What do you do if you are unprepared for a race? Turn up and run it anyway!

I wasn’t feeling this one:

  • I’d been very lazy.
  • I’d been short on time.
  • I was exhausted.
  • I hadn’t done enough training.
  • I’d eaten far too many doughnuts.

It’s a hometown event, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Sub 1.30 wasn’t going to happen, but pulling out is never an option so I just set a new plan. Don’t worry about time, enjoy the atmosphere and high five as many kids as possible. You get the same medal regardless of your time.

 

Before the Race
I got dropped off at the drop-off point and I followed the people in running gear to the event village. Pretty much what I do at every race – they’ve got a number on, I’ll just follow them. It’s a plan that’s probably going to backfire one day. The marathon set off at 9.30 and the 10-mile race at 10.15 with a mass warm up shortly before each event.

The Route
Just like the marathon the race starts and finishes at York University. A downhill start before heading into town towards the Minster, through Monk Bar and out onto Stockton Lane. You turn right and leave the marathon route just before the mile 5 marker and rejoin it at around 6 miles. You then head through Osbaldwick and back onto Hull Road towards the university for the finish.

During the Race
Plenty of crowd support along the route, with designated charity cheer points. Again, I had family 2 miles in at the Minster and friends at 8ish. Was nice to see my old running buddies Mark, Jayne and Emma volunteering. I ran the whole race with Ange, we kept each other going. Last couple of miles we caught up with two ladies dressed as Zippy and George from Rainbow. If you happen to be reading this ladies – thank you for your words of encouragement up that last hill – you both did amazing ❤️ x

The Result
I finished in 1.39.55 – with the realisation that I need to eat fewer biscuits and train more. On that note, I’m heading out for a run.

A big well done if you took part in this event – especially if it was your first time covering that distance. If you want to see what a fantastic day it was Channel 4 filmed it. The highlights were shown this morning but you can catch up here for the next 30 days.

Race Breakdown:
Entry Cost: Just short of £30
Water stations: 3 (bottles – not sports top)
Parking: Plenty (park and ride with shuttle bus), drop off pick up points within walking distance
Baggage Facilities: Yes – well organised
Post-Race Goodies: T-shirt, Medal, Goody-bag

Highlights: The best parts of the marathon rolled into a shorter distance.
Low points: Undertrained (my own fault)