This Essex half marathon may not have the bang of a big city race but, as Dr Jo Sacks explains, it has a cute medal and is flatter than a duck's instep .
Fun Factor
The crowd was surprisingly good considering this was a small charity half marathon, loads of people out on the seafront supporting. No particular “wow” factor to the event, but the vibe was friendly and fun and the marshals were amazing.
"The marshals were amazing - I know I said that already, but they had a great sense of humour and were really encouraging."
How was it for Loo?
Fabulous! The start had almost as many loos as runners - there were two blocks of Portaloos and urinals; and a whole fixed block of “proper” toilets. It's not too often you can say this about a moderately-sized race, but it was so good I went twice.
Bling - Fiddy Cent or tuppence ha’penny?
Well, this is a charity event, so I wasn’t expecting a huge medal. But, in keeping with the location, it was a themed medal of deckchairs on a beach. Cute.
Good Grub or Cruel Gruel?
Impressive post-race goody bag. Water, banana (UGH!!!!! when will they understand I WANT AN APPLE!!), Eat Natural Bar, packet of Tangfastics. All contained in a Southend Hospice canvas reusable bag…no nasty plastic bag here!
Flat Stanley or Humpty Dumpty?
Flat. I mean, really flat. Really, really flat. Essentially a double out and back along the sea front. One (tiny) incline at around mile 11, which quite a lot of the runners around me were complaining bitterly about. Ha! I can moan about hills with the best of them, but, this really was not a hill. This could be a fast PB course if you don’t mind the two sharp switchbacks and a couple of 90 degree turns.
Marvellous marshals, water stops galore and a bit of a roadside heave: Dr Jo's race story
I’d agreed to run a half marathon with a colleague who had run plenty in the past before taking a little break from the sport. He was trying to get back up to speed and, while he’s quicker than me, I thought if I could keep up, I might go fast, too.
His parents live in Southend, he told me the Southend Half Marathon was a fast, flat course and, just like that, I entered. I don’t take much persuading.
The event was run by Havens Hospices and was supposed to be a small charity half. When we arrived, it became clear this traffic-free race was bigger than I had thought - there were about 3,000 runners. There was also a good set up at the event village and I managed to get a cup of tea before the start, which is important!
The start is on the estuary and you run out to the seafront, along towards the pier and then turn and run back. After another 180-degree switchback, you basically repeat the seafront section before running up the slight incline, through some houses and onto a coastal path back to the finish. It was pretty simple to navigate but the marshalling was excellent nonetheless.
The 2018 race took place on a super-hot day and I have to congratulate the event wholeheartedly on their water provision. It came in cups, but they also provided sponges, and there were absolutely LOADS of water stations. Dehydration really should not have been a problem because they really took care of us.
I set out on this race intending to see how long I could keep up a pace that would get me across the finish line in under two hours. As it turned out - after the picture above was taken! - the answer to that question was 6 miles. OOOPS.
After sending Paul off because I was slowing him down, I had a quick heave on the roadside. Then I settled myself into a more realistic pace, safe in the knowledge that my hunt for a sub-2 was well and truly over. After that, I really enjoyed myself.
The crowd were fun: they cheered and interacted. The marshals were amazing - I know I said that already, but they had a great sense of humour and they were really encouraging. I didn’t take much notice of the event village afterwards because, after collecting our medals (and posing for a pic, left) and a brief sit down on the grass, we were collected by family and taken back to a welcome shower and lunch. But there were plenty of folks milling about, eating and drinking, in a happy, relaxed atmosphere.
I’d recommend the Southend Half Marathon. I confess, I went in with fairly low expectations of a small charity half - and it was way better than I expected. Don’t go along expecting a big city half, with bands, huge bling, a technical t-shirt and 10,000 runners or you’ll be disappointed. But, if you want a small friendly half, this could be your race.
If you are thinking of entering this or any other race, we can help with regular training planning and guidance. Happy running!
The Southend Half Marathon took place on June 10, 2018. Details for 2019 should appear here.
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