St Neots Riverside Half Marathon

  • Rated 81%
  • 13.1mi
  • Road
Entrants (47) Club PB SB Pred Time WAVA
duckandcover Unaffiliated 1:39:29 1:39:29 1:39:29 60.10
northern_runner Bowland Fell Runners, BRJ Run and Tri 1:29:46 1:37:21 1:37:21 65.60
LaurentD Unaffiliated 1:35:42 1:57:20 1:57:20 50.32
widymins very chilly, but dry.
Great run. Well chuffed with my time! Unaffiliated 1:46:28 1:50:35 1:50:35 66.78
Dan_uk Mornington Chasers 1:41:09
Glen Bulb Cambridge & Coleridge AC 1:30:48 1:32:29 1:32:29 62.87
danger Yay sub 1:30! Biggleswade AC 1:25:19 1:27:44 1:27:53 65.97
Xhippie Riverside Runners
a.k.a Billy This along with the Bedford Half are my main Dunstable RRC 1:38:10 1:38:10 1:38:25 59.08
Longy Haverhill RC 1:25:12 1:25:12 1:28:30 65.70
Number 6 Unaffiliated 1:34:44 1:39:23 1:42:01 62.60
HellsBells brilliant race, brilliant organisation, fantastic marshalls - bring on next year! FERC 2:08:40 2:13:51 2:13:51 50.43
Bettsy Norwich Road Runners 1:18:26 1:20:45 1:20:51 72.10
Cats Whiskers Euch!  This was terrible.  Really suffered with the cold - didn't feel properly warmed up till mile 6.  Felt quite good for miles 7 & 8, but then left hamstring seized up (due to glut strain) so ended up shuffling home.  Pleased I finished, and time wasn't too bad considering I felt I was struggling the whole way round - fitness has obviously improved considerably for this pace to be Cambridge & Coleridge AC 1:43:38 1:43:38 1:48:40 60.11
Runner Martin Redway Runners 1:38:46 1:50:17 1:52:06 57.46
Greenman Grantham Running club 1:20:38 1:22:52 1:23:28 72.18
KinkyS Lost a lot of time to the wind in miles 3, 4 and 9, but otherwise a good consistent run, hard but well paced, and pleased with the result.  Not an overall PB, but a course PB, and my third fastest half (the fastest were both run on flat courses in ideal conditions - this was neither!). Todmorden Harriers & AC, The Green Runners 1:31:57 1:33:31 1:37:44 65.97
Tim of Fife 1:48.51 chip,  1:48.50 stop-watch.   5th best time of 19 halves completed.   Placed 470th of 861 finishers.    

This was a race of two-halves (no pun intended) for me.  

The first 6 or so miles were torrid.   Really hard going.  I hated every moment.   The wind and 'gentle undulations' didn't help matters,  but weren't the cause.  The problem was in my head.   I hadn't run anything like this far in training for a long time (just short indoor treadie runs)  and the 'voices' were telling me that I hadn't the leg strength,  the general fitness, etc to even complete the course.

At half-way,  I discarded my trackie top (a nice find for someone),  took on some gels,  and gave myself a stiff talking to.   I told myself that I could and would finish if I was sensible and didn't overstretch myself.   So, I plodded along with renewed 'faith' through to 10 miles.

With only just over three miles to go,  I decided to throw caution to the wind and let the world see a bit of the old me  -  you remember,  the one that could actually run a bit.     And in the final mile,  went totally bonkers and took the speed up to 10km PB pace.   Finished feeling so, so strong.    And not a little bit smug.

But the important thing wasn't the time.  It was the friendship,  a new venue,  and a good crack.

Mile 1  -  8.36
Mile 2  -  8.05
Mile 3  -  8.31
Mile 4  -  8.41
Mile 5  -  8.30
Mile 6  -  8.27
Mile 7  -  8.25
Mile 8  -  8.07
Mile 9  -  8.39
Mile 10 - 8.38
Mile 11 - 8.07
Mile 12 - 8.04
Mile 13 - 7.16 !!!!!
Last 1/10th - 0.45

First Half  -  55.21
Second half  -  53.30



Unaffiliated 1:39:33 1:44:15 1:48:51 57.68
cycloid Unaffiliated 1:44:08 1:51:50 1:51:50 54.31
Jigs PB!! Yippee!! :) Unaffiliated 1:19:28 1:26:15 1:26:15 68.86
Go-KL Looks like being my only half marathon of the year; entered this race in 2006 but never quite made it because of injury. Will be one week after the Ballbuster Duathlon so I'm not sure in what shape I will be in, but I am determined to be very fit for that so hopefully I will run well here.

