Manchester Half Marathon Race Report - Fun Beyond 10K & ...

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Manchester Half Marathon Race Report

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon
19 Replies

Hey everyone, just a race report from the Manchester Half Marathon on 15/10. Everything went well, the tram was packed with runners on the way there. Wasn't sure I carbed properly but did a good enough job. My main anxiety was not needing the loo, fortunately everything went well that way, used the portaloos there and was all set with about 30min to go found my coral. Temperature was nice, no rain, particularly unusual for Manchester. Another member of the running club saw me in the coral and we talked before the start. We were positioned just about right between the 2 pacers where I needed to be.

I was the 1031st person over the start line, I had no idea if I could sustain the pace I intended for 21k but stuck to it, intending to take it easy in the 1st half and drag my pace up in the second, treating the 10mile point as a mental half way point and using the rest of myself up in that final 5k (3.1 miles). The pace (4:35 per k) meant I would get be doing the 2 fastest 10ks I have ever run, but as I hadn't attempted a serious 10k since the Manchester one in may I wasn't too scared.

So though the start line, for about 2-3k I thought It would be similar situation to the 10k where there is not enough room to overtake easily, it was so for about 3k and then opened up, this was good as I think it helped me calm down in the early stage and keep at my desired pace. After this it was easy enough to overtake people without zig zagging.

Through the 5k mark I was 969th my pace was right at target pace, so I took the next 5k slightly slower as a way of saving it for the end, this might have been a mistake. I didn't notice anyone lagging and felt fine myself like I wanted to go faster but respected the distance and held back. I was approaching unknown territory for a race.

Through the 10k mark I was 953rd. That 1st 10k was fine, I looked at my watch, that's the fastest 10k I've ever run and I feel great, I looked at everyone around me, everyone here just did a 10k nearly 3 min faster than my last one in May and they are making it look easy. Then realised I was right with them :D Around 11k I had my 1st energy gel. Thankyou forum ppl for getting me to test these in training! At some point in the 10-15k section I started to have to put effort in my legs, the 4:35 became something I had to work to keep up rather than a pace I was very comfortable at. Also in this section, the Manchester half is a very flat course, but... there were at least 3 or 4 speedbumps! I was high fiving a few kids at the side of the road also, and people were great stood outside their houses with sweets and water. I had used 2 of the 3 water stations so far, skipping the 1st one and was taking on water thanks to the advice of people on this forum for telling me how it increases injury chance. If it wasn't for you I know I would have suffered a lot harder. I think I had my last energy gel around 15k. Around 13k I noticed people were slowing down and I was slowly going past people, this carried on for the rest of the race. This 3rd 5k was back on target pace

The 15km mark I was 867th, and at 16k I saw the 10mile marker and let myself speed up thinking this is now just a parkrun, that 3rd 5k was right on target also, I think I did my fastest 10k in this half but the splits go from 15k to HM so I don't know for sure (cant be bothered to look on strava yet). I started to see marshals from my running club who really helped cheer me on. Somehow I ended up right behind the person I was talking to at the start and didn't notice - we are in the photo and this was taken at some point in this section :) he overtook me quite easily after my speed burst and went through the finish ahead of me despite starting slightly behind me. I think my breathing was fine, my legs just didn't have a lot more in them so although I sped up at the cheering points, my legs started to remind me there wasn't any speed left. I saw the finish line about 1k away and went for it, which translated to running at about the right pace :p My family had come over to see and they were near the finish line but I didn't spot them. Went through the finish in 797th and 1:37:06

My aim was a sub 1:37 believe it or not, and as its my 1st HM It was a very rough aim so I count that as a success, my pace anded up being 4:36 per k, which is good enough for me :D . I enjoyed the whole thing, my family said I looked OK going towards the finish even though everyone else looked tired. I think I paced it well, and my cardio is better than my legs at the moment but mainly just enjoyed it all. It felt a bit like watching myself rather than being me, like I was in a control room inside looking at all the controls and feedback dials and connected to my whole body.

