A bit of a shambles at the Sheffield half marathon today. Apparently it was cancelled as the company supplying the water stations, well, just didn't. The problem was , the only tannoy system was in the Don Valley Bowl by the finish line, and the starting pack was on Attercliffe common and Coleridge Road, so couldn't hear the bloody announcements. And, apparently, nobody had a bullhorn.
It was obvious there was a problem because of the the delay, but then when it got to 9.50 (fifty minutes late) the run seemed to start. I thought there was a distinct lack of water stations on the early part of the route, but there was bottled water by the time we were getting toward town. Going up through Sharrow and, especially, on Ecclesall Road, I did note how many of the spectators were passing out water or jelly babies, but just thought they were being randomly awesome rather than specifically awesome. Everyone who made the effort to do that is an absolute star. Plaudits also to the Frog and Parrot pub on Division Street and the Costa Coffee in Attercliffe which set up their own water stations.
For the run itself, many good things:
I survived it;
I ran the whole damned thing without stopping or walking, although the last two- or three km were hit n miss;
I finished in 1:53:34 which, considering I'm a 43 year old bloke and this is the FIRST TIME I'VE EVER RUN THAT FAR I feel quite pleased with.
Same again in Leeds in five weeks. Well, hopefully better organised.
I have just eaten a moderately sized pizza so now I am going to hose myself down and recline for awhile.
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/527634716
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