ASICS British 10K, London

The Asics British 10K aims to recreate the atmosphere of the London Marathon without the burden of having to complete 26.2 miles. This annual event, now in its 10th year, takes place in Central London, starting outside the Hard Rock Café in Piccadilly and working its way up a small hill towards Green Park Tube, then winding through Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, moving along to Embankment, then Westminster and finishing at Whitehall. If the idea of taking in some of London’s traditional hotspots appeals to you, you would enjoy the scenery here – the race takes in Hyde Park Corner, St James' Palace, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the London Eye. The race started at 9.35am and I arrived, bleary eyed, an hour beforehand to collect my race number. I was escorted through to the press area of the Intercontinental Hotel, where the elite runners were warming up and taking themselves through stretches and some mental drills. I felt intimidated immediately! I was also amazed at the huge numbers of runners taking part. I had anticipated that I would be pounding the pavements with around 10,000 runners, but I wasn’t prepared to share concrete space with almost 26,000 participants!

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Great Britain!

The ASICS British 10K really aims to be patriotic – this is the first race I’ve done that kicks off to the National Anthem and the procession of horses from Buckingham Palace just beforehand was a sight to behold.The race began promptly with myself, my husband Eddie and my friend Eric at the front of the start line – and we were amazed to see literally tens of thousands runners lined up in waves along the road at Piccadilly. The Mayor of Westminster set the scene with some words of encouragement and then the race started in earnest. With 26,000 runners on my heels from the very start, I carefully weaved my way over to the left hand side of the road, where I expected to be overtaken by literally thousands of runners. On longer races, I like to run the first mile or two of the race slowly, without pushing myself, as it gives my body a chance to find a natural rhythm and settle into a strong breathing pattern. It’s a sound race strategy for longer races and one that hasn’t let me down yet. The only negative aspect of this was the fact that I was being constantly overtaken. But if you’re able to accept that this is going to happen, you can still run your own race and enjoy the atmosphere, and you can also push yourself harder towards the latter stages too.

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Heatwave

Much like the marathon, the streets of London were lined with spectators who had amassed to cheer us on. The race was well marked with signs at every 2K and there were plenty of water stations. This was a blessing, as the temperature was in its mid-20s and for those who aren’t used to running in such heat (like me!) it could prove too much. I admit I struggled on the last few kilometres. Also I had to get used to the fact that many people running in front of me were dousing their bodies from head to toe in water – if you don’t want to get wet, you need to react swiftly and jump out of their way!As the race neared the final stages, the heat began to get to me. I dug in deep as I ran over Westminster Bridge, struggling with the slight gradient of the bridge and really beginning to feel the heat. Fortunately, there were plenty of people to cheer me on, and as I reached the 9K mark near Parliament Square, there were vast crowd numbers and heaps of encouragement to push me through to the finish line. I finished the race in 54:09 minutes, with Eddie and Eric achieving an impressive 51:27 and Women’s Running’s Fitness Editor Anne-Marie Lategan completing the race in 50 minutes.

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Crowd surfing

Medals and goody bags awaited us – and as we walked towards Victoria Station, we got caught up in the crowds of Tourists in front of Buckingham Palace, lined up with cameras the ready. I must have been on a runner’s high – for once I didn’t mind the crowds!Overall verdict: A bustling, hectic and vibrant race, with the best scenery London has to offer. Also, the race wasn’t hilly – there were a few gradients but nothing substantial so ideal for those who, like me, hate hills and hand-pick races that don’t have any! I’m signing up for next year already!