COUNTIES OF THE UK & IRELAND

The Challenge is open to all runners not just 100 Marathon Club members.

A list of participating runners and their totals will be published in the quarterly club newsletter to encourage a spirit of friendly competition.

Runners wishing to participate in the Challenge should provide quarterly updates, if appropriate.

Runners will be listed once they have completed races in 20 different counties.

Runners may wish to subdivide the Challenge into one for marathons and one for ultras as part of their own personal challenge.

Some counties listed do not currently hold races of marathon distance or longer. They may, however, hold such events in the future. Once the Challenge is in operation we may be able to form a significant lobby group for new races or organise some ourselves as a Club.

Solely for the purpose of this challenge the following rules should be applied.

Only races should be included. Training runs should not be included, whatever the distance run. Distance runs of a "non-competitive" nature, often undertaken for charitable purposes by one or two runners, should not be included. Runs of marathon distance or more in counties with no such races should not be included.

Race definition :- An official event open to all applicants (occasionally subject to entry limits or qualification restrictions), advertised beforehand in running press, on the web, by leaflets at other races or some similar manner. Normally, but not always, competitive. Normally at least 3 participants. Results available.

The runner must have completed the whole race and have run (jogged, walked) the whole course (unless misdirected by the organisers) for the race to count. For example, dropping out at the marathon distance in an ultra race can not be counted for the Challenges unless this was advertised beforehand as part of the race rules. The declared race distance counts (the runner is not penalised if the race distance appears to be short).

Marathons :- Races where the distance measured and stated by organisers is 26m 385y (26.2 miles) / 42.195 km (42.2 kilometres) on the road or, for trail marathons, accepting that exact measurement is not possible, approximated i.e. 26m or 42km. Races less than marathon distance should not be included e.g. 25m or 40km.

Ultra Marathons :- Road or trail races of distance longer than marathon.

Stage Races :- Races over several days with a set distance each day. One of the stages must be of marathon distance or longer for the race to count. A stage race counts as one event unless two or more stages are of marathon distance or longer, each of those stages can be entered separately, and separate stage results are published.

Where a race runs through more than one county, only the county through which most of the race is run should be counted. Where this is not clear the runner may choose one only of the start or finish point county.

The same race may not be counted twice eg same course different name, same name slight change of course.

Races which no longer exist may be counted.