Ilford AC Press Report. 14th August 2017  

​Ilford AC Press Report. 14th August 2017​

International Elvis 5k
Saturday 12th August
Memphis Tennessee
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The annual Elvis Presley 5k run is held every year in August in the Kings hometown of Memphis Tennessee.
Saturday 12th August saw the 35th running of the event, which starts and finishes outside Elvis’ home ‘Graceland’.
Club Captain Billy Green this year travelled out to America to do the run and represent Ilford AC.
The event has an 8am start because of the heat and humidity in Memphis in August which meant an early start for the 1500 participants who travelled from all over the world to compete.
After a congested start on ‘Elvis Presley Blvd’ the participants soon spread out as they race on to the wide suburban back streets of Memphis, where they are very well received by local residents who come out to cheer and hand out water to participants with some even getting out their garden hoses and giving runners a nice cold water spray relief from the mornings heat.
The race is marshalled by the local Police and Fire Officers who also provide a lot of runners in the charity event, which helps to create a great atmosphere
The course is an undulating one and despite the early start the temperature was already in the early 80’s at the start of the race so pb’s are at a premium.
Despite this Billy came very close to a pb finishing in 55th place from 1500 runners in a time of 23:14, a time which placed him 3rd in his age group, first Brit in his age group and for the first time ever….first Ilford male home in an Elvis race!