Written by Chris Jackson
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The Clarendon Marathon has a proud history going back to 1998.
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Thousands of runners have completed the picturesque and challenging 26 miles of trails between Salisbury, Broughton and Winchester since then – either in full, or as a half marathon, or as part of a relay team of four. The 2025 Clarendon Marathon will our 27th event.
But how did it all start? Travel writer and broadcaster Simon Calder picks up the story. In his column in The Independent on 4 Sept 1998 (three weeks before the historic first event) he wrote: “It's always rewarding to learn that readers have been inspired to travel to a place we write about, but it's not every day we manage to inspire a marathon. After reading my article about a walk along the Clarendon Way (in The Independent, 25 October 1997), keen runner Paul Elderkin decided to organise a charity marathon along the route … The aim is to raise money for the Magpie MRI Scanner Appeal for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and the Patient Monitor Appeal for Salisbury District Hospital”.
British 400m runner Iwan Thomas opened that first event (on 27 Sept 1998) at King Alfred College Sports Ground, Bar End, Winchester (now the University of Winchester’s Sports Ground). The runners finished at Wyvern College, Salisbury. This “west to east” direction continued for the first 10 events. Also at the event was Winchester’s Madge Sharples, aka “Marathon Madge”, who, with weak joints and aged 82, took the sensible option of only walking half the 26.2-mile route.
Mike Clarke and Andy Barber ran in the first event and in the above photo sport their classic 1998 Clarendon shirts (picture taken in 2023).
In 1999 (event #2), there was a “signage failure”, as Dave Wright recalled: “One of the direction arrows near Broughton (around half way) fell over. This saw the four leading runners heading off towards Andover in completely the wrong direction. ... I realised their error and took the correct path. I didn't see another runner for the next 13 miles and was first to cross the line in 2hrs 59mins!”
Runners were seemingly undeterred by the “horrendous” conditions in 2001 and 2002 (events #4 and #5) – the latter being opened by BBC South Today's Tony Husband. One reviewer cheerfully noted that: "the countryside would have been outstanding if you could see it".
Robin Lyddon sporting a 2001 Half Marathon shirt (at the 2022 Compton 10k).
Sir Ranulph Fiennes (with expedition colleague Mike Stroud) opened (and ran) the Clarendon in 2003 (event #6) - in perfect conditions. It was just two weeks before their remarkable Land Rover 7x7x7 Challenge for the British Heart Foundation (seven marathons in seven days on seven continents – starting in Patagonia and ending in New York). This was despite Sir Fiennes suffering a heart attack and undergoing a double coronary artery bypass operation just four months earlier.
Farnham runners at Wyvern College, Laverstock, 10 Oct 2003.
Event organiser Paul Elderkin memorably addressed the runners in 2003 donning a bishop's outfit and mitre, in an effort to portray the history of the course through the Clarendon Estate where Thomas Becket and King Henry II both lived.
In contrast to the bright and sunny running conditions of 2005 (event #8), flash flooding in 2006 (event #9) meant runners had a new challenge that year: knee deep water in a Salisbury underpass that took runners to their new race finish location (Salisbury Leisure Centre).
Four time Clarendon marathon winner Sue Sleath hits the headlines in 2005.
By 2008 (event #11), the race direction had reversed: the start moving to Salisbury (Godolphin School) and ending in Winchester. Conditions were “biblical” at the start, as Phil Hewitt described: "Before the race, the rain wasn’t just hitting the ground, it was hammering into it with such force that it jumped up to meet the next drop on the way down...but by mile 5 or 6, the rain had more or less stopped, and from then on the sun started to break through."
One runner pithily summarised event #13 (2010) as: "mud, mud, mud, mud, mud, hills, hills, hills, mud, mud, hills, hills and bananas". This was the final event of the Elderkin era. After a fallow year in 2011, he handed over the reins to the Rotary Clubs of Winchester and Salisbury – who have organised the event annually ever since, from 2012 (event #13) through to today’s event (#27). More about those 15 events another time!
Paul Elderkin in a 2008 shirt congratulating Matt King for winning the 2009 race.
The final word goes to Paul. After event #12 (2009), drama unfolded in the Hampshire Chronicle letters page. Elderkin mounted a spirited defence of our event, in response to a litter complaint:
“it is unfortunate that he cannot appreciate the benefit and enjoyment that events like the Clarendon Way Marathon give to so many people. I am sad for him if he finds the site of “panting, perspiring men and women” so upsetting. … I do feel [his] comments in a subsequent email, where he said that those passing his gate were “not all lean, mean, running machines”, were unnecessary and derogatory. This event attracts well over 1,300 entries from all over England, Wales and even Germany and Holland. It has helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for charities over the years, among them the Magpie Scanner Appeal, Rotary, Macmillan, Mencap, St John Ambulance, Hampshire Search and Rescue and the Hello Martha Fund. So may I say, well done and a big thanks to all the helpers and runners. I think you’re great, even if one or two might not do so!”
A sentiment that we share to this day. Good luck to all our runners (and a big thank you to all our helpers) in this year's event #27!
Here are some more t-shirt photos to finish off with!
2009
Nick Bell of Winchester Rotary collecting his t-shirt after completing the 2009 race.
2010
2012
No event was held in 2011. In 2012 Paul Elderkin handed over responsibility for running the event to the Winchester Rotary Club.
2013
This is a very rare photo of a blue 2013 Clarendon t-shirt being worn the following year 2014 but who is the runner?
2014
JJ Heath-Caldwell wearing a 2014 t-shirt in the 2015 event.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019​
2020
Chris Jackson running in 2021 wearing a 2020 t-shirt. 2020 was Covid year and the t-shirts were printed without a date. If the event has been cancelled the t-shirts would have been ok for the following year. Although most events were cancelled that year, the Clarendon went ahead but socially distanced.
2021​
2022
2023
2024
JJ had a chance encounter with Angie & Nick Crane on a beach in St Lucia in 2022. Wonderful to see a 2005 and a 2010 Clarendon shirt. In 2024 Nick completed his 20th Clarendon! He must have a lot of t-shirts!
Many thanks to Chris Jackson for writing his article for us.
Chris is a member of the organising committee and is responsible for the marshalling teams. There are 6 teams covering the whole 26 miles with approx 100 marshals and 700 signs. It is a huge logistical task to ensure that everyone and everything is in place each year on the morning of the event. All super organised!