Challenge 52 in 52; Gosport Half Marathon #50/52

After an ice bath, some energy food and a bit of R&R post Dirt Half, I was on the road with my family in my motorhome down to the south coast. We had to find somewhere near to the start where we could park and stay, so I could have the best chance to rest and get as much sleep as possible ready for part 2 of the double weekend. We found a quiet lay by, off the road which was only 100 metres from the race HQ the following morning. What a bit of luck that was, so we settled down and got ready for the Gosport Half in the morning.

Before I knew it the alarm was going off and I was walking to race HQ to register and get ready for the race. Luckily the short walk meant I could go back to Lola and get ready in the warmth of the motorhome, as it was a bitterly cold start to the day, with frosted windscreens and a cold wind. After preparing, I wandered back to race HQ to meet a few Lonely Goat RC members before warming up. I was stiff, I was sore but I had a job to do. I got to the start line with a couple of friends and we chatted about goal times before the race started. I was happy just to get round whereas my buddies were going for PB’s, both Giles and Jason being in top form for this one. After a quick pre race brief, we were off, powering along the road parallel with the coastline at a good pace.

Mile 1 (6:48) – I had no intention of going fast, I was going to let my body find its own pace. Having said that, I was quite surprised how the adrenalin got my legs moving fast and into a good rhythm straight away. A right turn followed by a left, took us onto a long, straight stretch away from the start for the first lap. Very slightly uphill but at this stage it wasn’t a problem as we crossed the first mile with a fast split and both Giles and Jason well ahead of me.

Mile 2 (6:43) – The first mile was perfect for a sub 1:30 pace and it felt OK, so straight away my mind was starting to believe that maybe a fast time would be possible. It was a very fast race being flat and all on road/tarmac, so there were hundreds of runners ahead of me. As we slowly filtered out, marshals started to move us on to the wide pavement to the left as we followed the road and veered to the right. We now had a lovely view overlooking the sea to our left which was calm on a beautiful, sunny day.

Mile 3 (6:45) – The second mile was quicker than the first and it firmly put the thought of another sub 1:30 in my mind. I was moving well and the stiffness had shifted from Saturday’s race. It was going to be a question of how long I could hold this pace and whether my energy would run out. Still very busy with runners finding their pace, so no one in particular stood out at this stage for me to tag on to. We veered to the right away from the seafront, then took a left off the main road before another sharp left back towards the coastline. This was a nice decline before a right turn bringing us to the 3 mile marker and parallel with the seafront again.

Mile 4 (6:43) – At this point on the course, it was the only real incline and on the first lap it wasn’t really a problem. The second lap it became a little harder on the legs but it barely changed the pace or splits. I kept my pace and powered up it past a few runners who obviously felt it more than me. At the top we turned left and had a nice decline down to the beach afterwards. At the bottom we took another left through a car park and onto the promenade, touching distance from the sea which was now on our right. We ran parallel to the sea all the way to mile 4.

Mile 5 (6:48) – Just after the mile 4 marker we took a chicane off the promenade and through another car park with a water station in the middle. At the end of the car park we took another chicane back onto the promenade and stayed on it through to mile 5. Except for a short (20 yards!) section across some gravel/pebbles, the rest of the mile was flat tarmac and a wide path…..perfect for keeping the pace up. Another sub 6:50 min/mile which meant I was still on for a sub 1:30 pace.

Mile 6 (6:45) – The next mile was much the same as the last. Another fast, flat mile with the calm sea to our right. I took a couple of photos of the stunning scenery as we made our way along the promenade. Towards the end of the mile we took a short incline to our left away from the promenade and through another car park where the second water station was placed. We joined the main road again, running along the pavement and after a couple of hundred yards my watch beeped for mile 6 as the front runners started to run past in the other direction on my left side, for their second lap.

Mile 7 (6:40) – We followed the road back towards the start with a slight decline all the way. At the end of the road the support was waiting either side of the road to cheer runners through for lap 2. Instead of turning right back to the start, we took a left ‘U’ turn to do it all again. Back up the road, this time a slight incline again to mile 7. At this stage I settled in with a group of runners from the same club, chatting to each other about pace and finishing times. Up the incline I pulled in front but I ended up playing cat and mouse with them for the next few miles. We passed mile 7 and the road flattened again.

Mile 8 (6:45) – My splits to this point had been so consistent and I’d surprised myself but I was starting to feel it. The race the day before was starting to take its toll. I was determined to push hard for as long as I could and go for that sub 1:30. The group of guys went past me again but I stayed close behind. I had spurts of energy where I’d catch and pass them again, then they’d pass me. One of them chatted to me and asked about my challenge, which passed a chunk of the mile. He said he’d seen my challenge on the Lonely Goats running group Facebook page. He wished me luck as they moved on again. Another mile gone and running parallel with the beach to our left.

Mile 9 (6:49) – I was having to dig deep now as the guys moved away from me slightly. A blonde lady also went past me and was looking strong. I was wondering if that was it, was I about to fade and let all the hard work be undone over the last 4-5 miles. I did my best to hold on to the small pack in this mile and everything started to feel heavy, even my breathing for the first time. We veered away from the seafront to our right as we passed the 9 mile marker. Just under the 6:50 pace I was trying to maintain, so another step closer if I could keep it up.

Mile 10 (6:48) – Just after mile 9 we turned left and I knew what was coming. Another left and a nice decline helped me speed up a bit but the incline was just round the corner. We turned right and there it was. As I said earlier, it was nothing on the first lap, but it seemed like a hill this time round. Luckily I wasn’t the only one who felt it as the blonde lady went backwards as I overtook. Another guy was walking in front as a bundle of runners went past him, including me. I struggled to the top of the incline and kept pushing, trying to catch my breath. The decline back down to the beach helped and once again I used it to get my pace back up. Two left turns in quick succession and we were running through the car park, parallel with the beach on our right. At the end of the car park we joined the promenade as my watch beeped for mile 10……still on target!

Mile 11 (6:52) – I’ll be honest, I was suffering now and the blonde lady went back past me like I wasn’t even moving. I was hanging on but not feeling great, I just wanted to walk. We went through the chicane and the next car park and water station, before another chicane back to the promenade and I used it to overtake those in front who slowed for a drink. If I slowed or stopped, I wouldn’t have started again. We ran across the gravel section and mile 11 was up ahead. Breathing heavy and legs all floppy now, I wasn’t sure if I had enough left in the tank. Mile 11 beeped and my first split over the 6:50 target. If I stayed around a 7 min/mile for the last 2, it should be enough due to my faster miles earlier in the race.

Mile 12 (6:56) – I could see the blonde lady ahead but she seemed to be getting further away. My main goal was to break the last 2 miles down and stay below a 7 min/mile for both. I kept pushing along the promenade with lots of supporters now urging me on as if they could see my struggle. Just a little incline through the car park and water station back to the road and this time I needed a rare drink. Some in my mouth and the rest in my face, just enough to cool me down and quench my thirst. I made it to the main road and mile 12 beeped shortly after with the slowest mile yet, BUT, still under a 7 min/mile. I finally believed I could still do it, just one more mile to go so I began to push.

Mile 13 (6:46) – I used the blonde lady up ahead as my target and gave it one last push along the main road. My legs were like lead and my breathing was erratic but I concentrated on my form, kept my weight forward and pumped my arms. Bit by bit she got closer and closer. I was within touching distance again. At 12.5 miles I was on her shoulder and moving past. The slight decline back towards the start/finish helped as I moved away in front of her, not looking back. The crowds got thicker as I came to the last two bends, where the ‘U’ turn was for the last lap. This time we turned right and I had 400m to go. My watch was showing a late 1:28 finish time but my watch seemed to be ahead of the mile markers, so I wasn’t comfortable just yet. My watch beeped for mile 13 before the mile marker again, then I took a left turn and there it was, the finish just 200m in front of me. I kept pushing just to make sure and with 100m to go and a low 1:29 time showing on my watch, I knew I’d done it. There was no need to sprint on tired legs, so I slowed down towards the line, satisfied with another sub 1:30 as the blonde lady and 3 other guys came flying past me. I didn’t care, I crossed the line exhausted but over the moon with my time on part 2 of a tough weekend.

I bent to my knees and wobbled a little, then stumbled through to collect my medal and see my family. Job done!

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 6:48

2 – 6:43

3 – 6:45

4 – 6:43

5 – 6:48

6 – 6:45

7 – 6:40

8 – 6:45

9 – 6:49

10 – 6:48

11 – 6:52

12 – 6:56

13 – 6:46

0.21 – 1:24

Time – 1:29:35

Position – 196/1667

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4/5 – Another well organised event. Very good and informative emails as well as social media posts giving plenty of information for race day. Also, a thorough website which also had a course map available too. No numbers were sent out, so registration was done on the day unless you’re local and can do it on the Saturday. Race HQ was in a school playground which soon filled up, but at the time I got there it was empty, so no problem for me. It did look a bit busy nearer start time though. There was no official parking, just suggested pay and display car parks nearby, but I got lucky by driving round and doing some homework in Lola the night before. There is some free street parking nearby if you don’t mind leaving your car in an estate and having a short walk. Once at HQ, there were plenty of toilets in the school changing rooms which was very useful on a cold day as the school was warm. As always, queues formed though, despite both separate male and female toilets. I didn’t see any portaloos, so the school toilets were all that was available. There was a massage facility available before and after the race and a baggage drop which I didn’t need, but that was it at race HQ. The start was a short walk away and signs were visible for predicted finish zones (not that everyone actually follows them!). Once on the course there were mile markers and arrows at main junctions, including marshals keeping runners off the open roads and safe. I didn’t need a drink until the last drink station but I can only recall two drinks stations. As it was a two lap course, I think the drink stations were situated around 4 and 6 miles, which was also approximately 10 then 12 miles on the second lap. It was a smoothly run event and I didn’t notice any problems.

Route: 3.5/5 – With a maximum of 8 metres of incline, it is definitely a flat course. Having said that, there are a few slight inclines which feel worse than they actually are, probably because it is so flat that they are unexpected. Because of the flat course it is definitely fast. Unfortunately it is two laps which I always find mentally tough knowing you have to run the same loop again, but I’ve had worse two lapped courses. As it runs on a road parallel to the coastline and back again in the other direction along the promenade, it has long sections of beautiful scenery overlooking the beach and sea. We were blessed with a crisp, still, sunny day with a bright blue sky which made it stunning, but I’d imagine there is no hiding place on a windy, wet day, so it all depends on the weather. Much like a lot of coastal runs, the route is very dependent on the weather and what it does on the day, but this course has potential to be very nice on the right day, making two laps bareable.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 4/5 – It was obviously the weekend for great medals. Remembering 75 years since D-Day with a superbly intricate medal and a fantastic design. It was solid, large and both sides had amazing artwork, worthy of the reward for 13.1 miles. The icing on the cake would have been a t-shirt to match but that wasn’t to be. Not the end of the world, there was a drawstring goody bag given out with a lion bar chocolate, a tasty mango drink and some flyers, as well as the usual banana and water handed out at the end. It was nice to have some sweet treats to replace the energy instead of the flapjacks and health treats that a lot of races give out nowadays.

Price: 4.5/5 – For £22 (£20 affiliated) plus booking fee, it’s a really good price for a decent race. Not too expensive and for a nice medal, a goody bag and plenty of nice post race treats, it is well worth the money in my opinion. I’ve ran plenty of races charging much more and given far less. Well done Gosport.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 4/5. It was a smooth event with some nice rewards and being flat and coastal, it was an opportunity for a nice weekend on the south coast, one of my favourite places to be. I’d like to do it again and see how fast the course is when my legs hadn’t done so much beforehand.

Next on my list is the Hertfordshire Half Marathon. It starts and finishes at Knebworth House and as I’ve never been there, I’m looking forward to my first visit.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Dirt Half Marathon #49/52

After the mud of the Grand Union Canal Half, I was used to getting dirty legs and mud splattered everywhere, so a race called the Dirt Half Marathon couldn’t be that bad could it? I’d seen a video from a previous year’s event and it looked scenic and fun, so I couldn’t wait to sink my trainers into this one (see what I did there?). Another full week in the new job and I was much more prepared for the race with more energy and my legs not feeling so heavy. Having said that, this weekend was a double weekend, with the Dirt Half on the Saturday and the Gosport Half on the Sunday. It was the last double weekend of the year, so at this stage, it was important to make sure I kept it steady at the Dirt Half and left some for the Gosport Half the following day.

Off I went early in the morning across to Leighton Buzzard ready for the Dirt Half and it was cold. An early arrival as usual meant a parking space close to registration in the school grounds where the start and finish was located. That saved me needing to take my bag, so I wandered over to use the toilets (nicer than portaloos!) then went back to the warmth of my car to kit up and prepare. When the time was right, I went for a warm up and got my legs moving for the start of the race. Stood on the start line with around 1000 other runners, I had no idea what was coming my way, all I knew was that it would be muddy and probably hilly, being a trail race. With a loud countdown from everyone, we were off, powering across the grass and round the main school field.

Mile 1 (7:00) – It was hard not to get carried away with so many runners flying past me, but I knew two things. Firstly, a lot of them would fade quickly and go backwards, so I’d see them again, and secondly, I doubt any of them needed to hold back some energy for a half marathon the following day, so they weren’t in the same situation as me. At around 0.5 miles we passed through a gate and turned right along the canal tow path where it got narrower and overtaking was more difficult. That was probably the reason for the fast start by so many. The tarmac path turned into a trail through some trees and with a sharp ‘U’ turn to the left, we were heading over a bridge to the other side of the canal. On the other side we turned left again and back onto the canal tow path, which is where we’d stay for the next 5 or so miles. Mile 1 shortly followd the beep of my watch as a long line of runners covered the tow path.

Mile 2 (6:57) – Going into mile 2 the pace in front settled down and a queue started to form as faster runners got stuck behind slower runners on the narrow tow path. Slowly, runners waited for their chances to skip past and the queue filtered out. I was feeling comfortable and settled in behind other runners, not too eager to overtake. I used them to keep me from getting carried away and slow me down slightly. A little surprised when we hit the end of mile 2 with a sub 7 minute mile.

Mile 3 (6:57) – Still cruising in mile 3 and tried slowing myself down to a 7:05-7:10 pace whilst taking some photos of the scenic canal and surroundings. To this point it had been completely flat and firm underfoot but a little uneven. More runners were starting to slow down, so I had to speed up a little to overtake a few in this mile which is probably why it ended with another sub 7 mile. I didn’t want to drain myself before the Gosport Half the next day, so I was conscious I still needed to slow down.

Mile 4 (7:02) – I made a big effort this mile to keep an eye on my watch and slow my pace. Easier said than done when the course was flat and you feel more than comfortable. I’m not one for holding back, so trying to do so is difficult. Gaps were opening now and I found myself behind a guy who was slightly slower than I’d been travelling, so I used him to finally get above the 7 minute mile as we reached the 4th mile marker.

Mile 5 (7:03) – I was into a rhythm now and seeing a better pace on my watch. A lady went past me as I stayed behind the guy I was using to pace me. Normally I’d have gone with her, but I had to restrain myself and remember why I was being sensible. We continued to move along the tow path snaking left and right as the canal meandered. The miles were flying by and I was taking in the views with a few more photos and selfies along the way. Another mile beeped on my watch with a good, controlled split.

Mile 6 (7:06) – At this point I was starting to question the Dirt Half name. I was expecting mud, hills, trail and so far had none really. Other than the starting field, there had been 5 miles of flat, firm tow path, not that I was complaining. I was settled and in a nice gap at my own speed after finally stepping by the man in front who started to slow down. We crossed over a bridge to the other side of the canal around 5.5 miles. Everything was going well and I had plenty left in the tank. Another controlled mile and just before my watch beeped we took a right turn over another bridge to cross the canal again, finally moving away from it. Little did I know the race was about to change!

Mile 7 (7:34) – As we moved away from the canal tow path, after running along a few back roads past farms, we joined a trail between some hedges and trees. I overtook a few guys and got overtaken by a woman shortly after. Now was the start of the toughest mile of the race. The trail started to rise slowly but bit by bit it got steeper and just kept rising. The lady in front dropped back again as I pushed up the hill. My strength of hills helped me move away from the lady and group of men but the incline went on forever, for the whole mile in fact!

Mile 8 (7:31) – As we passed the 7 mile marker the incline flattened and we took a right turn through a small village with some locals out on the road supporting. As soon as we hit the top of the incline, we went straight into a steep decline for just over quarter of a mile, before hitting another trail into some woods. The decline turned into an incline into the woods, which was stunning. Orange and red leaves all over the floor as we climbed up the muddy trail. It was another tough climb for approximately quarter of a mile again, followed by one more steep decline which was equally tough on the slippery, muddy trail. The decline took me to the end of mile 8.

Mile 9 (7:11) – This mile was up and down again for short bursts. A stunning woodland trail which was worthy of some more photos. A couple of inclines were cancelled out by some declines, but the slippery mud made it challenging and the uneven terrain meant concentrating on every step was crucial. It was fairly straight, in one side of the woods and out the other side onto a main road. We ran straight across the road and back into another trail up some wooden steps.

Mile 10 (7:39) – As we left the forest and crossed the road into another forest, we moved into the tenth mile. Most of it on a muddy trail as we came to a clearing, then went back into the forest around 9.5 miles onto an incline. The legs were starting to feel all the muddy, steep climbs but what came next was even tougher. A steep decline in the forest was so steep and slippery that it was hard to stay on the feet or even stop at the end. A sharp left at the bottom of the decline meant I nearly ran straight through the bushes on the right and over a big drop. It was a very precarious turn which raised my heart rate but I managed to stay upright and just on the edge of the trail. As we left the woodland trail, we took a nice decline along a path into some fields. I used the decline to speed up a bit and overtake a few runners in front at the same time as being overtaken from a guy who had been following close behind. At the end of the path we entered a field and came to a bridge over a small stream. That was when it really got muddy! That saw the end of another mile and the last 4 were the complete opposite to the easy first 6!

Mile 11 (7:33) – Although the next mile was flat, it was slow! The flat, wooden bridge was slippery and covered with green algae, so we all slowed down to cross it. When we left the bridge every footstep squelched into ankle deep mud and pools of water. Trying to keep a good pace was a waste of time through what felt like treacle or quick sand. It was a challenge staying upright as we splattered our way across the mud pit called farmland on our way to the 11 mile marker. My feet were soaked but I managed to overtake a couple of runners who were struggling in the mud. I was hoping to see the canal tow path again soon and my wish was granted around 10.5 miles when we left the muddy field and felt the firm ground of the tow path……bliss! Trying to get back to pace with soaked, muddy and heavy legs was difficult, but I got there eventually. I overtook another guy and settled into a low 7 min/mile pace once again after 4.5 extremely tiring, tough, challenging, hilly, muddy miles! Now I know why it’s called the Dirt Half. Soon the 11 mile marker stood in front but my legs were feeling a lot heavier than they should have knowing I had another half in less than 24 hours!

Mile 12 (7:06) – Back into a rhythm and only two miles to go, I just wanted it finished now. I could see another guy in front who I was gradually catching. I wasn’t going to speed up, but he was a nice target. As we followed the same tow path from earlier in the race, I knew it was firm and flat nearly all the way to the finish. I was getting closer to him and as I passed the 12 mile marker he was just yards in front.

