Dingli 10 Preview

Just as the Malta Marathon has become a regular occurrence in late February or early March in the local athletics calendar, so too has the Dingli 10 which has retained an even more steadfast appointment, being held on the 19th of March for almost every year since its inception in 1991.

It has also built a reputation as being one of the hardest races in the local calendar thanks to a fairly tough and hilly loop. The race starts at the square dedicated to Francis Ebejer in the middle of Dingli, and after an initial 'flattish' 1-mile loop, runners proceed towards the Nigret area in Rabat. The course goes down to Fiddien valley (the 4 mile mark), and this is where the hills start. For three miles, runners follow various country roads, mostly going uphill, with occasional flat respites. The eighth and ninth miles start with a short and steep hill, followed by a downhill stretch towards the spectacular Dingli Cliffs, and further rises and falls along the Cliffs' panoramic road, which sap the energy reserves of all but the very toughest!

The final mile is a fast dash back towards the Dingli village centre, finally downhill, for a well-deserved welcome applause from the spectators present.

This year’s event, that as per tradition is being held on the 19th of March starting at 9am, is being sponsored The Runners Centre & Hilly Clothing Co. and applications can either be downloaded from http://www.stpatricksac.info/ or from here.

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