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Bupa London 10,000 - Monday 26th May 2014
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As has become customary in these 'ere parts, I have started next years Bupa 10,000 entry list. Who else had such a blast on Monday that they are coming back for more?
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Schmunks
Dad of Jr
Jr Schmunks
Schmunks
Dad of Jr
Jr Schmunks
Andyp
I ran the race this week, to compare and contrast with the 'British 10K' in July which I have run 5 times previously. Some thoughts for what they may be worth:
I clattered round in a less than gob smacking 57 minutes along with 17,000 others. Nice to run past Mo Farah at the Start line. Sunny day ,no rain but the occasional cooling breeze.
Couple of points of comparison with the British 10k ( which has been widely rated and slated here on RW)
The BUPA race starts and finishes on the Mall rather than Piccadilly.
Because the marshalling,baggage,loos,charity gangs etc are all in Green Park it's actually less of a trek to the Start line from the baggage drop.
A key difference from the July version was that runners are penned by race number according to their approx finish time ( I was in Blue C). The Start was phased by about a minute between waves and this seemed to me to work much better.
The BUPA race follows much the same course out and back along the Embankment, starting on The Mall then through Admiralty Arch and right turn down Whitehall then along Horse Guards for the Embankment.
http://www.london10000.co.uk/static/pdfs/BUPA-LONDON-10000-COURSE-13.pdf
So the trog along to the City much the same.
Key difference on the BUPA course is that rather than just looping around St Paul's and back down onto the Embankment, this course goes further East passing through Leadenhall Market ( excellent Kodo drummers!) and back down that Blackfriars underpass so beloved of VLM runners to head back to Westminster.
No criss-crossing Westminster Bridge, just round Parliament Square onto Birdcage Walk with a run in past the Guards Chapel to the Finish line just in front of Buck House. Very nice too.
Well marshalled and the waterstops ( I counted 3?) were manned by people who knew what they were doing rather than Rent-A-Pulse.
Small point but worth noting: the water was provided in small sports cap bottles - lift to face, SQUEEZE, throw away. I found this much better than either stupid cellophane cup or the more usual screwtop bottles. Good stuff
Excellent support as ever in Central London. Two samba bands, one live band and some mad British Kodo/Taiko drummers in the covered market . (Taiko Meantime from Greenwich?).For some reason even a rain sodden samba band (qv Great South Run) always lift me for a few hundred yards.
Post Finish routine was slick, no huge queues for baggage reclaim, nice Tee shirt in the right size (non-technical valueweight cotton) and a crammed goody bag.
The only slightly downbeat moment was the unnecessary scrimmage at the start when two guys were trying to filter 17,000 people through a five foot gap by their race number colour.
So all in all
A better event than the British 10K ? - Yes
Would I run it again ? - Yes.
Value for money? Compared to the average local 10K for £14-£20 this is quite pricey - but if you want to experience the fun of the VLM without the exhaustion and 3 months of training - go for it.