This weekend saw a return to Greenwich Park in southeast London, one of those Parks, like Battersea, like Regents, like Victoria, that you end up racing repeatedly. I am not sure how many times I have run here. I certainly ran my first Movember here in 2012,  and the Christmas 10K last year. I must have run others. It is a venue all London runners enjoy and hate in equal amounts due to the hills.

I was supposed to run a few weeks ago, this was not on my race calendar, but due to a cold I could not and Matt, Soph and the Runthrough team were kind enough to defer my entry for another race. And so I chose here. So thanks to the guys for that.

The Route

Actually, before I tell you about the route let me just tell you about my Nike+ debacle. The old watch died, the seal went finally and the screen stopped working. I have really liked the interface, the phone app, the watch, and the website but the support is shoddy. Being impulsive I bought a second “refurbished” one for a fraction of the cost but after charging it for a week the watch died 45 mins into my training run on Saturday, the day before the race and so, for the second time in 7 days, I found myself lining up at the start of a 10K wearing a borrowed Garmin Vivoactive.

The Garmin Connect software and website does not give me the pretty colour variations that illustrate being above and below average pace but it shows the route which was, as it was for the Christmas run 6 weeks before, 3 loops including the nasty hill.

How Did I Do?

I walked the hill for a time on all three laps but somehow came in 53 minutes. I only have one 10K left this year, the BUPA London on the May Bank Holiday, so really only have one change to break the 50 min mark.

Here are the splits.

Again the last K is short, like the Winter Run, but that was down to taking the racing line. LOL.

The Bling

Bespoke as ever with RunThrough. This one showing the Observatory. Still small, but what they lose in size they make up for in originality. This is #96 when the damned Santa Hustle medal arrives. 4 more to go.

In Summary

I do get on with these races. I like to see Matt and the team. There are no goodie bags but you get a unique medal, flapjacks, bananas, bottles of water and plenty of support staff. I would always recommend their races if you have a spare weekend. I do need to complete their run at Victoria Park, which would be a PB attempt, and may well do this year.

Would I run the Greenwich 10K again? No, I am done with those hills for while.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

NEXT UP:

BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON

28th February 2016