On Thursday I raced the ninth race of nine 5 miles 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 really nice evening for it with very mild conditions after the hot weather we have had but there was a fairly strong wind. Still everyone was excited for the final race and being able to race in the light makes such a difference.

There was a strong turnout for this month’s race but to be honest I was expecting a few more considering it was the final race of the series and the nicer weather. Most of the local clubs turned out in force for one final showdown which was great to see.

This race started differently to how all the others have. At pretty much every other race in the series, Adam Holland (Tavistock AC) has shot off and set a very quick early pace. However, this time Ben Robinson (Bristol & West AC) showed up and set an even quicker early pace.

I have come to expect Adam to go off hard so let him and Ben go and held back at a pace I felt I could maintain for 5 miles. As we approached about 1 mile I closed in on Adam and soon after started to overtake him and pull away. Through the first lap I gradually extended the gap between Adam and me but Ben was well clear. It was obvious he was going to run a fast time.

There was a bit of a swirling headwind which made things slightly more difficult but I did my best to maintain my pace. I made an effort to close the gap to Ben but it was too big and he was too strong.

I have been feeling fatigued since the London Marathon and been building back up my training so wasn’t expecting too much from my race. It wasn’t a terrible time but was one of my slower performances.

Ben Robinson (Bristol & West AC) won the race in 24:44 and I followed him home in second in 25:46 with Adam Holland (Tavistock AC) third in 27:04. Cecilie Andersen (Unattached) won the women’s race in 31:06 with Alice Smith (Weston AC) second in 31:52 and Penny Guess (Southville RC) third in 31:56. In total there were 195 finishers. Full results here.

With it being the final race in the series, there were additional prizes during the presentation for the series winners. I was very pleased to have won the overall series.

The race starts and finishes just outside Revo Kitchen on the seafront where registration and the presentation also 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 Series! Kinisi Run Hub are proud to be supporting such a great event and I can’t wait for the start of the next series in September!

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.