Former Prison Hosts Marathon Event for Hundreds of Runners

Hundreds of participants have competed in a marathon held within the confines of a former correctional facility. Dorchester Prison is serving as the venue for two races: one conducted on Saturday morning and another scheduled for after dark. These events require competitors to complete 55 laps across four floors of the building. Up to 115 individuals registered for the morning race, while approximately 100 entered the night race, with some planning to participate in both. David Andrewartha, a runner from Cornwall, shared that he “had a little cry” after securing victory in the morning race, finishing in a time of four hours and 24 minutes. He added, “It’s the first thing I’ve ever won.” Prior to the race, Mr. Andrewartha informed BBC Radio Solent: “I don’t know what sort of training you need to do for this sort of thing. I’ve put in a lot of step training, a lot of hills.” The event, named The Green Mile, references the Stephen King novel and US film about a death row inmate. It is organized by Sussex Trail Events, a group known for staging marathons in unusual locations, including Southend Pier and a multi-storey car park in Worthing. Mr. Andrewartha has previously participated in the pier and car park races, as well as the Shepton Mallet Prison marathon, which he has entered on two occasions. He commented on the unique environment, stating: “There are plenty of corridors and the beauty of this is when you get to one of the floors you can see other other prisoners, I mean runners.” He further explained: “You can always see people as you are running. You are not going to know where in the pack you are because there are so many people around you.” He acknowledged the mental aspect, adding: “That confuses you a little bit and I like the mental challenge of that.” Mr. Andrewartha also noted: “The mental challenge of going around in circles and trying not to get bored is a challenge in itself.” He concluded by saying: “I’ve done so many different lapped events that running from A to B seems boring to me now.” Sussex Trail Events recently solicited ideas from runners for their “craziest marathon,” suggesting concepts such as “on a roundabout, block of flats, football pitch or runway” for an April Fools Day race planned for 2025. Chris Ette, one of the race organisers, stated: “We are always looking for new venues and always asking runners for ideas and we try and make it happen.” Dorchester Prison ceased operations in 2013 and was subsequently purchased by City and Country for £3.25 million, though plans to convert it into residential properties have stalled. Since its closure, the former jail has been utilized as an Airsoft venue, a film location, and has hosted sleepovers, ghost tours, and comedy nights. Information regarding BBC Dorset is available on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Details concerning their approach to external linking are provided.