Report
A race high on disappointment, yet potential. Impeccably put on race by the organisers, they couldn't help the fact that although it was blessedly dry (Unlike everywhere around it) it was very windy, especially the first five miles, that featured a very tough head wind. 
After settling into a big pack, at around four miles I just started to struggle. No life in the legs, heart rate slipping downwards and feeling tired. Also the right calf muscle (Tight since last week) tightened up loads during the race and I was fearful it would pull, especially as the legs were frankly stone cold with the wind. 
So from six miles onwards I resigned myself to this being a good training run, letting a few past me (So many Serpentine Runners!) And made the most of a forgiving tail wind and slight decline for the final 3 or so miles. 
So not a great time, but damage limitation successful. I reckon the wind was worth around two minutes, and the efforts of the last two weeks another minute, so I cannot be too far off best form.

Finished 35th out of 861 Grantham Running club 1:14:46 1:23:08 1:22:00 1:23:08 69.75
Wicket Seemed to be lots of PB's, despite the wind and the undulating course. Mornington Chasers 1:23:29 1:23:29 1:25:00 1:23:29 69.44
Sumo Unaffiliated 1:26:07 1:26:07 1:26:55 1:26:07 67.52
Paulie Fantastically organised race, but still with a very friendly feel to it. The sub 1:30 pacers were brilliant, and their encouragement over the last kilometer was just terrific. Trail Running Association, LDWA 1:29:49 1:29:49 1:30:00 1:29:49 69.32
BigEvilC Well managed to deliver on the 6561 bets on me BUT not without pain! Left hammy started to give gip after 2 miles so had to run within my self the whole way but managed -ve split thanks to the lovely 3 mile gentle down hill at the end after the earlier wind and the undulations. Very well organised race and will do it again, great to meet a few fetchies before hand in the hall . hi to all. Slightly off my desired sub 1.33 but sensible in the circs and can still walk whcih wouldn't have been an option if I'd pushed it. Quite a tasteful t-shirt too! Monday's woeful update: now on the bench did actually have a hamstring tear so even more (masochistically) pleased with time. 1st major injury set back since started running again.  boo hoo. Kent AC 1:29:12 1:34:38 1:32:59 1:34:38 64.71
GOM. This is where I ran my PB for a half last year! No promises but I may well have a crack at breaking it! I cam so close, at half way it was on and was still looking good at mile 10. But I think the first half of the race had taken its toll as it was very windy for the first half. So by mile 12 I had to run a 4 minute mile to hit my target, and that was never going to happen! So sorry to all those that bet on me, but keep the faith I know I can beat this time on the right day and without a head wind for the first half of the race! Ely Tri Club 1:35:20 1:36:52 1:34:00 1:36:52 60.95
eL Bee! Playing 7:20 pacing monster for this one
***UPDATE 18/11***
Raced this at V'raps LT effort, and the varied splits reflect the undulating nature of the course,  and the breeziness of the wind!
Not a pb today, but another sub 1:40, which is wonderfully consistent. :)
Cumberland AC 1:25:32 1:26:27 1:36:00 1:39:44 59.95
Velociraptor I won't make any predictions until closer to the time, but anticipate going all-out for a PB at this one :o)  UPDATE  One week before the race I'm strong and uninjured and expect to have the advantage of eL Bee!'s pacing skills. But I'm not fast enough for anything more than a marginal PB.   REPORT What a well-organised, efficient race on a very pleasant rural course with plenty of little smatterings of vocal supporters around the route. Deserves its popularity. I apologise to everyone who bet on me - just didn't have a PB in me today. I found the first mile unbelievably hard. Normally I go off too fast; today eL Bee! was trying to pull me along while I struggled uphill and into the wind. By three miles in I knew that a PB wasn't on the cards for today; it briefly looked almost possible at 8 miles, but a slower-than-8-minutes 9th mile blew it back out of reach. Loved the long shallow downhill finish, getting crisps and a Mars bar and a proper-sized shirt in my goody-bag, and having the times up on the notice-board almost as they happened.  I was 38th lady, 14th FV35, and in a race that was obviously a significant event in the calendars of several clubs, I'm happy with that :o) Cumberland AC 1:37:44 1:37:44 1:36:55 1:39:45 68.18