Mile 13 (7:05) – I could see the bridge in front that we crossed early in the race, which meant the end was near. I ran alongside the guy I was catching and kept on going as he faded behind me. Soon I was at the bridge and crossing it, expecting a right turn back to the school field. Wrong, we turned left through another small trail round the back of the school field. I followed the trail into a clearing which was wet and muddy again. The constant slipping and squelching through mud had taken its toll and by the end of the clearing we came to a final incline. It was only short but steep and my legs had nothing left. A guy from behind breezed past me as I was satisfied just getting to the end now. At the top we turned right onto a gravel path which took us nearly all the way to the finish. I tried to push to the end by I had no power left. A right turn onto the grass and past the 13 mile marker. I could see the finish line in front but running across the grass field felt like I was going backwards. Slowly, bit by bit I got there and crossed the line feeling a lot more fatigued than I expected, especially after such a comfortable first 6 miles.

Part 1 of 2 for the double weekend was done, I just had to hope an ice bath would help me recover for the next day. I walked through, collected my medal and went for a very slow, uncomfortable cool down!

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles):

1 – 7:00

2 – 6:57

3 – 5:57

4 – 7:02

5 – 7:03

6 – 7:06

7 – 7:34

8 – 7:31

9 – 7:11

10 – 7:39

11 – 7:33

12 – 7:06

13 – 7:05

0.7 – 0.27

Time – 1:34:13

Position – 49/809

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4/5 – I was quite impressed with the organisation of this event. Good informative emails beforehand and the same on their website. Also, some nice posts on their social media too. A course map and previous year’s video is also there to see. Numbers were sent out in advance so no need to register on the day, although with use of a school, the hall was a great place to register and get out of the cold, but it did get a little crowded. There was plenty of parking at the school or on the roads around the school if you arrived too late to get into the school, but that also meant there was no need to drop a bag in due to the car being 50 yards away from race HQ. In the school there were some toilets which ended up having a huge queue, mainly because people didn’t know about the portaloos hidden round the corner. They could have been more obvious but there weren’t that many, so I doubt that would have stopped the queues anyway. Out on the course there were mile markers and arrows to follow, so no chance of going wrong. Marshals were also dotted around at all major junctions to help with road crossings or any possible wrong turns. I didn’t use the water stations but I think I saw 3 around 3, 7 and 10 miles. There were no finish time zones or signs in the start pen so it’s a gamble as to who you are standing near, whether they go off fast or slow. All in all a well run and smooth event.

Route: 4/5 – Arguably one of the most scenic events I’ve run this year. Yes there’s a lot of canal and the same scenery for around 6-7 miles but it’s a nice canal, not a stagnant, dirty one! Also, the trail through the forests and woodland is stunning. The golden colours and peaceful surroundings was truly beautiful, one I’d definitely like to see again. The downside is a few nasty hills which take their toll, so it’s not the fastest course, especially with some ankle deep mud and puddles through the fields at times. It’s certainly a challenge but has some great variety, far nicer than a boring, flat, straight route with nothing to see. It’s not the fastest and possibly not for a new runner due to some of the challenges, but if you like a good trail, some mud and a hill or two, get yourself booked in.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3.5/5 – It’s a good start after receiving a really nice, unique, heart shaped medal with a green tree in the middle of the heart. It certainly fits the surroundings of the race and looks and feels great. Other than the medal, there wasn’t much else, so it was a good job the medal was a good one. They had the usual drinks and flapjacks etc at the end, and as it was a special occasion (anniversary I think!), they had a lot of cake too, but somehow I missed that table. There was no t-shirt or goody bag though, so don’t expect lots of treats.

Price: 3.5/5 – For £30 (£28 affiliated) it’s possibly a little on the steep side for cost considering the lack of rewards at the end, but as it was a nice course and gave a really nice medal, I’d probably be persuaded to do it again due to it being a very smooth event and even gave out free race photos.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5-4/5. It was well run, challenging but a lovely course, a great medal and very different to a lot of the regular road half’s. I’d definitely like to do it again in the future.

Next on my list is the Gosport Half Marathon. I’ve never done it but I hear it’s fast and flat, BUT it’s two laps which doesn’t fill me with joy as I’m not a fan of laps. I do love the south coast though, so I’m looking forward to this one.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Grand Union Canal Half Marathon #48/52

Out of all the half’s I’ve done this year and will have done by the end, this one will be one of those unforgettable races. Not because it was an amazing race or it gave an epic medal, but because of the preparation and how I felt on race day.

A few months ago I decided I wanted to look at my future and get some stability for me and my family, so I applied for a part time job to work alongside my business as a self employed personal trainer. Being self employed has its perks (pick your own hours, holidays when you want etc) but it also has its downside too (no holiday pay, no pension etc), so I needed something to fall back on when personal training is no longer for me. An interview later and I am now a part time postman (between 9am-3pm) and a personal trainer in the evenings. I’m very disciplined as you can probably tell and I’m not scared of a bit of hard work, in fact I enjoy it, so this would be a new challenge. Leading up to this event, I started my postman job on the Monday before the race. I knew it was physical and I’m fit enough to deal with that, but I needed to get used to a new routine. Walking 8-10 miles a day for 4-5 hours eats away at the calories and saps the energy from the body. Burning 4000-5000 calories per day the whole week before the race wasn’t something I was used to and I just couldn’t replace enough calories to gain that energy back. I went into race day feeling heavy, tired and lethargic……..and my performance showed that!

After arriving in Uxbridge and parking up with a friend and my family, we made our way to the start to register, prepare and warm up. It was freezing cold, so the under armour is now back out and making an appearance under my vest on a weekly basis. The warm up was needed just to wake my body up and get the stiffness out of my legs, but I wasn’t looking forward to what was ahead. With a lot of rain and a race all the way along a canal, trail shoes were a must and I soon found out even they were useless. The time had come and I joined the first wave of runners to start our journey along the canal to Watford on this point to point race up the Grand Union Canal. After a minute silence for remembrance day, then a short countdown, we were off….

Mile 1 (7:00) – I started right near the front and as we set off, floods of runners powered past me and my buddy as we made our way in a clockwise loop around the park before joining the canal tow path. They went out like huskies but I was to see most of them again later on as they faded and dropped back. The pace was fast but as we joined the tow path then crossed a bridge to join the other side, the terrain showed us just how difficult this run was going to be. It was wet, muddy and slippery. There was no chance of avoiding the pools of water, so we had to get used to splashing our way through the muddy puddles and trying to stay on our feet. It slowed the pace and I was already breathing heavily…..not a good sign! I was happy to see the first mile marker.

Mile 2 (6:49) – The tow path was narrow, not much room for overtaking, so I had to be patient when some of those huskies were already struggling and falling back. I picked my moments to overtake and got into a good rhythm. My body had started to wake up, so I went with it, noticing a quicker pace. It wasn’t long before gaps started to appear as everyone filtered into suitable positions. We ran under a few bridges, taller runners ducking their heads just in case, before reaching mile 2 with a faster split.

Mile 3 (6:59) – I was already feeling heavy and the mud was making it tougher, even on a flat route with only the odd incline over a bridge to deal with. The lack of calories in the week was starting to show and sub 7 min/miles were just too much for me in this terrain after a week of new routine. Under another bridge then we crossed over the next one to run on the right side of the canal, before crossing back over just before mile 3. My trail shoes were no use at all in the slippery mud, so keeping a steady cadence was impossible. Half way through the mile a guy went powering past….fair play to him! I too overtook a couple of runners who went out too fast but I could feel my pace dropping.

Mile 4 (7:15) – This mile got very muddy, very muddy indeed! My pace faltered and I was already thinking about how difficult it felt. I was trying to take in the stunning scenery of the canal and trees around me, but with all the mud, it was impossible to really look up in fear of slipping or tripping on the uneven surface. My eyes were firmly fixed a few yards in front of my feet. On drier patches, I did manage to take the odd photo but it was too much hard work, so I didn’t get many. Half way through the mile I felt something loose around my waist and realised for the first time ever, that my flipbelt had unzipped and as it dropped off my waist I luckily caught it. I had to stop, put it back on and zip it back up. Because of this pause, a group of runners from behind flooded past and I lost some time. By mile 4 my pace was the slowest it had been up to now.

Mile 5 (7:04) – Another guy went past me at the start of this mile, so I used him as a marker, to try to stay close behind. It helped me keep my pace up but I was struggling way too much for such an early stage in a race. Under another couple of bridges and still traipsing through mud, I was already concentrating on getting through 1 mile at a time. The new day job had certainly left me feeling like I had no energy or second gear when I needed it. It was turning into a battle already.

Mile 6 (7:20) – Secretly I was wishing I was running a 10k as my legs really weren’t enjoying the tired feeling I was already having so early in the race. I’d joked with my mate beforehand that a sub 1:35 would be a great time today but at this moment I’d have taken that time without question. I managed to overtake a guy in front who I’d gradually caught up with, but he stayed close behind, making me very nervous, especially as my pace was dropping. We went over a lock just before the end of the mile and the tiny incline and firmer gravel path was enough for me to creep away from him a little before going back onto the muddy tow path. It ended with the slowest mile of the race to that point.

Mile 7 (7:04) – Although I had a slight gap behind now, I was still feeling nervous about being overtaken again by someone I’d just passed, so it was enough to make me increase my pace. That increase in pace and the gravel path, helped slingshot me into the next mile. I was too busy worrying about being overtaken that I’d not realised I was somehow catching another person in front. Maybe my feeling of struggling wasn’t because of the new job, maybe everyone was finding the course tough on the legs. Anyway, after going under another bridge and over another lock, my legs weren’t giving up yet and I found myself right behind the guy in front as the mile ended.

Mile 8 (7:04) – As the canal path was so narrow and muddy, it was important to only overtake when the conditions were right, so I slowed down slightly and ran directly behind the guy in front. I found myself dropping back a bit so I could see the ground in front, not just the back of the runner. I waited for the right moment and skipped past when I got the chance. We ran over another lock as a small crowd clapped us through. Again feeling nervous about having two guys close behind (or so I thought!) I kept my pace up for another identical split to the last.

Mile 9 (7:07) – At this point, I was too tired to look over my shoulder but I could hear footsteps behind me in the mud and assumed they were the two guys I’d overtaken. I didn’t even think about there being a third person, but the footsteps started to sound like they were getting closer. Soon they were on my shoulder and as I moved to one side, a lady passed me, ready to kick on away from me. It gave me the kick up the bum that I needed and as she moved 10 yards in front, I stayed with her, keeping the distance the same, not letting her go. Although I felt like I had nothing left, I was somehow digging deep enough to keep the pace up and edge closer to the end, one mile at a time.

Mile 10 (7:11) – Well, officially mile 10 was actually at 9.15 miles, as some comedian thought it would be funny to move the mile marker just after the 9 mile marker. It did throw me a bit though and I had to keep checking my garmin. The problem was, the next mile marker wasn’t then for another 1.85 miles which seemed like a long way away. I was still close behind the lady runner in front and I was using her to pace me, not letting the gap increase. It was hard work as my legs were so heavy but it helped me stay focussed. We ran under a railway bridge with the mile marker shortly after and the gap stayed the same throughout.

Mile 11 (7:10) – Having someone to focus on just in front kept me going for the next mile. The conditions had broken me, the lack of energy had taken its toll, but my determination and competitive nature was still well and truly alive. I did have a glimpse over my shoulder a couple of times during this mile but the gap behind was big enough that I could relax a little and concentrate solely on aiming for the lady in front. Her pace was solid and as long as I didn’t let her go to far away, my pace was going to be just as consistent, which it was for another mile. Just two more to go and I could sense the finish!

Mile 12 (7:07) – I could tell we were entering Watford at this stage, the canal now had industrial estates and housing either side. We ran under a few more bridges, one of them being a large main road above. The thought of being close to the end gave me that little bit extra even though I was hurting and despite the heavy legs through the mud along the tow path, I was able to pull closer to the lady in front. I managed to put in a faster mile which surprised me after feeling so jaded for the entire race.

Mile 13 (7:18) – Shortly after mile 12 we veered away from the canal to the left, up a ramp. My legs didn’t like the incline which took us to a bridge over the canal. Once at the middle of the bridge, a nice decline followed leading us into Cassiobury Park. I was hoping it would continue like this to the end, even though the lady in front used the decline to move away from me. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and as we ran under the overhanging trees out into the clearing of the park, the wide path which had walkers and cyclists staggered across it, started to rise. It wasn’t a steep incline but at this stage it was nasty and I had nothing left. The lady in front moved further away as I just wanted to get to the end, not even thinking about catching her. We conquered the incline and had a short section of flat path, before turning to the right onto the grass and followed the tape to the finish. With just 400m to go, I tried to push hard and finish strong but I watched the lady pull further away as I faded. I passed the 13 mile marker and turned onto the finish straight. The grass and mud sapped the legs as I moved along the finish straight alone, to be joined by my daughter for the final 50m as she ran out from the side of the finish straight. Holding her hand we put our arms in the air to celebrate as we passed the finish gantry above our head. I was so thankful that was over. It was challenging throughout with wet, muddy terrain and narrow paths. After a tough week I was so happy to get through and even better, it was a pretty good time too, considering the conditions. We walked through and I claimed my medal…….so did my daughter!!! Nice touch from the organisers giving her one too, she was thrilled.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 7:00

2 – 6:49

3 – 6:59

4 – 7:15

5 – 7:04

6 – 7:20

7 – 7:04

8 – 7:04

9 – 7:07

10 – 7:11

11 – 7:10

12 – 7:07

13 – 7:18

0.03 – 0:16

Time – 1:32:49

Position – 19/439

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 3.5/5 – Communication before the event was OK, not as good as some events but it did the job. They only sent out the one email in the week before the event with all the information for race day but it was pretty thorough. All the information could also be found on the website. I can’t recall seeing a course map but I’m pretty sure one is available, although it’s a point to point race along a canal, so it’s not rocket science. On arrival there was some parking near the start but it was at least half a mile away, so I chose to find parking in a residential street. As it was a point to point race, there was parking at the end and paid for (£8) shuttle buses transporting runners to the start. I took my family to save having to do this. I also heard there was problems with parking meters at the finish, so I’m not sure what happened about that. There is no parking directly at the start or the finish though, so bear that in mind. On arrival I had to pick up my number at registration which was small and simple, as it was a fairly small event. No problems with that as I was nice and early. Same with the portaloos, but as there were only 8-10 available, the usual queues built up nearer the start when those shuttle buses started turning up. Other than registration and a hot drink van, there wasn’t anything else at the start or the finish. Out on the course there were marshals showing the way at all main bridges or places where you could take a wrong turn, but no arrows as they weren’t really needed on an obvious route. There were mile markers but a couple were well out, probably from being moved by a grumpy member of the public. There were at least 3 water stations staggered along the route at locks along the canal, but I didn’t use them so can’t remember exactly where they were. It’s only a small event, so much of it was very basic compared to the larger events.

Route: 4/5 – This is a tough one because I think the course would be very different at another time of the year or after better weather. The recent rain made it much harder and more concentration was needed to stay upright, meaning a lot of the beauty of the canal was not seen or noticed. From what I did see, the canal was very pretty but the same scenery for approximately 12 miles can get a bit boring after a while. It’s generally flat, although the gradient shows a gradual incline the whole way which wasn’t noticeable, except the steeper incline in the last mile. In November, expect it to be wet and muddy, making it much tougher and slower than in the summer. I hear there is a summer race, so I guess that would be much firmer and faster. It can be very narrow along the tow path and with pedestrians, cyclists and dogs, there are times where you have to slow down or be patient to overtake. This can slow you down at times. Although it’s flat, it’s quite uneven under foot, especially when wet and muddy in November, so it’s definitely not the fastest course. The summer race may be very different though!

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3/5 – Well, the medal was OK, a nice canal boat design but nothing spectacular. It’s better than some I’ve had and the design very fitting for the race, but nothing to get massively excited about. That’s it really, there was no t-shirt or goody bag, just a bottle of water, a vegan style(?) chocolate milk and some kind of sweet potato crisps handed out at the end. Hardly much to shout about to be honest.

Price: 3.5/5 – For £25 (£23 if affiliated), it’s not a bad price for a half marathon that only gives a medal and a couple of treats at the end. The course is scenic and the medal is pretty nice, but do I think it’s worth the price? It depends what you’re after, if it’s rewards, probably not, but if it’s for a pretty nice, scenic race, then yes.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5/5. It was a nice race, nothing spectacular but probably worth doing to see the canal. I’d imagine the summer race would be more enjoyable, that’s if the flies aren’t out in numbers along the canal.

Next on my list is the Dirt Half Marathon. The name kind of gives it away, it will be off road and muddy, and with all the rain we’ve had recently, I think extra muddy is more appropriate. I’ve not run it before but it looks like a great race, so fingers crossed I enjoy it and it doesn’t leave me broken for the next half the following day at Gosport.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Marlow Half Marathon #47/52

Moving into November and only two months of the challenge to go but this race I’d been dreading for the last few weeks. It’s strange because I love it and hate it in equal measures. It’s a very well organised event with a good atmosphere BUT, oh the hills! They are unforgiving and hurt like hell. I love the challenge but hate the feeling of being broken at the end. It’s of course, the Marlow Half Marathon.

Last year I had two friends running with me, but this year I was all alone. I made my way to Marlow nice and early and grabbed my parking space before wandering to the race village. I registered, used the ‘facilities’ and bumped into fellow Lonely Goat member, Paul, who I’d met a few times this year at other races. After a good chat, I went for my warm up to get my foot/ankle ready for the challenging course ahead, before making my way to the start before the crowds wandered over together.

All warmed up and stood with the crowds, waiting to be called up to the start. Once called up I found my way to a realistic space a bundle of rows back in the appropriate time zone. I knew sub 1:30 would not happen on this course (unless I had a bike!), so I nestled in behind the 1:30 marker. With a countdown from 10, we were supposed to go on the bang of a rocket going up in the air, compliments of a man dressed as Guy Fawke. Unfortunately the rocket was delayed and we were already powering down the street when the bang went off and the rocket shot through the air a few seconds later. A long line of hungry runners flew through Marlow High Street on one of the only flat sections of the course. Some were lucky enough to be running the 7 mile race, whereas others like myself were glutton for punishment to take on more hills for the full half marathon. We veered to the left through the high Street and took a right at a roundabout, that is when the fun started.

The incline started immediately, only shallow but except from two to three short declines, the first 5 miles were all gradually uphill. After last year, I swore that I would take in the scenery a bit more this time round but to be honest, working so hard up the hills makes you concentrate more than normal on your breathing, stride and staying focused, that you don’t really have the energy to look about at the scenery around you. A fairly straight road took us all the way to mile 1 (7:07) and opened up the lungs immediately, before the incline shallowed slightly and we took a left turn not long before mile 2 (6:54). Finally some relief as we hit a steep decline just after mile 2 for roughly 200 metres as we took a right turn, before we started to climb again. It was around this time that the courses split and the 7 milers turned left as we continued up the hill. A steeper climb for this one for another 400 metres towards mile 3, before another 200 metre decline, just before mile 3 (7:05) beeped on my watch.

Big gaps were starting to appear between runners now after the course split and the road started to climb again to around 3.5 miles before a very short decline, only to go straight back up. This time the course continued to rise through two left turns all the way to mile 4, but continued to go uphill beyond that too! Shortly after mile 4 we turned right and followed the road all the way to mile 5 (7:14) which was on an incline the whole way. Just after mile 5 the course finally started to drop back down. A left turn and a steep decline which made the legs feel out of control and a bit of pain from the impact on my foot. The decline continued through mile 6 (6:42) for the fastest split of the race so far, and kept going to roughly 6.5 miles where it flattened out for roughly 400m, before it hit a decline again to just before mile 7.

