Harwich race back after 29 years to mark Mayflower anniversary
- Published
A half marathon will be run for the first time in nearly 30 years to coincide with the 400th anniversary of a historic sea voyage next year.
The race in Harwich, Essex, will be revived as part of the celebrations of the Mayflower' - the Harwich-based ship which took the first pilgrims to America in 1620.
The run, which was last held in 1991, is proposed to be held on 5 April.
The route will include parts of the original course.
The half marathon is being organised by Harwich Runners and the Rotary Club of Harwich & Dovercourt.
It was first run in 1982 and attracted more than 1,000 runners.
Harwich Runners said it hoped to create a "festival-style atmosphere" for the event.
The Mayflower
Constructed in approximately 1590, there are no records of where the ship was built but it is believed to have been Harwich or another East Anglian port
After construction, she was based in Harwich until 1610, along with her master Christopher Jones
The Mayflower left Plymouth in Devon on 6 September 1620
The Atlantic crossing took 66 days, carrying 102 passengers
The ship dropped anchor off Cape Cod on 11 November 1620 before establishing the colony of New Plymouth in the modern-day US state of Massachusetts
More than 600 young carpenters and engineers started building a replica ship in Harwich in 2016
The plan to build a seafaring replica received the backing of Sir Richard Branson, who called it a "brilliant, audacious project"
Source: BBC, external
- Published19 October 2018
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