How great was it really? I was prepared to soak up the atmosphere as part of a training run…

When and where?

11/09/2022: Start in Newcastle. Finish in sunny South Shields

The Route

The race starts in Newcastle before heading over the iconic Tyne Bridge. There were no Red Arrows due to the passing of the Queen. We then head over various roads, roundabouts and dual carriageways towards South Shields. As soon as you can see the sea, you know you’re close to the finish. It’s a welcome sight!

As you pass through towards the finish line you are met with large supportive crowds. The finish sprint is on grass which I found a bit weird.

Race Conditions

It’s September now and I had really hoped it would have cooled down. The forecast was cloud all day which would have been preferable. Of course, as soon as I set off the sun came out…

My Performance

To provide context to my performance I need to add to the stress of getting to the start line. I had everything organised, but as I waited for any of the scheduled buses to arrive… it was not looking good.

In a panic, I ended up having to book a pricey taxi to get me there. I missed the start of the race and as I got myself all worked up and annoyed by it all I did the classic mistake runners make… I ran far too quickly.

So my first mile was faster than what I usually do at a 5k parkrun, the first 5k being my current average parkrun time… during a half marathon.

At the time I hadn’t realised I had set off so fast as I was busy trying to calm myself down. Meeting Eilish McColgan at the start was a definite highlight.

So by the time I got to mile 5 I was struggling. Questioning why the flip I was doing this. It didn’t help being elbowed every few minutes or having to run around people who randomly stopped. Seriously, if you’re going to stop please can you move to the side?!

I used my tried and tested method of convincing myself to run just one more mile, but by the time I got to mile 8 I was in bits. The sun was glaring down at me, the crowd were trying their best to cheer me on but I was fed up. I started walking for 200m before running again and continuing until the next mile marker. This worked well until mile 11 which by this point I really was fed up.

I did enjoy the crowd handing out sweets, drinks and ice lollies. The beer at mile 11 was decent haha! I started to take everything as I strolled my way through. The crowds got bigger as I spotted the sea, I saw Yorkshire flags and a family wearing Huddersfield Town shirts. A taste of home. Despite it being the last mile I was still walking, I haven’t quite mastered the running with an ice lolly just yet.

As I crossed the finish line I was just annoyed, desperate for a beer and to forget this happened.

Would I Recommend?

No. I think the support is fantastic and everyone is so lovely, but I don’t think it’s worth it.

Could my opinion be tainted by what happened to get to the race? Possibly, but I don’t really see what’s fun about being elbowed and having to stop and start to get around people.

Some things were well organised like the bag drop and the aid stations. However I was told they changed the route to the start line which probably caused a lot of people issues! Hopefully they will fix this for people next year.

Speaking to other people who have run the race, it seems to be a bit like marmite. You either love it, or you don’t. I’m definitely in the latter to be honest!

Offical Time: lol