One thing about this route was the lack of flat throughout. What went up came down but we were about to go back up again and this one was tough! Bigger gaps had appeared now as we hit the next hill which started just before mile 7. It was steep and hard on the legs but levelled off briefly at mile 7 (7:10), before the second part of the hill and nasty bit which really broke my body. The climb after mile 7 went on forever and I got slower and slower. Adamant I wasn’t going to walk like last year, I hung in there and kept running…….slowly! My legs were frazzled and my lungs were gasping for oxygen. I was doubting myself and whether I was strong enough to maintain any kind of pace after that hill……if/when I ever got to the top. After feeling like I was going backwards, I reached the top with two guys in front also struggling. As they say, what goes up must come down, which we did, but only for a short stretch as we reached mile 8 (7:48), before we started to climb again for the same distance as the decline. Luckily a longer decline followed and took us all the way to mile 10. A winding road turning left then right which started with a shallow decline and got steeper. My legs were heavy and I just watched as the two guys in front pulled away. Another guy caught up and went past as I approached mile 9 (6:52), followed by one more who came alongside me and told me to hang onto him so we could work together and catch the guy in front. I laughed but tried, staying just behind for a while until the decline became steeper. With my shockingly bad braking system (knees), my legs went way too fast for my body and I powered back in front of him again to the bottom of the hill. It didn’t last and as soon as the course flattened, he was back in front.

As we reached the lowest point I could see the road rising again in front with a left turn under the trees. My garmin beeped again for mile 10 (6:38) and the climb started. I tried to stay with him but my legs had nothing left. He edged away as we clawed our way up the hill, turning to the left at the top. 400m all uphill was hell at this point, but as we turned to the left another slight downslope greeted us. I used it to try to make up some ground, but that didn’t work, my legs didn’t have enough and my knee and ankle/foot were becoming sore with the heavy impact. We got to the end of the road, which was where the course split at around mile 2, and we veered right. We were now travelling along the same part of the course as we had in the first couple of miles. Mile 11 beeped (7:44) shortly after, followed by a right turn. This is where the course started a decline again, pretty much all the way to the finish. The downhill enabled me to keep my speed up even though I was struggling, but the guy in front just got further and further away. I was now overtaking some of the tail runners of the 7 mile race. At 11.5 miles we turned right by a marshal, then left where we passed the rock choir again on the corner. As I passed a handful of runners dressed as nuns, they shouted encouragement after reading my challenge on my vest. I continued to push down the hill, limping by this point on an uncomfortable right knee and foot as I reached mile 12 (6:51).

Just over a mile to go and all downhill. Three quick turns, right, left, right and we were running along the pavement of the main road. At this point I heard footsteps behind and as I moved over to the grass verge, a lady passed with the marshal telling her she was the first lady. I didn’t have enough in me to respond and as marshals held traffic for us to cross the road, we turned left and entered the final road to the finish. We weaved left and right as the road snaked its way to the finish and shortly before mile 13, two more runners passed me, a male and the second lady who were running together. Mile 13 beeped (6:36) for my fastest mile of the race despite the limping, and I reached the final bend which had supporters cheering us in. I turned right, ran through the gate into the cricket ground where the race village was held and could see the finish gantry up ahead. That sight was such a relief as I closed in and held my hands high in elation as I ran under the finish gantry to cross the line. As soon as I stopped my legs seized up and I hobbled away to collect my medal. The adrenalin had done its job but my right leg was not happy with me. It was a tough race but I was so pleased to tick another one off and to have finished with the time I did.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 7:07

2 – 6:54

3 – 7:05

4 – 7:15

5 – 7:14

6 – 6:42

7 – 7:10

8 – 7:48

9 – 6:52

10 – 6:38

11 – 7:44

12 – 6:51

13 – 6:36

0.10 – 0:40

Time – 1:32:38

Position – 41/719

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4/5 – I think this is the most important category. A well organised, smooth event will always draw me in and make me want to return. Marlow Striders work hard to put on a good event and it shows. The information sent out via email and available on the website is thorough, so no need to panic about where to go or what you need to do. A course map was available too, but as I’d done it before I generally didn’t pay much attention to it. There were no race numbers sent out, so registration was done on the morning of the race. Plenty of volunteers available to help out and it was simple enough. On arrival, there was no parking at the race village but information was sent out about local car parks. If there early enough there are a couple close by, around a 10 minute walk away but make sure you have your bank card as some are card payment only! If you’re lucky you may find some free street parking but there isn’t much of that around Marlow town centre. At the race village there is a long row of around 15-20 portaloos behind the cricket pavilion but as I always say, if you leave it late you’ll be in a queue. There’s also some public toilets near the start of the race which is a walk away in a local park. The race village itself has a few stalls selling running gear, a food/drink van, registration tent and bag drop area. The bag drop is easy enough, just follow to your numbered zone and place your bag down on the tarpaulin under the gazebo, so you know where it is at the end. They also have a key drop too if that’s all you have with you. Lastly, out on the course. I can’t remember exactly when they were, but I’m sure they had three drink stations at least, around 3.5 miles, 7.5 miles and 10.5 miles (at a guess!). Mile markers were visible along with direction arrows and plenty of helpful, happy marshals to show the way. Also, a rock choir greeted us up one of the inclines for a little sing song. All in all it is a smooth event for a club race, not a big organisation, but they’ve perfected their race over the last 31 years.

Route: 3.5/5 – Right, I need to remember I’m marking this on the route as a whole, not just the horrendous hills! Last year I felt like I gave my all and had no energy to really take anything in around me, so this year I tried to take a photo or two and appreciate my surroundings. To be honest, I still struggled as the route is a real challenge. I did notice the red leaves all over the floor through the wooded sections, the stretching farmland in all directions but it’s hard to remember anything but gruelling hills. As they say, what goes up must come down but the downhills were so steep it’s actually difficult to use them to gain some time. They also leave so much on the thighs getting up the hill that you can’t appreciate going back down. It’s definitely not a fast route because of the hills but as it’s all on roads except for a small patch in the middle on a short trail, at least there is nothing else to slow you down. It’s definitely a challenging race and one I recommend you do if you really want to feel you’ve earnt your medal and achieved something epic.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3.5/5 – Well, a good start, the medal was pretty good. Solid, a decent size, smart and definitely worth running the hills to get it. The only negative was that it was the same medal for both the half and seven mile race. Moving on to the t-shirt. Last year they gave me my first long sleeved t-shirt from completing a race and it was unique, different and definitely stood out from other races. This year they followed that theme and gave a really nice light blue, long sleeved tech t-shirt again. It was smart, had a nice design and comfortable too. Probably not my kind of thing to wear for a run as I only wear short sleeved tops, but nice to wear around the house when slouching around. With regards to goodie bags, there wasn’t really anything worth shouting about, just a paper bag filled with race flyers and the t-shirt in its packaging, nothing else. Two out of three wasn’t bad I suppose.

Price: 4/5 – It was a long time ago that I entered this one, so I can’t remember exactly how much it was to enter. I think it was around £30, making it borderline one of the more expensive races, crossing the £30 barrier. To be fair, it’s a very well run event and has a nice feel to it, despite the fact it’s ridiculously hilly! I definitely think it’s one to do for the challenge and reasonably priced for what you get, so no complaints from me.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5-4/5. It’s a nice race, well organised and has a great atmosphere throughout. The rewards are pretty good and the course is challenging, so definitely makes you earn that medal.

Next on my list is the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon. Another race I’ve never done before and on paper it sounds like a stunning run, but after all the rain we’ve had recently, I’m expecting a little mud. It will be interesting to see just how much!

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Stroud Half Marathon #46/52

After rolling my ankle at the previous race and having to take 3 days of complete rest before I could walk without a limp, you could say it was a somewhat indifferent week for me. To be honest, on the Monday I wasn’t even sure how I was going to be able to run the next race, all I knew was I’d be on the start line giving it a go no matter what. Luckily my body heals well, either that or I have a high pain threshold and a stupidity (or determination depending on how you look at it!) to go with it, to make sure I finish what I start. There was always an element of worry that an injury or illness throughout this challenge could throw a spanner in the works and to be honest, that’s all part of the challenge and what makes it so difficult to achieve, after running over 1500 miles this year and making sure I’m fit enough every weekend for another half marathon. I’m not interested in walking them or taking it easy each week, as I believe anyone with a reasonable level of fitness could do that, I want it to be a proper challenge, so I’ve never held back. Having said that, this race was different and although I’ve had a few injury scares this year and a migraine or two to deal with, none of them have been as bad as this one. I went into this race knowing I couldn’t put full weight through my whole right foot, so the two test runs I did later on in the week before the race were to see if it was manageable. It was, with an altered running style which could also cause more problems, so I went into race day knowing that a fast time was probably out of the question and I had an uncomfortable, if not painful 13.1 miles ahead of me. Anyway, I have a challenge to finish and I’ll cross that line anyway possible to make sure it is completed by the end of 2019!

A nice journey across the Cotswolds to Stroud, to get through half #46 (race #43) and take me into single figures left for races. Hopefully the following week will give me more time to recover before the hilly (killer!) Marlow Half Marathon for the first race in November. We took Lola (our motorhome) for this one and found a place local to the race for us to stay overnight. This saved me an early start and long journey, even if we did gain an extra hour with the clocks going back. Unfortunately the only car park suitable for the size of Lola was over a mile walk to the start, so at least my warm up was sorted! To be fair, it needed to be as I woke to a freezing morning, literally, with car windows iced over and a frost covering the ground…….it was seriously cold and got me questionning my running gear for the race. By the time I arrived at the race village I’d made my decision. First stop, portaloos, followed by the changing rooms to get myself ready. With it being so cold, I opted for an under armour beneath my vest and even a pair of thin gloves. I went to hand in my bag before heading out to stand in the sunshine, which was gradually rising and bringing some warmth. After acclimatising, I went for a warm up to get my foot ready and loosen the muscles.

After a good warm up and some dynamic stretches in the sunshine by the start, I realised it wasn’t going to be as cold as I thought, so I ran back to the bag drop in the hope I could lose the gloves and under armour. The queue had built up and soon prevented me doing that, so I was stuck with my clothing choice. Luckily my flip belt could house my thin gloves but I had to make do with the base layer. As crowds gathered at the start I found my zone, around other runners behind the 1:30 pacer. I had a game plan and I was ready to follow it through……starting steady and listening to my body, no fast times or need for anything special. The race director moved us forward to the start/timing mats and after the usual safety brief and course information, we were good to go. With a countdown, we were off and immediately crossing a big roundabout where traffic had been held just to get us under way. There was only a difference of 45 metres from the lowest point of the course, to the highest, so it wasn’t exactly hilly, just a few lumps and bumps along the way. The first couple of miles were generally downhill with just a couple of minor inclines as we ran away from Cainscross where the start was, at Marling School. Although the roads weren’t closed to traffic, with 1600+ runners all running along the main road, until it filtered out there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre, so the cars pulled to the side and we’re patiently waiting for us all to pass. Some were cautiously crawling along the edge of the road towards us as we moved across and let them through. As per my game plan, I found a comfortable pace which was below a 7 min/mile due to the downhill and I stuck at it. The 1:30 pacer passed me and moved ahead but I wasn’t interested, I just held pace through mile 1 (6:50).

We were on a long main road, still gradually moving downhill slightly. As the field started to stretch out more and more, we took the left side of the road, enabling traffic to move slowly on the opposite side. My foot was still uncomfortable so I could feel myself running on the outside, to keep the pressure off the most painful part, through the middle. Gradually it got easier and I started to forget about it, although my shadow showed I was still limping. Soon we came to a roundabout which was being marshalled and traffic controlled for us to go through. We took a right, swinging all the way round the roundabout with plenty of support clapping and cheering us as we passed, including two marshals in fancy dress as cowboys with inflatable horses round their legs. Soon after the roundabout we reached mile 2 (6:50) with another identical split. I was feeling more than comfortable and very consistent with my pace.

As we moved into mile 3 we ran through a high street with shops either side and plenty of support staggered along the road. It was another long, straight road with a little more traffic trying to move about on the other side. Gaps were starting to appear now and I could still see the 1:30 pacer up in front, probably 20 seconds ahead. We crossed a couple of roundabouts before starting to leave the residential area for more country surroundings. Shortly after, we reached mile 3 (6:48) as my watch beeped for another consistent split. So far I’d been very controlled. The scenery was now changing with more countryside to look at but the route started to climb very slightly for the next half a mile. It wasn’t much but it was enough for others around me to slow down as I maintained my speed. I moved ahead of a few runners who had been sat around me for a couple of miles. As we ran further out into the countryside, at around 3.5 miles the road started to gradually go back downhill. It wasn’t massively noticeable except for the splits. The group I’d moved in front of went back past me, except for one guy who ran alongside me, asking about my challenge. We had a brief chat before he wished me luck. At mile 4 (6:50) we crossed over a railway line with the 3rd out of 4 miles all at 6:50. I couldn’t have been any more consistent! The 1:30 pacer was still in sight up ahead but I was happy at the speed I was going.

Moving into the next mile it continued slightly downhill as I moved back up to the group just in front and slowly passed them. I was feeling very comfortable as we reached the village of Standish and turned left down a more obvious decline and past a water station. As runners around me slowed for a drink, I kept going and moved past a few more. My foot was still awkward, landing on the outside to reduce the discomfort seemed to help and over time the discomfort was starting to move to the back of my mind as the adrenalin did its job. It wasn’t long before we reached mile 5 (6:43) with a faster split due to the downhill section. I didn’t feel like I was travelling at that speed, but I did notice the 1:30 pacer seemed closer! More gaps were opening up now and I found myself just behind another group with 3-4 women and a couple of men all running together. We approached a very slight incline as we crossed the bridge over the M5 which I used to join the group in front. As we ran over the M5 motorway, trucks and cars were beeping their horns in support as we passed. I used the downslope on the other side of the bridge to pull away from the group, just sticking to my speed. It wasn’t long before the road bent to the left where we met the end and took a right turn. Shortly after we took a left turn onto the A38 and the 6 mile marker stood on the side of the road up ahead. We were told to stay on the left of the road with big cones to our right, keeping cars away from us. Still slightly downhill but I could see the road started to rise after the 6 mile marker, with a line of runners up ahead and the pavement filled with supporters. As I passed 6 miles (6:43) and my watch beeped for another faster split, identical to the last, not surprisingly after a downhill mile, the climb started.

This was one of the only real inclines on the course and although not steep, it dragged on for a bit, probably around 800m to where the majority of the crowds stood to cheer. I used the incline to do my usual trick and pass a handful of struggling runners, while I maintained a decent speed. By the time I came to the top, I had a big group in front who blocked the narrow path, making me slow down slightly to wait for an opportunity to pass. As we hit Whitminster the road flattened and opened up slightly, and I passed a few runners at the same time as a blonde lady came up alongside me. We were at a similar speed so I sat next to her, stride for stride. We took a left turn and found ourselves running along a quiet country road which started to drop back down again towards mile 7. The technique of running on the outside of my foot started to cause a little problem with my right knee on the decline, causing the impact to create a sharp nervy style pain on the outside of my knee, everytime my foot landed. I slowed down slightly and felt myself trying to limp it off, as it was a similar feeling to what I struggled with at Winchester Half. Luckily it faded and I carried on at my normal speed again to mile 7 (6:57), the slowest mile of the race due to the uphill and congestion. The road started to go back up slightly as we approached another bridge crossing the M5 again. I used it to get back alongside and pull in front of the blonde lady as more vehicles below beeped their horns as we crossed the motorway. The next part of the course continued to go up and down very slightly, not really making any difference to the overall speed.

At the end of the road we came to some building work where a new housing estate was getting started. A marshal ushered us to the right as we crossed the road onto a pavement. The blonde lady came back alongside me again and seemed to have found another gear as she moved past. I let her go but was soon at the same speed again, approximately 10-15 yards behind. Straight after we veered to the left round a roundabout and took the first exit towards mile 8. At this point we had to run on the edge of a main road in single file. Just round the bend we reached mile 8 (6:48), back down at a consistent speed. It was quite busy, so as we approached a line of male runners in front, we had to be careful and again wait for the opportunity to pass. The lady in front went past 3 men and I waited patiently behind for a gap in traffic, glancing over my shoulder. As she pulled away, I made my move and overtook the 3 guys and tried to stay close to her in front, now around 15-20 yards ahead. It was a long straight road and I was feeling good again, so I gradually closed the gap and by the end of the road I was on her shoulder once more. The slight incline helped me gain ground as I clawed her back in. As we reached the roundabout at the end of the road we came up behind two more women and a male runner in front. The marshals had the roundabout blocked to traffic as they sent us to our left, giving us more space to overtake. The road away from the roundabout was slightly more of an incline which again helped me pull alongside the blonde lady, as we both moved away from the group behind. We were now heading into an industrial estate for a circular loop back to that roundabout and on the other side of the road I saw the front runners powering past. I guessed the loop must have been about 2 miles given the distance the front runners were ahead. I was about to find out!

Next we came to another roundabout where a choir stood singing on the side of the road. We passed them and took a left turn on another slight decline down to mile 9 (6:48) with another identical split. My race up to this point had been so disciplined and I was feeling good. The road levelled out as we started to bend round to the right, with runners scattered across the wide road. Running alongside the blonde lady, we continued to turn to the right, round the industrial estate as the road started to rise again at around 9.5 miles, but only for a short time before dropping back down towards mile 10. As we approached mile 10 I looked up and could see the 1:30 pacer in front, who seemed to be getting closer. Maybe it gave me a boost and I got a bit carried away, although I didn’t feel I had, even though I started to move away from the blonde lady. Mile 10 (6:36) beeped and I still felt strong, not the normal wall that usually hits me at that time. We took a left turn at the roundabout where the choir were, this time on the right of us, and something inside me just switched. My competitive nature just took over! I had 3 miles to go, I was feeling OK and the 1:30 pacer was within touching distance. Why wouldn’t I aim for a sub 1:30 when I was so close?

The next couple of miles were on a gradual incline. Again nothing really noticeable except the runners in front started to fade as I got stronger. We came to the second roundabout, where we entered the industrial estate, and took another left along the side of the main road. I could feel myself kicking harder and closing in on my target. The 1:30 pacer had a group of around 6-7 runners around him with a couple of stragglers behind. My speed had now opened a gap with the blonde lady behind and slowly I was reeling in the group in front. The main road was much busier at this time of day meaning slow moving cars next to us as we hugged the kerb on the left of the road. We crossed a roundabout with mile 11 (6:42) shortly after. Another strong mile and I knew sub 1:30 was within my grasp at this pace, just 20 yards behind the pacer. My watch was showing a late 1:28 predicted finish time, so I just had to maintain it. Just shy of 11.5 miles we crossed another roundabout as I had closed in and took my chance to overtake the whole group around the 1:30 pacer. I was powering now and went past with ease. A couple of them responded and stayed just behind me as we pushed towards mile 12. I’d just realised as we passed that roundabout, that it was the same roundabout we turned off at, early in the race. The giveaway was the two marshals dressed as cowboys riding blow up horses. I knew the rest of the route and was confident I could keep speed along this one long road to the end. Still moving away from the pacer and focusing on the next runner in front, I continued the slight uphill to mile 12 (6:44) and passed it with another quicker mile. As long as I held it for another mile, I’d go away with an unexpected sub 1:30!

