2019 was definitely a year that involved a hell of a lot of runs! Not all of these runs were races or training runs, most of the time we run just because we love to run!
We thought we would do a round up of our year and the races we have taken part in! We have written blog posts to the majority of these races so we will make sure we link them!
Annie’s 2019 Races
Brighton Half Marathon
This race took place in February and what I expected to be a super chilly and frosty race turned out to be a scorching hot day- it felt very strange to be running in a vest in February and to be honest I could have worn shorts (big mistake was starting in a long sleeve top as it meant I had to unpin my number and pin it back on mid race)! It was a fun race and I tried my first ever vegan pizza post race which was delicious!
Hackney Half
Probably my least favourite run of 2019! I was suffering with a really tight calf leading up to the race so I wasn’t too sure how it was going to go! Like usual I set off too quickly and burnt a lot of energy… when will I learn! It was nice to be involved in a big race though and we were lucky to be given VIP so we had somewhere to leave our bags and get changed post race!
Run Fest Run-
This was a running festival at Blenheim Palace as it was so much fun! I took part in the 10K run but there were so many runs to choose from and you could have done multiple! Such a fun day out made even better because the sun was shining bright!
Chase The Sun Clapham Common 5K
This race took place after work in Clapham Common and was basically like a fun run! I did this race with Rach and my sister and we just chatted the entire way round! Rach did quite a few chase the suns this year so carry on reading to find out more!
Andover Trail Marathon
I absolutely loved EVERY minute of this run! I was running with my cousin and her husband and we all agreed that is was our favourite run of 2019! The aid stations were stocked incredibly and all the volunteers were so so friendly and greeted us with great big smiles! Oh and we couldn’t not mention the views on this course it was so stunning! If you are thinking about venturing into trail running then this should definitely be your race!
London Ultra
This was the first year London has had an ultra marathon so of course we had to sign up and use it as a training run! It was great running through London and seeing so many parts that we had never explored before! This ultra is however mainly on the road so we don’t need to wear trail shoes your normal road trainers will be sufficient! This race is 55km but you can choose to run 27.5km if you prefer!
Thames Trot 50 Mile
Wow what a race this was! I had trained so hard for this race and all in all I had a great time! The weather unfortunately was not on our side but other than that the course was great! This race starts in Oxford and ends in Henley! My tracker ended up saying 54 miles so I am not sure if I took a wrong turning or it was just longer than expected! I charged up my old iPod shuffle for this race and had a great time singing along to lots of old tunes!
Rach’s 2019 Races
Vitality Big Half
My first half marathon of 2019 and it was a good one as the first time running around central London. Starting on Tower Bridge and ending in Greenwich. I really enjoyed the crowd and all the music too! The hardest bit was running through the Limehouse Link Tunnel as it was long, dark and boring!!! I did manage to beat my PB from my previous (and only!) half marathon, Richmond Half.
Hackney Half
I was recovering from a car crash injury for this race and wasn’t sure I was going to be able to take part, I also did very limited training! However I managed to complete it and was pretty pleased. The race was hard and there were many sections you did twice and an awful hill at the end! However I loved running through Hackney and seeing parts of London I hadn’t seen before.
Royal Parks Half
My favourite Half yet for sure! I loved running though all the parks and the crowd was great! However as it had rained a lot and the run started & ended in Hyde Park which was basically a mud bath!!
I love London so much so being able to run past some of the most iconic landmarks and parks was so much fun. I spent the entire race smiling! My boyfriend and family came to watch and said I was the happiest person running the entire race, haha!
I really want to run another London based race, but sadly didn’t get a place on the London Marathon… maybe next year?!!
Many Chase the Sun races with Run Through
I took part in lots of Chase the Sun races in London in the summer of 2019, Clapham Common, Wimbledon Common, Olympic Park and Hyde Park. I booked these races on letsdothis.com and loved them. A great way to get motivated to go on a run as you are with lots of people. You can choose on the day whether to run 5km or 10km.
We are both looking forward to many more races in 2020! Let us know if you have any suggestions!