Peteb69 Gutted injured back doing Hellrunner so looks like I will not be doing this one. :(
Decided to give this a go not sure on pace will see our i feel on the day
100 Marathon Club, Serpentine RC 1:25:21 1:34:28 1:40:00 1:34:28 62.50
brooksy Huntingdonshire AC 1:17:15 1:37:14 1:40:00 1:37:14 59.62
karl Royston Runners, Meridian Triathlon Club 1:40:35 1:40:35 1:40:00 1:40:35 57.64
Nightjar Going to be a good Fetchie and club turn out here. Bedford Harriers AC, LDWA 1:37:01 1:37:01 1:40:00
Little Sausage Biggleswade AC 1:37:49 1:37:50 1:40:00 1:38:47 65.34
Jon Berry Unaffiliated 1:37:31 1:38:52 1:40:00 1:38:52 59.41
Mrs Jigs (Luverlylegs) I was aiming for 1.44 in the hope that I would at least get 1.45, followed Velociraptor and El Bee for most of the way which meant I managed a faster run than I thought I was capable of, thanks you two! :) Good to see familiar Fetch faces and to meet a few new ones :):):) Unaffiliated 1:31:50 1:41:53 1:44:00 1:41:53 74.25
Badger PB by 3m50 :) breaking not just target 1.50 but 1.49 while I was at it. Splits waver a bit but consistently faster along the way, finished the last stretch at a pace of sub-6.30mm which is blistering for me. Pushes me over 600 ranking points for the first time. Yay. FERC 1:39:51 1:48:51 1:49:00 1:48:51 55.80
exp3run Unaffiliated 1:46:12 1:46:12 1:50:00 1:46:12 55.92
CR1970 Going to be training specifically for this one, will be gutted if I don't get a PB! *UPDATE* I got a PB so am really pleased. I really enjoyed this, will definately do it again next year. Unaffiliated 1:44:09 1:49:11 1:51:00 1:49:11 59.83
AngeM Very well organised race.  Great marshalls.  Love the t-shirt and goody bag.  Nice, pretty route.  Cold and windy run, but the rain held off.  Didn't think I had it in me to do that time.  Close to PB set in 2003 on this course, by 33 seconds!  First half marathon after 2.5 years off from injury!  Chuffed. City of Norwich AC 1:36:28 1:47:33 1:52:00 1:47:33 60.99
runnyeyes Got to get that sub 2 !
Well I did it alright! Hesitated about going when we woke to strong wind and rain...but pretty glad I did! It was hard all the way..looking for nearly every mile marker. 58 10 at half way..1:27:56 at 10 miles..I knew I was going to get sub-2..but the last 3miles were still so hard...who cares now..cos I got PROPER SUB 2...YeeeHahhhh !
Throw in lots of old and new Fetchies....FAB day :-) Unaffiliated 1:55:26 1:55:26 1:59:00 1:55:26 61.11
Hash Unaffiliated 1:53:22 1:56:48 1:59:00 1:56:48 58.71
JaneW Cambridge & Coleridge AC 1:56:47 1:56:47 2:00:00 1:56:47 57.40
Bambie Using this as my building block for FLM 08. Had my confidence knocked this year with running, so hoping to enjoy this in comfort and get round pain free! Haverhill RC 2:00:00
Smile2 the weather looks like rain!  I have done some training but I find this distance hard- no endurance.  I have taken some sound advice but who knows what will happen with this one.  I really do not like distances over 10m. 

OUTCOME: well the garmin thingy said 1.58.27 but chip timing for everyone meant we were all over a minute over that! slowly but surely!  official times are now out - for once faster than I thought - wayyhay oi oi Bedford Harriers AC, Milton Keynes AC 1:50:29 1:58:32 2:03:00 1:58:32 56.20
Bintmcskint Unaffiliated 1:39:28 2:00:17 2:15:00 2:00:17 55.73
Doris Norwich Road Runners 1:57:02 2:14:47 2:15:00 2:14:47 49.14
PaulaMc Can't do Barnes Green half with the usual suspects as it's the day after my 40th, and this seems to get the thumbs up everywhere I've seen it reviewed, so I'll give it a go.

UPDATE: well, that was a fantastic run, if I do say it myself.  Well done, me xxxx Unaffiliated 1:49:59 2:08:19 2:15:00 2:08:19 51.91

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