If you like big medals the Phoenix running series is for you. A relaxed atmosphere and sweets at checkpoints.

The principles of the event are simple. It's laps along the Thames path. Complete one lap and you get a medal, you have 6 hours to do as many as you like. 4 laps is a half marathon, and 8 is recognised as an official marathon.

This event attracts a lot of hardcore marathon runners. I mean, with 22 Marathons under my belt I'm a small fish. There are usually atleast 20-30 in the 100 marathon club and many more working there way there. But most of these don't go particularly fast, so it's relaxed and friendly.

Some go in for the whole 6 hours, and plenty turn up just for one or two laps. I use these events as a nice training event,  some come just for the medal. The event is fairly expensive at 39 pounds, but this is because of the cost of the medal and the fact that only 125 or so race. This isn't because the organisers couldn't attract more, but he wants to keep it a relaxed sociable feel. With too many more it would lose a lot of its appeal.

The route was a little muddy in places today and there were a lot of cyclist. People feeding the geese created a hazard and I was chased by a dog, but apart from that I can't complain

https://pickupthepacepaul.wordpress.com/2017/02/18/the-jaw-dropper-6-hour-timed-event/