On a cold and rainy morning, new member of Grantham Running Club Balint Beni arrived at the starting line for the Ironbridge half marathon, his first race running in GRC colours. Despite the weather, he was excited to take on the challenge and see what he could do despite still suffering the effects of a bout of flu.
The route allows runners to take in the sights of Telford landmarks such as Coalport Bridge, the historic Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale Viaduct and Rough Park with a start and finish in the award winning Telford Town Park.
The first lap was around the Telford town park and was very narrow and it was challenging to pick up any pace and overtake other runners but the scenic countryside surrounding Ironbridge was beautiful.
As Balint hit the halfway point, he was feeling strong and confident, thanks to the course being downhill. As they reached the world’s first Ironbridge, the course began to get more challenging, with lots of steep hills and winding paths, but he tried to keep focus and maintain the pace.
As he crossed the finish line, he was happy to see a time of 1:50:07, a new PB.
Overall, the Ironbridge half marathon was an amazing experience, more as a trail run with lots of puddles and mud, then a road half marathon. Despite the rain and cold weather, he had a great time running the course and pushing himself to his limits. The crowd support was amazing, with spectators cheering the runners on and volunteers handing out water and snacks along the way.
Report by Balint Beni