Swansea half marathon race report

[womblejogger]

I can't believe its been over a week since i ran the Swansea half marathon on the 11th of June, so i thought i would give a short race report on what the course is like and how it is to run it.

travelled down the Friday before and was staying locally with family so i didn't have too far to travel on race day, the organisers kept you up to date with all necessary information, however through my own stupidity i forgot that the road closures meant that i couldn't park where i usually park in swansea so i had to figure out alternative parking arrangements. the organisers detail several of the city centre carparks and with my local knowledge managed to find a more suitable location however due to car park management and new parking prices i had to hang around at the car until a certain time to ensure i was getting the right ticket for the day, this however was a minor inconvenience.

the race village was only a very short walk away and the atmosphere was electric even though the weather was hot, the crowd seemed smaller this year somehow however the queue to the loos were not lol but there were plenty, they were clean and the queue time wasn't long (thank god)

race time approached and i took my place in my starting pen, it was nice to chat to the others before the race started, some were doing it for the first time, some were doing it in fancy dress in the 22 degree heat i certainly didn't fancy that. it was nice to see that as well as the usual time race pacers on the course there were race pacers for the slower runners, i positioned myself between the 2:30 and 2:45 race pacers, but was nice to see a 3 hr and a 3:15 and 3:30 pacer as well

we slowly started to shuffle forward as the wheelchair race started, then the elites, and then everyone else.

and we're off ... in my head i wanted to keep my position somewhere between the 2:30 and 2:45 hr pacer, that way i wouldn't need to keep looking at my watch for timings... and it seemed that at the start even with race excitement this was going to plan.

the race starts at the new swansea arena, next to the coppr bridge and initially heads out towards the mumbles before heading back into the city for a loop, it takes you into the university grounds, past the patti pavilion the brangwyn hall and the citys court to the high street, past the castle and back to the start at around mile 5 ... the city centre has undergone quite a lot of development over the years and it is nice to see and run through, but like other large towns there are a lot of run down shops still especially on the main high street and i do wonder why the course takes you this way.

after going through the start gate again the course takes you on the long road out of swansea to the mumbles its an easy straight run with little shade and the heat was starting to takes its toll on me and the others runners around me, at oystermouth was the 9 mile marker at which point you turned and ran back the coast path towards the arena and the finish line ... most of the runners around me and myself decide due to the heat that it was easier to jeff the remaining 4 miles ...

the support along the course is amazing, the marshals at the water stops and along the way first class ... the views on the return journey back into swansea are simply stunning and given the temperature i was happy to get in under 3 hrs ...

my initial goal was to get a pb, then it was to get close to my current hm time, then my final fall back was to get in under 3 hrs ... i wasn't disappointed at all ...

the finish line funnel was confusing, not clear where to get goody bag from etc although the cadet volunteers were doing a great job ... there was also no runners tee, although you could buy one aparently.

i have contacted the organisers and the explanation for this was the amount of tees left over from previous races have prompted them to go greener to be honest i was a little disappointed but the explanation makes sense along with the wooden medal

it is the 10th anniversary of the swansea half next year and i am in two minds whether to run it again ... who knows ... watch this space

would i recommend this race to others, yes i would, its fast, fairly flat, easy to get to and has great support... go on you know you want to give it a try .

the middle pic in the collage is the finish line photo, boy was i happy to cross that line

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon]

I’m impressed womblejogger! Running a HM is a feat in itself, and running one in 22 degrees with not much shade ramps it up a notch! Really well done! 👏👏👏👏

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

thank you

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

That's such a good time, I'd definitely be with the 3.30 pacer or maybe in that heat way behind. Impressive to get through it when it was so hot

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to SueAppleRun]

thank you

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

You do look a happy runner in that photo! Very well done. Running a HM in those conditions isn’t easy but it sounds as if your plan worked really well. And I love the fact you had fallback plans!

Great job 👍

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Always pays to have fallback plans , get so disappointed with myself sometimes but I have to be realistic in what I can achieve

[misswobble Marathon]

wahay! Well done 👏😀🏅. Undertaking a big event is usually a logistics challenge but they come with supporters, who are a boon when the going gets tough 😀

I hope you’re rested and planning your next event 👍

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

rested check, next event already booked check, training started in earnest for next event check ... lol

[misswobble Marathon]

great stuff. That’s the spirit! 👏💪👍

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

That sounds like an amazing event - especially the return views, parking near the start and speedy loo queues! Huge well done for keeping your head in that heat and finishing in a great time 👏👏👏

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

it is a great event, the views across swansea bay and the mumbles are fantastic, apart from a few niggles this is a well organised race and worth doing

[Cowladyrunning Marathon]

Well done! I was talking to someone who ran this yesterday and he said about the heat too! Also there has been so much discussion on the South Wales running Facebook page about the end of race not so goodies and the wooden medal..... it was getting a bit heated!

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

might look for that, i did contact the organisers who made some valid points but failed to answer other concerns/points i made and still haven't , the heat was terrible would have given anything for a cooler day , even the rain that they said we had a slim chance of having , but i kept my head and enjoyed the race .. might have a look for that on fb communication over the event could have been better and the organisation on the day of post race goodies was no fault of the cadet volunteers they always do a grand job ...

[womblejogger Half Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

WOW ... is all i can say to some of the comments on that fb group ... and i thought i was vocal , in regards to some of the concerns, i never had any issues with the signage , mile markers, water stations or marshalls/volunteers unless i was at a completely different event i am not sure what the issue there was ... the wooden medal is a bit naff and anti-climactic, yes i get the company are going "green" but a lack of comms before the event (they usually do a medal reveal etc) might have helped here ... the goody bag well agree that having a nice well stocked goody bag is always a bonus and having to "juggle" the items (no bag given) was great considering the heat and the distance ran ... t-shirt or lack of i don't get the argument , if you sign up to a race and select a t-shirt as an option then you know how many to order, send them out afterwards if you want people to ensure they get them , the organisers excuse was that the previous year so many t-shirts were left behind and eventually made it into landfill ... why not do what other events do , such as chester half etc where by they sell off the previous years shirts at the current event, great if the shirt or shirts you have are getting a bit worn .... i would love to do it again next year as its an anniversary year for the race but something is telling me to think seriously about it :/

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to womblejogger]

It certainly did seem to gather more opinion than I've ever seen before!