Antrim Coast Half Marathon

Eco Rangers NI aren't just about litter picking - when there are other ways we're needed to help support the local community we'll be there! When we were approached by Volunteer Now to help out with the Clearer Water Antrim Coast Half Marathon, we were delighted to agree!

The Antrim Coast Half Marathon 2023 is recognised by World Athletics as an Elite Event, meaning the town welcomes top athletes from all over the world for the race. With it’s flat and fast half marathon course, the race is one of the fastest half marathons in the world and is ranked No. 2 in the world.

The race is watched by over a million people all over he world and attended by thousands of supporters in addition to the over 4000 athletes competing; so of course we wanted to do our bit to showcase our home at its best!

Eco Rangers NI volunteers were out in force throughout the weekend to ensure the area was free of litter before, during and after the races. We also manned the athlete's bag drop and collection area - a mammoth task, with well over 400 bags plus assorted other belongings needing to be taken, labelled, sorted and then returned to their owners within the very tight race schedule. It was a huge logistical challenge but we worked as a team and were delighted that the day went incredibly smoothly, with lots of participants taking the time to say thank you and pass on their compliments for how well the event was being run. We even had a visit from the Mayor (our second this week!)

Of course, it wouldn't be an Eco Rangers NI event without nibbles, dancing and laughs - and there was plenty of all three!