After securing a lottery place in the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff 6 months ago, the weekend finally came. As it turned out, I couldn’t have chosen a better hotel. Not only was it the Race HQ for the weekend, but also just a 2 minute walk from the start and finish line at Cardiff Castle. The hotel was like a who’s who of Athletics. Seb Coe got in the lift with me on Saturday morning and Mo Farah, Paula Radcliffe and some Kenyans (who I didn’t know)were around the lobby throughout the weekend.
A poncho was one of the useful items they gave out at the race expo on Friday….and it certainly came in handy. Just as I made my way to the start line, the heavens opened. The elite women were off but we still had 30 minutes to stand waiting in the rain. 5 minutes from the start the elite men came out of Cardiff Castle like Gladiators to a huge roar from the crowds. It was great to catch a glimpse of a few Irish singlets in amongst the world’s finest. The Welsh national anthem was sung by the Cardiff Arms Park Male choir and it certainly sent goosebumps through an already cold and wet body. The ponchos were cast aside and the starters gun and the roar of the huge crowd set us on our way.
I went into the race hoping for sub 95 mins, which I hadn’t done in a while. The first 2 miles were pretty crowded, quick(6:52’s) and into a headwind. Although I felt I was pushing it, I soon got into a relaxed pace and each of the next 4 miles were consistent at 6:55’s. Miles 4-6 were around Cardiff Bay which is a lovely part of the City and the route brought us around the harbour. The crowds were out in force here and the wind for the first time seemed to be on our backs. I passed through 10k in 43 mins and the 90 min pacers were still in sight to my surprise. There were lots of steep climbs which burned the lungs but also some nice downhill sections.
The skies suddenly turned even darker and around the 8 mile mark, what had been on and off showers now turned into a torrential downpour as the rain bounced off the streets. The Dunboyne singlet didn’t offer much protection to the elements and all you could do was put the head down and hope that it would soon ease up. The legs were feeling heavy now and it was a case of breaking the last 5 miles into 0.5 mile sections and ticking them off. Miles 10-12 slipped to 7:15’s with tired legs, a few hills and driving wind and rain. I knew a PB was still on the cards though so this kept me focused and drove me on. I went through the 12 mile mark and then decided to push as hard as I could for the last mile. We went around a sharp turn and there right in front of me was the biggest hill on the course. A few expletives were muttered….what a crazy place to put a hill. The hill was overcome and thankfully the last section was flat all the way to the finish so I gave it everything I had thinking I would break 93 mins.
1:33:04 was the official time. I was shattered but delighted with the time. I ran an extra 0.1 miles not taking the most efficient route. That coupled with the worst weather I’ve ever raced in gives me belief that the sub 90 might not be too far away.
The crowds along the route were great. Despite the wind and heavy rain, they still turned out in their thousands to cheer each and every runner on. A race I’d recommend….off to check where next year’s event is being held!
