So I did not blog about last weeks race, the London Spring 10K in Regents Park, because 1. it was Nice Work and therefore the exact same route and race as the London Summer 10K last year and the Easter 10K a fortnight before and 2, they gave the same bling as the Easter 10K a fortnight before.

Spot the difference?

Anyway, enough said about that experience. I shall not run any more Nice Work races, especially Regent’s Park.I had considered the Canterbury Half until I noticed their name on the leaflet.

But, it was race 5 for Pancreatic Research UK so it did serve it’s purpose.

And now onto this weeks race, the Missing People 10K at Clapham Common. Now this was something completely new. A vest arrived with plenty of time to spare. Emails updated the racers to the day’s events, a childrens 1K, an adult 3K and the 10.

I have been unwell for the week, guts ropey, back ache, kidneys, you name it. I haven’t been able to sleep well and have been massively dehydrated. Or dehydrenated as my Swedish friend Frederick puts it. So I was not hopeful. It would also been my third run in 12 days. Holy frijole!!!

It was hot, 25 degrees, and I drank plenty on the way SARF of the river to the gentrified hipsterville known locally as CLARM. It was then that I heard the music.

Yes, there was music. But not just music. It was Rock Choir. And they were singing Cindy Lauper’s True Colors. I did not know what to do.

The race followed one of the cutest 1Ks I have seen. With toddlers as young as 1 running along with their parents. It was very sweet.

The route was a mix of trail, mud, grass, the occasional pavement, then grass again, with a couple of loops in and out of the wood and around the football, and cricket pitches. I was trying out yet another new pair of shoes, again New Balance, and again the 1080s. But these did fit better. I had water, I wore the vest and, with one eye on next week’s BUPA LONDON 10K, I ambled around in about an hour only to discover that the route was short by 40M, so needed to walk the remainder (see the red above) to make it up to the required distance for my Nike+.

Everyone wore numbers and the great timing chips from the bigger races. We all wore the vests and posters of Missing People on our backs. At the end the gift bag was not just paper, it was a shoe bag backpack. It had a banana and water. Nice Work take note. And the bling was custom, although everyone on the day got the same medal regardless of the race they ran.

I liked it and would happily recommend it for the worthy cause. I would not run it, as I am not a fan of grass, then mud, then trail, then grass again. Not with these knees.

Next Up

The BUPA London 10K

ING Luxembourg Night Half Marathon