The next mile flattened out before taking some mini rolling hills. I’d forgotten about the slight gradual decline at the beginning which would obviously be an incline at the end. The road snaked left and right as well as going down then up a couple of times. Shortly after mile 12 I caught and overtook a runner who seemed to be struggling. He asked if I knew my pace and I told him it was 6:45 min/mile and if he stayed with me it would be sub 1:30. It gave him a boost as he tried to keep close behind. At 12.5 miles two runners from the pack behind obviously made their move to the finish, powering past and encouraged me along the way. We hit the last incline and pushed hard to get to the end. My legs and lungs were now feeling the faster pace and my foot was becoming sore, but I only had a little bit to go. As we got closer to Cainscross and the big roundabout where we started, the crowds built on both sides of the road, cheering us in. Mile 13 (6:49) beeped prematurely at the roundabout, leaving me a long stretch to the finish gantry outside the school. I knew it was going to be longer than 13.1 miles on my watch, so I had some work to do to get under 1:30. I crossed the roundabout and pushed to the line, noticing my watch crossing over to 1:29. The crowds either side helped as another runner flew past, sprinting to the line. Gradually I crept closer and crossed the line, arms in the air. I was both happy with my time but cross with myself that I got carried away, when I should have been more disciplined in the last few miles. With a shake of my head in frustration, I walked through the funnel to collect my medal and t-shirt, and ticked another half off the list.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 6:50

2 – 6:50

3 – 6:48

4 – 6:50

5 – 6:43

6 – 6:43

7 – 6:57

8 – 6:48

9 – 6:48

10 – 6:36

11 – 6:42

12 – 6:44

13 – 6:49

0.19 – 1:14

Time – 1:29:26 (official)

Position – 134/1693

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4/5 – Firstly, the runner information was good, both on the website and via the pre race emails, so no problem there. A route map was sent out too, along with a map of the area for car parks. Pretty thorough so far! Race numbers were sent out prior to the race, so no need to register on the day, having said that, there seemed to be a hefty queue at the registration tent on the morning of the race, so not sure it was particularly efficient. The downside for me was the lack of parking. It wouldn’t normally be too much of an issue as I’d Google map the area and find a road nearby or one of the car parks suggested to us, BUT, on this occasion I was in my motorhome. When you travel to a race with a long motorhome, the normal car parks or small spaces on roads aren’t enough. To find somewhere suitable for its size I had to park at a free car park just over a mile away and take up 4 spaces so I wouldn’t get blocked in. Unfortunately not many places cater for bigger vehicles which makes it awkward when we’re away at a race. I ended up having a long (cold!) walk to the start. Once at the race village there were a few gazebos up, one for registration, one for food and drinks and others for the sponsors to hand out samples, plus a medical gazebo. They also had the local radio station there and use of the Marling School, including changing facilities, sports hall for bag drop and most of all, somewhere to get inside out of the cold. It did get very congested though as it was so cold outside. There were also toilets in there but a row of around 20 portaloos outside too. Inevitably, queues built up for these nearer the start (seriously people, arrive earlier and beat the rush, it’s so much less stressful!). The bag drop was in a huge hall and was very easy with a simple but effective system. Seemed like a bit of a queue just before the race with last minute bags handed in (probably because of the cold), but other than that, no problems. Once heading to the start, there were signs for predicted finish times and a few pacers too, so everyone knew where to stand (not that it stops some people standing well in advance of where they should!). When we got started, the roads weren’t fully closed, some were coned off and others completely open, but the residents seemed to know the drill and were patient with the runners. Mile markers were visible, although I think I missed a couple, and direction arrows were at all main junctions, as well as supportive marshals who showed the way and shouted important safety instructions about the traffic and which side to run etc. There were 3 water stations staggered along the route. I think I remember them being around 3.5, 7 and 9.5 miles and all giving out reusable cups to minimise the races carbon footprint. It was pretty well run, smooth and the announcements and music from the local radio station at the start and finish was a nice touch, especially a shout out when crossing the line.

Route: 4/5 – Stroud is a lovely place with some magnificent views and incredible inclines! Luckily the route stayed in the valley so never really ventured anywhere with any big hills. Having said that, there were a few lumps and bumps along the route, not exactly hills or anything which really altered my pace too much but it definitely wasn’t flat like a few I’ve had recently. Considering some of the views you can get around Stroud, it wasn’t the most picturesque route, even having a lap of an industrial estate on it, but I thought it was OK. The mixture of residential roads where crowds built up and cheered, some country lanes with some pleasant farmland scenery around us and even crossing over the motorway bridges gave enough to look at and keep it from being boring. The long straight finish had a nice atmosphere and big build up of crowds along the barriers, so a great way to end the race. It’s not the fastest course I’ve ever run but the few ups and downs help me stay focused, when completely flat or boring routes tend to be more difficult to maintain the same pace. It wasn’t a course I’d make a big deal about but it was OK and I enjoyed it.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3.5/5 – So 2 out of the 3 isn’t bad and to be fair, the medal and t-shirt were both quite nice. The medal wasn’t huge but the design was interesting and it was solid enough with a branded ribbon, so no cheap, tacky medal that you don’t want to show. The t-shirt was a nice purple tech t-shirt with a similar design to the medal and looks pretty smart as well as fits OK. Always nice to earn the t-shirt and will be another one to add to the blanket at the end of the year. There was no goody bag, just a plastic cup filled with water and a bottle of Frijj milkshake/drink given at the end. If you’re like me and you wandered round the gazebos in the race village, you could grab a few fruit smoothie/yoghurt style drinks as samples, but if you wanted anything else you had to buy it. Not a bad return from a nice race though.

Price: 3.5/5 – For £29 (£27 affiliated) it’s not far off that £30 barrier which I tend to think is the next bracket for race fees and starting to get a bit expensive. When in that bracket you kind of expect a nice medal, a decent t-shirt and a few gifts in a goody bag. If you don’t get that, you end up asking the question why you paid so much for a race. This race isn’t quite at that level, it’s fairly big and gives two of the three but without any real goody bag or treats at the end, going above £30 would be pushing it. I’ve certainly run cheaper races but it wasn’t bad for the price.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5-4/5. It wasn’t the greatest race I’ve ever done but I quite liked the route for some reason, the support was great, it was well run and the rewards were pretty good. All in all a nice event and had a nice feel to it too.

Next on my list is the Marlow Half Marathon. Probably one of the most gruelling road half marathons I’ve done. It’s filled with some long, challenging hills and the declines are just as steep, making them very tough on the legs. It’s definitely not a fast race or an easy one at that but it’s well organised and the scanery is nice, if you have enough energy to look up that is!

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Water Of Life Half Marathon #45/52

After all the recent wet weather and 3 of the last 4 events having rained whilst running, I was hoping for better weather at this one. I had no idea about the course and luckily read the word ‘multiterrain’ on the pre race information email, so took my trail trainers just in case. Good job too as they were needed! A reasonable journey down the M40 to Marlow (Bisham Abbey to be exact) and despite a cold start, the sun came out to make it a nice morning. I arrived early to make sure I got parking as close as possible and could register and use the facilities without rushing about. After asking the volunteers about the course, I decided on trail shoes which was recommended and rightly so. I nearly put on an under armour beneath my vest, but the warmth from the rising sun stopped me doing that and even the thin gloves I took were put back in the car during my warm up. Warm up done, a few photos taken of the picturesque scenery along the Thames and I was ready to go. Called up to the start gantry, everyone was hesitant to be on the start line, so I took the lead and toed the line, knowing full well I wouldn’t stay in poll position, but somebody had to be the shepherd to lead the herd!

After the most relaxed start with barely any lead up and a quiet “3,2,1 off you go” from the race director, we set off on our 13.1 mile journey. As I expected, 4 runners went past me within the first 100 yards and I was waiting for a few more but that didn’t happen! We ran out of the drive away from Bisham Abbey and turned right onto a back road. It wasn’t long before the front 2 pulled away and kept increasing the gap until out of sight over the first 2 miles, then there was the 2 in front of me who were within yards of each other and 20 yards ahead of me for a while. A nice gap behind me so it seemed like us 5 were going to battle it out….well, the front 2 then us 3! The road snaked to the right then left before a long, straight stretch to mile 1 (6:36). It was a fast, flat start! We continued along the road until roughly 1.5 miles before heading through a gate onto a gravel trail and ushered to the right towards the River Thames through some woods. I’d crept a little closer to the 2 guys in front before we came to the river and were directed left along the tow path. One of the guys in front dropped back a bit and I closed in slighty along the tow path, just before we came to a small but steep bridge. We turned right onto the bridge, crossing over part of the River Thames onto an island in the middle, before turning left and running the length of the island with mile 2 beeping (6:48) halfway along. We passed a photographer on the island as we approached the far end and the second bridge back across to the tow path. It was equally short and steep but with wooden blocks for the feet going from side to side on the incline/decline of the bridge, so we had to be careful where we put our feet. On the other side we got back into our stride and on with business. The path disappeared into grass as the route veered away from the main towpath, making it harder work on the legs and got the feet a little wet. I followed the guys in front closely, holding my pace and hoping to make a move at some point. The Thames meandered round to the left as we followed its path along the grass until it opened out, with a caravan site to our left and the mile 3 sign up ahead next to a water station. Both runners in front took a drink as we ran through the water station as mile 3 beeped (6:56) shortly after.

We ran through a gate and joined a gravel path for a couple of hundred yards before being ushered to the right along a small path back alongside the Thames. At this point I moved past the guy in 4th place and stayed within touching distance of 3rd place as we ran through another gate and across a field. At the far end of the field we turned left, giving me the opportunity to look back over my shoulder across the field, noticing we had already opened a gap between us and the guy I’d overtaken. It was now a battle for 3rd but I wasn’t going to rush. What I failed to notice during the battle for 3rd, 4th and 5th, was that the guy in 6th was closing in fast and travelling much quicker than all of us. As we made our way across the grass field towards mile 4, I could hear breathing coming up behind, so I wasn’t in 4th for long before I was overtaken again. The guy in 6th had overtaken the runner behind and me, then working his way to 3rd. He went straight past me and moved onto the guy in front, passing him too. He was flying! I tried to respond and stay close to him, so as we entered the next grassy field, I made my move too, overtaking the guy I’d been tailing for a while, which moved me back to 4th. I could see the battle was going to continue, but for 4th place now as the guy in 3rd kept moving away, further and further. We reached mile 4 (6:47) which was a slightly quicker mile, trying to keep up with ‘Speedy Gonzales’ who whizzed past.

After the mile marker we crossed a small, flat wooden bridge into the next field where we turned left, straight across the centre of the field. At the far end was a gate and although I had moved away slightly from the guy behind, I had the disadvantage of having to open the gate which slowed me down, giving him the valuable seconds he needed to catch me and run through the open gate. We turned right onto a concrete/tiny stone path as I again tried to pull away. The guy in front was gaining distance and already too far away to even think about catching again. We veered left on the path before following the arrows to the right across another grass field with sheep all around us. A slight incline followed by a slight decline at the far end of the field, to another gate. Again, I’d opened a small gap, only for it to be shortened when opening the gate. I did consider slamming the gate behind me so he wouldn’t catch up, but that’s just not me, so I swung it open for him. We continued to follow the firm mud path through another field and I worked hard to gain some ground again and open a gap. This time it worked and he dropped further back until we reached mile 5 (6:51). My breathing was heavy and I was working hard across all this grass, trying to keep my pace around a 6:50 min/mile which wasn’t easy. We came to another gate and this time he wasn’t close enough for me to hold it open, so it slammed shut and the gap increased. The terrain changed to a gravel path under some trees onto a narrow trail. Ahead I could see two marshals at a water station ready to cheer and offer me a drink. As I got closer I was bounding over tree roots when the unfortunate happened and I landed on the back of a big root. It rolled my ankle outwards and although I stumbled and put my hands out to break my fall, I somehow managed to stay on my feet and limped away. That hurt! I was more bothered about slowing down and the guy behind catching me, so the adrenalin helped me limp away through the water station. The marshal asked if I was OK and if I had trail shoes on to which I replied that I was and I’d caught my foot on a tree root. I continued to run on but could feel myself limping everytime my right foot landed. I managed to find a way to run with minimal pain, by rolling onto the outside of my foot, which enabled me to keep my pace. Eventually I started to forget about the pain and as we came out from under the trees at the end of the path, we reached a gate which was being held open for us by a marshal, ushering us to the right back towards the Thames along a small road.

As we reached the river, we took a left alongside the Thames into another grass field. Running alongside the Thames again I could see the runner in front getting smaller and smaller as the gap between us got bigger. I’d already settled for the fact that 3rd place was out of reach and I still had a battle on my hands for 4th and to make it more difficult I was having to deal with a sore foot/ankle. As we made our way through the grass field, I could feel myself running on the outside of my foot, trying to keep the weight off the main part where it was painful. It was awkward but it was working, I just hoped it worked until the end. We left the grass field and joined a small road which was access to a riverside car park, before entering another grass field at mile 6 (6:43). Up ahead I could see the guy in front had already turned left, running directly across the field, probably 300m away at least. As I approached the marshal who sent me to the left whilst encouraging me along, I took the chance to look to my left and see the gap behind. I was quite surprised that it had increased despite my trip and limping since mile 5, but it was around 50 metres now. As we ran across the field we joined a gravel path which split farmers fields in two. Up ahead were some trees as the path bent round them, making my line of sight shorter and 3rd place had disappeared. It was a slight incline, so I used my strength and powered along trying to increase the gap behind. I weaved around the trees and followed the path through the hedges that lined the sides, and as the path straighened out again, 3rd place was visible once more. I felt like I’d got closer to him which gave me a glimmer of hope!

At the top of the field I watched the guy in 3rd turn left. I could see right across the field so my eyes followed him as I closed in on the end of the field myself as mile 7 beeped (6:42). He was roughly 90 seconds ahead of me, as I counted from when he turned the corner. As I turned, I glanced behind again and the gap had opened even more. I had a bit of breathing space now, probably 100 metres or so. I continued to push along the gravel path, dodging standing water from previous rain in the week, hoping I was closing the gap in front. Little did I know at this point but we were on a small loop at the far end of the course and were now heading back to rejoin the course at the woods, where I had tripped around mile 5. The path veered slightly to the right into the distance as I noticed the guy in front drop down, before rising again up an incline. That was going to be me very soon and shortly after, the path had a little decline leading into a short but fairly steep incline. It slowed the legs but as I reached the top and turned left at the marshal, an equally steep decline followed. My foot didn’t like the impact of the decline and I could feel myself limping as I tried slowing myself down. I had trees and bushes either side of the path now and it weaved left then took a sharp turn to the right. As I approached the sharp turn I could see the guy in front through the bushes, bounding across the field to my right. I took the right turn cautiously as it hurt my foot, then tried to increase my pace again. The path had joined a small road between the fields and veered behind the bushes and back up the incline to the right. I couldn’t see 3rd place or the guy behind at this point, so I just concentrated on getting up the short climb.

After running past some pedestrians on their leisurely Sunday morning walk and reaching the top of the incline, I was directed to my left by a marshal and clapped through by some locals. Ahead I was directed right by the next marshal and along the road with a small car park on my right. I recognised this part and as two runners came the other way, I realised they were further back in the field and we had done a loop to rejoin the same path, on the way back to the start. With all the trees around me either side of the road, I couldn’t see far ahead so was relying on marshals and arrows as it looked so different going in the other direction. I came to a fork in the road as a car was slowly driving towards me. I was unsure whether to go right or left and nearly went right until spotting an arrow at the last second pointing left. The arrow was hidden by the passing car, so I got lucky that I spotted it in time before running past it. I quickly turned back and went left, which wasted a few seconds but I knew I was now on the correct route, as another runner came the other way. The road turned into a trail path again under the trees and all of a sudden I knew where I was, as I approached two marshals at the water station I’d already passed at mile 5. I wouldn’t forget this part as it was where I rolled my ankle. I carefully ran through the water station to the marshals encouragement, letting me know I was in 4th place. I passed through the gate back into the grass field, as a runner coming the other way kindly let me through first. Luckily no trips this time!

Mile 8 beeped (6:51) the other side of the gate at pretty much the same place as mile 5, so I knew the rest of the route was going to be exactly the same as the way out but in the opposite direction. It was a long, straight, firm mud path through the next field and as I looked up and saw more of the tail runners of the race coming towards me, the guy in 3rd was a long way ahead. He’d obviously put in a faster mile as I made a small mistake, nearly missing the turn and he’d increased the gap. I passed through the field and the next gate, again kindly held open for me by another tail runner as three of them ran towards me. I ran past thanking and encouraging them all. I then followed the grassy path across the next field and could see the guy ahead already going right along a tarmac road in the distance. He was now at least 400m ahead and my hope of closing the gap had gone. It was now just about finishing the job and maintaining 4th. I glanced behind and had a gap of around 150 metres now, but there was still a lot of work to do. I joined the tarmac road veering to the right, passing another tailrunner before turning left through another gate and across the middle of a grassy field again, back to the edge of the Thames. This was where I’d previously passed the guy behind me at around mile 4. I turned right at the end of the field and ran into the next field as mile 9 beeped (6:45). I was all alone running through the grass fields alongside the Thames. My legs were starting to feel heavy now and my foot more uncomfortable. It was the adrenalin keeping me going, but I was dreading stopping at the end. I crossed the flat, wooden bridge into the next field and followed the grass path round to the left with the curve of the river. At the end of the field I turned right into the next field, moving away from the river. This was the wet, boggy field with tyre tracks across it and it was sapping my legs. I followed the tyre tracks trying to avoid the boggy sections and find the best line, but it hit my legs quite hard. I was beginning to falter as the guy in front was now a dot in the distance. I peered over my shoulder at the end of the field and the gap behind had decreased. I was right, my pace had dropped and I was beginning to struggle.

I rejoined a narrow, trail path under the trees alongside the river again and had to slow down and squeeze past a few walkers. Not ideal for my rhythm! The path opened onto a gravel track by a marshal as I closed in on mile 10. The scenery was stunning and although I was tiring, I didn’t pass up the opportunity of a few photos of the river. Next I passed through a gate and could see the water station in front and a caravan park on my right as mile 10 beeped (6:56). I ran through the water station to encouragement from the marshals, joining the grass route again. One of them confirmed what I already knew but it was nice to hear “You’re doing well, a solid 4th place!” with no sign of the runner behind….yet! As I was leaving the field I could hear clapping behind, so I knew 5th place was closing in again. I was doubting if I had enough left to hold him off for 3 miles!!! I followed the Thames round to the right into the next field, still travelling alongside the caravan park, before joining a more solid gravel/mud path and through some more marshals who ushered me to the left at some flags dug in the floor. Back onto the thick grass again and I was listening for claps behind, to gauge how far he was away from me. It was around 30-40 seconds which was easy to make up if I started to slow. Back onto a small trail leading to the bridge across to the island. The steep incline of the bridge was much harder now and the decline on the other side, painful on my foot. I left the bridge and smiled for the photographer again as I ran through a group of people who looked like they were having a canoeing lesson. Mile 11 beeped (7:02) for my slowest mile yet and I knew I had to put more in than that otherwise I’d end up 5th!

I ran the length of the island and crossed the second bridge back onto the trail tow path, checking over my shoulder at every turn now, fearing a late attack from behind. As I reached 11.5 miles I came to a marshal who sent me right through the wooded area again and away from the river. That was the last I’d see of the Thames before making my way back to the road. This was a long straight through the woods, so a good chance to see my gap behind. As I got to the end I looked back and saw 5th place less than 100 metres behind. The time had come to dig deep and see what I was made of, even though I was tired. I was directed left by a marshal, through a gate and towards the road heading back to Bisham Abbey. The firm road surface enabled me to push a bit more and increase my speed. The pain from my foot was pushed to the back of my mind as my breathing got heavier, taking my lungs to their limit. I passed the 12 mile marker and my watch beeped around 20-25 seconds later (6.56) with a better split. The GPS was off probably because of the tree cover and some tight turns along the route, so I knew I was coming up short. I had 1 mile to go and knew if I didn’t give it everything I had, I’d be having a competitive sprint to the line. I came to a right bend in the road as a car came round the corner and was superbly slowed down by the marshal. Less than 100 metres ahead was a left bend by some more marshals and as I turned, I looked left to see 5th place behind me just coming round the previous bend. I had a gap of about 80 metres with just over half a mile to go. I pushed hard along the last stretch of road and turned left into the drive of Bisham Abbey. I didn’t even check behind, I was focusing on the last push as I was ushered to the right onto the grass, to follow flags in the ground all the way to the finish. Another left turn as I passed the 13 mile marker, with my watch still well under 13 miles. I took one last glance behind and saw a big enough gap to know I was safe as I cruised to the finish, not needing a sprint. A last right turn onto the grassy finish straight and through the groups of clapping supporters either side. As I crossed the line arms in the air my watch hadn’t even made 13 miles (12.99) but the last 0.99 was a pleasing 6:38, showing my determination through the pain. I’d held off the final attack and claimed 4th place, but well and truly beaten by 3rd by almost 2 minutes.

