We head up to Newcastle by train via Chesterfield after the dogs have been
dispatched to kennels. We travel in 2nd class because it now costs as much in 2nd
class as it used to in 1st.
L's sister has
pulled out of the run so it's just the two us again booking into Motel One and with
the Pleased To Meet You booked for food and pre-race hydration. A tried and
tested combination.
Beforehand
we head up to check out the start and finish area which this year are in the same place on the
Town Moor which is situated between the traditional start on the central
motorway and this year’s finish on the Great North Road.
There will be no
finish in South Shields this year to stop people packing onto buses and the
metro with no social distancing which is such a bonus in many ways. It’s also sort
of nice to have a different course for the 40th and for our last trip up here
unless that is my knees are still intact for the 50th then I might give it
another go. While L bills this as her half marathon retirement race.
There is a
staggered start with everyone allocated specific timeslots to increase socially
distancing meaning L sets off an hour and forty minutes after me. I start at 10:25
and L not until 12:05.
I start off
aiming to do at least a Parkrun’s worth of distance before having to walk bits
to give my knees a break (doing a Jeff I believe it’s called) as we head over
the Tyne Bridge for what will be the first of two crossings this year. In fact
I manage to make it to four miles where L's niece is working for a charity
where I stop for a photo opportunity.
At half-way
they turn us around a roundabout and send us back along the Bypass, past
Gateshead again and so back to the Tyne Bridge. As the course is usually almost
all up hill to South Shields it was a surprise to find the return to Newcastle
wasn't all downhill, they even diverted us over a flyover to make sure this
wasn't the case.
With our start times
being so far apart L and I were only on the course together for a brief while but
due to its out and back nature we managed to meet up for a high-five at around the
2 mile/11 mile point.
Then I
carry on to do the last bit through Newcastle city centre where we run passed
Grey's Monument which is just near where we are staying.
Sadly there was no
beer stop at 10 miles this year which was probably the main reason my time of 2:08
wasn't good at all despite my pace starting off at sub-2 hour. I ran 1:45 in 2019. At least they
still had Jakehead in the beer tent at the finish, so I rehydrate with one of
those before I manage to get back onto the course to see L finish. Which is something
that is never possible at South Shields.
With the hassle
of getting back from the finish removed it’s now just a short stagger back to our hotel.
