The Norfolk Marathon and Half Marathon – Race Day Information

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE BELOW INFORMATION and share with any other participants that you entered.

Car Parks

The official car parks for the race will be Meadow Road and Runton Road (both of these car parks are Pay & Display).

Meadow Road (24 West St, Cromer NR27 9DS) 265 spaces:

This is walking distance from both the start and finish line.

Runton Road (61-63 Runton Rd, Cromer NR27 9AU) 1,037 spaces:

The car park approximately 1 mile from the start line, so we will be putting on regular shuttle buses between 7.30-9.00am for those that don’t fancy a warm-up walk/jog before the race.

There will be a return shuttle bus operating from 11.30am until 4.30pm, picking up participants from where the bus drops you off, on the A149 outside Cromer Church.

Start

The race will start at 9.30am and it will be a mass start, likely to be in two separate waves a couple of minutes apart, with approximately 1,200 runners. To make the start as smooth as possible and reduce overtaking on the course we will ask runners to line up according to their predicted finish time.

The start line is on Cliff Avenue, opposite the entrance of North Lodge Park on Overstrand Road. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ba7VhepjBEpq3BFv6 .

Race Numbers / Registration Desk

If you paid to have your race number posted to you, these will be sent out a week or so before the race. If you did not opt to have it posted (or you didn’t receive it in the post) then you can collect one on the morning of the race at Cromer Parish Hall from 7:30am – see images above for location.

Full Marathon = Blue Race Numbers, Half Marathon = Yellow Race Numbers. Please ensure you queue up at the correct registration desk.

Toilets

There will be toilets and urinals available at the start line area, just inside North Lodge Park. There will also be toilets along the route: at the first water station (3.5 miles for both routes), at the second water station (6.5 miles for both routes), 13 miles on the Marathon route (The Crown Inn at Trunch) and 17 miles on the Marathon route (Gimingham Village Hall).

Bag Drop

There will be a bag drop at Cromer Parish Hall on Church Street, which is located near to the start and finish. Please use the baggage label attached to your race number if you wish to use the bag drop. This is the same location as race registration.

T-Shirt Collection

You can collect your race t-shirt before or after the race from Cromer Parish Hall on Church Street. There will be a few available to purchase on the day for £15 (cash only).

Drop-Off Point

Runners can be dropped off on Norwich Road or Church Street in Cromer, but please note you won’t be able to park there, it is a drop off only area.

Headphones/Earphones

Only Bone Conducting Headphones/Earphones are allowed, in line with UKA guidelines.

No dogs allowed

NO DOGS are allowed to join participants. They can join spectators if they are on a short lead and under close control.

The Route

You can see the full route here:

Full Marathon: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/5650182013.

Half Marathon: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6084038380.

Both routes start and finish in the same place. Just after 10km, the Full Marathon route veers off right, while the Half Marathon route veers off left (it will be signposted but please pay attention as you don’t want to go the wrong way!). The Half Marathon route has a short narrow section (some single file) before it rejoins the Full Marathon course for the last 6 or so miles.

Water Stations, Electrolytes and Vegan Sweets on Course 

There will be water stations (7 for the Marathon and 3 for the Half Marathon) on the course approximately every 5km  (using biodegradable cups) and at the finish line. Please dispose of the cups in the bins provided. Runners must not dispose of their cups at the side of the road or in people’s gardens – any littering will result in disqualification. 

If you need to fill up your own bottle or pouch, you can do so at each station.  

There will be electrolytes pre-poured into cups at the final 4 water stations on the Marathon route, and the final water station on the Half Marathon route. 

There will be vegan sweets to give you a glycogen boost at the 5th water station (mile 16.5, Marathon only) and the 7th water station (mile 23 of the Marathon, mile 10 of the Half Marathon).

Gel Disposal Reminder

All runners are responsible for carrying and disposing of their own gel packets. Each year, a significant number of empty gels are dropped along the route and must be collected by hand. Unfortunately, some are missed, leading to valid complaints from local residents. Littering gel packets is harmful to the environment and puts the future of this event at risk.

Bins are provided at every water station (every 3 miles). Please use them to dispose of your gels. We understand that used packets can be sticky, so you may wish to carry a small pouch or bag to store them until you reach the next bin.

Thank you for helping us keep the course clean and maintain a positive relationship with the local community.

Pacers

Please note that there will not be any pacers.

Cut-off Times 

Full Marathon: 6 hours 

Half Marathon: 4 hours

Photographers

We will have official photographers on the course. All photos will be available a few days after the race to download for free.

Finish

The finish line is on Tucker Street in the centre of Cromer. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Jrj7LKNyKfMSyDfU8 .

Your well-deserved medal will be ready for you to collect along with water and a selection of cookies and donuts.

Any baggage must be collected from Cromer Parish Hall before 4pm.

Spectators

Please ask your spectators to kindly respect local residents and be considerate of where they park their vehicles and the noise they make.

There are some great points for you to have family and friends at during the run. Please note there are likely to be roads closures in place around these points, so they may have to follow a Diversion to get there. If spectators are bringing dogs, please keep them under control and on a short lead.

Much of the route is not accessible to spectators due to the road closures and narrow country lanes.

Please ensure that all spectators keep to the footpaths to prevent any collisions with participants.

Note that none of the spectator points in Cromer are accessible by vehicle due to road closures, they will have to park in the same car parks as the participants.

Offers from our Sponsors

We have several fantastic local companies who help make the race happen, and several of them have fantastic offers for you runners…

SLM Toyota – our finish line and trophy sponsors. Be sure to visit them at the finish!

Mary Janes Fish and Chips – what better way to finish a Half or Full Marathon than with fish & chips?! Mary Janes are offering all runners (just show your race number) 10% off on race day!

Norfolk Holiday Rentals – check out their stunning properties all around Norfolk, and if you book directly with them in the month of April (for any future date), receive 10% off your booking! Email info@norfolkholidayrentals.co.uk with proof of your race entry.

North Norfolk Physiotherapy – they are offering the perfect post-race recovery, 10% of all physiotherapy and soft tissue massages for runners throughout the month of April. Plan ahead and book now!!

Cromer Pier – an iconic landmark for Cromer, a must-visit after your run, or come back to enjoy one of their shows later in the year.Veolia – UK – dealing with waste is one of the less glamorous sides of race organising, but Veolia – UK make it so easy by donating their bins and time to collect all the waste and recycling from the event.

FAQs

Is there a bag drop? Yes.

Will I get lost? We have a fantastic team of Marshals and First Aiders around the course for your safety.

Chip Timing: Total Race Timing are providing chip timing for this race.

Headphones: Only bone conducting headphones are allowed.

Dogs: Dogs are NOT allowed to join participants.

I can no longer make it, can I defer? Entries are non-refundable. You can transfer your place to another runner up to 2 weeks before the race. We cannot issue refunds or defer your entry to a future race.

Can I change my Marathon entry from Full to Half, or Half to Full? No. As both distances are at full capacity, you cannot change your entry to a different distance.