Imber Ultra Extreme Marathon

154 runners registered for the fifth Imber Ultra Marathon, run by the Rotary Club of Westbury and the Avon Valley Runners, which took place on Sunday 11th March 2018. The 33 mile trail run followed the range path anticlockwise around Salisbury Plain, from the Leighton Sports Centre through checkpoints at Scratchbury, Chitterne, Tilshead, Highland Cottage (near Gore Cross) and Bratton Gate, returning to Leighton.  5 of the entrants were running for the 5th time, and one had entered from Australia before  coming over. The highest club representation was the Westbury Running Group with 13 starters, Then the Avon Valley Runners with 10. Many others came from far afield to join the prestigiuos event, with 3 entrants from Leeds.

Of the131 contestants who set off, 121 completed the course. The overall winner was James Donald of Team Bath in a time of 4 hrs 4 mins and 2 seconds

The organisers would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Elkin's Ford and Myddleton & Major. The presentation mugs were again made specially by the White Horse Pottery, and both Morrison's of Westbury and Sainsbury's of Bradford on Avon donated refreshments for the check points.

The proceeds from the event will be donated to the charities supported by the Rotary Club of Westbury, which include Julia's House Children's Hospice in Devizes and the Shree Saraswoti project to rebuild some of the schools destroyed by the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal.

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