A World #War II #bunker near the southern English city of #Portsmouth once used by the Royal Navy staged the first ever #British marathon to fully take place underground.
A total of 87 runners, donning cycling helmets and head torches ran around the damp makeshift 460 metre course on Saturday (November 30) in a unique setting for the marquee long distance sporting event.
Runners squeezed through dark, damp and narrow tunnels, often with little headroom for a total of 91 laps in order to reach the marathon distance of just over 26 miles (42.195 kilometres).
The men’s race was won by 48-year-old Michael Burke who crossed the finish line in a time of 3:42:27 while Laura Watts finished as the women’s winner with a time of 4 hours and 22 minutes.
All but one of the 87 runners finished the race and were rewarded with their participation medals.
The marathon race at the venue is to return in November 2025.