The Winter Run is something I’ve been toying with entering for a few years now and when I was kindly offered a place in exchange for a review I knew the time was now. I’ll be completely honest, when the race pack dropped through my door, I was starting to feel apprehensive. Questions whisked around my head ‘Would I be able to run the full 10km? Or would I need to stop and walk?‘ – ‘Will I be able to get a suitably timed train?‘ – ‘Will it snow?’
Sunday 4th February was bitterly cold, I waited at the train station with various other entrants to the event and wondered what this would have in store for me and the 20,000+ other people running. Thankfully the event was easy to located and well organized with plenty of toilets and clear signing to every element of the race from bag-drop, to merchandise and post-race fueling.
I approached a kind volunteer and explained that I was early, desperately cold and asked if it would be at all possible for me to sneak onto an earlier wave. Thankfully she said yes, I joined the queue and warmed up ready for the event, I knew that waiting around would do nothing for my nerves and I felt ready to get my legs moving.
With regards to time, I told myself that I’d be content with anything from 58minutes to 70minutes, my sole objective had become to have fun. I ran 10km a few weeks before, just to calm my head and remind my body that I can run more than my current 5km max. Once I found myself in a groove, the kilometers just flew by, I was so immersed in the whole atmosphere that I completely lost track of time and managed to avoid checking my watch until the last kilometre.
I completed the event in 62minutes and I was really content with this, after all, I was worrying that I’d have to stop and walk at points! Maybe it was the polar bears, dancing penguins and the upbeat crowd that encouraged me to keep on going?
I’ve popped a little video together talking about my experience which you can watch below:
In all honesty, I can see how this could be a PB course, it’s flat and very forgiving. With that in mind, if you’re seeking a PB I’d recommend joining one of the faster waves or position yourself closer to the start, or you might have to spend time weaving in and out of people.
We where well looked after at the end of the event, with water, coconut water, a delicious protein bar, and malt loaf, plus a fabulous medal! If you’re thinking of signing up next year, keep an eye out for the early bird prices and enter promptly, this is one event that really does sell out quickly.
Have you ever entered the Winter Run before? Did you enjoy it?
Katie
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