Championship Round #2. Ironbridge Half Marathon. 26/03/2023.
Huddled together to keep warm at the start line on a grey blustery Sunday morning in March, team CMRC were excited to see what the course had to offer and whether any PB’s could be captured…
Many of CMRC had completed Ironbridge Half Marathon in previous years, though this year saw many of us enter as first timers having not done a HM before, or at least for a long time. It was a great opportunity for those to gauge their strength, feeling and refine fuel and water intake with the support of those well rehearsed with where the route would take us.
It was a windy and cold morning, the BBC weather app checked almost too much the night before and the morning of, hoping it would change to suit! We anticipated we could be in for a rather damp race!
As always, club support crew Debbie, Vivien, Pam and Lindsay were with us with the red CMRC trolley for bags and coats. The race directors began to call everyone to the starting area much to our relief! A quick check of race numbers, reevaluation of layers and last minute grab of a gel; we huddled together like a rare species of red penguin all raring to go. And raring to get warm!!!
The weather as it turns out, was perfect and quite deceptive. A balmy 7 degrees saw many of us really comfortable in shorts and t-shirt, enjoying the cool-ish fresh breeze and happily not being rained on once!
Our race reports for IB this year come from Emily Woodall and Paul Manison. Both group 4 runners, Emily has completed HM’s before at other events though Paul was one of our HM firsts, and was feeling confident and optimistic! Both Emily and Paul have been dedicated and consistent in their training schedules since before Christmas, and supported by fellow CMRC’ers in sharing useful tips and tricks.
“I joined CMRC in May 2022 after some peer pressure from club member friends. ‘What the hell!’, I thought, why not! Before then I certainly wouldn’t have put running and pleasure in the same category! Having been an occasional runner through lockdown and doing some Parkruns, I thought a 5K distance was my limit. Why on earth would anyone put themselves through more pain?!
I remember running at club through the beautiful summer months of last year. Yes, it was hard going at times, but being outdoors in the warm breeze and having some banter wasn’t such a bad tonic after all. Although I was thinking I’m not doing this through the grim winter nights in freezing conditions……. You must be barmy to do that surely!…….
Jump forward and we’re now into spring 2023. The realisation has now sunk in, I’m one of those barmy runners who continued to show up at club no matter what the weather! Hang on a minute, it’s happened, I’m an all year round runner!
My first 10K events last year were Cleobury Mortimer with the lovely rolling hills! Followed by the much welcome flat course of Worcester City. 10K suddenly became my new norm. Then waking up one Sunday morning with an empty wine bottle on the side I noticed an Ironbridge Half Marathon entry in my inbox. Obviously seemed like a good idea at the time…………
I now find myself at the start line of my first HM!!!! Not quite the spring morning I was envisaging, but a great turnout of CMRC members shivering in tandem but ready to go. With trepid anticipation knowing that the first portion of the route was a steady roll downhill to the river, I knew I needed sufficient energy in the tank to make the climb back out of the gorge to the finish line. The social ‘long slow run’ training had given me a feel of the distance, but I’m guessing stopping frequently for chats and jelly babies are not priority when it comes to races…… My plan was to find a comfortable steady pace and re-evaluate at a halfway point.
The start was the usual scramble to find space to slip into a rhythm. I managed to get a tow off Ian Steele at the start to navigate around the congestion. He looked lonely without Ade, so I’m sure he appreciated my company! David Taylor briefly connected before despatching of me around mile 3, handing the baton to Andy Weston, a seasoned long distance runner, who gracefully accepted along Silkin Way after a quick pit stop to stretch his calf. From there I found a comfortable pace of just over 8 min/m with diminutive capacity to engage in conversation with Andy. The good company was welcome, and the miles were ticking along nicely. I had set a 2-hour race target on my Garmin to help gauge pace and the stats looked encouraging. At mile 6 we picked up the old railway line next to the river, an opportunity to replenish the energy stores in time for the climb ahead. Sub 2 hours was now looking achievable.
A distant red blur started to come into focus as we picked up Emily Woodall just before the Ironbridge (mile 7). Timing was impeccable as Andy; Emily and I crossed over the famous bridge in an almost Red Arrows synchronised formation. Rewarded with cheers by other fellow CMRC supporters, a sight for sore eyes! And a reminder to smile for the camera! We then approached the first hill, a quick chance to reload with fuel. The legs still felt pretty good, but I knew it was going to get tougher from here onwards. Andy continued to provide guidance and motivation as we settled into smaller steps to ascend the hill. I was now beginning to appreciate the Tuesday ‘Death Star’ sessions!
