Birkirkara St Joseph Sports Club, who celebrated 40 years of sport in 2015, has taken over the baton of the Malta International Challenge Marathon, marking a new chapter since the race’s inception back in 1991.
For the past 25 years, the Malta International Challenge Mara-thon, the brainchild of Barry Whitmore, has been Malta’s only multi-day race, a staple event on the domestic athletic calendar, attracting locals and foreigners alike.
Spread over a period of three consecutive days, athletes cover exactly 42.195km, the full marathon distance.
This race has attracted well-known local athletes such as Jonathan Balzan, Brian Magri, Andrew Grech, Charlton Debono, Keith Galea, Joe Pace, Joelle Cortis, Josann Attard Pulis, Carol Walsh and Carmen Hili as well as David Mansbridge, from England, to mention a few.
The introduction of relay teams has seen an influx of runners who were keen to be part of this event but not necessarily wanting to cover the entire marathon distance.
In light of the growing interest and increasing participation figures, Whitmore, the race founder, felt the need to team up with Birkirkara SJ who have gained years of experience in race organisation.
The club has announced some changes to the structure of this race. These are intended to make the three-day marathon accessible to a wider spectrum of athletes without the need for them to take part in the full marathon distance yet at the same time enabling them to compete in standard and officially recognised distances.
“We acknowledge the fact that running a marathon is not everyone’s cup of tea but we appreciate the interest this race generates in the athletic community,” Ray Grech, the president of Birkirkara SJ, said in a statement.
“We felt it appropriate to introduce changes that will encourage more athletes to be part of this unique event in Malta.
“Barry Whitmore has created an original event and has put a lot of energy and effort into it since its inception and we at the club feel a huge responsibility to grow and develop this race further.”
From this year, the Malta International Challenge Marathon will see a change in the distances for each of the three legs as well as a change in race venues.
The marathon will kick off on November 25 with a 10-mile (16K) race in Siġġiewi, the next stage, held the following day, will be a 5K race in Marsascala and the third and final leg will be a 21K (half marathon) race in Buġibba.
“After careful consideration, I felt the need to pass on the baton to an organisation that can help to consolidate an event that was created 25 years ago,” Whitmore said.
Whitmore will be joining the organising team that is currently finalising details prior to the official launch of the 2016 Malta International Challenge Marathon.