I bent to my knees to catch my breath as my medal was given to me and waited around 25-30 seconds for 5th place to come through. I congratulated him for a great race and battle whilst shaking his hand, before taking that important finish line and medal selfie. As I limped away to collect my goodie bag rewards, I realised just how bad and painful my foot/ankle was. I wasn’t comfortable at all and my immediate thought was getting it right for the next race! I have one week to be able to run again……first step, ice bath when I got home!

So, another race completed and my 4th sub 1:30 finish on the spin and my 7th in the last 10 races, something I never thought I’d say. On to the next one.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 6:36

2 – 6:48

3 – 6:56

4 – 6:47

5 – 6:51

6 – 6:43

7 – 6:42

8 – 6:51

9 – 6:45

10 – 6:56

11 – 7:02

12 – 6:58

13 – 6:38

Time – 1:28:36

Position – 4/136

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 3.5/5 – Firstly, I have to take into consideration this was a smaller event compared to a lot of others I’ve done this year, so organisation and facilities will also be smaller in comparison. When it comes to information, everything needed was on the website but pre race information was sent out via email the week before the race. Due to bad weather, another late email was sent out about parking the day before. Both emails were informative enough for me to know what I needed to do on race day. I can’t remember seeing a course map anywhere but then again I didn’t really search for one, so that’s not to say there wasn’t one floating about, just not in the emails sent out. There wasn’t meant to be parking at the start/finish in Bisham Abbey, it was meant to be in a local farmer’s field nearby with a short walk to the race village, but due to the torrential rain we’ve had recently, the organisers and farmer decided that cars would get stuck in the mud, so made the decision to change the parking. With permission of Bisham Abbey, we were allowed to park in the car park until full, alternatively, the organisers put on a taxi service to/from Marlow for any runners needing to park at the closest car park. Fair play to them for making these arrangements at short notice to make sure everyone was at the race on time. I got there early enough to grab a space in the car park as it was first come first served. No race numbers were sent out, so on arrival we needed to register and pick up our number. As my car was just a 5 minute walk away, I went back to it to pin my number to my vest, prepare myself and keep warm until closer to the race start. Registration was easy, so no drama there. At registration they had a gazebo with the local physio giving massages for donations and another gazebo handing out the goodies after the event. Bisham Abbey also had a café (which I didn’t see) which seemed popular with the supporters. I’m guessing there were a few toilets near the café, but there were also a row of around 10 portaloos available near the start area. As it was a small race, queues were minimal and there seemed to be enough for everyone to use. The start gantry was very small and no time zones for a race this small, so you need to put yourself in a sensible position. I ended up on the start line (not sure how!) but it certainly helped me go out at my own pace from the start and no congestion. Once on the course, some very encouraging marshals were dotted around at most major junctions to show us the way and cheer us on, but there were also arrows to show the right direction and mile markers along the way. A couple of the arrows were a little hard to see, as they were small and purple on a white background, not the usual bright colour which stands out. I nearly missed one which was blocked by a passing car, but luckily I saw it and turned just in time. I did hear the front runner went the wrong way and had to correct himself, so I hope it didn’t cost him his position! Other than a couple of areas, it was pretty well signposted and most of it was enough to follow. I didn’t need a drink along the way but I seem to recall there were water stations at 3 and 5 miles, which also doubled up for the way back at 8 and 10 miles. As I said, it was only a small race, so not as much organisation or facilities required, but everything was smooth enough for the amount of runners on the day.

Route: 4/5 – I’ve got to say, I kind of loved and hated this route in equal measures. The scenery along the River Thames was stunning and a lot of the route was peaceful and picturesque along the tow path, but, a lot of it was across very wet grass which after the weather we’ve had recently, made it muddy/boggy in places and heavy on the legs. It was a multiterrain route, so started and finished with road for approximately 1.25 miles with a small section of road at half way, but the middle section for the majority was grass and some was along gravel paths. Due to it being a small race, it was also quite lonely for pretty much the whole race and I was running on my own from about mile 4 onwards, with a huge gap in front and a smaller gap behind. As peaceful as it was, it’s sometimes nice to have someone to chase down or keep you pushing forward. One big positive was it was very flat, just a couple of slight inclines to deal with but nothing major. It was reasonably fast because it was flat but the terrain obviously isn’t as quick as a road half, so it takes more effort to maintain the pace across grass. It’s an out and back route, with a couple of miles loop at the far end before heading back, so most of the route you see twice, but it was equally as scenic in the other direction, not boring like some races when seeing the same thing twice. It was pleasant and challenging enough to make me enjoy it. I wore trail shoes and unless it’s very dry, I’d recommend them due to the amount of grass and trail along the route.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3/5 – So the rewards for completing this race were OK, nothing spectacular but better than some I’ve come across this year. The medal was a nice design with a droplet of water in the middle and the name of the race around it. The only thing that bothers me a little is that it says ‘half marathon, 10km and kids mile’ at the bottom, so clearly the same medal for all distances and not stipulating which race I finished. There was no t-shirt for this one, but a lot of smaller races are not giving t-shirts anymore, so I’m getting used to that. Lastly, there was no goody bag as such, but lots of goodies. I took one of everything starting with the usual bottle of water, then onto the treat desk which had small packs of haribo, sweet potato crisps, dairy free chocolate milk, small packs of jelly beans, protein bars, corn snacks and probably a couple more bits I can’t remember. Lots of little treats to take away. I’ve certainly had more at some bigger events but it wasn’t bad.

Price: 4/5 – I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for this race as I got it on an offer earlier in the year, but I believe it’s around £25 (£23 affiliated). For a smaller race with only a couple of hundred participants, it’s more of a low key event which needs less organisation. It’s not the cheapest I’ve seen but a long way off being one of the more expensive races. The route is nice, especially if you enjoy trail running along the Thames, the medal is pretty cool and there are lots of goodies after. OK so no t-shirt, but if you want a well organised, smaller event, it’s pretty good for the price and definitely one I’d look to do again.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5/5. A nice little event at a smaller cost compared to some of the bigger ones around. If you want something more low key, less crowds and picturesque route, this is definitely one to try and I’ll more than likely go back again in future years. Also, if you’re fast and a bit of a trophy chaser, it’s a real chance for a top 3 finish! Worth a go in my opinion.

Next on my list is Stroud Half Marathon. Another race I’ve not done before but it gives me the chance to have a weekend in the Cotswolds with my family. Looking forward to seeing what it’s like.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Oxford Half Marathon #44/52

This week was a more local event to me, yet strangely it’s the first time I’ve ever run it. Mostly because it has clashed with Bournemouth marathon festival in previous years (and that’s my favourite!) but a big turn off is the price and ballot to get into it. Yes, it was Oxford Half Marathon weekend. This year there was no clash with Bournemouth and I got a place through a friend, who had a lot of them for his company charity event that they do every year at Oxford. So, why not give it a go!

Being local and part of my mates work event, he had free parking in Oxford, so I got chauffeured (a lift!) to the event. Well, I thought I was anyway. Little did I know his parking left us a nice long ‘power’ walk to the race village in the rain. Luckily I go to races prepared for all weather and had a waterproof jacket to put on, not that it did much with the amount of rain coming down. We got to the race village…..eventually, after puddle dodging, and ventured straight to the portaloos to beat the queues. The race village was in the middle of a park and the mud was already cutting up, so imagine those portaloos were only going to get muddier and muddier as time went on. Always good to use them early! We then went to the male changing tent to get ready in the dry. Unfortunately on such a wet day, everyone wanted to be in there and the space was small, so it got a little cramped. I had a decision whether to wear my usual vest or a short sleeve under armour under the vest as well. I decided that although it was cold to start, I’d probably overheat in another layer and with the rain and it would make me heavier when wet, so I opted for the vest and a foil blanket to cover me until I got to the start. Everyone had been given cotton drawstring bags to put into the baggage and they were the only bags accepted. They weren’t particularly big or strong, and both strings ended up snapping on mine, so I piled my rucksack into it and just tied the top before handing it in. It did the job!

All ready for the race with my foil superhero cape flapping behind me, we stood in the race village searching for Richard’s (my running buddy) colleagues. After no luck, we decided to make for cover under some trees as the rain got heavier. 30 minutes before the start we went to have a warm up and get to our start pen. This is where the chaos began. At the same time, everyone was asked to make their way to the start over the P.A system, so all 6000+ runners and family, friends, dogs, long lost relatives, neighbours all with umbrellas, decided to walk the tiny path to the start. We veered off left to warm up away from the chaos and rejoined a little further on but the queue in the rain was a joke! I was already getting frustrated and the race hadn’t even started yet! Wrapping my foil blanket around me trying to stay as dry/warm as possible for as long as I could, I shuffled along, barely moving in the queue. Time was ticking on as we finally got to the exit of the park where it split. The front handful of pens went right and the rest went straight on. I thought we were close with only 10 minutes before the start but there was still quite a walk to go. As we were now on a wide road, we used it for a bit of a warm up, jogging and doing some dynamic movements until the end. We took another left turn and long walk before we saw the crowds already in pens waiting to go. We were too far back, so we jogged further up to pen ‘C’ which was still a long way back. We ran up further until we saw the 1:35 pacer and jumped over the barrier. Still a long way back and three pacers stood within yards of each other, the 1:35, 1:40 and 1:45, it was hard to know where to position. Up to now it had been a shambles and we didn’t have time to consider moving forward before the race started.

No need to panic, we didn’t start running for a good 20s before the crowds in front moved and it was probably a minute or so before we crossed the actual start line. It’s a good thing that there’s chip times as well as gun times! After starting to run we immediately turned right onto the wide Banbury Road, but with so many runners in front, it was still difficult to get up to speed as we weaved our way round the slower runners who clearly shouldn’t have been that far forward. I usually stay wide on the road for the first mile or two, so I can overtake, but for this race I found myself dodging massive pools of standing rain water in the gutters and some inconsiderate supporters who felt the need to lean over the barriers with their umbrellas. After nearly being wiped out a couple of times and my eye taken out by the spoke at the top of one umbrella, I valued my safety and made my way into the middle of the road. We took a sharp right off Banbury Road back towards Oxford University and through the crowds that lined the streets of the city, before turning left at the Museum of Natural History as mile 1 beeped (6:58). I was expecting a slower split, due to the weaving, so I was quite happy with that first mile and Richard was still with me.

Moving into the second mile, the streets were still packed with runners and the curbs were lined with supporters clapping and cheering. We took a right followed by three lefts, taking us round the block, back past the narrow path where we exited the park and back to the Museum of Natural History again, with runners further back in the field on the other side of the road. As we rounded the museum, mile 2 beeped (6:48) with a faster mile. It was starting to filter out now and we could run our own pace, bar a few times where an annoying man in front decided to keep weaving and cutting across our paths, along with those around us too. It got to a point where he did it one too many times, so I found a gap and put my foot down to go past him.

The next mile found us weaving right then left a number of times round the outside of the University Parks. The roads were on a heavy camber which was bothering my knees, so I stuck to the centre line where the cones split the road down the middle. After a right turn to rejoin the Banbury Road again a bit further along, mile 3 beeped (6:48) with an identical split to the last. Shortly after, Richard let me go as he dropped back a bit. The next 1.5 miles were a long straight drag along the Banbury Road towards and through Summertown. Still plenty of crowd support as the gaps increased, giving me more space to move. The rain was still coming down at a good rate, enough to be dripping off my face and soaking my clothing but a band playing some 80’s songs on the right side of the road kept the runners spirits up. A little further along the road, the front runners went speeding past the other way as I approached the mile 5 marker on their side of the road. That meant I was at around 3.75 miles and they’d just gone through 5 miles already. A phenomenal pace probably around 25-26 minutes for 5 miles. I continued to push on as more runners powered past in the opposite direction. I passed a guy dressed as a blue Power Ranger as mile 4 beeped (6:39) for my fastest mile yet.

I was feeling good at my own pace, even though the rain wasn’t making it particularly enjoyable. Considering the course was as flat as they come, only around 18 metres of incline throughout, this part of the road was on a slight incline up to a ‘U’ bend in the middle of the road. Just before 4.5 miles we came to the final cone and all took a sharp turn round it, to head back down the Banbury Road through Summertown again, towards the city centre. I was keeping an eye on the other side for Richard but amongst the crowds of runners I missed him. On a slight decline now, the mile 5 marker was standing tall in the distance as I closed in on it. The field was really spreading out now and as I approached the mile marker, I found myself in a nice gap, leading a group of 5-6 runners behind, with a few 5-10 yards in front. I passed mile 5 (6:42) and shortly after, turned left onto Marston Ferry Road with a long drag all the way to the village of Marston.

The Marston Ferry Road was a wide road with cones down the middle, completely closed off to traffic, so quite weird being so empty. I could see a long line of runners in front and big puddles all over the road as the rain continued to pour. Around 5.5 miles we ran past a band playing some drums (if I remember correctly!) and a guy in front turned to clap, but failed to see a traffic cone in front as he ran into it and luckily hurdled it just in time, before nearly falling over it. That could have been a wet fall! I moved past this group and found another gap as I approached mile 6. I noticed behind the hedges on my right that the front runners were coming back the other way along a path on the side of the road. They were around 2.5 miles ahead of me. We passed the mile 6 marker as it beeped (6:42) on my watch, with another identical split to the last. I had been very consistent up to this point. Shortly after, we ran through a water station before we veered to the left at a well supported junction, for a loop around Marston.

As we ran along the road to Marston, we passed a gazebo on the left with some music playing and a guy dancing, throwing his best moves. They were better than mine (not hard!) so I gave him a little clap as I ran by. I now had a couple of guys around me at a similar pace, one in a white top and one in dark blue. With a few yards between us all, we pretty much stayed stride for stride as we turned right through Marston and carried on to mile 7 (6:44). The rain seemed to be getting heavier and my clothes were firmly sticking to my body now. I was a little worried that my phone (inside my flip belt) was getting soaked and not going to work. I was just hoping the flipbelt was enough protection from the rain that it wouldn’t get ruined. Still alongside the other two guys, we took a right turn onto a slight decline towards the next housing estate. Around 7.5 miles we reached the houses, taking a right into the middle of the estate, a left shortly after and a right back onto the main road. Further up, this joined the Marston Ferry Road again where we could see the runners on our right, a couple of miles behind us, heading in the opposite direction.

We veered left onto a cycle path with a long hedge separating us from the road and the runners on the other side. It prevented me seeing any friends that might be running the other way. Our little group continued to push forward as mile 8 beeped (6:46). We had a slight headwind making the rain come down directly into our face. By now I was soaked through and my socks were hanging round my trainers, filled with water. As we moved further along the road the rain started to get heavier, then heavier until it was a torrential downpour, bouncing off the ground and slapping us directly in the face. It got so heavy that I ran with my head down, trying to protect my eyes from the water running down my face. It was mixing with my sweat and stinging my eyes as it ran into them. My shorts were stuck to my legs and my vest was clinging to my body as I kept blowing water out of my mouth like a whale’s blow hole after surfacing! It was ridiculous! It continued like that for a good 5 minutes before easing off slightly.

As we neared the end of the Marston Ferry Road we overtook a couple of runners as one noticed my top, saying…

“Did you run Leamington half?”

I said yes and smiled as he replied….

“Top man, I thought I saw you there as well”

He gave me the thumbs up, so I thanked him and wished him luck as I moved on. Just before the end of the road, mile 9 beeped (6:48) and the rain had been gradually slowing me down. It was only marginal, so no biggie as long as I maintained a similar pace. We turned left back onto the Banbury Road towards Oxford City centre, with some of the back runners on the other side of the road at around 3.5 miles in. I was starting to get fed up of the rain and wanted the race finished now. As I powered along the Banbury Road, moving ahead of the runners around me, we ran past the band again from earlier in the race. This time they were on my side of the road to my left. To keep my morale up, I threw my hands up in the air as if dancing as I ran past. I was trying to keep my mind occupied to pass the last few miles. The crowds cheered and encouraged as I took a left turn shortly after. Up ahead I could see a big gantry on the right side of the road with ‘car wash’ above it. Ironically it had jets all round, spraying water onto anyone who ran under it. I think the organisers missed the weather forecast when that was switched on! Anyway, it was on and I was soaked through, so what the hell, I ran straight through it with my arms outstretched as the marshal and crowd nearby cheered and laughed at me. The water actually felt warm in comparison to the rain, so a good decision. We weaved right, left, right, right, left through another water station on our way round the block and back to the Banbury Road AGAIN, as mile 10 beeped (6:54).

Up to this point I hadn’t really enjoyed it, but the rain was starting to ease off slightly. I was getting closer to the end and just needed one last push to get there, so I continued to work the crowd and use the energy I gained from their cheers. I high fived young kids and waved or thanked those who shouted my name and it worked. It gave me a boost, the enjoyment I needed to see it through. We turned left off the Banbury Road again and followed the route we’d taken between mile 2 and 3, weaving around the streets and big buildings of the city. This time, as we came to the entrance to the University Parks, which was well supported, we turned left into it and along the gravel/sandy path. I was picking runners off ahead of me now, overtaking them one by one. The narrow path covered by big puddles made overtaking a patient game at times, so I waited for my opportunities before I speeded up to pass.

As I reached mile 11 (6:44) I could see and hear the race village in the park to my right. Still a couple of miles to go before I could go back there though! We followed the path round the edge of the park to the right, through some muddy patches which covered the whole path. In front was a photographer and the first one I’d really noticed, so I put my hands in the air and jumped high, posing as if I’d been having fun!!! I continued to overtake more runners as we turned right again into the middle of the park and as I approached a left turn, two guys in front were side by side turning the slippery corner. The man on the inside obviously was a little disgruntled, feeling like the other man had not given him enough space round the corner, so he threw out his right arm pushing the guy across the path nearly into a bush. Words were exchanged and a certain finger held up as the overtaking runner powered away. I thought runners were meant to be caring to each other……unless it’s tipping down with rain and it’s a race to the finish!!!!

