Amazing Northampton Half Marathon

Date: Sunday 4th September

Distance: Half Marathon

Pre-Race

I chose this race because I was looking for an autumn Half, I had previously completed one in December 24 which despite terrible conditions I enjoyed. A September half allowed me the opportunity to build my stamina in the summer months when it was lighter and warmer rather than training in the winter cold dark months. This is a local half marathon, easy to get to, an event undertaken by many other DRR runners and they were complimentary about the race. They highlighted the course, ease of access, reputation of the team organising the race with lots of marshals, crowd support and drinks stations.

The event is popular within the club and there were circa twenty runners taking part.

The Race Experience

The recommendation is to get there early and park ahead of the road closures that start at 8.30am. There are lots of car parks and if preferred street parking available. The registration process was very straightforward if you choose to collect your number on the day. The baggage drop was in the market square, but is not fully supervised so you may want to leave valuables in the car or with family or friends.

The start did not segregate runners into the different paces and hence for the first mile or so you may well find yourself weaving around people until things settle down. Having said that the roads are wide and there is no congestion. I would recommend getting to the starting pens early if you are looking to get a fast time or compete towards the front.

There were pacers but in my experience they were not effective as the two hour pacer finished in front of me despite me having a time of one hour fifty seven. This may be related to the unsegregated start.

As with all Half Marathons there is the concentration level required to ensure you remain positive throughout and keep a focus with consistent pacing. The start is downhill and hence take care not to get to carried away and starting off faster than you can maintain for the full distance. I kept a close eye on my watch to ensure I was utilising the benefits of the downhill but without over doing it.

There is the unusual requirement to go up the steps at Sixfields football stadium, take care on the steps. There are a few uphill segments and to compensate an equal number of downhills. There are a couple of tough uphill segments in the last mile otherwise not overly challenging. The demands are similar to what I would expect from a town centre Half. You get a really good tour of the town seeing the major sports stadiums, the parks, river, University and the various other sites.

I really enjoyed the event though did struggle a bit on the hill in the last mile.

There are multiple good viewing opportunities for supporters with my family able to see me at various points throughout the run. There was some great support from the Marshalls especially by the Rugby club where DRR runners were helping. It was a really benefit to get encouragement from the friendly faces.

I stayed positive throughout and had a couple of chats with people as we ran around the course.

I changed my initial plan and ended up going quicker than I thought I was capable of. I kept my pace consistent throughout with each Mile/KM within seven seconds of each other bar the last one.

I took advantage of the water stations available of which there were many.

The Finish

On completion there was a nice medal featuring Northampton and a T-shirt together with bottles of water. The finish is in the Market square where there are lots of meeting points and plenty of options for food and drink afterwards and of course the opportunity to catch-up with loved ones and other DRR participants.

I would definitely run this race again. A great atmosphere, lots of support, local, easy to get, good vantage points and an interesting course.

To sum up the Amazing Northampton experience – enjoyable / fun / supportive.