The Run Through Battersea 5K/10K race review or…
The smallest medal on the rack or…
It would’ve been a record for the distance if it had been the distance…
This weekend’s race was a late inclusion in the calendar prompted by gaps in August and September pre-Berlin and an ad for the medal. It was back to Battersea Park (always a pain for me to get to) for the third time in 10 months after the Movember run and the Santa Run last year. With no giant false moustache or Santa suit this should be more fun on a flat route for a change and, heat aside, there was always a chance to get a comfortable sub-hour time to convince myself all this marathon training is making a difference.
This was to be a 4 lap race mostly around the pond with the band stand the finish point for the 10Kers with a 5K starting 10 mins earlier. I ummed and ahhed about dropping down to the 5k. Those pre-race mental conflicts always make me think I am not going to make it, despite this being my 80th race in 3 years and 2 months since taking up running.
I also met up with a few #ukrunchatters/twitter peeps too, with @al_is_grumpy and I meeting up beforehand, before I saw @FrankieSaysRun and @ShettyKiran88 in the throng and @BillAndrews57 at the end.
How I did?
The plan was to run the whole way, no slowing, no walking, no stopping to take on water (although I managed a few smash and grab gulps before pouring a bottle over my head on the third lap. It was hot, as I said, and a Mars Bar, cup of tea and a mouthful of Lucozade was all I had before so I was expecting to slow dramatically and walk somewhere around the 7-8K mark but…
That isn’t how it happened. I did run the whole way, could have run a lot faster and, even though my Nike+ GPS measured it at 9.78KM I beat my previous 10K best by 23 seconds. So I do not have any complaints. The medal, however… Well, let me show you the photo that made me sign up.
Awesome, right? Bespoke, cool, unique. And I remember the RunThrough races from a few years back. I think the Bushy Park half was just a white and blue circle with the organisers name and the venue on it. This one is, however, tiny.
So no, that is not a GIANT ice cream I am having. It is also not that scene in Father Ted when Father Ted needs to explain to Dougal that the toy cows in the caravan were small, and the ones in the field were very far away.
Still, it is pretty cool. The first medal of last year at the Deer Park Richmond Half and the Gut Buster 10K on my birthday was also lovely, small medals but this one is the smallest and that is official.
In Summary
Would I run this race again? No, probably not. It is the same route, albeit in reverse, as the other races. The medal is cool, bespoke and tiny but is my 80th in 3 years, so I am happy with that alone. It was good to meet up with such cool ukrunchatters too.
Would you recommend it? If you have not run Battersea before then why not. If you have then probably skip it. And that is no reflection on the RunThrough guys who organise a superb race, with flap jacks, bananas, water, medals, support, bag drop, chip timing and everythig you would expect from a decent outfit, as well as taking on the additional work of running a 5K simultaneously. Well done for that.
NEXT UP:
PRIDE 10K Victoria Park London
Runners Knees 