I waited until the commotion was finished before kicking on past both runners as we ran through the next water station. I knew this section of the park well as I’d spent 20 minutes queuing along it before the race. As I approached the exit gate, mile 12 beeped (6:43) just before heading out of the park and onto the cobbled street. This time I went straight on, along the road we’d previously travelled along in the opposite direction between mile 1 and 2. I had a mile to go and knew it was just a matter of going round the block in the city centre as the crowds cheered me on. I’d found another gap and had pulled away from the runners behind. I felt strong which was unusual at this stage, so I continued to push, catching more runners in front as we weaved through the city streets. I passed two ladies running together and another guy shortly after as I approached Oxford University in front. The crowds were thick and noisy now, cheering me through the streets. I responded to their noise and came alive, kicking for the finish. Another guy in front was getting closer as I ran through the uni grounds and entered Radcliffe Square. We took a left followed by a right as I caught up and moved past just before we reached the heavily supported junction at Broad Street. One final bend to the left and a kick to the finish through the cheering crowds. I could hear him kicking behind and getting closer again, trying to beat me to the finish, but not this day, I still had some energy left as I opened my stride and powered away along the last 100m and under the finish gantry. I bent to my knees to catch my breath as a fellow Lonely Goat RC (Irene) member walked over to place the medal over my head. I took the usual finish line and medal selfie and slowly walked the long walk back to the race village, feeling glad it was over! Another half completed and one step closer to the magic number 52.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 6:58

2 – 6:48

3 – 6:48

4 – 6:39

5 – 6:42

6 – 6:42

7 – 6:44

8 – 6:46

9 – 6:48

10 – 6:54

11 – 6:44

12 – 6:43

13 – 6:42

0.19 – 1:12

Time – 1:29:14

Position – 241st / 6762

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 2.5/5 – Not a good start for this review I’m afraid! To be honest it was a promising start before the event with plenty of information sent out via email and with the race number. The website also had enough information and I’d seen a route map somewhere too. There was no need for registering on the day as it was all sent out beforehand, so it should have been easy on arrival. As it was in the centre of Oxford, parking was always going to be a problem with no official car parks, so it was a choice of pay and display if you can find one close enough with spaces, or the park and ride which seemed to be running late due to traffic around the area because of road closures. That also meant there was always going to be a bit of a walk (little did I know that even with the free parking we had, the walk was a fair distance). Once at the race village, that was where the fun began and it all went downhill. Everything was on grass in a park and although no one could have guessed the torrential rain beforehand, it is October and there’s always a big chance of wet, cold weather. Having a race village on grass with 6000+ runners entering it, as well as their supporters, is always going to cut up and become muddy at this time of year. With the extreme weather, it turned into a mess. I didn’t really get to look round the race village due to the amount of people with umbrellas, making it difficult to see anything. It looked pretty good in all fairness, a big screen to watch the warm up and probably award ceremony after, a bar or two, some charity gazebos, a huge area for bag drops and some changing areas. They also had a lot of portaloos, but again being on mud, I’d imagine they became filthy, pretty quick! I got there early enough to avoid the queues, but as always it looked like a hefty queue closer to the race. The bag drop was unusual, we’d been given Virgin (sponsor) cotton drawstring bags for the baggage and that was the only bag you were allowed to check in. They weren’t the biggest of bags or the strongest (mine broke!) and certainly not waterproof. I decided to squeeze my bag inside it and hand it in like that which was accepted even though my bag was protruding out of the top. Handing in and collecting was simple enough for me but I finished quite high up the order, so I can’t comment on what it was like in the middle of the pack. Once ready, we were asked to walk to the start which was at least half a mile away, if not more. To get there all the runners (6000+) and supporters had to walk a narrow path through the park which had pools of water all across it, and exit the park through an even narrower walkway. It took almost 20 minutes just to get through the queues out of the park. Once there, the crowds were split into pens, with the faster pens going right and slower pens going straight on. It was still quite a walk to the start and by this time, it was getting on a bit. We finally arrived at out start pen (C) and it was already full with only a few minutes to go. It also had the 1:45, 1:40 and 1:35 pacers all in a bunch further ahead, so there was no way I was starting that far back. We climbed the barrier further up but still quite a way back from the start and with just a minute or two to spare. A bit of a shambles to be honest! Runners and supporters should have been separated so it was easier to filter through and runners should have been called to the start in waves, starting with faster pens first so they could fill them up from the front. It was very frustrating queueing before a race behind hundreds of supporters with umbrellas, to get to the start. More planning is needed! Once the race had started, even with wide streets I found myself weaving to get nearer the front. As there was such a mess getting to and into the right pens, it was clear too many people were too far forward. Once we’d filtered out and got moving properly, the course itself had mile markers and plenty of barriers and arrows to show the way. The course was all close roads, so no cars, and marshals everywhere who were great considering how bad the weather was. To be honest, through the rain I didn’t really notice where the drinks stations were but I think there were 4 spaced out around roughly 3,6,9 and 11 miles. After the race I also wasn’t a fan of the long walk back to the race village on tired legs, across slippery mud. Not the best organisation I’ve seen.

Route: 3/5 – Let’s start with the positives…..the course was flat, just a couple of slight inclines and they were minimal. It was pretty fast because it was flat and it was on closed roads, so no need to worry about cars. Onto the negatives….the main one for me was that it was quite boring! OK so there was a fair bit of support but that’s expected in a City like Oxford, and they had a few bands dotted around so the runners could listen to some music, but that only lasts 60s before you’re past and can’t hear it anymore. For me the continuous residential streets (except a small bit in the park around mile 11) was monotonous. The long, straight roads which then doubled back on themselves so we had to run the same straight again, became a drag, especially when you think you’re doing well and you see someone pass you on the other side and they are 3 miles ahead of you. Also, the tight turns are no good for my knees and really kill my rhythm, so I didn’t particularly enjoy them either. To be honest, I’ve seen better scenery looking out of my bedroom window into next doors garden and nothing along the course really inspired me to want to do it again. Just so that I’m not too harsh, I suppose the torrential rain didn’t help and everything always looks better when the sun is shining, but how often does that happen in October? (unless you’re in Bournemouth which seems to have its own micro climate). I suppose the only bonus was it wasn’t two laps!!!

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 4/5 – In all fairness, for £48 entry, I’d be spitting feathers if I didn’t get all of these and at least they got something right. The medal was understated but a reasonable size and weight, and was quite smart. Nothing spectacular but not bad. The tech t-shirt was a dark blue and looked pretty nice. Again nothing fancy but seems pretty good quality. The only problem is the sizing! When I go to collect XL, most people are shocked and say you don’t need XL, but I do, trust me! Unfortunately, this XL is like a tattoo on me. It barely reaches my waistband and makes me look like I’ve been hard on the weights, when in fact I’ve barely done any throughout this challenge. It looks more like a medium than an XL! Anyway, good job it will be cut up and made into a quilt rather than used as a t-shirt. Lastly, the goody bag. OK so it was pretty good with lots of small bits and pieces in it. Firstly they gave an actual cotton bag (mine had a hole in the bottom but that happens!) which had a couple of protein bars in, the usual leaflets, a can of beer, some dry shampoo and a couple of packets of corn snacks of some description. They also had volunteers walking round giving out extra cans of beer and protein bars, so I got a few more too. The usual bottle of water was handed out at the end, so it was a pretty good bag of goodies. After a miserably wet race, at least we got a few things for our efforts. A tea towel wouldn’t have cut it after the torrential downpour!

Price: 2/5 – For £48 and a ballot to get into, I think this race is overpriced. Yes there is a pretty nice medal, t-shirt and goody bag, but the organisation wasn’t great and the route pretty boring in my opinion. Even if both of them were better, £48 is a hell of a lot of money for a half marathon and it’s definitely the most expensive race of the year. There are tonnes of good races out there which charge far less, including marathons, so I’d be inclined to enter two decent races and still not pay £48 for both! It’s definitely not a race I’d pay for again.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3/5. I’m glad they gave out some reasonable goodies at the end because without that I was less than impressed with the event on the whole. When you pay £48 of your hard-earned cash for a race, you expect it to be pretty perfect for that kind of price. I’d heard some negatives from last year’s event, but I told people to give them the benefit of the doubt and went into it with an open mind. Unfortunately I didn’t think it was particularly well organised and the route wasn’t overly inspiring for me. On the whole, I seemed to do more walking around and queueing to get anywhere, that I was too frustrated to enjoy anything. I won’t be entering again I’m afraid, even if it is local.

Next on my list is the Water of Life Half Marathon in Windsor. I’ll be honest and say I’ve never heard of it before and I don’t know anything about it, so it will be a complete surprise for me.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Ealing Half Marathon #42/52

So last week didn’t go to plan. Picking up a bit of a knee injury half way through Winchester Half Marathon meant a few days of rest followed by some very cautious miles later in the week. I’ve had to be sensible and went into this race not even considering a sub 1:30 or anything too fast, this was certainly one to tick off in one piece, making sure I’m fit for the next one.

As race day approached I was still holding some aches and pains (secondary niggles) from limping for so long the week before. The right side of my body in particular, was very tight, causing some mid back and calf issues. I was hoping that by the time this race came around, I would be niggle free and ready to go. Unfortunately I wasn’t 100% so all preparation and the race itself was very much aimed at getting round. A 5.15am rise on Sunday to get ready and head down to Lammas Park in Ealing, and I could hear the rain coming down outside. The weather forecast wasn’t looking good, so I was prepared for another wet race. I suppose I can’t complain, it was only the 3rd half out of the 42 done so far, where it has rained…….not bad for UK weather! After some breakfast and usual preparations, I was in the car heading down the M40 for race #39 (half #42) of the challenge.

All parked up near the race village, I walked to Lammas Park and did the final preparations, portaloos, bag drop and warm up. A little apprehensive about this race due to the niggles so I had my sensible head on. Get round, complete the race in one piece and get home! After my warm up, I stood around 20 yards back from the start line as it filled up around me. The 1:30 pacer a few rows in front and a 1:35 pacer just behind. A sensible start position I thought, with a lot of runners in front of me. With 10 minutes to go it started to rain, just like it did at Winchester the previous week. Luckily it wasn’t as heavy and actually quite warm, around 16 degrees. The rain had little bursts, stopping then starting again for the first mile or so, enough to make the roads wet and a few small puddles but nothing major. With a countdown from 10 and an air horn to start the race, everyone bolted off down the road under the start gantry. It was an incredibly fast start and I actually felt like I was in the way, travelling at a 6:40 min/mile as runners flew past me. It did finally slow down slightly as everyone found their pace and positions. The road was packed with a sea of runners as we made our way away from Lammas Park and weaved through the streets towards Ealing town centre.

The first 1.75 miles were all gradually uphill, not really noticeable to the eye though. There were a couple of small declines too, but on the whole it went up just over 20 metres in gradient, nothing too bad yet. At around 0.5 miles we turned right onto the Uxbridge Road towards the town centre where the road was wide and allowed everyone to filter nicely into position. All the roads were closed for the race, so were traffic free but lined with supporters. Before we made it to the town centre we turned left and ran over a railway bridge, which gave us our first small decline on the other side, as mile 1 beeped (6:47). As I passed, a guy in front in a pair of speedos, some arm bands and swimming cap pulled to the side to take a selfie with the mile 1 marker. He was going for a world record of the fastest half marathon dressed as a swimmer. I ran past him but that wasn’t the last I was going to see of him. After the short decline off the bridge, the road continued to go slightly uphill again as swimming guy bolted back past me up to the 1:30 pacer ahead. After looking at the map, I knew the course was very intricate with lots of twists and turns, and even a few roads where we doubled back on ourselves. It started just after the first mile with a few quick turns before a longer stretch up a more noticeable incline. This one gave me a chance to overtake a few people whilst maintaining my speed nicely. My knee was feeling good and I was comfortable at this stage. At the top of the incline, the road turned right before another right turn, as we then went back down a steeper decline through mile 2 (6:45).

We continued downhill past Ealing Cricket Club until roughly 2.4 miles before a left turn and a long, straight drag uphill for just over 400m. This one was steeper and longer than any other incline so far, and it certainly slowed everyone down. I used it to overtake a lot of people, including the swimmer man and the 1:30 pacers. It took my breath away a bit but as I hit the top and we took a left turn, the course flattened slightly to mile 3 (6:55). The next mile was a lot kinder, pretty much all downhill which was nice on the legs and lungs. I wasn’t trying to go fast as we weaved through the streets, but the downhill meant everyone got faster around me. It’s easy to let the legs go and make up some time on the declines. A couple more left and right turns, followed by a longer road and mile 4 (6:30) beeped with a much more speedy split. Just after mile 4 we took a couple of right turns to go round the block, before a left turn into Pitshanger Park. It was still downhill until we reached the park when it flattened off. We turned left into the park and the path through the park was narrower, still with a lot of runners around me. Unlike other races where I’d have one or two people to focus on, there were lots in this race and positions were forever changing. At the end of the path we turned left up an incline again, out of the park. We continued uphill turning to the right, then as mile 5 (6:37) beeped we took a left. The incline was enough to raise the heart rate and breathing, and stretch the field out a little. I’d overtaken a few and there were new faces around me now.

Moving away from the 5 mile marker, we were still on a slight incline for at least another 400m, before it turned into a decline. We weaved our way through the housing estates, turning left and right before passing a church where there was a water station, at approximately 5.5 miles. Passing the church the decline continued all the way past mile 6. It wasn’t steep, more of a gradual downslope but it definitely helped get some speed back up after the climb. We soon came to a junction where supporters lined both sides of the street, clapping and cheering. It was a great atmosphere hearing runners names shouted out, including mine. Up ahead was the 10 mile marker, straight down the road, but we veered to the right away from it. The road was split with cones, so it was obvious we’d be heading back this way in a few miles time. As we turned to the right, mile 6 (6:45) beeped shortly after as we continued downhill. A minute or so later we were crossing a railway bridge as the decline got a little steeper and enabled us to open our legs a little. We took a right turn as the decline continued to around 6.5 miles before another incline started. On the other side of the road, the lead bike and first few runners went past in the opposite direction. We took a right and a left as the incline got steeper into the middle of an estate. As mile 7 (6:49) beeped we turned left onto a nice decline for a couple of minutes with houses on the right, a long stretch of green to our left which separated the two sides of the road. On the other side, runners were coming back up the hill the other way, so I knew a ‘U’ turn was up ahead. After approximately 400m we veered to the left to the other side of the green and started the incline, parallel with the runners behind us on the other side. Near the top of the green we took a right, still gradually climbing past a church where people were handing out water and oranges. At the end of the street we took a left back onto Greenford Avenue where the incline got steeper for a few hundred yards. It was more of a lungbuster and thigh burner now up towards mile 8 (6:57) which really hit my legs.

As we reached mile 8, runners from further back were coming towards us on the other side of the road. A nice decline started which took us pretty much all the way to mile 9. We took a right turn and veered to the right around the edge of Brent Cross Park before turning left and entering the park at the far end. The decline turned into an incline along the path through the park as my legs started to feel heavier. I was in a bit of a gap now between runners as I turned to the left out of the park and passed the mile 9 (6:47) marker. We followed the road which again joined the same road as we’d travelled down previously, with runners coming the other way, meaning we’d looped the park. We ran across the heavily supported cross roads at Greenford Avenue again, where there was a 3 way flow of runners, after having two loops in this section of the route. We were on a slight incline up to and over the railway bridge, which we’d previously crossed in the other direction, before a short decline on the other side. The course started to rise again slightly, past the mile 6 marker on the other side of the road, before reaching a heavily supported junction where we turned right. Mile 10 (6:51) beeped and I was hanging in there, but suffering a little. The next mile was pretty much all, very slightly, downhill as we turned left then right back towards Ealing town centre. Further down the road we rejoined the same route from earlier in the race, as we passed the mile 1 marker again on the opposite side of the road. We turned right and crossed the railway bridge at mile 11 (6:49).

I was somehow maintaining a pretty good speed even though my legs felt like lead. We took a right turn onto the Uxbridge Road towards West Ealing, where runners were now starting to go past me in their push to the finish. It was slightly downhill but I didn’t care, I just wanted to maintain my pace enough for a sub 1:30 now, as it was within reach, despite not being 100%. We took a left off the main road and a right shortly after, working our way around the block back towards Lammas Park as mile 12 (6:49) beeped. I was still hanging in there with just over a mile to go. Soon we were running alongside the park before taking a right along the road where the start gantry stood at the beginning. It was now gone and we turned into Lammas Park further along, to follow the path through the middle, then around the edge at the far end of the park. More runners were flying past, pushing to the line, including the ‘swimmer’ runner. I was fading as we rounded the far end of the park and turned left for the last slight incline through mile 13 (6:56) and round the last bend to the finish. I was watching the time on my garmin and I knew I was creeping in under 1:30, so I didn’t need one last sprint, I was just happy to finish and take some time to rest.

It wasn’t as flat as I thought it would be, or as simple, with lots of twists, turns and loops around the local estates, it was more of a challenge to get that sub 1:30 finish time. That’s another one completed and onto the next. I walked through, claimed my medal, took the usual treats before heading back to the car. Job done!

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 6:47

2 – 6:45

3 – 6:55

4 – 6:30

5 – 6:37

6 – 6:45

7 – 6:49

8 – 6:57

9 – 6:47

10 – 6:51

11 – 6:49

12 – 6:49

13 – 6:56

0.17 – 1:13

Time – 1:29:27

Chip Time – 1:29:24

Position – 191/4072

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4.5/5 – If there is ever a category to get high marks, this is it I think. If an event gives out nice medals but the organisation is a shambles, it puts you off doing it again no matter how good the medals are. Luckily Ealing was superbly organised and it needed to be with over 4000 runners. Before race day there was plenty of information sent out via email and on social media, so no question was left unanswered. Race numbers were sent out in advance with pre race information in a small pamphlet, very small, foldable, neat and easy to put in a pocket for runners or supporters on the day. The route was in the pamphlet too, and a diagram of the race village and surrounding area. All of the information was also visible on their thorough website. Also, when signing up they asked for the name you would like to appear on your race number, so they could personalise it for each runner. It was a nice touch to have ‘Dobbo 52 in 52’ printed on mine. On arrival there was no official parking but there are residential streets which have parking if you get there early enough to claim a space. It is a short walk to the race village and due to road closures, is a little complicated to get out of the area if you are a fast finisher, but it was easy enough for me to park and get away after, as I’d picked a road near the start of the route which would be cleared by the time I left. When entering the race village, I’ve never see so many portaloos at an event. There were tonnes of them and urinals too, so I never really noticed any big queues like other events, even as it got closer to the start. Obviously there was some queuing, but with 4000 runners that’s inevitable unless you arrive as early as me and get to use them before most people get there. In the race village there were plenty of charity stalls, some food/drinks tents and of course the registration and baggage tent. The baggage was quick and easy, all in number order and set out neatly for a quick pick up at the end, so no problem there. They had a small stage for someone to give a warm up, music playing throughout and someone giving lots of race day information and encouragement over the microphone for all to hear. It created a nice atmosphere across the main field too. The start wasn’t overly narrow, but with 4000+ runners squashing in, it felt it. There were no official time zones but pacers were dotted around, so you hope runners will place themselves according to predicted finish time. On this occasion, that seemed to happen nicely at the front, with the front runners bolting off and the pace starting fast as soon as I crossed the line. In fact, although I was behind the 1:30 pacer by quite a bit, runners were flooding past me, suggesting another fast race. Once out on the course there were mile/km markers and arrows all over the place. If you missed them, their were tonnes of marshals too, directing the runners through the streets of Ealing across the closed roads. They were encouraging and cheerful, considering it was another slightly wet, miserable morning. If I remember correctly, there were 5 official water stations too, around 2 miles, 4, 5.5, 8 and 11.5, but there seemed to be some unofficial water stations outside churches and Gurdwaras, which was a nice touch from a caring community. All in all, it was an extremely smooth event and no real issues that I can think of.

Route: 3.5/5 – I was left a little surprised with the route. After growing up not far from Ealing, I didn’t think it would be hilly at all. Although they weren’t exactly huge hills, it had quite a few inclines, some long enough to really slow everyone down. As it was on a fully closed road course in West London, there was no traffic but the majority of the route was amongst houses and a built up area. There was a bit through a local park, but not enough to really say the route was scenic. It also had a lot of twists and turns, doubling back to do the same roads again, making it quite intricate and slower at times. I struggled to get into a rhythm and the miles passed slowly…..a good indication that it wasn’t my favourite route of the year! It certainly wasn’t the hardest course but definitely not the fastest either.

