UKC

My adventure in running continued with the Stockport 10 yesterday.

Not knowing Stockport, i didn't realise how hilly it was, it’s very hilly!
Despite this I had great race and really enjoy the course. Major praise for the club, all the marshals, goody bag packers and all the waving people of Stockport.
I would like to try my hand at a flat and fast half in the spring, needs to be in the North West or North Wales.
Which races can you recommend? – hopefully they haven’t sold out yet!

In reply to goldmember:

Wilmslow is the usual suggestion. It's in March, I'm not sure if it is full yet, in previous years I've been able to get in at this time, but all the big races seem to be filling quicker and quicker.

In reply to goldmember:

I've not done Liverpool, but I think that is reasonably quick.

In reply to goldmember:

Four Villages in Jan is great - not quite a PB course but people do run quick times. Wrexham in early March? Not run current Liverpool course but I'd guess Wilmslow would be the quicker.

In reply to steveriley:

booked into the helsby half. can't wait
done the r&r race in liverpool - hilly in one place, got hammered by the wind along the coast
Whats Wrexham like?
Getting tempted by wilmslow

In reply to goldmember:

Not done Wrexham but looks draggier than I'd imagined - http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/RouteMap/MyRoutes/451850/Satellite I've done a few races round the industrial estate that are really flat but the Half route has a bit more going on. Bit quicker than Helsby, slower than Wilmslow

In reply to steveriley:

Whats southport like for a summer event?

In reply to goldmember: Not north west but fairly quick to get to from there - Brass Monkey in York in Jan. Biggest hill is a railway bridge.

Not sure if they still do a half in Blackpool in the early part of the year (Great NW Half?) but that's where I got my PB - traffic free too Unless you count walkers with baby buggies).

In reply to goldmember: glad you enjoyed SKT. It's local to me and I've done it the last couple of years but the hill at 5 miles catches me out every time. Judging by the number of guys I passed on the last hill people don't leave enough in the tank for that one!! It was filthy this year. It's a funny race as the course is crap really but it leaves you with a warm glow.

Wilmslow is fast-ish and a good race but the second half is steadily and gently uphill. I went too fast on the conversely down-trending first half!

The one for you is Arley Hall half. There are two fantastic 10ks in March and Nov (PBs for me on both occasions). However I think the half is in the summer so possibly a bit warm. Finally, there's also Tissington trail half in October which I'm already booked on to. However it's downhill all the way so it depends how happy you are to 'cheat' to a PB!

Hatters half in September might be worth a look - flat but not on the road so possibly not especially fast.



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In reply to andy:

I think the Brass Monkey fills up quick. The Blackpool course is very weather dependant, like any coastal run, you have a good chance of strong headwind for a large part of the course.

In reply to goldmember:

Freckleton half?

In reply to goldmember:

Chester and Lake Vyrnwy are both quick and less hilly than Helsby for sure. Lake V is lovely if the weather is good.

In reply to goldmember:

Have done Wilmslow a few times; I reckon too many people to get a really fast run. 4 Villages, Helsby I found quite hard, lots of ups and downs, so no good for a fast time. Best one for me was Lancaster. Done it twice, fast one year (for me), slight bit of flooding another year which slowed people down !

Good luck!!

In reply to climb41:

It's a couple of years since I last did Wilmslow, but I don't think the numbers really slow you down. It can be busy at the start, but as long as you start in the right sort of place for your target time, even going with the flow for the first mile or so should not slow you down much. Given that the first 10k is very slightly down hill, it's worth not going off like a rocket. After the start there is plenty room on the road, but enough people around to work with other people of push on using people ahead as targets.

I remember doing the Fleetwood Half and coming out of the toilet to find the race starting, so beginning dead last, over the first two miles I overtook about 400 people to get into about 20th place, for the rest of the race I was running alone, someone 50 metres ahead and someone 50 metres behind. Big numbers of people can be useful for fast times.

There are about three Lancaster half marathons, using different courses, I've not done any, but I've done a 10 miler and a 20 miler by the same organisers. Both good events, although the 10 miler wasn't on a fast course. The half that follows the cycle way along the Lune will probably be the fastest.

In reply to The New NickB:


Totally agree - I didn't even think the field was that large and the roads in the first 2 miles (indeed, the whole course) are quite wide. Of course, it helps to start reasonably close to the front... Last year there was more space near the front than at the back - I think that's because people come out of the rugby club and can't see their way to the front.