On Sunday I ran the British 10k London and then supported at the Bastion iron-distance triathlon, but this is a blog about neither. It’s a blog about being a runner and part of a community. Let me explain.
I was running the British 10k and then had to hotfoot it to Victoria Station to meet my friends Josie and Laura to head out to Kent. I didn’t want to have to wait at the end of the race to get my bag back, so instead I checked it in a day early with Laura S who carried my beer, snacks and clean clothes to the station. Teamwork makes the dream work.
I left my flat the morning of the race in just my race kit with only my bank card, keys and phone – no headphones, nothing to entertain me for the hour and a half until I’d start running. But as I left my building so was another runner from two floors down. He had the same bib as me and despite only speaking three times before in the lift, we spent the whole time from exiting out building until the race started chatting about running.
The race started at 9:35 and we set off at our different speeds. We were in the third pen and got going really quickly – it looks like great improvements have been made to this race since last year. I headed off to run round London past some landmarks with the goal of finishing in time to get to Victoria for 11:00. In fact I wanted to try out a new half marathon pace (more on that next time) so the goal was ‘comfortably hard’.
We ran through a city that’s often clogged up with cars and lorries and buses and taxis. We had the streets to ourselves. Whether you’re a fan of running in mass participation races or not, it’s great when space so dominated by traffic gives way to those on foot, even if it’s just for a few hours.
There were a few out and back sections on the course which, over the years I’ve been running, I’ve come to enjoy. You get to see more of the race as you watch those faster and then slower, going past. Runners called out to their friends they spotted going the other way and encouraged each other on.
After 47 minutes of running, I was headed down Whitehall to the finish. I grabbed my medal, tshirt, water and goodie bag and ran back along the race route towards Victoria. I passed my neighbour one more time as he headed towards the finish.
I met Laura and Josie at Victoria, got changed in the Weatherspoons toilets and grabbed a coffee before we boarded the Drewbies Express down to Hever to cheer on our friend Cathy in her first ironman.
Im not going to write anything about the race because that’s for Cathy to share (go over to her blog and refresh it patiently for the next week or so). On the train home that evening there was a moment when all three of us were tired and silent. It was the first time all day that we hadn’t been laughing, joking or cheering. We were there for Cathy but we cheered on every competitor we saw.
I met these guys through running and I’m very glad I did. To those who don’t run, running just seems like a cheap form of exercise. But those who do know it to be much more than that. I had a great Sunday, and it was all because of running.
What a way to spend Sunday, loved the read. As for running in company, I have just finished reading “The end of the world running club” same joy there, but (different).
You will have seen I had an amazing Sunday too with some lovely runners (and ponies). That looks like a good half marathon pace, I look forward to hearing more!
I did my 10 mile at slower than hm pace (well, faster than my most recent hm and slower than my pb) and my gps was a little dodgy but looking at my splits after I was fairly consistent (apart from failing to master the art of drinking from a cup of water and running – I stopped at every water station). I’d like to repeat that pace in my first marathon.
I meant to say this race was the friendliest I’ve ever done. I quickly got separated from my friends (three of us being injured, we had no idea what paces we were aiming for) but made new ones! I fell into step with one girl who said “I think we’re going at the same pace, do you mind if we run together?” And we spent most of the race chatting and trying to keep up with each other. She put on a burst of speed in the last two miles but was waiting for me at the end.
My group were the last picnickers left in the field at the end, and the beer tent donated what was left in their kegs!
Completely agree. I’m always astounded, humbled and thankful for how inclusive and supportive the running community is. I can turn up at a parkrun in a different state or country and still be as welcomed as I would be at home. I can cross the finish line at an event a good half an hour after my running buddies and they’ll still be there, cheering me over as if I came first in an Olympic event. The world would be a much better place if everyone ran 🙂