Roads to close for Shakespeare Marathon
A NUMBER of roads will close again today, Sunday, in Stratford-upon-Avon town centre as this year's Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon takes place.
There will be rolling road closures on the following streets between 10.30am and 12.30pm: Sheep Street, High Street, Church Street, Chapel Street and Old Town.
This is to allow for the civic procession to Holy Trinity Church for a special Shakespeare service and the Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon.
Among the runners will be a Henley mum-of-five is preparing to pull on her running shoes in aid of the Shakespeare Hospice, which is helping her father through cancer treatment.
Jessica Diamandis, 41, is set to run the Shakespeare Half Marathon on Sunday and has been juggling her training around caring for her children.
It has not been an easy time for Jessica’s family, with her 66-year-old father diagnosed with bowel cancer last year Jessica says her father has received fantastic support through the hospice and attends support groups with other people who have cancer.
“When you hear the word ‘hospice’ you think it is just somewhere where people go to die, but this is not necessarily the case, my father has really benefitted from the support group,” she said.
“He is having chemotherapy at the moment and has been in and out of hospital, so it’s been pretty hard going.
“I have five children below the age of nine, so It’s been hard to get the training in, it has involved getting up for runs at 6am, or going after they have gone to bed in the evening. My family has been really supportive though.
“I ran the half marathon in aid of Welcombe Hills School a couple of years ago and a lot of people supported me when they found out I was running it in the Herald.”
Jessica has a target of raising £500 this year.
The headteacher of Alcester Academy, Paul Hyde, will be back in his running shoes just two weeks after completing the Greater Manchester Marathon on Sunday, 10th April, in a personal best time of three hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds.
Paul is running again in aid of diabetic research charity, JDRF. He hopes to raise a combined £1,000.
And Herald reporter Ben Lugg will also be on the start line of the Half Marathon as part of a team that includes Evangelina-Lilian Samara, a beautician at Gorgeous Obsession Boutique in Stratford, and Anna Lewis, manager of the Gallery at the Guild in Chipping Campden.
Anna is running to raise money to help pay for lifesaving treatment for Ethan Suglo, a three-year-old boy from Ghana, who was born with his gastric organs outside his body.
For a full report and pictures see Thursday's special edition Stratford-upon-Avon Herald.
