Updates to the race diary

I’ve added a few races to the Running Races near Bristol page for August and September. All the races I’ve added are within about 25 miles of Bristol, and I’m pretty confident it’s as comprehensive as you can get in one place. The reason I’m confident is that I’ve had to piece it together from several places, so you don’t have to bother!

If I’ve missed any, then please let me know. I’ll get cracking on October’s races very soon.

Things are picking up

OK, so yesterday was a bit of a bummer, but I’ve just been up to the downs and back and did it faster than I have since my foot injury took me out, and that’s only a day after a race. I think I’d like to do another 5k within a month or so …

I passed a group of what looked Westbury runners heading down Redland Road when I was on my way up.

While I’m writing, I’d just like to remind you of my hunt for some additional contributors to the site. I’ve got a mad/keen bloke in the shape of JT, who made his first post a few days ago, and I’d like at least two more - maybe 3 more. I’m especially keen to find a youngster who’s doing well and hoping to do better, and I’d like some female contributors too. Read more here.

A sobering Bridge Inn 5k

Two months ago I ran a personal best of 17:47 in the Bridge Inn 5k.  This was a big jump up and I thought that there was a chance I might manage a 17:30 5k before the end of the summer. Between you and I, I think I might have a 17 minute 5k in me.

But how swiftly our fortunes can change: I injured my foot and didn’t run for about 4 weeks, and the rest of the time I’ve been struggling to get going again.

Hence I only managed 18:39 tonight. At the half way mark I was 100m ahead of where I needed to be for 18 minutes, which was what I’d set myself.  But that was with the wind behind, and with another 2.5 km to go and the wind in my face it all died away and before I knew it I was running more and more behind schedule with nothing mental or physical to offer. It was as if my previous 5k had been a dream, or an error in time-keeping!

Still, no aches or pains, so I can look forward to getting back into my stride.

It was a better turn out than of late - 97 runners. It’s a nice event: Traffic free, a good  mix, and lots of people stayed on for the results and prize giving.

The race was won by Tim Elson of B&W AC who ran it in 15:50. Bridge Inn 5k results are here.

The new Easy Runner

After managing my first run for several days (a very hot, groin-friendly, 6k) I thought I’d pay a visit to (the recently expanded) Easy Runner to pick up some odds and ends.

What a difference - space. It doesn’t feel like they’ve really moved into all their additional space yet, but it is a much more pleasant environment - light and airy. It’s much easier to see what is there, and there are more distinct areas to the shop.

Maybe it is an illusion created by the space, but it seemed to me that there was a wider variety of stock - more shoes on display, and more accessories to browse through.

I would say Easy Runner didn’t provide a very pleasant browsing environment, but now it is much improved.

See our shops section for a link.

Enjoying the SeaView!

Hi there! I’m JT and I’m delighted to be able to blog on the Bristol Running Resource website.

My first report comes from a way out of Bristol: Minehead to be precise, where I am buzzing having just taken part in the “Seaview 17”. I use inverted commas, as the actual race distance turned out to be closer to 21 miles! However, the weather was glorious for an event that takes in the north Devon coastal path as it winds its way from Countisbury church across to Minehead. The views were absolutely spectacular and the terrain mixed - footpaths, bridleways, some road sections and forest paths, incorporating some very steep climbs. The high point (literally) being the summit of Selworthy Beacon from Bossington beach, 963ft in just over a km!

For a small race (106 finishers) it was excellent to see so many representatives from Bristol running clubs: I spotted a Great Western Runners shirt, several Nailsea Running Club shirts, Town and Country Harriers, as well as 4 representatives from my own club, Westbury Harriers.

This race is what running should be about - there were no prizes for finishing first (or last for that matter), the times at the end were list in order of runner number and everybody hung around to cheer in every participant and have a well earned beer, plus some sandwiches too! The times for the event ranged from 2.42 through to 5.30, and I managed to finish second on the day in 2.45!

Well, I’ve gotta dash, but hopefully as the site takes off, I’ll be seeing a lot more of people at running events in the Bristol area. Up next for me will be the Bridge Inn 5k on Tuesday, a friendly event organized by Bristol & West AC. If you fancy it, it’s only £4 to enter on the night and is a friendly event with runners of all standards! Post a comment if your planning to attend and we’ll make sure we say hello!