I know its fast for a 1st HM but a lot of people on here have much better wava age graded speeds than me and I really respect that. I also have had lots of time and inclination to go running so I have been lucky that way and doing a lot. I looked at the 1st male and 1st female, casually doing 4 back to back 15:00min and sub 18min 5ks :O

Going to force myself out on a short slow run tomorrow to wake my legs up. Walking around on them today and yesterday and suddenly a random muscle wakes up from a nightmare screaming! I think for 2 weeks you are high risk of injury, so no speed work for at least 2 weeks.

Thank-you everyone for putting up with me :)

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Kallyfudge profile image
Kallyfudge
Marathon
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19 Replies
Katie204 profile image
Katie204Half Marathon

Blimey, Kally - very well done! I read your report in awe, having plodded through my own HM last weekend. Sounds as if you got everything - water, fuel, pace - working brilliantly.

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to Katie204

Thankyou Katie :D well done to you too! Its a hell of a distance! Now thinking of Marathon. Yeah luckily it worked out in the end, I was really going by feel, but had in mind to take the gel around 10k even if I didnt think I needed it.

C3PO profile image
C3POMarathon

Congratulations! You clearly did your homework and it paid off.

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to C3PO

Thankyou C3PO :) I just really enjoyed the whole race!

AncientMum profile image
AncientMumHalf Marathon

Congratulations Kally that's a really impressive time, and a lovely race report too. Your meticulous planning and preparation obviously paid off, you should be very proud of yourself. Well done

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to AncientMum

Thankyou AncientMum :) glad you like the report, I'm never too good at writing but split it into the splits from the timing chip made it more manageable! The planning wasnt too meticulous though :D just took 2 gels as thats all I could fit in my belt the morning :p and had water thanks to everyones advice here. But it did work out well and trying out the gels was a good call!

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphHalf Marathon

That's such an impressive time - well done! All your planning really paid off, and very well done for sticking to your plan. Fab report!

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to Anniemurph

Thankyou Anniemurph :) Yeah I am surprised the plan worked so well, only thing is the slower second 5k might not hve been necessary but I dont mind, as a learning thing I would even have accepted hitting the wall at 10k and walking lots so I am v happy!

Well done on a fabulous run. A fantastic time and achievement. I will note your fuelling times and try that myself!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

Well done Kally! Sounds like you were very organised during your race and paced it well! 🙂

More bling for us to drool over 😃🏃💪👍✔️🏅

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to misswobble

thankyou Misswobble :D

Tomas profile image
TomasMarathon

Wow, that is an impressive time, well done Kally!

Loved the race report, it was like being there with you (except I can only sustain 4:35 for a few hundred meters). Big congratulations!

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to Tomas

Thankyou Tomas, I really enjoy everyone elses race report so very glad you liked it :D

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathon

This is amazing, jolly well done! I really like what you said about using the 10 mile marker as your mental half-way point... hmmm *strokes chin*... I must remember that one... :)

Great photo, too! That guy had you in his sights, but you don't seem to mind too much :)

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to roseabi

Yeah I think that was from a youtuber I watch (Sage Canaday), but I think if you let go at the physical halfway point (10.5k, it will be very hard) in the end I didnt have a huge amount for that 5k anyway so it was good I hadnt used it earlyer.

mrrun profile image
mrrunUltramarathon

Great post & congratulations!

4.35? I could do that only in my car going downhill with nobody up front.

My primary aim is to train and be able to run HM without being resuscitated and my time should be anything between breakfast and dinner.

Posts like yours help guys like me ignore our age and go for it.

All the best & hope you better it!

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to mrrun

Thankyou very much mrrun :) I really appreciate that and glad you enjoyed the report :) Whatever anybodys HM speed is, it isn't comfortable, especially towards the end, to sustain it for a whole HM is really impressive no matter what the speed is, I think people who take longer doing the HM are hardcore as its a long time to keep up that pace. I'm really happy with my time, but already want to do a faster one :) Definitely go for it!

ju-ju- profile image
ju-ju-Marathon

wow well done.... your shoes were on fire, what an amazing time!! :)

Kallyfudge profile image
KallyfudgeMarathon in reply to ju-ju-

Thankyou ju-ju :D I've done about 770k in them now... might be getting time for a new pair :) Didnt want to change anything before the HM though.

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