On Thursday I ran the third race of the nine 5 mile races in the Dave Jones Prom Run Series organised by Weston Athletic Club. These are flat, quick road races along the prom of the Weston-Super-Mare seafront. Kinisi Run Hub are excited to be sponsoring this great series!

It was a horrible evening for it in regards to the weather but there was still a strong turnout. When everyone started arriving it was pouring with rain and quite windy so the rain was blowing sideways. Most people got a warm up in running from the car park to the race HQ! Once it was time to race though the rain had stopped which made things more pleasant.

Despite the poor conditions there was a strong turnout for the race and plenty of depth up the front of the field. Like all races this series, this one took place on the three lap course usually only used during the November and December fixtures but a permanent feature this year due to construction work on the prom.

Luckily when we lined up for the start of the race the rain had stopped and the wind had calmed down a bit. It was still a pretty miserable evening though so everyone was keen to get started. Unfortunately there had also been bad traffic on the motorway which meant some people missed the start of the race but were allowed to join the race late.

I am on a comeback after being out injured 3 months over the summer and had been building nicely through the first two fixtures but since the October race have had a number of setbacks including various illnesses and niggles meaning my prep was nowhere near where I wanted it to. I had also strained my calf on Tuesday night so knew I needed to be cautious but I wasn’t going to miss Weston Prom race!

On the start line I could see it was going to be a competitive race up the front so decided to hang back and try to build as the race went on. The race started quick and there was a rare front group rather than a solo runner or two. Ben Robinson (Bristol & West AC), Dage Minnors (Bristol & West AC), David Awde (Bristol & West AC) and Adam Holland (Tavistock AC) all went off hard. I decided to hang back with Robert Stewart (Bristol & West AC) and Piers Devoil (Westbury Harriers).

I didn’t get too carried away at the start but my first mile was my fastest and my plan to gradually build didn’t end up panning out. I just felt flat from the start likely due to the limited training the last weeks and I think in the back of my mind was conscious of my calf strain the whole time which I was being careful about.

I held a fairly consistent pace throughout the race and was a long way off where I have been in previous fixtures but it was a solid effort and will definitely bring me on. A 7th place finish meant this was the first time I’ve come outside the top 3 but I’m just glad to be able to be racing. For me personally, the plan is to try and get in some consistent running through December and hopefully push on in the new year to target spring racing.

Up the front it was a very competitive race and despite the poor conditions, Ben Robinson (Bristol & West AC) took the win in a quick 24:43. He was followed by Dage Minors (Bristol & West AC) in 25:58 and Piers Devoil (Westbury Harriers) in 26:47. The women’s race was won by Alice Murray-Gourlay (Taunton AC) in 28:26 followed by Deborah Bruce (Bristol & West AC) in 28:36 and Elizabeth Ingram (Taunton AC) in 29:41. In total there were 253 finishers. Full results here. Well done to all who raced!

The races start and finish just outside Revo Kitchen on the seafront where registration and the presentations take place. Kinisi Run Hub also have a pop-up shop inside Revo at each fixture. Many runners take advantage of this and get a well deserved post-race drink and meal in the restaurant. The prom remains open during the race but there are plenty of marshals on the course to ensure any pedestrians and cyclists are aware of oncoming runners.

Well done to everyone who raced and thank you to Weston AC for organising another great Prom Run race! Kinisi Run Hub are proud to be supporting such a great event and I can’t wait for the next race of the series in December!

If you are interested in taking part then keep an eye on the Weston AC event page here. There are also 1 mile junior races.