Jamie is one of thousands of people who will take part in the event this weekend
Jamie is one of thousands of people who will take part in the event this weekend
A man who was advised not to run is planning on completing his 32nd Liverpool Half Marathon. Jamie Doolan, from Broadgreen, has finished every Born To Run (BTR) race in the city since it was first staged in 1994.
This is no mean feat for the 54-year-old nurse who was told he would struggle to walk due to a problem with his legs at birth. From three years old, he had to wear splints and then, aged 21, had pins inserted into his legs to strengthen his right ankle at the now-defunct Walton Hospital.
He previously told ECHO: “I still have a few pains here and there before and after the race, but when I’m running, it is fine, thankfully. I couldn’t have done any running without these procedures, so they were necessary.
“The pins are still in my legs. Specialists told me I shouldn’t run and would struggle, so I wanted to give it a go to see how I’d get on. I never planned to do so many marathons, it was just by accident I kept entering when it was advertised.”
The nurse will set off, alongside thousands of other registered runners, at 9am on Sunday, March 23, from the Pier Head on the Waterfront and tackle a 13.1-mile route through the city and onto Sefton Park.
After taking in sights such as the Albert Dock and the Cathedral, the route will lead Jamie along the docks for a grandstand finish line under the gaze of the Liver Birds – the perfect backdrop to be presented with his finisher’s medal.
Also, having completed all previous races, Manchester’s Stephen Symons is a 59-year-old Quays Running Club member. Despite suffering a brain haemorrhage in November 2012, he still completed the next half marathon race in March 2013, accompanied by family. He has since fully recovered and continues to take part each year.
This year’s event has attracted the largest number of participants in its history and the highest start–line entry figure for any BTR Liverpool event. The 13.1-mile route sold out at 11,500 places weeks ago, following the 10-miler, which sold out at 500 places in early January.
Both races start at 9am from the Pier Head with a combined start line figure of 12,000 participants – a number which organisers, BTR, are calling “an unprecedented jump” in registrations for the “memorable event”.
BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell said: “Starting event season for 2025 with the biggest Liverpool Half Marathon the city has ever seen, and our greatest BTR race in terms of race entries is going to be quite something. Demand for places has been unprecedented, which is a testament to how much participants value the event.
“It is one of the longest-established half marathon events in the region and a real highlight in the North West and national race calendar. The grandstand start and finish area on the iconic Liverpool waterfront speaks for itself. It’s magical, especially when packed with thousands of eager runners.”
