A Half Marathon with a Difference

Today I completed a half marathon in 1 hour and about 5 minutes... unfortunately it doesn't count as an unbelieveable PB as I wasn't running; I was in a car and not even driving!

It was the Potters 'Arf this morning - I've completed the race three times as a runner, the first time in 2012, and it is still one of the toughest half marathons I've done. It's also one of the best supported and a great event in the local running calendar, famed for it's horrible hills.

However, since 2015, I've completed the event in a slightly different way, volunteering in the race activation car. This means completing the half marathon route about five minutes in front of the lead runners; alerting marshals and volunteers at drink stations that the runners are on the way; identifying any on-course issues and occasionally jumping out of the car to move traffic signs or cones.

Race Day Timings

For the most part, it's really enjoyable. Driver Andy and I get to say hello to running friends who are spectating around the course, offer encouragement to the walkers who started at 9.00am and let spectators know that the runners will be along soon. I think today we even had our photo taken a couple of times!

But every now and then, anxiety levels rise; a road closure sign not in the right place, the lead runners getting too close to us, cars sneaking out from side streets as we drive away. It can be stressful but we just have to keep going; stick to the schedule.

If I'm running, my half marathons are never over this quickly; in what felt like no time at all, we were back in Hanley and heading towards the finish line by Stanley Matthew's statue right on time. Parking up the car, I then joined other volunteers to greet the runners as they finished and hand out medals, t-shirts, goody bags, water and flapjack.

Being in the finish funnel means seeing all the runners finish... friends from near and far, as well as lots of familiar faces from parkrun too. It was also great to see the big smiles on first-time half marathon runners as the enormity of the achievement sinks in. Congratulations to everyone who completed today's event.

Helping at the Potters 'Arf today has definitely inspired to lace up my trainers. My month of recovery is complete, I'm ready to get running again.

What's next?

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