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 3/5 – Recently I’ve had an array of nice medals, good quality t-shirts and some great treats in the goody bags. Unfortunately Ealing didn’t offer the same quality! There was a reasonably nice medal which was an average size but nothing amazing. There was no finishers t-shirt at all and no goody bag as such, just a few treats handed out, including the usual water bottle and banana, as well as a packet of mini cheddars and some kind of healthy snack bar. Hardly a huge reward for finishing the race. Seen a lot more at cheaper races.

Price: 2/5 – For £40 (£38 affiliated) as an early bird price, it’s worth getting in as early as possible for this one, as the price rises closer to £50 by race day. It’s the most expensive race I’ve entered so far this year and I’m not sure I’d pay that amount to do it in the future. I understand it’s a fully closed road event and it’s very well organised, so will cost a bit more, but with no t-shirt or not much in the way of treats, just a reasonable medal, I’m not sure it’s worth that much.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3/5. It was a well organised and very big event, but it lacked anything that really excited me and makes me want to sign up again. The route isn’t particularly thrilling and the rewards minimal. Probably not one to appear in next year’s race list.

Next on my list is the Bournemouth Half Marathon at the Bournemouth Marathon Festival. This is another of my favourite races and I enjoy the whole weekend. My kids always run the shorter races on the Saturday, followed by me running the half on the Sunday. Two years ago I even used this event as my challenge for the year, running all 4 races (10k, 5k, Half and full marathon) in the weekend. It was a gruelling challenge but at least it was done in one weekend…..unlike this one!!! Looking forward to having a weekend in Bournemouth again and hoping for some Indian Summer weather again.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Winchester Half Marathon #41/52

Another weekend, another race! They come round so quickly, especially when playing catch up with the race reports. This weekend it was the Winchester Half Marathon for race #38 and half #41 of the challenge. I heard it was hilly so I was a little nervous after 3 weeks of flat courses, it’s been a while since my legs have had to cope with hills. Anyway, how hilly could it be?

With a trip down to the south coast to see family for the weekend, we made our way back early Sunday morning to stop in Winchester on the way. Homework done, parking place sorted and race number pinned to my vest ready to run. The weather forecast threatened rain and it didn’t disappoint! To start with, it was perfect for running with a lower temperature but warm enough for a vest and no sign of rain as we drove along the M3 but that didn’t last.

On arrival with my family I left them at the car to make my way to the Guildhall to find some toilets and hand my bag in. The toilets were already queueing despite my early arrival and the Guildhall was very busy. I handed my bag in and made my way outside to find the portaloos which were pretty much empty…..bonus! After meeting up with my family again, I said my goodbyes and let them go back to the car before meeting up with some fellow Lonely Goat RC members for a chat, then going for my usual warm up. All was good and I was ready to run, so as I got back to the start to watch the official warm up, I joined the crowds near the front, hoping for another uneventful, smooth race. Well, that didn’t quite go to plan and with 15 minutes to go before the start, the heavens opened with a torrential downpour, soaking everyone before we’d even got started. Unfortunately it didn’t let up for at least an hour, when it continued to rain but much lighter than before.

Stood at the start around 7 rows back, we were called forward to the line and with a countdown and a loud blast from the air horn, we were off! Unfortunately some runners haven’t grasped the whole chip timing thing and insist on starting at the front despite their slower pace, in turn blocking a narrow start, causing congestion and faster runners trying to squeeze past. If this is you, I applaud you for running a half marathon but sorry, it’s a little selfish and not good etiquette…..be sensible with your start position otherwise you have no right to moan if you accidentally get barged by faster runners. Anyway, we immediately turned left under a narrow arch beneath the high street shops and then right behind the high street to the clapping and cheering from supporters. Another few left and right turns followed, weaving our way away from the town centre around Winchester Cathedral, everyone trying to find space. I didn’t even have time to open my lungs before the first hill was upon me and as I turned right and looked up in front of me, the road widened and climbed for as far as I could see. A sea of runners all powering up the first section and crossing a timing mat which had been placed for a leaderboard to see all the runners times from the bottom to the top of the hill. It certainly made me put my foot down to see what I could do. The rain was still pouring down as I pushed hard to overtake as many people as I could up the hill. It got slightly steeper the further up the road we went and as the lungs started to pant, we took a right where the next timing mat sat across the road, before a quick left just before mile 1 (7:14). To my disappointment the hill didn’t stop. I thought that was going to be it but the climb continued. A long, straight road all the way to mile 2. I made a sarcastic remark to the group around me asking if the hill was ever going to end, as a guy in front, called Tait (on his top!), turned to say “What goes up….!“. We all laughed as he didn’t need to finish that sentence. Two guys either side of me started to chat to me about my challenge. The guy to my left asked if it was all half marathons and what number I was on. After I replied, the guy to my right said he saw me at Burnham Beeches Half and asked what race was next. I mentioned Ealing half and apparently he’ll be there too. It’s amazing the people you meet as you travel from race to race. It took my mind off the hill a bit until mile 2 beeped (7:04). I’d held the pace quite well considering the continuous hill for almost 2 miles.

The rain was still coming down and actually got heavier as we moved away from the town and into the countryside a little more. Running under tree cover didn’t help, the rain droplets just got bigger off the trees and slapped down on my head and face continuously, making me wipe my face clear every minute or so. Finally we’d hit the top of the hill and it flattened out a bit. It was followed by some rolling hills, dropping down first then back up another incline. This happened 3 times in quick succession and with each time we ran uphill, I passed the two guys in front (Tait and his tall friend in black) only for them to fly past when we went back down again. It was like a yo yo and after the third rolling hill we reached mile 3 (6:46) with the first sub 7 min/mile due to the fast declines. After mile 3, the last decline went on for longer and was quite steep. My right knee didn’t like it as the two guys behind and others powered past me. I tried keeping my speed up but my knees just won’t let me bound down the way others do. Not far after the 3rd mile we took a sharp left turn on the steep downhill and with water gushing down the sides of the road, I had to take a wide line to make sure I stayed on my feet going round the corner, as I cut across. We passed the first water station and a few supporters on the corner as the decline continued round the bend but not quite as steep. Half way through the mile it flattened out as we came to a marshal on the left who was dancing around and cheering us on in the rain. He made me smile as I passed and thanked him. The remainder of the mile stayed flat until my watch beeped at mile 4 (6:26) just after a chicane in the road. It was a much faster mile due to the heavy decline and we weren’t all the way down yet!

Going into mile 4 the road dropped back down again. It got steep and just like before, my knees were complaining, especially my right knee which didn’t feel quite right. The first half mile was steep, before the second half became less of a gradient. By now Tait, his friend in black and other runners who were around me were now way ahead in the distance. While I was stepping carefully on the water covered, steep declines, they were hop, skip and jumping their way down the road and opening a gap. I was on my own at this point. I then noticed my squelching trainers had a lace come undone, so I stopped to do it up, giving the chance for a few runners behind to catch me up. I started running again as they caught me, running alongside a tall guy in a red vest, a guy in a blue top and one in white with a green stripe across it. Towards the end of the mile it flattened out a bit before a slight incline, then dropped back down again to mile 5 (6:37) after a left curve in the road. We were out in the countryside now with hedges down both sides of the road and no pavements. Water still flooded down the road and on the flat sections there were big puddles in places, some unavoidable.

Between mile 5 and 6 it flattened out slightly with a few minimal inclines and declines but on the whole, very slightly downhill. The group around me stayed together throughout this mile until we approached the village of Hursley. I started to creep ahead and move away from the rest of the group as we passed the first few houses. Soon we were further into the village and being ushered to the left through a car park to clapping and cheering from a big group of locals. As we ran through the car park and veered to the left through the next water station, in front was another incline. Mile 6 beeped (6:49) as we started to climb and this one was steeper and longer than the few little ones over the last couple of miles. As we left Hursley up the hill back into more countryside, the rain was starting to get lighter. The climb lasted half a mile which slowed the pace and was followed by a short steep decline. On this decline I landed awkwardly, probably from tiring legs, and jarred my right knee. It sent a shooting pain through my knee which made me limp immediately, feeling it with every landing on my right foot. I tried to ignore it and run it off, knowing what my knees are like but it didn’t wear off. Before I knew it we were back on another incline and I was limping more and slowing down, trying to push through my toes to prevent too much impact. As we hit mile 7 (7:00) we had another shallow decline and the last one for a while. A couple of minutes later the course flattened then started to rise again. It started gently and bit by bit got steeper. My knee was not comfortable and I was now just thinking about finishing and limping my way to the end. I still had a lot of work to do and as the hill got steeper a couple of runners from behind went past me at the same time as I caught a guy in a blue top in front. He seemed to be struggling more than me as I passed by! The hill was getting steeper as we entered a housing estate on the way to mile 8. My pace was really slowing up this one and my legs felt like lead. More locals lined the streets encouraging us up the hill but it seemed never ending. I reached mile 8 (7:09) and the climb continued along the main road through the estate.

I thought I was at the top as the road turned to the right, but the climb continued. A left turn shortly after, still uphill to around 8.5 miles, then it levelled briefly before dropping straight back down, through another water station and charity cheer station. The decline continued as we took a right turn onto a main road, then darted across to the left pavement. My knee was very uncomfortable down this hill and every bend made it worse. We took another left turn running on the road again and a steeper downhill to mile 9 (7:24). Even the steep downhill couldn’t help my pace now! Another runner went past and I didn’t care, I was just focussed on getting the job done without too much pain.

We continued to weave through the estate, turning right then left along the roads and pavements. Still running downhill and limping with every step until around 9.5 miles where we met a short incline through a small lane to the edge of the estate. After another left turn at the top, the decline started again, this time going off road onto a grass area and into a small, muddy alley behind the houses. It was narrow and slippery, so I was treading cautiously, as a fall now would be game over. I came out of the alley and took a right onto a road under a bridge, followed by another right onto a main road sectioned off with cones. I was told to stay in the coned area on the right of the road as I followed it downhill to mile 10 (6:44). Despite the knee pain, it was a fast mile due to it being heavily downhill.

As I passed mile 10, the road began to go uphill very slightly. It was a long, straight road where I could see the runners up in front, quite a way ahead. Traffic cones down the centre of the road and marshals stood by them encouraging me all the way along. I could hear footsteps behind half way along the road, as a runner caught me and slowly went by. My calf muscles were tightening up with all the limping and my legs had no strength in them. At roughly 10.5 miles we were directed left by a marshal at a junction, where a lot of supporters stood to cheer. The road we turned down was another decline for a couple of minutes before flattening out. We came to a gate with a gap round the side but the rain had created a big pool of water that we had to run through. No avoiding it, the guy in front tried tip toeing wide, close to the edge but his feet disappeared under water, so I did the same hoping it was shallower than the middle. As I passed the gate through the puddle and onto a path, my feet had taken a cold, soaking. They squelched even more, making my legs heavier as we crossed the path over the Itchen River. The path started to rise again as we were ushered to the left by a marshal. I followed the path under some trees into a wooded area, watching the guy in front move away from me as mile 11 (7:07) beeped.

Just over two miles to go according to my watch, but the mile markers I’d seen since 8 miles were coming up much shorter than my watch. I was secretly hoping they were right and I had a lot less left. My watch was showing a 1:31:30 predicted finish time which I’d be more than happy with after all the hills and the knee problem for 6 miles. I just kept my head down and did my best to maintain my speed. The path followed a stream (The Itchen Navigation) all the way to mile 12 under trees and away from any roads, houses or people. It was quiet, just the odd cyclist and marshal cheering us through. The path was fairly flat, just the a mini incline and decline here and there. Not long before mile 12 we turned right under a bridge and immediately left where two marshals encouraged me as I passed. I ran through a metal chicane (to slow cyclists down) before following the path again to mile 12 (7:10). I could see buildings through the trees now and knew I was close to Winchester Town centre. The route was pretty flat at this point but I was waiting for a downhill finish, after a marshal had said the rest was all downhill. Misinformed I’m afraid, there was no downhill. I passed a tennis club on my left as the path joined a back road heading towards the busier town. Houses were starting to appear as I took a left turn onto the next road. The next half a mile was weaving left and right back into town with more supporters lining the streets and clapping as I passed. The rain was still coming down but lightly now, not that I cared anymore after being soaked through for the majority of the race. Suddenly another runner passed me, followed by one more as they kicked to the finish. I too was closing in on a guy in front which helped focus my mind. The roads were on a very slight incline again and after another left and right turn, I was running alongside a huge, tall wall on my right which was the Cathedral grounds. I knew I was close so I tried pushing a little more as I overtook the guy in front. I gave him some encouragement as I passed and then had another runner to catch, not far in front. As we made our way onto the pebbled streets around the front of the cathedral, the crowds were now building and cheering loudly. I knew the end was so close and I had a runner yards in front and one just behind. We turned left under the arch beneath the shops, onto the High Street as mile 13 beeped (7:06). Clearly the mile markers had been out by quite a bit! Under the arch the support was amazing and young kids held their hands out for high fives, so I made sure to high five every hand on the way through. We turned right onto the High Street with the finish 50 yards in front. I was so glad to see the line that for that moment I had enough energy for one last push. I opened up and overtook the guy in front and just as I was about to cross the line, the guy behind pipped me to it. What a difficult race that turned out to be and as I bent down to catch my breath, a medal was placed over my head. I stood up to walk away and now I’d stopped, the pain was more evident as I limped through the funnel. A lovely lady saw me struggling and wrapped me in a foil blanket to keep me warm, as I hobbled through to collect my t-shirt and goody bag. Thank god that was over! Another half completed and onto the next.

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles) –

1 – 7:14

2 – 7:04

3 – 6:46

4 – 6:26

5 – 6:37

6 – 6:49

7 – 7:00

8 – 7:09

9 – 7:24

10 – 6:44

11 – 7:07

12 – 7:10

13 – 7:06

Time – 1:30:57

Position – 51/1372

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4/5 – As I experienced for the Southampton half marathon, Winchester’s sister event, Rees Leisure are very thorough with their planning, organisation and information. The emails are detailed and they have plenty of social media posts, interacting with the public. Numbers were sent out beforehand so no need to register on the day, and the course route and map of the race village and surrounding area was also sent out for planning purposes. On arrival there was no parking but there were a few free car parks nearby if you get there early enough. Also, there is a park and ride which was free on this occasion due to Winchester trying to do their bit for pollution with a car free day. Once at the race village, the Guildhall was used for registering if you did it late, baggage drop, toilets and just a place out of the rain. It was the main focus but became very cramped with so many people squeezing in on a wet day. The baggage drop was simple enough, pre printed labels at the bottom of your race number to attach to the bag and hand in. A good system in place and no problems handing in or collecting my bag. I was there nice and early, probably 75 minutes before the start but it was already busy, including big queues for the toilets. I didn’t fancy waiting so I went outside and found a row of 5 portaloos with no queue and there was also a block of public toilets down the road which had no queue. Obviously the attraction of nicer toilets were worth queueing for! Out on the course there were mile markers but not every mile. I think they were every even mile as I didn’t notice any of the odd miles out there. Direction arrows were visible throughout and the amazing marshals who jumped around in the rain to motivate everyone, were superb, showing the way and keeping us smiling. One negative I did notice was the lack of predicted finish time zones at a narrow start. When this happens there is always a few muppets who start at the front when they clearly aren’t getting under 2 hours. They block others and can make it dangerous with everyone trying to squeeze round. Yes it’s common sense to start further back (which some clearly don’t have!), but designated time zones help with this. There was also a few pinch points in the high street with plant pots and benches, as well as a narrow arch under the shops. It was a little chaotic but probably not as bad for the runners near the front as it was for those further back. On the whole, the event was smooth on a miserable day and it was finished off nicely with the marshals putting foil blankets over the shoulders of finishers, to cover us from the rain and keep us warm……nice touch!

Route: 3/5 – I always ask myself the same questions about the route…..Was it fast? Was it flat? Was it scenic? Well, it certainly wasn’t fast because it definitely wasn’t flat and because of the torrential rain, it wasn’t particularly scenic! I suppose on a nicer day I’d probably look around a little more and think it had nicer views, but with that amount of water running down my face, it was hard to look around much and appreciate anything. I don’t think anyone is a fan of hills but I’m usually pretty strong up them. Unfortunately some of these hills went on forever and sapped the legs, and the downslopes were steep enough to make them uncomfortable for my bad knees, hence picking up the slight injury. I think the winner finishing in 1:20 says it all, as that would normally be down around 1:08-1:10 at most flatter races. I think my favourite part was the slowest part, coming back into Winchester at the end and through the cobbled streets near the cathedral. As there were lots of twists and turns it wasn’t a particularly fast finish though. Probably not my favourite route of all times, certainly a challenge!

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 4/5 – Another event where I got all three again, so a nice end to a miserably wet day! The medal wasn’t particularly big or as good quality as some I’ve seen recently, but it was OK and certainly not the worst I’ve received. The t-shirt had a nice design on a white tech material, but in comparison to the quality of the Richmond Runfest t-shirt last week, I don’t think the material is particularly that comfortable and feels a little cheap in my opinion. Anyway, I have other plans for this year’s t-shirts, so I won’t be wearing it. The goody bag is always a nice surprise as not many events give them now. It was only a brown paper bag but it had a tube of cream for dry skin, a month of tablets to help digestion and the usual flyers. We also got the standard banana and a carton of water. Not bad for finishing a race!

Price: 3.5/5 – For £35 (£33 affiliated), it’s pretty expensive to enter compared to a lot of the races I’ve entered this year, but when you get a reasonably nice medal, t-shirt and some more treats in a goody bag, it’s always going to be that little bit more. I don’t think the quality of the medal and t-shirts are as good as other events of similar price and I wasn’t a massive fan of the route (probably because of the weather more than anything!), so I’m not sure I’d want to pay that for the same race next year.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 3.5-4/5. It was a well organised event with some nice rewards, so no major negatives, but it didn’t really stand out to me. Maybe the poor weather and picking up an injury put a dampener on it but even trying to look past that, it didn’t make me think I want to do it again.

Next on my list is the Ealing half marathon. I have a week to shake off these niggles and to get myself ready for the next one. It’s down the road from Brentford F.C. where I used to play, so I know it well but never run it before. I hope I am fit enough to be able to enjoy it.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.

Challenge 52 in 52; Richmond Runfest Half Marathon #40/52

After the flat routes at Maidenhead half and Chippenham Half in the previous two weeks, I have been spoilt recently with fast times and limited hills. Even better, this half was just as fast and flat as both of those races. When booking the races this year, there were a few in the diary that are booked in first every year and that I really look forward to. Richmond Runfest is one of those events as it’s definitely one of my favourites. Not just because it’s a fast, flat, scenic route around Kew Gardens and along the River Thames, it’s also a great atmosphere for the whole weekend, with something for everyone in the race village too. Growing up nearby, I also have some nice memories of the area, so it’s always great to come back and run it. This year was even more special, not only is it part of my challenge but it was the 6th consecutive year running it. That meant I would complete the set of triangular shaped medals, which fit together to create a pie, with each medal a different piece and design. It’s taken 6 years but it was well worth it.

I first ran this race with a friend in 2014, but the following year I ran alone, slightly hindered with a back injury and didn’t expect much, just to finish. You can imagine how surprised I was when everything clicked into gear and I knocked almost 90s off my PB to finish in 1:27:31. I did make the course a little short, meaning I struggled to get anywhere near that time again until 2018. At the end of 2017 I worked hard on my diet and training, going into 2018 feeling strong with one mission…….to beat that PB!!! My challenge was a half marathon every month (12 in 12) at speed and by the end of the year I wanted a new PB. Amazingly, I obviously worked that hard that I didn’t have to wait long and in February I smashed that time with a 1:24:00 at Thorpe Park half, only to beat it again in May at the Shakespeare half with a 1:23:40 which still stands as my PB. A back injury in the middle of the year slowed me down but over the year I beat that old PB of 1:27:31 at 7 of the 12 races, but not at the Richmond Runfest half. Last year I narrowly missed out, coming in just under 1:28. I had it in my mind this year that if all went well, I’d like to break that course PB of 1:27:31, but I also knew that would make it my quickest half of the year, in a year where I’m not really going for time, it’s more about the bigger picture and completing all 52 half’s.

