We went to Blaydon Races, t’was the nineth of Joon…..
Well, this is an iconic race in the North East and this song (along with Cushie Butterfield) are folk songs that my Dad sang to/taught my daughter as he pushed her on a sing as a toddler. The Blaydon Race is one that needed to be ticked off the list of runs to be done.
Collectively we all entered the ballot earlier in the year – me, my husband, my brother & my dad so that we could all gan along the Scotswood Road together. I also was party to some active encouragement for other people to get involved too! We were all successful ballot entries!
So as the 9th of Joon came around it all turned to organising logistics. As a point to point course that happens on a evening it was important to have a think about how this would work best. Blaydon do put on buses from Blaydon to the start line if you wish to park at the end OR you can get a bus from Blaydon back to the Newcastle once you’ve finished your run. As a wee bit of a control freak I don’t like to leave my destiny in the hands of others, although if I was going to use the bus I was definitely going to park at the finish and get the bus over to Newcastle so that the get away was on my terms at the end of the race. Instead, we opted for the train from home up to Newcastle and then our supporters set off later to Blaydon where they would be waiting for us to arrive in Blaydon and have the get away car in place.
So, if you’re running the race firstly think about your logistics.
I know people who did both options and I think that the better experience for using the buses that had been put on was people who parked at the end and got the bus to the start. The reverse option left people getting home quite late.
Anyhaps…
We arrived at the Quayside in Newcastle and meandered through the crowds. The loos where in pretty good shape when I first used them, not the usual rancid port-a-potties we are used to at race start and even when I returned pre-race they were still well kept although the lines where getting quite long.
Baggage drop was over the bridge at the Baltic Centre on the Gateshead side of the river and was really easy and effective. Your number included your baggage label, tie it round your bag and pass your bag over at the point that corresponded with your race number.
It was slightly drizzly and a bit cold a wee while before the start and my Dad insisted that the song did give a nod to rain on the day of the Blaydon Race (and apparently it was a boat race, I had always believed it was a horse race).
We popped off along the Quayside for a little warm up and then made our way through the throng of people down to the starting area. The atmosphere was good. The lining up based on your colours was a little unregulated and not actively encouraged so it did become a little feral.
There was lots of great North East tunes playing as we lined in our start pen. My husband said that these were load and atmospheric although further back in the field we could barely hear and could only get involved in the choruses of Blaydon Races as we were unsure as to where we were in the song.
A little later than the start time we were off. My plan had been that I would start off within myself and build across the miles. As I had not managed to get to the point where my fitness was returning it was going to be a bit of an unknown as to what I could achieve. My A Goal was a 50 min or better run but the reality was that I really didn’t know where I was at. I was just coming out of the otherside of the dialogue that I had left myself with post injury that I wasn’t making any progress so it was a “stick a finger in the air” and see how the wind is blowing kinda race.
The course isn’t all that inspiring and despite what I was told by another runner at the end it certainly isn’t flat, there’s no hills as such but lots of sweeping undulations to content with.
The route was decently supported and I felt strong. I got on the back of a runner from a local club, Aycliffe, and kept her as my pacer throughout the whole race. I did thank her at the end and I later found out that she was called Trish so THANK YOU TRISH for being my unofficial Blaydon pacer.
I was really pleased with how strong I was running. I wasn’t epic on the inclines but I kept my rhythm and kept strong and I was pleased with that. There’s a couple of little switch backs and whilst I know lots of people hate switch backs I quite like them, I got to see my Dad on one of the switch backs and it always keeps a little interest on a boring bit of the course.
I didn’t let the route being a bit dull make me tap out, I kept present and enjoyed feeling strength again.
I crossed the finish line in 51:08 so not quite my 50 mins or better but I was still fairly chuffed with that – WE HAVE SOME PROGRESS. Post injury has been tough and seeing a glimmer has been so positive.
At the end of the race you got a fab t-shirt, there’s a ham & pease pudding stottie (no gluten free option), a Red Bulll and a Blaydon Races beer. I’m pleased by daughter brought me a ham bun so that I felt that I could at least join in a wee bit.
There was a quite fabulous ice cream van at the end too.
A GREAT race, FANTASTIC atmosphere and a MUST DO for anyone from the North East.
Will I do it again? I’m not all that bothered about going again. It’s the tick in the box of doing the Blaydon Race and as the course isn’t very exciting or a PB course (although you don’t often run 5.8 miles) then there’s no real allure for me.
