3 members of Grantham Running Club lined up in the heart of Birmingham to take part in the Great Birmingham 10K and Half Marathon, one of the biggest running events in the midlands.
For Balint Beni in the half marathon, the morning of the race was brighter and warmer than expected, promising challenging conditions for a half marathon, as it was a first warm day of the year. He knew the heat might become an issue, especially with Birmingham’s hills on the course.
The energy at the start line was high, with runners buzzing with excitement. As the race started, Balint settled into a comfortable pace, trying to conserve energy for the undulating route. The support along the course was fantastic—local spectators lined the streets, offering cheers and encouragement which was incredibly uplifting, especially in the tougher segments.
Balint focused on maintaining a steady pace, not pushing too hard on the climbs, and using the downhill sections to recover and gain some time. Hydration stations were crucial, especially in the heat, and he made sure to take advantage of each one. Balint managed to clock in a finish time of 1:50:06, his third best half marathon performance and a result he quite proud of, considering the hilly terrain plenty of turns and higher temperatures.
Fellow GRC-ers Brian Hawkins and Anna Harding opted for the 10k. They found it to be an enjoyable city centre rolling race route, which was good fun. It was a busy start but soon enough there was plenty of space to get going.
Brian came in at 38:13 which was not his plan but it was a tough course in the city heat!
Anna followed at 51:20 still sticking to her current race plan of keeping things steady!
There were medals and t shirt at the finish which were a bonus after the disappointing last mile through the back streets. Both would recommend the race for the experience but not for setting pbs.
