Cheltenham Half Marathon in Pictures.

Posted on September 7, 2014 by James Clay
Nice to walk to race start rather than endure a long drive!

Nice to walk to race start rather than endure a long drive!

3,700 runners lined up on the start...and I was behind 3,600 of them I think!

3,700 runners lined up on the start…and I was behind 3,600 of them I think!

At 9am we were off! (5 minutes after the elite runners)

At 9am we were off! (5 minutes after the elite runners)

Sadly I'd sweated on the lens at this point, but lovely to get some support from Nan and Mum on the way round :o)

Sadly I’d sweated on the lens at this point, but lovely to get some support from Nan and Mum on the way round :o)

Entering the famous Cheltenham Racecourse. Many people struggled with this section as it's so exposed and you can see the runners a LONG way ahead of you...but I loved it.

Entering the famous Cheltenham Racecourse. Many people struggled with this section as it’s so exposed and you can see the runners a LONG way ahead of you…but I loved it.

There was a samba band at 11.5 miles and the far side of the Racecourse, but not many people were sticking around to enjoy them!

There was a samba band at 11.5 miles and the far side of the Racecourse, but not many people were sticking around to enjoy them!

After stopping for photos, chatting to everyone, tweeting, a water fight, picking out yellow jelly babies from the tubs on offer and taking it very comfortably I finally finished in 2:14:31

After stopping for photos, chatting to everyone, tweeting, a water fight, picking out yellow jelly babies from the tubs on offer and taking it very comfortably I finally finished in 2:14:31

This is what it was all for!

This is what it was all for!

The medal takes it's place in the collection.

The medal takes it’s place in the collection.

The greatest running club in the world, Almost Athletes.

The greatest running club in the world, Almost Athletes.

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@Chelt52 Review – Thursday 4th September

Posted on September 4, 2014 by James Clay

Another great day on @Chelt52! Lots of tweets today, all of which will be entered in to the draw for a Science in Sport Endurance Pack. As the weekend and Cheltenham Half Marathon get closer there will be lots of information coming your way. If you have any questions about the race or running then get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!

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Club of the Day

Cheltenham Harriers, based at the town’s athletics hub The Prince of Wales Stadium, are a competitive club covering all athletics disciplines, including distance running.

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They offer a ladies beginner group on Monday at 6.45pm & also offer kids an introduction to athletics and running. For adult runners with a 5km race time of under 19m30s training is every Tuesday & Thursday at 6.45pm. These guys are seriously quick so maybe not one for social runners but if you want to improve go see them!

Race of the Day

The Guy Fawkes 5 is a lovely short race on quiet country roads outside Tewkesbury.

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Taking place in early November (obviously!), if you started running TOMORROW you could be race ready for this one and get your first medal. You can find a terrific programme here to get you started or go to one of the clubs I’ve listed this week with a beginners group (Almost Athletes would be my suggestion but I am biased!)

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It’s also great to support the small local races.The running community is a great one to be involved in! To get more info and enter online at here.

Will I see you on the start line?!?

Route of the Day

With only a few days to go, it’s time to look at the route of the weekend’s big race, Cheltenham Half Marathon.

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It’s a great 13.1 miles around the town following the wide leafy roads and taking in such highlights as the Promenade and a loop of Cheltenham Racecourse, normally reserved for 4 legged runners! There’s lots of opportunity for spectators to line the course, so I hope thousands of you turn out!

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Where are you going to be watching the race from???

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@Chelt52 Review – Wednesday 3rd September

Posted on September 3, 2014 by James Clay

Day three, and as well as me sharing my club, race and route of the day you guys have been tweeting too! Don’t forget anyone who tweets me this week will be entered in to the draw to win a Science in Sport Endurance Pack, so get involved!

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Club of the Day

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Based at Fitness First Cheltenham, the club run 6pm Tuesday, 6.45pm Thursday and 10am Sundays with a focus on improvement. They have a number of membership levels and can provide tailored training to get the most out of your running, plus the benefits of being supported by the gym facilities including changing rooms, treadmills and pool. You can get much more information here.

Race of the Day

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Not actually a race (there is no “winner”, although there is a first finisher!) Cheltenham Parkrun is a free, weekly, timed run around the lake at Pittville Park. Every Saturday at 9am 250+ runners line up to take on the 5km course, which is three laps of the lake and playing field. I wrote about parkrun last year and have since gone on to volunteer as a Run Director amongst many other roles, and have now run 30 parkruns myself including some tourism at Newent, Chippenham and Forest of Dean parkruns!

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You can get much more info from the website here or my blog post here and the simple and FREE registration page is here. I’ll be at parkrun this Saturday morning so if you are coming along let me know, it would be great to meet you!

 

Route of the day

Sticking with Pittville Park, another great option for new runners is the 3-2-1 Route installed by Run England.

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The routes start on the path next to Leisure@ and opposite Prince of Wales stadium (so there’s plenty of parking available) and you can find this sign as you walk in to the park.

The idea is a simple one, there are three measured loops available around the park, of 1, 2 or 3kms.