Miles 10-11 required further concentration as the terrain was mixed with some muddy single track, made a bit worse due to over night rain. As we entered back onto Silkin Way it was the final 2-mile push home, Andy kept me in check and by now all comms from my side had ceased! The legs were now disagreeing, and I was having to dig deep to match Andy’s strong 7:30 min/m pace. It felt like the longest 2 miles ever, but we were sweeping up competitors with pleasure. I rounded the final corner, a short uphill burst expelling any energy leftovers with a sprint to the finish line cheered on by my family and familiar CMRC faces.
I was delighted with my time of 1hr 50mins, better than I expected and without doubt Andy Weston must have saved me 10mins with his encouragement and morale. At least it was a PB being my first HM!! Next time I’ll need to borrow speedy Shavaun Jordan’s jet pack to beat that!
Thank you, Andy, and to all the CMRC team!”
Paul Manison.
“Ironbridge half marathon was a fantastic day out, made even better by all the red tops that were dotted around, always accompanied by a smile and words of encouragement. I really enjoyed the run, particularly the fact that there was a variety of terrain and not just road, although my once orange shoes need a good wash now!!!
The first 10K lured me into a false sense of security with it’s gentle downhills and I definitely went off too fast, which I paid for later! It was great to meet Andy and Paul just before the bridge where lots of team CMRC were waiting and taking photos which was a real high point of the course for me.
However, not long after I was brought down with a bit of a bump at the sight of the biggest incline the race had to offer, I watched Paul and Andy continue up like it was flat. I decided to treat myself to a walk as my calves were fairly confident it was in fact the same elevation as Mount Kilimanjaro!
It was fantastic to be part of the club at this event, often a marshal would shout “another Cleobury?! , there’s loads of you!!” and I felt proud to be part of what feels like the best running club in the world.
It was lovely to get to the finish and be cheered in by everyone that had already finished (with some amazing times too, I might add) as well as the fantastic support team. It was great to then get to cheer on the rest once I’d caught my breath and eaten a mars bar!
All in all, a great way to spend a chilly, overcast Sunday in March!
Helpfully, my watch short-changed me and said I hadn’t actually made it to 13.1 miles, so, same time again next week?!…..
Emily Woodall.
Well done Emily and Paul, amazing efforts by both!
IB shout outs this year go to:
Shavaun Jordan, with her seriously untapped talent, she clocked an incredible 01:35:09. That’s a 7.15min/m pace. Shavaun got first in her age category out of 50 ladies. We’re all very excited to see what the rest of the season brings to you and we are with you all the way!
Paul Manison. Still a new member being with us less than a year but already showing fantastic capabilities. Paul secured a fab 01:50:07. That’s a 8:24min/m pace. Paul came 24th in his age category and safe to say he's sold on the idea of a HM now!
Wayne Thomas. Wayne’s dedication and commitment is something we all aspire to have and he will not be beaten! Wayne grabbed an excellent 02:29:01. That’s a 11:22min/m pace, perfect and consistent ensuring there was plenty of power left for that sprint finish!
Rob Reynolds. Rob is a well respected long standing member and coach, though an old injury had prevented him doing a HM for nearly 8 years. Rob clocked in a fantastic 02:04:38. That’s a 9:30min/m pace. Rob ran strong and solid and got an amazing 3rd in his age category out of 8 other men. (Whatever age category that actually is, its still TBC)…….!
Clare Griffiths. Smiling all the way and full of energy, Clare got 02:36:43. That’s a 11:57min/m pace. Superb effort, Clare didn't let the cheeky little incline after the Ironbridge test her.
Emily Holland. Loving the singing and shouting along with spectators and their music!! I managed to bag 02:01:02. That’s a 9:14min/m pace. Not knowing what to expect for my first half, safe to say I loved it and would not have entered without the support of my fellow CMRC’ers.
Thank you to Telford Harriers for organising the event and marshalling, and to all the members of the public spectating on the streets, and to our own. It was a fantastic day with a wonderful atmosphere.
Next up is Championship Round #3 at Worcester Pitchcroft on 08/04/2023.