Porthleven hosts ultra-marathon (From Falmouth Packet)

Porthleven hosts ultra-marathon

3:30pm Sunday 1st July 2012 in News

RUNNERS from across the globe descended on Porthleven last weekend for the start of a 100 mile off road race acround the Cornish Coastline.

A total of 175 athletes took part in the gruelling run, which ended on Saturday at Watergate Bay near Newquay.

Competitors took between 20 and 34 hours to complete the course, which saw runners climb a total of 6,500 metres along the route – five times the height of the UK’s largest mountain.

Malcolm Bell, head of tourism at VisitCornwall, said he was delighted to see the event, which attracted runners from as far afield at Hong Kong and the USA, held in the Duchy.

He said: “The most iconic image of Cornwall is our spectacular coastline and one of the most precious assets we have is the coastal path.

“So, to hold such an amazing sporting event here in Cornwall which effectively showcases the coast path to an international audience is tremendous news