Last week a good friend of mine told me he was training for this year’s Great North Run. This September he will be joining over 50000 others in the world’s biggest half-marathon. I asked what had motivated him to take the plunge and sign up. He said that there was no encouragement from family or friends, no charity to raise money for. Instead, he just felt that the “time was right”.
Up to now, he had considered running as something he did to warm up for his main sports, football and squash. And though getting started was an effort to begin with, after a couple of weeks he really began to enjoy it. Running three times a week is now something he looks forward to. At the age of 44 he never thought he would be taking up a new sport. And that’s one of the great things about running. No matter what you age, or ability, its never too late to take it up.
For some great beginner advice about how far, how fast and how much to run when you are getting started click here and here.
A couple of weekends ago I spent some time in Jersey on a family visit. Aa very nice place it is too. Sort of like Devon, but with a French accent. Good if you like Devon and the French accent. Not so good if, erm, you don’t.
Hiring a scooter is the best way to get around and a couple of days is all you need to have a good nose about. I took some time to explore the island on foot too, which included a run along the excellent beach at St. Brelade. Very good steaks and wine list at the Candlelight restaurant in St. Helier to finish off a hard day’s sightseeing/running.
The Jersey Marathon takes place in September each year, and the Half-Marathon in May. Both would be worth the trip, a 35 minute flight from Gatwick.
I enjoyed running the Wokingham Half-Marathon in 2008, so thought I would give it another go. Originally scheduled for mid-February, and to be part of my build-up to the Paris and London Marathons, the really heavy snowfall we had meant that the race was postponed to 24 May.
The race is very well organised, and the quibble I had last year about the start seemed to have been ironed out by having timing chips built into the running numbers. The warm sunny weather meant many runners may have abandoned trying for a PB. Though if you are looking to achieve one then this race should be on your list. A relatively flat, almost entirely traffic free course and an entry of less than 2500 runners means you can really focus on your mile splits, all of which are clearly marked on the course.
A goody bag is non-existent,which may not please everyone, but free town centre parking, good signage, a healthy number of toilets (these things matter…), and a free hot drink at the end means that all basics are covered well.
Read what other runners think.