Come race day I was ready, physically and mentally but a 5.30am rise to get to London is enough to make anyone feel lethargic! It was a stunning, crisp, sunny morning, threatening to be a glorious day once the haze cleared and the sun came up. I passed my old work place (Brentford F.C.) along the M4 with the sun rising over the floodlights. It gave me that excitement I needed for the job in hand. I arrived at Kew Gardens with plenty of time to use the facilities, have a good warm up and cheer the marathon runners passing through the gardens, who started around 30 minutes before us. Soon it was my turn and as we were called to our start pens, I finished my warm up and got near the front, just a couple of rows back from the start gantry. This race always starts fast, so I stayed to the edge and had no intentions of being dragged along way too fast, only to fade later. I knew what I was capable of (not PB material!!) and had to be sensible. The race started in waves due to narrow sections along the course, so I was with the first wave starting at 8.55am. As the time approached, all the front runners including me had hands on Garmins/watches, waiting to hit the start button. With a shout from the Race Director….

“ON YOUR MARKS…….GO!!!”

We were off, powering across the grass to the first right bend and straight onto the main path. I settled in nicely to a 6:30-6:40 min/mile pace and that was my aim for the distance. It was like a sea of runners sprinting past me, never really understood why most do it, as I see most of them later huffing and puffing when I go back past them! The scenery around Kew Gardens is very pleasant and the paths completely flat, perfect for running. I knew from previous years that the first 3.5 miles weaved around the paths of the gardens before heading out the gate and towards the River Thames tow path, where the terrain changes from flat tarmac to dirt/pebble paths, much like you’d expect along a tow path. As we weaved round the paths, turning left then right a number of times, running past the lake, the Palm House and the many other features around the gardens including the other smaller greenhouses, all that could be heard was runners footsteps from the hundreds of runners covering the path from edge to edge. It took a mile or so before gaps started to appear and everyone found their pace and as we reached the large glass Temperate House, mile 1 (6:36) beeped on my watch at the perfect pace. I always like to see how I feel after 2-3 miles before deciding if the pace is sustainable or not, but I felt comfortable to this point. We rounded the Temperate House and followed the path past the Great Pagoda on our way to mile 2. A few runners started to drop back at this point, obviously having gone out too quick. We approached a sharp ‘U’ bend so I took it wide and cut across to keep my speed up, and not lose my rhythm. As we turned back on ourselves, mile 2 (6.35) beeped with another pleasing split, both near identical for the first two. A great start to the race!

As we pushed away from the mile 2 marker, we gradually made our way to the edge of the gardens and a path running parallel with the River Thames tow path, where we could see some of the back runners of the marathon alongside the Thames, running in the opposite direction. We stayed on the path parallel with the Thames for around half a mile before it started to veer to the right. As we hit mile 3 (6:38) just before we got to the Climbers and Creepers House, gaps had opened up and I had a few runners around me. We were back close to the where the race started, so crowds lined the edge of the paths. We took a right turn when the guy next to me asked what pace we were at, as I noticed he was running ‘naked’ (no watch, not the other kind!). I looked at my watch and replied “Currently a 6:30 min/mile pace” which was still pretty fast. We took two left turns in quick succession to make a ‘U’ turn back along the path next to the start. The crowds were all the way along both sides of the path, clapping and cheering as the group around me ran through. We turned to the left then a quick right round a café before heading directly to the gates of Kew Gardens. That was the last we saw of the gardens as we ran through the gates and turned left down a small road towards the River Thames tow path.

With the River Thames directly in front of us, we followed the road round to the left, running parallel with the river. After a few hundred yards my watch beeped for mile 4 (6:38) with an identical split to the last. My pacing was perfect so far and all splits within 3 seconds of each other. We continued along the road past the first drinks station (I took none as usual) and through a car park before finally joining the tow path. Now the terrain changed from flat tarmac roads/paths to a gravel style, uneven tow path. There was a section that had obviously had some work done, having been flattened with a more solid surface, probably to stop it being so muddy and holding water in the winter, but there was still a lot of uneven gravel. There was now a lot of space, with 3 guys running just in front of me and a bit of a gap to the next few runners up ahead. Once on the tow path, I noticed the group around me slowed a little, probably to do with the surface, the grip and having to get used to it, so I took the opportunity to move past them all and kick away towards the next few runners. As we continued along the path, now with a small gap behind me and a 20-30 yard gap in front, the path came out from under the trees and opened out, where the path in Kew Gardens ran parallel. Floods of runners were now flowing along that path to my left in the opposite direction, looking across at us as we looked at them. We soon passed and went back under the trees towards mile 5. We came to mile 5 (6:37) shortly after as we worked our way towards Twickenham Bridge. It was another fast mile, all of which sub 6:40 up to this point.

In the next mile the path got narrower in sections, with runners, cyclists and walkers coming the other way, making it a little congested. I’d caught up with two guys in front who were a few yards behind another guy. Due to the congestion I couldn’t overtake, so I sat just behind and waited patiently. All three of us then caught the runner in front, making a line of 4 of us travelling at his speed. Once the cyclists and other pedestrians had passed, I made my move, increased my speed again and passed them all. I moved away pretty quickly and into the next gap which was pretty big, no runner for at least 100 yards. We veered round to the left, closing in on mile 6 which is my first milestone. I was pushing away from the group behind and working hard to close the gap in front as the tow path bent round to the left again as mile 6 (6:41) beeped on my watch. It was a slightly slower mile, probably due to the congestion but I was past that now and travelling well under a 6:40 pace again. I could now see Twickenham Bridge in front as supporters started to line the edge of the path, which had widened and turned to tarmac again. I was slowly closing the gap in front but still lots of ground to make up.

Running alongside Old Deer Park where the finish was, I could see the race village in the distance on my left. As I approached Twickenham Bridge through the encouragement of the crowds, I quickly caught up with a few runners and went past them, but realised they were the back runners of the marathon. I ran under the bridge in the shade and came out the other side with Richmond Bridge now visible. This is always my favourite part of the race, around the green by Richmond Bridge where supporters sit up the Bank outside the bars, lapping up the sun and cheering on the runners. It starts to get busier on the approach to the green and as it changes from a tarmac path to a cobbled road, the charity cheer stations come into view. We veer to the left and then to the right outside the first two pubs where a cheerleading squad were jumping around for every runner that passed. The atmosphere was electric as I waved and thanked the cheerleaders and other supporters who cheered for me. I heard a couple of “Go 52 in 52!” as I passed the crowds, smiling to them all. I then came to the Macmillan charity cheer station as I pointed to the ’52 in 52 Challenge’ written on my vest and shouted “This is for you!” as they went crazy for me as I ran through, cheering, clapping and banging big green inflatables around. It gave me the best feeling as I passed the green and ran under Richmond Bridge. I was buzzing, powering along and in full flow, overtaking more marathoners and catching a few of the half runners in front. I ran through the last charity cheer station (BHF I think!) and past the support from the café under the bridge, before it got quieter again. I was now 10 yards behind the two runners in front of me and I was closing in as mile 7 beeped (6:30). It was fast, that section really gave me a boost!

Just after mile 7 we veered to the left away from the edge of the river and up a slight incline around Buccleuch Gardens, before it dropped down to the right back to the river tow path again and out into the open. It got narrower at this point as I was now right behind the two runners in front, cones split the path with pedestrians walking towards me on the left and us running on the right of them. I had to slow down and wait for an opening to dart across the cones to overtake along the narrow path. At the end of the narrow section we passed the next water station (no water needed) before moving onto a wider tarmac path back under the trees again. I had already opened a small gap behind and was overtaking a lot more marathoners now. Another 3 half runners were a short distance in front as my eyes fixed on them. I followed the path under the trees getting closer to the runners in front with each step. As we reached a car park on the left after coming out from under the trees, I was on the shoulder of both guys in front. Mile 8 beeped (6:36) with another fast split and I was feeling strong. I passed both guys but one tried staying with me, just a yard behind. He didn’t stay there for long as we went back under the trees and onto a more gravel path. I gradually pulled away with another runner 10 yards in front, who was my next victim.

It was a long, dark stretch under the trees, on uneven surface all the way to the next mile, just a tiny opening of trees as we took a slight incline over a bridge on the approach to mile 9. It wasn’t long or overly steep, but it did slow the legs a little. Still overtaking marathoners in dribs and drabs as cyclists and walkers continued to pass in the opposite direction as we went back under the trees. As I weaved between marathon runners and pedestrians, I got closer to the guy in front and finally caught him just before we reached the next mile. We were on a slight bend to the left for a while before mile 9 beeped (6:43). The second slightly slower mile in the 6:40’s and both coincided with the narrower, gravel path and the congestion with runners and pedestrians. The slight incline in the last mile probably didn’t help either. It made me up my speed again though, continuing to search for that new course PB. Shortly after mile 9 we came out from under the trees onto a tarmac path again as we reached the picturesque Teddington Lock. This was where the course split, with marathon runners following the tow path and half marathoners turning left away from the river. I was all alone with no runners visible in front as I came to the split, which is always well supported. I turned left to plenty of cheers and hit one of the only real inclines on the course. The smooth tarmac path away from the river kept rising steadily all the way to the road, probably 200-250 metres long. It definitely hits the legs at this stage and works the lungs but isn’t steep enough to really stop you pushing. At the road, another charity cheer station cheered me through as I took a left through another water station, where I thanked them all without taking a drink. I was still feeling pretty good and mile 10 was in view up ahead. It was a long stretch of pavement along the road, so I could see all the runners in front now, but they were some distance away. Suddenly I could hear footsteps behind as I moved closer to the 10 mile marker. Out of nowhere a tall guy in a white vest powered past me at a great speed, as I praised his effort. I kept pushing my pace, not trying to stay with him as my watch beeped for mile 10 (6.33). For the first time in the race my watch beeped for the mile quite a bit before the mile marker. As we passed the mile marker, it was like a mental block and immediately my legs felt heavy and my breathing started to become harder. What is it about mile 10?

I continued to follow the pavement behind the guy who had just gone past me, but slowly the gap between us increased, we cut across a grass field with a small childrens playground until we met a small road at the end. The marshals ushered us to the left, following the road but I had to cross to get on the pavement. Unfortunately cars were flowing down the road back to back and none let me go, so I carefully ran on the road with the traffic until a gap was big enough to cross. It was a nice, gentle decline back towards the river and the car park we passed earlier. That’s where all the cars were heading on such a sunny day. We didn’t get that far as we were directed right and along a path through the gardens of Ham House. At first it was a hard surface for a few hundred yards until we turned right at the end, onto a more sandy/fine gravel surface away from the river again and back up the gentle incline. My legs were definitely starting to feel it and the gravel surface made them feel heavy and tired. The guy in front was now 50 yards ahead at least and he’d gone past the next runner who was struggling a little. He seemed to be fading as I closed in on him too. At the top of the incline as mile 11 beeped (around 20 seconds before reaching the mile marker!) with a pleasing 6:36, I took a wide line as I overtook the guy who was struggling, as we turned to the left. Very happy with another sub 6:40 split despite how I felt, I only had 2 miles to go and a little bit to finish the job. The 1:27:31 time was within range and my watch was showing a late 1:26 finish time, so I just needed to maintain it.

Moving away from mile 11 along the gravel path, we took another left turn out of the gardens and through an alley, downhill and under some trees through to the river. It helped me pick up my pace still trying to keep the guy in front in view, despite the gap. As we reached the end of the alley with the River Thames in front, hundreds of runners further back in the race were running from right to left along the tow path. I took a right heading in the oppsite direction to them at roughly 11.5 miles, which was only 7.5 miles for them. It was back to the second water station and narrow path with cones along the middle. With so my runners coming the other way, it was chaos at the water station, many of them jumping across my path grabbing water from the wrong side. I understood their frustration when it was so busy on their side, but I didn’t appreciate having people cutting across me at this stage. As I ran through the water station and followed the narrow path, staying on my side of the cones, some runners were also jumping sides to overtake in front of me, nearly colliding with me. My tired legs were being careful not to have a collision with an oncoming runner. I could see another runner in front who was fading as I was closing in, as the path started to rise up a slight incline. At the same time I heard footsteps behind as another fast runner came bounding through. I stepped to the side and said “Great running mate” as he passed me. As the path moved away from the river and around Buccleuch Gardens again, the short incline to the road was a little steeper and really slowed the guy down in front, as it did me. Both the guy who passed me and myself passed the man in front, as we reached the road and turned left along he pavement. Mile 12 beeped (6:41) with a slightly slower split, not surprisingly with tired legs and a slight incline again. We worked our way along the pavement before a left turn at the 12 mile marker which took us down a very short, steep decline back onto the main tow path.

On the tow path we turned right and were directed to stay right, pretty clear to be honest due to the hundreds of runners flooding down the other side of the path towards me on my left, closest to the river. I was doing my best to stay close to the guy who overtook me, but he slowly moved away as we worked our way along the tow path back towards Richmond Bridge. We were closing in on the last half a mile while others running by were just coming up to 7 miles. It was getting hot now along the tow path, the sun was fully up and there was no shade on this section. I ran under the bridge back through my favourite section to cheers, clapping and all the charity cheer squads and cheerleaders. It gave me the boost I needed to keep pushing, knowing the course PB was ready to be taken. I swerved right, left then, right around the ramp to the river and back onto the cobbled street. My legs didn’t like those cobbles this time but I could sense the finish now. The last short section along the tow path before a right turn, followed by a quick left through a gate into Old Deer Park. The hard paths turned into uneven, hard mud, grass and fallen sticks and leaves from the big trees, as I made my way to the tunnel under the A316. As I ran through the tunnel and turned right at the other end into the main field, I could see a line of tape leading all the way to the race village and finish line in the distance. It was a slight incline all the way and across grass, the worst part of the course and most sapping on the legs. The guy in front was out of reach but I had no one behind either……it was a race between me and my watch! Mile 13 beeped (6:42) with another pleasing split and my watch still showing a low 1:26 time. I had around 80 seconds to get to the finish to beat my time but it didn’t seem to get any closer. I felt like I was treading water as crowds started to get thicker either side of me, encouraging every step. I pumped my arms seeing an orange, firey tunnel in front thinking it was the finish. My Watch had already passed 13.1 miles still in the late 1:26’s. I thought I’d done it as a ran into the tunnel to a DJ and dancers, only to realise that wasn’t it. I exited the tunnel and saw the finish around 40-50 yards in front and my watch now showing 1:27:02 as I glanced at it. I had 29 seconds to get to that line, so I gave it all I had, seeing the photographer in front with the lens aimed at me, I flung my arms up in the air to cross the line at 13.19 miles, before bending double to my knees. I know what you’re going to ask…..did I do it?

As I was bent double a volunteer put a medal over my head, the final piece of the pie. I stood up, thanked them, wandered through to get my timing chip taken off my laces, then took the finish selfie with my medal. I claimed my t-shirt, grabbed my goody bag and as my energy started to come back, I enjoyed the feeling knowing I’d beaten my course PB by just 10 seconds……..GET IN THERE!!!

So how did I get on?

Here’s the stats…

Splits (miles):

1 – 6:36

2 – 6:35

3 – 6:38

4 – 6:38

5 – 6:37

6 – 6:41

7 – 6:30

8 – 6:36

9 – 6:43

10 – 6:33

11 – 6:36

12 – 6:41

13 – 6:42

Time – 1:27:21

Position – 51/3146

Now it’s done, what did I think about the event?

(I can only comment on my experience, so others may have a very different view.)

Organisation/Facilities: 4.5/5 – I’ll be honest and say that the only reason I haven’t given a 5 is because there is no official parking for this event. You have to find a space on a local street or use a pay and display car park in Richmond, and as the start and finish are at least 2 miles apart, you either have a long walk at the beginning or at the end of the race. Other than that minor downside, the rest is pretty perfect. There are constant emails and socal media posts throughout the build up to the event, with plenty of information along the way. The website is also very good and has everything needed to answer any questions. As they are very active on Facebook too, they engage with the public making it a friendly event that cares for its runners. All the race numbers are sent out in advance with start time information, which is in waves to avoid too much congestion along the River Thames. That means no need to worry about doing it on the day. Once at Kew Gardens, big trucks wait for your bags with simple name zones, so you know where to go at the end when they are delivered at the finish, so easy enough. As well as the toilets dotted around Kew Gardens and in the cafés, there was also at least 30 portaloos and a men’s urinals. Obviously queues do build up but volunteers help spread the queues to each portaloo so the wait is minimal. As mentioned above, the start is done in waves according to predicted finish time, so the 3000+ runners are filtered out as well as they can be. Out on the course there are marshals all over the place at every junction to show the way. They are also very encouraging and in places they stop the traffic to keep you safe. There are mile markers throughout and water stations at mile 4, 7.5, just before 10 and 12, with water and some have lucozades. There are even a few portaloos at mile 4 if needed. All in all it is a well organised event and very thorough. Over the 6 years I’ve been attending, they’ve listened to feedback and improved each year. A thumbs up from me.

Route: 4.5/5 – The route is flat (just the odd small incline if you want to be picky) which makes it pretty fast, but the mix of terrain from tarmac to gravel and some grass at the end can slow you down a bit, but not much. It’s a stunning route through Kew Gardens and along the River Thames which looks fantastic on a sunny day, so it ticks all the right boxes. Again I was tempted to give a 5 but my only negative is how narrow it is along the Thames at times. It doesn’t bother me too much because I’m close to the front where it spreads out, but further back it looked packed as we passed in the other direction. I guess that could be a little infuriating and hard to find space at times. From my point of view it ticks all three boxes…..fast, flat and scenic!

Medal, t-shirt & goody bag: 5/5 – Well, there’s not many events that give all three and with such good quality, but Richmond never let me down. The medals over the last 6 years have been amazing and as mentioned above, with a triangular shape, fit together to create a circular pie. Each medal has a unique design, something linked to Richmond or Kew Gardens and is great quality…..chunky too! Also, if you want something extra, enter an event on the Saturday too (5k or 10k) and earn a bonus medal called the Laureus, which is very smart. The t-shirt is always a really nice dri-fit material and made by Nike, meaning great quality. The designs and slogans are always really good and this year was no different with the pun/slogan being ‘The buck stops here!’ with a picture of a deer on a dark blue t-shirt. Very smart! Lastly, not just a banana and water like some events, the goody bag is filled with lucozade, gels, health and protein bars. There’s also a free beer for all finishers for those who drink….not my choice though, but I’m sure it was very popular with many. We were very spoilt!

Price: 4/5 – For £37 (£35 affiliated) it’s one of the most expensive races of the year which I’d normally not be too keen on paying, but for the event as a whole and the rewards, I think it’s worth it. I don’t mind paying that little more for quality and they certainly give that.

Overall, in my personal opinion I’d give it a 4.5/5. As a perfectionist, I don’t think any event is completely perfect to earn a 5, but this one certainly comes close. Still one of my favourites and I’ll be back again next year to do it again.

Next on my list is the Winchester Half Marathon which I hear is a little hilly. I’ve never run it before so I’m going to find out very soon. As a sister event to the Southampton Half Marathon, which I really enjoyed, I’m expecting good things.

Remember, if my challenge or the effort I’m putting in has inspired you and you’d like to donate, I’m very grateful for anything you can spare. You can donate through my justgiving page here.