The grey gloomy clouds were not a reflection of the atmosphere at Race Your Pace Half Marathon on Saturday 18th February. Crowds of nervous and excited faces gathered beside Dorney Lake bracing themselves to avoid being blown into it as the winds started to really pick up! 1500 pairs of feet crossed the start line to begin the four laps of the fast, flat course.
The experienced Runners World pacers joined the masses to guide the runners around the lake at a consistent pace. Pacers ranged from 6 minute to 12 minute mile runners, each attracting their own swarm of competitors. Liz Yelling, host of the Race Your Pace post-race seminar knows the importance of pacing when racing, “Pacing is essential to maximise your training potential and to maximise your enjoyment throughout the race too!” The Runners World pacers helped to aid hundreds of personal best times and amongst the 9 minute mile group was Karen Higham who found the pacer played a huge part in achieving her personal best, “I felt encouraged to have a group around me and the pacer did a great job of keeping us all motivated.”
Matthew Jones stormed ahead at the start marking his territory in the race. A short distance behind James Tomlinson, William Joyce and Harry Johnston, Matthieu Rabault were vying for second and third place, none of them going to give up easily. The final lap saw Jones finish strongly with an overall time of 1.12.37. “The course was beautifully flat and I was on course for a personal best but the wind was tough causing me to drift away from it”. Second place was snapped up by Joyce in a time of 1.14.24 with Tomlinson hot on his heels (1.14.41).
The females at the for-front secured their places from the very beginning. Feeling the wind in her hair, Issy Menzies strode strongly ahead of the field taking first place with a personal best time of 1.22.47. “This race fitted perfectly into my training schedule to ensure I am on track for my summer program. The large amount of support around the course gave me that extra push.” Tish Jones averaging just over 6 minute miles brought it home in 1.24.18. Kate Robson who is currently top of the Asics off-road leader board took third place (1.25.11).
Wheelchair athlete, Steven Lightbown battled through the winds, still managing to knock 6 minutes off his time from last years Race Your Pace (1.10.27). “There were a lot more competitors than last year which made it a little more challenging but I’d like to thank the bike marshal who ensured there was a clear and safe path ahead.”
Thanks to Lucozade for their continued support at Race Your Pace. Runners were able to enjoy pre-race sampling and the small design bottle 300ml of Lucozade Sport Body Fuel at designated fuel stations.
The Race Your Pace Half Marathon Results and Gallery is now live.
Next event…join us in Kingston-Upon-Thames for the Whole Foods Market Breakfast Run 2012 on Sunday April 1st. A perfect warm-up event for the London Marathon and offers the choice of a 16-mile or an 8.2 mile loop from Kingston's historic marketplace to Hampton Court and back. ENTER THE WHOLE FOODS MARKET BREAKFAST RUN HERE.
