded there was “an error with their course measurement”, a statement on the APB Newport Marathon Festival Facebook page said.

This meant the marathon was 276 metres, or 0.171 miles too long.

Run 4 Wales said it was “disappointed” this had happened at one of its events.

A spokesperson said Run 4 Wales apologised “unreservedly” to those impacted.

They confirmed discussions had been held with the organisers of the London Marathon who had agreed that times would be amended for runners aiming to qualify under the Good For Age system.

A Good For Age entry is one of several qualifying avenues for those hoping to run the capital’s event.

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Should a Newport Marathon athlete have been affected in gaining a place at the London Marathon through that route, an equivalent number of seconds will automatically be removed from their finish time.

Organisers say a three-hour finish would be corrected by around 70 seconds and a four-hour finish would be corrected by 94 seconds.

Sky News has approached the Association of UK Course Measurers and London Marathon Events for comment.