Kingston Breakfast Run

The Kingston Breakfast Run offers a choice of two distances, 8.2 miles and 16 miles. The longer distance is ideal for marathon runners who want to treat it as a training session for the London Marathon – but for me personally, 8.2 miles was quite enough, thank you. It was an early event – the 8.2-mile distance started at 8am while the 16-mile runners set off at 8.30am. As I joined my fellow runners on the start line, it became apparent that the atmosphere was different from my last race, where everyone was chatting and mingling in a relaxed manner. Everyone had an intensity and focused attitude – it seemed most of the runners were in their own world and there was a real competitive spirit. My colleague Heidi, who had signed up for the 16-mile distance in preparation for the London Marathon later this month, had some wise words for me before I started. ‘Start slowly,’ she warned me. ‘Don’t get caught in the stampede and rush at the beginning. For the first mile at least, jog slowly before you ease into your normal running pace. Otherwise you’ll burn out quickly.’Heidi is an athlete who once ran the London Marathon in two hours and 54 minutes. She also competes in Iron Man events and triathlons, so I wasn’t about to ignore her advice.

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Warm up

As the gun went off, I started with a slow jog. I wanted to get my breathing right and get my body warmed up properly before I began to worry about speed. The race began in the high street and very swiftly we were headed towards the River Thames. A good chunk of the race ran parallel to the river, which meant the view was impressive and those who chose to could run on grass and give their joints a break from hard surfaces. I saw a few swans in the Thames and admired the scenery – lots of grass and trees. The Kingston Breakfast Run is a flat route, which was ideal as I hadn’t really prepared for an uphill course. We left the river bank and ran over the bridge, before running along straight stretches of road for what seemed like a long time. The scenery isn’t amazing once you leave the river, but I kept myself occupied by admiring the many different dog breeds I saw on the way!

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For the love of music

My music really made a difference. When everyone else is in their own zone, you need something to spur you on. I had been setting a moderate pace for much of the race but my energy levels were good and I was enjoying the run. When we reached mile seven, however, I checked my watch and knew that I would have to put on a bit of a spurt to achieve my goal of finishing within one hour and 20 minutes. As I made the decision to up the ante, one of my favourite dance tunes blared onto my Shuffle and I used it to help me push harder with the arms and power through with the legs. I managed to complete my last mile in eight minutes, securing a final time of one hour, 18 minutes and 30 seconds. I wasn’t about to set any world records, but as a diehard treadmill runner, I was happy with that.

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Personal best!

My colleague Heidi finished the 16-mile course in one hour 50 minutes and 35 seconds – and came eighth in the ladies category. Go Heidi!I was just happy to complete the course and enjoy the run. But sign me up for the 16-mile distance next year! At least I’ll have 12 months to prepare for it!In short, this is a good course for those who want to take the next step from running 10K events and ideal for those whom, like me, prefer the luxury of a flat course. But you may want to run with a friend or partner for camaraderie. Otherwise, you’ll definitely need music. A well-organised and enjoyable event.