If I wasn’t injured (see my last blog post for an explanation of what I’ve done), then I would be running The Adidas Silverstone half marathon. Yes, Silverstone! On the motor racing circuit.
This is why I think it’s worth doing:
(1) It’s budget friendly
It starts at 12 so there’s mo need for a hotel the night before the race. A return coach ticket from central London costs just £25.
(2) The track
Did I mention it’s at Silerstone? How many times in your life will you get the opportunity to run round a F1 track?
(3) Ideal timing forthe Virgin Money London Marathon
The Silverstone race is exactly 6 weeks ahead of London. It’s great ‘race pace’ practise and will teach you how to deal with nerves and crowds. If you’ve not raced much before, this will be useful.
(4) It’s packed with supporters
Because of the iconic track, you’ll find friends and family want to come and cheer. I often find that the more support, the quicker I run. This is great if you’re hoping for a half marathon PB and even better if you need a bit of confidence before a bigger challenge (like the London marathon).
(5) It’s tracked, timed, chipped and linked to Facebook
Although you could run 13.2 miles in a training run, there’s something satisfying about it being official. Also, if your friends and family cannot make it, you can link your chip to Facebook and your friends can follow you en route. With the chip, you can track your mile splits to see how steady you are. Remember , there’s still six weeks to improve before the Virgin Money London Marathon, or other halfs you do later in the year.
Visit the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon website for details of the 2016 race and a 2015 race report. See you next year because I’m determined to do it at least once!
