Just like the classic song from Dead or Alive, this race spun me right round like a record.
I received an email prior to this race informing me that this would be a one mile circuit, and as I am doing the half marathon then it would be 13 and a bit. That’s right, 13 laps. I was slightly unenthusiastic about this thought, but the rest of the email with all the logistics for the day were spot on.
Arriving at the Velopark, I followed the signs to the Event HQ and found it at the end of a very long and bending corridor, but this strangely got me hyped up for the race. At the end of this long and concrete grey walk was the brightly coloured Munchkin land that, created by the Runthrough team and there was a great “feel good” factor.
I picked up my race number ridiculously easy and wonderfully friendly, and I made my way to the start line. Once there, I joined the other half marathon runners and listened to the pre-race instructions of “hug the corners of you’ll end up doing more than the 13.1 miles, during the race the 5k, 10k and other runners will join and don’t cross the finish line on the right hand side before your last lap!” All straight forward, easy to understand and we were away!
I started with the front few runners and although this was a race around a freshly built concrete jungle, there were some nice sights to see. The huge Velopark which cast a shadow over the majority of the mile course is a wonderful sight, there were some nice little bridges we went over and there were some nice little up and downs too. The second to last bend had huge Olympic Rings above it that would inspire many, and in the middle of the course is a BMX track where people were riding up and down the ramps.
The stewards were fantastic and a real credit to the event. Constantly running up and around the course inspiring people, dressed as an Easter Bunny too to high-five fans and were really encouraging to all runners.
After the other runners running the other distances entered the race it because a bit of a slalom, but it didn’t really take away any of the enjoyment of the event. I was really enjoying it and although this was the same lap over and over again, I was using it as a way to try and maintain my pace over each mile that arrived.
The Avery fan club were in full swing this race, with my Dad, Uncle, two sons and Mrs A constantly cheering me from a bridge near the start line, but after my 8th lap I noticed that the support dwindled and only Mrs A remained for the duration.
When I got to my last lap, I knew I was well under the 90 minutes I normally set myself for a half. I didn’t slow down though, and decided to really go for it. Running as fast as I could around the course, I made my way to the finish line and crossed it in 1:26:23 and a 10th place finish.
After accidentally ignoring the Easter Bunny with my medal, I made my way back for a photo and the usual medal in teeth pose. I always thought Runthrough medals were a bit novelty, but this one was actually reallly nice. I made my way over to get a protein milkshake and was given a load of other nice bits like flapjacks and other items.
Conclusion: A surprisingly nice race and a great friendly atmosphere. I never thought I’d enjoy a multi-lap race as much as I did and would do this one again!