After hearing about the debacle that was the Run To The Beat Half Marathon last year, I was interested to see how things would be done differently this time...turns out pretty much everything had been changed!
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| Post-race with my work colleagues |
The race was run by Sure instead of Nike this year - I wonder if maybe Nike were trying to distance themselves from the race after last year? I've only done one Nike race (We Own The Night 10k earlier this year) and it was great - see my review
here. But in fairness RTTB was really well organised this year - a good race village in the shadow of Wembley stadium with lots to see and do. I thought the stretching station, run by
Fitness First, was a particularly good idea.
The course was also well organised but my goodness it was depressing. I've never had reason to venture to Wembley before and I can't honestly say I'll be rushing back. The course began and finished at the stadium, which was pretty cool, but the rest of the route consisted of residential area (lots of people waving at us in their dressing gowns) and a giant industrial estate. Considering it RTTB has been in Greenwich in the past, this was a bit of a let down.
Although this was only a 10k, it was a toughy - partially because of my own lack of preparation and also thanks to a bugger of a double hill. Just as you finished an awful long pull up, you round the corner to find,...another hill! There are several horrendous photos of me on the second hill - I was not a happy bunny!
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| It doesn't look bad but that hill was HORRENDOUS |
As far as this being a 'music' race, I can't say I was particularly impressed. There were a number of sounds advising you that 'big beats' were ahead but it was more like someone with a set of iPod speakers most of the time. It may have been due to noise regulation since many of the music stations were in residential area but again this was a little bit of a let down. The party at the end was much more impressive and by the time I finished lots of people were already having a bit of a dance.
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| There were plenty of people already having a dance in the shadow of Wembley Stadium |
I finished in 1:09:25 - not even remotely close to my PB of 1:02:14 but I had no expectations for a good race time since I was quite out of practice. I was pleased just to finish in under 1:10, having dropped back a wave to join some of my friends from work that I was running with.
I really enjoyed RTTB but I don't think it will really stick in my mind as a particularly memorable race...I'll definitely still sign up next year though!
Have you ever done a Run To The Beat race?
Harris x
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