I took part in the London Greenwich Park MoRun 10K during 2014, 2016 and 2017, and thoroughly enjoyed all three events, labeling the 2014 run as the ‘best way to end a great year of running’. Signing up for round four didn’t take much consideration!
The bargain £20.90 entry fee included chip timing, chunky bespoke moustache medal (bigger than previous years!), branded headband, water, Natural cereal bars, Soreen malt loaf and sweets, with race packs to be picked up on the day at the registration tents.
Getting up at 6:30am on Sunday 30th November was a struggle. I had to drive 30mins into Tonbridge to catch the train, as the trains in my new hometown only run once per hour to and from London. So my cheerleader and I went from Tonbridge to London Bridge followed by a tube to North Greenwich… Which was completely wrong. The day before, I had researched the nearest tube to Greenwich Park, and Google had clearly told me it was North Greenwich – which was actually 45mins walk or 15mins drive away. I couldn’t find any members of staff to help me at the station and didn’t have time to faff around getting more tubes as I stupidly hadn’t left a lot of time for error – so we ended up calling an Uber and paying to get driven to a part of Greenwich Park I’d never seen before. The Uber driver didn’t seem to know the area either, so we had to ask a dog-walker whereabouts in the park we were, who kindly redirected us – which was another 10mins walk. NIGHTMARE. I just can’t believe that I’d got it so wrong when this is the fourth time attending the event – I should have known where I was going! I was bursting for a wee and had just a few minutes to pick up my race pack and get organised before the run started. By this point I was close to packing it all in and on the verge on frustrated tears, but managed to get everything done in the nick of time. The MC started a countdown from 10 as I was walking back from the toilet, pinning my race number onto the front of my t-shirt. I threw my hoody and bag at my poor cheerleader and ducked under the barrier to join fellow runners as we set off, with no time to stretch or warm up.
I’d consumed Oat So Simple porridge, beanies coffee, Belvita bar and a skinny chai latte for breakfast, and despite the hurried, frustrating journey, felt good and ready to run. I’d opted to purchase a technical t-shirt at registration (£15.00) which was a perfect fit, and coupled this with a Primark sports bra, Ivy Park leggings and black trainer socks with Brooks Ghost 10 trainers, resulting in a super comfortable outfit. My Runr hoody came in handy as I wore it to and from the event.
The weather was autumnal – dry, clear, chilly – and leaves were falling off trees as we ran. Ideal running conditions, and the park was picturesque with no bottle-neck points and few narrow areas.
The event was well organised with clear signage, marshals and an energetic warm-up, which I had missed but could hear as I had walked into the grounds! The starting line was a free-for-all, but with an event of this size there would have been no need for colour-coded timing pens. The 10K route was two scenic laps around the park involving two killer hills (so four in total… HORRENDOUS) but the atmosphere was fantastic. There were several runners in fancy-dress, and the array of moustached faces was brilliant.
I sipped on a Torq enery gel between 6-7K to give me a boost, and there was a well-manned water station about half-way around. The finish funnel was lined with supporters who all cheered, before a chunky bespoke medal was hung around my neck. Refillable water stations, tubs of sweets and boxes of Soreen malt loaf and Natural cereal bars were stationed off to the side, where runners helped themselves.
Although I enjoyed the run and felt OK throughout, I ran a lot slower than usual (15mins slower than my last 10K!) and felt as though I achieved a terrible time, which briefly made me wonder why on earth I do this to myself 😦 But, we found a quicker, easier way to get home from Greenwich Park, and once I’d showered and relaxed a bit I felt slightly better.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this event to others although it’s highly unlikely I’ll take part again – I’ve completed this run four times now and am starting to think the travel part is jinxed, as last years’ journey into Greenwich Park was equally as terrible! But, it was an adventure and we managed to laugh about it all later on.
NEXT UP – London Santa Dash 5K for Great Ormond Street Hospital, Sunday 8th December 2019
Laura's footprints 