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You can combine them as you see fit, knowing that the distance is accurate. They are all on paths within the park so there is no traffic to worry about, and there are distance markers and direction arrows on discs set in to the floor so you can’t get lost.

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One of my favourite morning runs is to jog to the park along the Honeybourne Line, do a hard effort around the 3km route and jog home.

Let me know if you give it a go, I’d love to hear how you got on.

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@Chelt 52 Review – Tuesday 2nd September

Posted on September 2, 2014 by James Clay

Day two done already…and what a day! Thank you to all the new followers and everyone who has tweeted or retweeted. If you have anything you want to share or any suggestions for routes or races then please get in touch!

Competition! Competition! Competition! Competition! Competition! Competition!

Those lovely folks at Science in Sport have sent me a care package of new gels and bars to try out and review. (one of the perks of being a blogger!)

Amazing package from SiS, thanks guys!

Amazing package from SiS, thanks guys!

They included so much stuff that I’ve decided to give away the Endurance Box, containing enough energy gels, bars and drinks to get you through even the toughest challenge! To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is tweet me @Chelt52 with anything running related. Everyone who tweets this week will be entered in to the draw and a winner chosen on Sunday. Good luck!

This could be yours, just tweet @Chelt52 with your running news.

This could be yours, just tweet @Chelt52 with your running news.

Club of the Day

CLC Striders are based at Cheltenham Ladies College, Malvern Road, and run on Monday and Wednesday, 6.30pm. Monday is the social club run of 4 or 6 miles and Wednesday is speed work for improvers and competitive runners. With a great record at local races Striders might be a club best suited to runners looking to improve their times. You can find more information on their website here.

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Race of the Day

The Bugatti 10k is on Sunday 14th September, a week after the Cheltenham Half and a perfect excuse to stretch the legs again. Starting at Prescott, home of the famous motor club, it follows quiet country roads on an undualting loop. Chip timed with a medal for every finisher, the race also supports a local charity, Winston’s Wish. You can get more information here.

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Route of the Day

Capture Today’s route is one of my favourites, Cleeve Hill. Starting at the iconic pylons car park head north west across the common to the head of the valley. Descend to the washpool near Postlip, the spring you pass and stream you’re following is the source of the River Isbourne.

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Back uphill to join the Cotswold Way, and follow the escarpment past the Golf Course Club House and Rising Sun Hotel. Slow down and take a moment to admire the stunning views across Cheltenham…

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Finally head left uphill and back across the common to the pylons, an easy target to aim for.

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The route as described is 4.6 miles, but there are endless opportunities to extend the route and explore the hill, and I’m happy to offer some advice if you want to know a few options.

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@Chelt52 Review – Monday 1st September

Posted on September 1, 2014 by James Clay

Thank you for following me on @Chelt52 this week (and if you aren’t then quick, go to Twitter and follow me now!) It’s great to have the opportunity to share my love of running with you all for a week and hopefully inspire you to great things. Each day you’ll get a review of the day’s information and if you tweet me you might even see yourself here too!

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Thanks for a great first day!

Club of the Day

My club, the Almost Athletes! (well I could hardly start with anyone else!)

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With 400 members (163 of which are running the Cheltenham Half this weekend!) we are the biggest and friendliest club in town. With 5 runs a week including speed and interval sessions (Tues/Thurs), social runs (Weds, the main club night, and Friday) and Saturday morning trail run there’s something for everyone. We also have a beginners group that has trained many runners from the couch to 5km.

With a great social life and as organisers of some fabulous races (including the Meteor Mile this weekend!) the Almosts is definitely the best club in town…but I’m biased!

Purple Power!

Purple Power!

Race of the Day

The Meteor Mile, this Saturday, is a unique opportunity to race a measured mile on Gloucestershire Airport’s Runway! Run at dusk, with the landing lights on, it’s a race with a real difference. Entries online here or on the day. See you there!

Some good looking folks marshaling the Meteor Mile last year

Some good looking folks marshaling the Meteor Mile last year

The starting line in 2013...will you be there on Saturday?

The starting line in 2013…will you be there on Saturday?

Route of the day

Not exactly a route today, but a great place to start running. The Honeybourne Line runs through the town from the train station to Pittville Park, and is almost exactly 2km long. Almost entirely flat and lit at night, it’s a perfect spot for beginners doing a “couch to 5k” programme or seasoned runners wanting to do some speed work.

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What makes the old train line even better for runners is the addition of distance markers, every 100 metres along the length of the path. If you’re looking to start running and want to run 100 metres, walk 100, run 100 etc this takes the guesswork out of it for you. As you get fitter you can run further and rest for less until you’re happily jogging the whole 2 kilometres.

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One of my favourite sessions is a pyramid of 100 metre sprint, 100 metre jog, 200m sprint, 100m jog, 300m sprint etc up to a 500 metre sprint and then back down through 400, 300, 200 and a final flat out 100 metres. It’s a total of only 3.3km but it’s fast and hard and a great speed session. Give it a go!

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