Eden Marathon and Half Marathon

The races have been very sucessful since their debut in 2009 thanks to the commitment, enthusiasm and passion of the Eden team and our partners at St. Austell Running Club. We're looking forward to returning with an even better programme next year, while retaining the unique atmosphere that makes the Eden Marathon and Half-Marathon so special.

• Register for the next Eden Marathon.
• Check out and download the route map (PDF).
• Access the terms and conditions (PDF) for participating in the event.

The 2011 Marathon and Half Marathon

The third Eden Marathon and Half Marathon took place on Sunday 9 October 2011. Thousands of runners took part, including Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.This year saw the fastest ever Eden Marathon time, and the fastest ever woman's Half Marathon. Topline results are below. Or you can download a zip file of all the results.

Marathon results

Fastest man: Pete Roper of Poole Athletics Club won the Marathon with a time of two hours 43 minutes and 12 seconds, breaking the course record he set in 2009.

Fastest woman: Karmen Pardoe from Middlesex ran the course in three hours 16 minutes and 14 seconds.

Half Marathon results

Fastest man: Andrew Morton, of Kent Athletic Club, completed the race in a time of one hour 20 minutes and 29 seconds.

Fastest woman: Jo Hayley, from Southampton, crossed the line at one hour 30 minutes and 29 seconds, breaking the women's course record by seven seconds.

Next steps for runners

• Eden Marathon's official photographer, Marathon Photos, captured all the runners on camera. You can order personalised photos directly from Marathon Photo.
• Get a graphic representation of your own running throughout the course, including your overall position, speed and progress, through a special service from Runpix.

What's special about the Eden Marathon?

• A stunning yet challenging course, taking in dramatic hills, Eden's Biomes and views of both Cornwall's coastlines: download a route map (PDF).
• Free entry to Eden for family and friends of runners on the day of the races, with the opportunity to explore the world-famous Biomes and outdoor gardens at Eden.
• A festival atmosphere: 2011 featured music from local bands and a runners’ village on site. This year there will also be a Fun Run and Pasta Party on the day before (Saturday 8 October). There's even competition for kids to design a logo for the Fun Run - they can win a Divine chocolate hamper.
• An established fixture on the running circuit: Runner's World magazine rated it 89% in its first year.
• A professionally run event with frequent water stations, isotonic drinks at start and finish, microchip timing technology, physiotherapists in attendance for post-race massage, supervised storage facilities.
• Prizes for everyone: 2011 offered a themed medal, t-shirt, pasty and goodie bag for all finishers, as well as cash prizes for race winners and a bottle of wine for category winners.
• Professional photography arranged on the course to capture your moment.
• Charity places available.
• This year Eden are encouraging runners to ‘Run for the Rainforest’ and raise money in support of our rainforest projects. Find out how you can take positive steps towards conserving the world’s rainforests.

Why we set this Marathon up

We created the course through Eden and Cornwall's dramatic Clay Country not only to offer a unique sporting experience for runners nationwide, but to showcase this unique region and draw visitors to the area. The idea came from a conversation with the local St. Austell Running Club, whose commitment, enthusiasm and passion have been invaluable in putting on the event.

The Marathon is one example of the many ways the Eden Project acts as a catalyst for economic growth in the local region, alongside providing much-needed jobs and supporting businesses as part of its local sourcing policy. The world-famous Biomes, nestled into a worked-out china clay pit, have transformed a landscape where nothing grew into something quite beautiful and fertile. Over 10 million people have passed through the Eden gates since opening in 2001. So if we could build this place, surely together we can all take on even bigger challenges.

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