I travelled to Walmer Bridge to the City of Preston 5&10 Mile Road Races. Despite the Name the event doesn’t really go anywhere near Preston so wasn’t affected by their recent Lockdown.  

I’d opted to take part in the 5 Mile race due to lack of fitness, sciatica and laziness! It was a much smaller event than previous years but it was good to arrive and feel the pre-race buzz we all love. After staggered registration and a bit of chatting with to fellow competitors we made our way to the start. The race took the form of a time trial with the runners lining up 2 metres apart and setting off one at a time every 3 seconds. Chip timings allowed everyone to receive an accurate time.   

The race itself is flat and follows fairly main roads around Longton and New Longton. The 10 mile runners would complete 2 laps of the course. It was well supported by happy marshals from Rosemere, the charity which the run supports. Being set off every 3 seconds meant that there was always someone in front and behind allowing or some racing to take place. Not that I was feeling very competitive on the day!

Not being at my best at the moment, I decided to aim for 8 minute miles giving myself a finish time of 40 minutes. In the end I ended up with 39.56, so all went to plan! It was good to get back to a running event and when I got home I signed up for the next club Championship race, the Derwentwater 10k Trail Race with 17 other club members