Archive for the 'Races and race reviews' Category

BBC athletics commentator and former 1500m World Champion and record holder Steve Cram has launched a new race claiming to be Britain’s most picturesque – The Kielder Marathon.

The course, which is mainly off road, uses the Lakeside Way – a brand new trail that encircles the shoreline of Kielder Water, northern Europe’s largest man-made lake. Registration closes on 12 March 2010 and it will cost £35 to see if the claim is a valid one.

Mind you, I have always found that having if you are having a tough time of it during a race, there isn’t a single river, mountain or beautiful view that can make things feel any easier.

Yesterday I ran the Adam Cole Foundation 10K in Greenwich Park.

It was friendly, well marshalled race in a great location. There was plenty of parking (though not free) available nearby, fairly good public toilets and a moderately sized field. The chip timing was a nice bonus, as were the free apples and bananas at the end. Unusually (even for a small race) there was no baggage or changing area. It was lucky that the weather was good. A lack of water during the race was probably an error too.

The course was tough and hilly, and certainly not PB territory. There was a total of 245m of climbs, including a sharp incline in the final 500m. But despite the little organisational niggles and the testing course, I really enjoyed the race. Though it was my slowest 10K, I placed 10th out of a field of 222. My best ever race finish.

Read what other runners made of it.

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.

On 5 April I ran the Paris Marathon for the second time. My first experience, back in 2005, was mixed: overall a good run and a pleasing time, but too many gripes about the organisation. This year was no different.

Because I will be running the London Marathon on 26 April the plan was not to run a fast race, rather to get round and enjoy it. All was well up to mile 11, but after that I had to ease back due to a niggly calf injury I picked up three weeks ago. Then at mile 18 when running up a small incline where the course makes its way alone the Seine my leg went into spasm and I thought I may have to drop out. I took a couple of minutes to stretch it as best I could, and then somehow got through the last 8 miles. Seems silly writing that now as 8 miles is hardly a short distance, but when you have done 18 it never feels too bad! The last two miles in particular were quite quick (all things considered) mainly because I still wanted to break four hours. Though it was the slowest time of all my marathons it was in many ways my most satisfactory race: just making it to the finish line felt such a relief.

The weather was very good, which meant the crowds were bigger (though not by much) than in 2005 when the weather was pretty poor, but for an international race that this year cost more than £40 to enter, the organisation leaves a lot to be desired.

It didn’t start well. At the start runners were made to exit a metro station, go away from the start to drop off baggage, then turn around again to head for the start line against the flow of all the other runners. This walk includes going around the Arc de Triomphe roundabout – which is not closed to traffic. Crazy. Coupled with the fact there is no signage or tannoy announcements at the baggage area gave a mildly chaotic feel.

And it didn’t get any better. Poorly staffed and positioned drinks stations, so bad that at the first one a bottleneck developed and runners came to a complete stop and then had to walk for a couple of minutes, plus a burned out van on the course through the Bois de Vincennes, only added to the feeling that this was slapdash. My brother felt the same way too.

These sorts of issues might be ok for a small local race, but not one with only 30 000 runners and has been going for more than 30 years. What other big city marathons do – London in particular – is to think about the runner. Paris fails completely in this regard. Good logistics and organisation means taking the stress away from competitors. They have enough to think about with running the 26.2 miles.

Runners can provide some feedback to the organisers here.

I hope they listen and make changes. We deserve better.

Ran the Berkhamstead Half-Marathon for the second time last weekend. The course is undulating, with a couple of long hills and the odd short, sharp ones. And pretty too. It winds out of the town, along the main road to Hemel Hempstead for a short distance before it heads off for villages and woods, though the route is all road. The last mile is downhill so makes for a fast finish.

However, it does have some downsides: pretty shambolic start, poor finishing area and absolutely no goodie bag at the end. I am not usually bothered about that sort of thing, but I was left wondering exactly what I got for my £17 entry fee.

But don’t just take my word for things, click here to read what other runners think.