The Duchy of Cornwall is blessed with many spectacular running routes, following coastal paths and moorland trails through picturesque villages and Instagrammable beaches. But steep gradients and technical terrain mean they’re not ideal for fast times. For that you want flat tarmac, like St Eval Kart Circuit, near Newquay on Cornwall’s north coast. The catch is, since each lap measures just under a kilometre, for a marathon PB, you’re going to have to run it 43 times.
The morning of the world’s first go-kart-track marathon brought blue skies and bright sunshine. Running round in circles is always going to be a niche interest, but the small number of entrants (16 for the marathon and 15 for the half-marathon running simultaneously) made for a friendly and intimate feel.