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The Medway Mile: Medway Gets Active

Photo of runners at the 2008 Medway Mile

Medway residents young and old proved just how fit they are at the 2008 Medway Mile.

Runners turned out in their hundreds to get active at this year’s free event, titled Medway Gets Active.

The packed day of sporting fun, sponsored by Medway NHS Primary Care Trust (www.medwaypct.nhs.uk), marked four years until the start of London 2012.

Families had the chance to try their hand at a range of sports and activities including:

  • judo;

  • ice hockey;

  • tennis;

  • army assault course;

  • inflatable human table football;

  • inflatable beach volleyball;

  • hula-hooping;

  • spacehoppers and swingball;

  • table tennis;

  • hockey;

  • fitness training;

  • short tennis;

  • trampolining;

  • swimming;

  • scuba diving;

  • athletics;

  • football;

  • touch rugby.

Photo of a runner at the 2008 Medway Mile

Photo of runners at the 2008 Medway Mile

A number of sporting demonstrations, including a martial arts display, a power wheelchair football display and a fencing bout, featuring GB fencers Peter Barwell and Alex Makucewicz, entertained the crowds and highlighted the calibre of sport in Medway.

Photos of children trying out activities at the 2008 Medway Mile

This theme was continued as some of the county’s best runners battled it out for top honours over the one-mile course. Medway and Maidstone Athletics Club (http://mandmac.org/default.aspx) organised five competitions that spanned two separate races.

The elite men's race was won by Andy Rayner of Blackheath and Bromley AC in a superb time of four minutes and four seconds, 24 seconds faster than Ben Tyler's winning time of four minutes and 28 seconds from last year. Medway and Maidstone AC's Tim Alexander was the highest placed local runner in third place.

Ben Tyler completed the course in four minutes and 19 seconds, an improvement of nine seconds, which was only good enough for a fifth place finish this year.

The veteran men's race was won by Jon Armstrong of Bexley AC in a time of four minutes and 38 seconds. He was closely followed by local runners Gareth Williams and Allen Jones.

Clare Elms of Cambridge Harriers AC was successful in the ladies and veteran ladies' races and Amber Reed won the under-17 ladies' race.

Photo of the oldest Medway Miler

It was then the residents of Medway that took to the roads to compete against their friends, their families and their own personal goals over the same course. The 920 registered runners all received a Medway Mile t-shirt, sponsored by Total Floor Systems (www.totalfloorsystems.com).

Among the finishers was Ivy Rushforth, who was celebrating her third birthday by running the mile with her family.

Thanks must go to our sponsors, Medway and Maidstone Athletics Club, the Medway Messenger (www.medwaymessenger.co.uk), the Gillingham Lions Club (www.gillinghamlionsclub.org.uk) the Red Cross and all the sports clubs and volunteers who attended and made the day possible.

We hope to see you for the 2009 Medway Mile, when we will celebrate three years until the 2012 Olympics.



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