Hull 10k – 2015
As a result of the interruption to my training earlier this year, the Hull 10k ended up being the first official charity race of 2015.
I took part in this on Sunday 14th June, and was, once again, able to walk to the start line from my own home (in costume, of course!)
Fortunately the weather was considerably more favourable than last year, being rather cool and slightly damp – typical for a British summer’s day, and perfect for when you;re running 10k in a thick black jumpsuit and 25 lbs of armour, plus a helmet.
Once again the spirit amongst the runners was superb, and the support from the crowd was brilliant. Many people turned out to support everyone despite the rain, and it is very much appreciated. You really don’t know just how much that support helps.
The route was, once again, a bit challenging, because a good portion of it is over cobblestones. The fact that it was raining, and with the helmet on I can’t see the ground, running blind over wet cobblestones is a great way to injure yourself. Luckily I survived.
In fact I actually found the run fairly easy, although because of the interrupted training this year I tried to slow my pace down a little, so rather than aiming for 1:15 I aimed for 1:20, and ended up coming in at 1:23, which wasn’t too bad, especially as I felt brilliant the whole way round, and even forgot to stop running after I passed the finish line.
Unfortunately the race organisers ran out of medals, t-shirts and goody bags, which was very disappointing. I have now received my t-shirt and medal in the post, although it’s not quite the same of course. Around 400 other people were in the same boat as me, but the CEO of the events management company that are in charge of the Hull 10k rang me up and we ended up having over an hour’s chat on the phone, and I do feel that, with input from local runners, we can look forward to a more satisfying run next year.
As ever there are plenty of photos from the event which you can browse below.
Of course, I should also note that I didn’t just run the Hull 10k as a stormtrooper for my own amusement! The whole point of the challenge was to raise money for the children’s charity Kidscape, helping to protect children in the UK from bullying (including cyberbullying) and all forms of abuse. I would be very grateful if you could please spare a pound or two. You can donate by either visiting justgiving.com.stormrunning or simply texting STOR50 £5 (or whichever amount you like) to 70070.
Thank you, and may the force be with you!
