Great North Run 2009

Its billed as the World's largest half marathon event. Its got more than 50,000 runners and when you get there its on a scale that blows you away. So many people milling about and organisation on a miltary scale. I got offered a place at the last minute from a friend who could not make the run. I was of course very happy to take it on as I know places are hard to come by.

When I checked the course last week I was surprised to see it's not a circular course, so you don't end up back where you started. You start just north of Newcastle and run through the town and into Gateshead and then out to the coast at the seaside resort of South Shields :O).

I slept poorly on Saturday night, having nightmares about not being able to run and about being late for the start. I'm up early and down for breakfast. I down two packets of Alpin and two Weetabix. A plate of grapefuit segments(Citrus fruits are not recommended by athletes but I do like them). A couple of bananas and I'm all set.

They run a taxi shuttle service to the event at a very respectable £3 each. I'm there early at 8:50am for a 10:30am start :O) I walk down the start line which is broken into coloured segments. It takes up both sides of a motorway and its over a km long....I find my bag bus(to take my gear to the other end of the race). I have a seat in the sun and get my music on and drink an iso and eat a couple of Gels.

I'm in the start area for 10am as after 10:10am they make you just join at the back rather than in your selected group. Sun shining and Mr Motivator is doing his best to warm up the troops. You can feel the nerves of the group around me.

We're off and I'm through the start in 2min:37seconds so I was quite close to the startline. Its an easy start and mainly downhill into town before you get to the iconic Tyne Bridge. As we go under the tunnels people are shouting out and the crowd and runners all join in. There are thousands of supporters, the atmosphere is electric.

I cross the bridge and climb into Gateshead. Its to be the first climb of many today. We go through Gateshead and its pretty flat and I'm lulled into a false sense of well being. The heat is starting to build up and already a girl has fallen in front of me after clipping the heels of a guy in front as she tried to cut through the crowd of runners. At 5K I'm at 23minutes and feeling generally OK but a little windy on the hilly sections. It usually wears off later.

I feel as though its been a non stop climb out of Gateshead, nothing really steep, just a relentless gradient. You can just see the people in front rising into the distance. At 10K I'm at 47minutes and so pace wise I'm fine for a 1:40 finish. I've not taken anything onboard regarding drinks as I find it ruins my concentration and I struggle to keep motivated.

Its getting hot at the 15K mark and I know I need to take on fluid. I drink water and an Isotonic drink and as predicted it blows my momentum. The next hill forces me to drop the pace to over 5:30min per km. I just can't keep it any faster. Its a mix of mental weakness and tired legs. The crowds during the run also stifle my pace on and off and I find it hard to get into a steady beat.

At 17K I'm blowing like a steam train, really struggling and my head is wandering all over the place. I take another drink and walk through the drink station getting my head together. I start off again and get a reasonable pace going. At 19K I feel the end is coming and so I get the finishing energy burst that always magically appears. We drop onto the shore at South Shields and the crowds are heaving both sides of the road. The sun is shining and its a great day. I can see the end its just 1.5 km away....

We're heading down the front and I see Gordon Ramsey in front, I pass him with a km to go and he is walking and saying to his friend that his legs are like jelly, probably aspic I think but don't say.

I go over the line and the clock says 1:50 so I know my time is under 1:50 as it took me a couple of minutes to reach the start line. The internet finish time was recorded at 1:47:44. A full 7 minutes slower than Glasgow but the heat, crowds and most of all the hills have all taken their toll.

I'm glad to be finished. Its an amazing event and seeing all the charity runners with photos of friends and loved ones on their T-Shirts has been a real eye opener for me, I tip my hat to them all. They have restored my faith in humanity.

At 17K I was never running again and would have walked off the course if it was a training session and no one else was around. At finish plus 15 minutes I'm certain I want to do it again next year......