Ten of the best

Picking your top ten races is a bit like choosing your top ten records - but for people who think about running too much! Now this is just my list, and is therefore only correct in my eyes and at this time of writing. Also, as there are many races that I have not yet done, I reserve the right to change this list at any time in future.

So what criteria should be used? Firstly, for me, plenty of competition. Like most people, I won’t put in a performance unless I need to. OK, I’m not saying I won’t run fast, but why run 10 seconds a mile faster when you don’t need too? I’m naturally lazy and need the competition to get the best out of myself. I don’t need to name names, but there are plenty of club runners I’m trying to beat, just as I’m sure I’m a target for one or two others!

Courses come in next. Rural routes will usually trump urban routes (London Marathon being the exception), and summer routes will always be more enjoyable than those in the middle of winter. Those set against a backdrop of the Lakes, or those courses that wind through our rolling green landscape, especially on a cool summers evening, are always on a winner.

Race atmosphere is important, but this is usually created by the participants rather than the organisers, and finally PB potential is a useful bonus but certainly not essential for the ingredients of a great race.

So, here’s my list:

10: Wesham 10K: This was one of my first races as a club runner, and during that first race would have been included in my top one worst race. It was cold, windy, miserable, and with my limited race experience I started too far near the front and was passed every ten yards for 3 miles. However, I came back the following year and knocked about 6 minutes of my time. In following years I reduced it even more until peaking at just under 36 minutes. I’ve not managed that since, but I always work hard as bragging rights are carried on to the dinner dance in the evening.

9. Harrock Hill summer trail races: Never an easy race, with a tough uphill start, and a long exhausting middle section, but attracts good runners from a wide catchment area. Popular with Wesham runners, the course is set in pretty rolling countryside that is very pleasant on a summers evening. Winners get a box of vegetables!

8. Freckleton Half Marathon: You know summers here when “Freck Half” is on. In fact, to be a proper “Freck”, it must be at least 30C. The course starts on playing fields and feels like a school sports day before going through the streets of Freckleton and heading out towards Wrea Green before returning towards Lytham and following the bypass for a gruelling last 3 miles. Good support through Wrea Green and pubs along the route.

7. Blackpool Fun Run: (not sure the words “Fun” and “Run” should not be used in the same sentence!) this race attracts 3000 runners of all abilities including many locals. Almost pancake flat and dead straight, this is the fastest 10K course I’ve ever run. Ignore those who say your time there is null and void because it’s not a measured course – check you GPS! I’ve got a time that’s 30 seconds faster than any other 10K I’ve done. Some will say the course is boring, an out and back, but I like it. You can check how far the leaders are in front of you, and, more importantly, who you are ahead of. And if you look at how many runners are behind you, you won’t have a bad race. I have happy memories of coming 12^th in 2006 but now it’s too soon after London for me to race it to my capabilities.

6. Keswick Buttermere round: A firm fixture for me in my racing calendar, this tough 21 mile race in the lakes is the halfway mark in my marathon training. The first 10K is nicely undulating, but energy should be saved for rigours of Honister Pass (331m) and Newlands Pass (367m). The scenery is stunning, even in the misery of February gloom.

5. Coniston 14: Another run in the lakes, with a massive following, which always seems to coincide with the first nice day of the year. If I’m racing well then a top 20 position is a possibility – came 15^th this year and received £65 Pete Bland Vouchers!

4. Hawkshead 10K: Part of the Kendal series of summer races, this is the pick of the four, held in mid-summer and set in the glorious landscape of the lakes around Esthwaite Water. It’s not an easy course, with “mild undulations” in the first half leaving you tired on the return stretch. BBQ at the finish and a decent pint in the centre of the village.

3. Welsh Castles Relay: Great team relay event along the length of Wales with more emphasis on enjoyment than competing. Two long days, but well worth it, with optional stopover on Saturday night to enjoy an ale or two.

2. Inter club relays: Fast, furious and very competitive. Puts everyone in their pecking order! All run on good, generally scenic courses throughout the summer. Just what races should be.

1. London Marathon: Maybe the best marathon going, certainly the most popular, this is the race everyone, runners and non-runners alike, would like to complete. What better sight than to turn right at Buckingham Palace and head down The Mall towards the finish line with 26 miles and months of hard training through the bitter winter months behind you? The crowds are going crazy, the endorphins are about to kick in, (maybe with a bit of cramp), and you can see the clock in front of you, with, if your training has gone all right, the right digits on it too! This is the moment you dream about when stuck in a rut after 5 miles into a 20 mile run, or heading into a headwind and horizontal rain on a freezing February night when your sensible head tells you to stay home on the sofa instead. Savour the moment – your mission is complete. You might not be able to walk properly for 3 days, or even to run properly for 3 months, but there is nothing like completing a marathon.

Written by: Steve Myerscough

Submitted: 14^th May 2010

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor