Sussex Scrapbook
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Nature walks throughout the year
Sunday 9th July 2006
Brinsbury College, nr Pulborough, West Sussex.
The Race for Life started in 1994 with one race in Battersea Park that raised £36,000. It is now an annual event and encompasses 230 different races of 5 kilometres that are held all over the UK. The target this year is to have 750,000 women running with the hope of raising £46m. At the time of writing there are 732,724 entrants of all ages involved.
We were among the first people to arrive and the
place was very quiet.
It quickly started to fill up though and pretty
soon it was teeming with people.
The race today at Pulborough was attended by 2000 entrants, even though it was a very drizzly morning. The weather improved as the race went on and ended up warm and sunny.
A bit damp and windswept. Quite good weather for
running though.
Time to begin warming up.
Everyone was wearing dedications on their backs
to friends, family and loved ones who had been affected by cancer.
Get ready....Get set.......
It was slightly nerve-wracking at the start as we were all standing quite close together and I was right near the front - one trip and you could have been trampled to death by 2000 stampeding women.
GO!
Although the event
is called a race, it isn't really. You can walk or even crawl if
necessary. I had trained so that I could run the whole distance and was
hoping to do it as fast as I could. The course took us around the
agricultural college campus, upsetting the chickens, and past some excited
little pigs who all started running around as we went by. Little groups of
people along the way cheered us on which was nice.
It was a relief to see the finish in sight, and quite a buzz to hear everyone
clapping and cheering us in.
26 minutes and 27 seconds later.........
C'mon!!
YEEEESSSS! A new personal best time.
I did it! Really pleased with my time as
well.
Everyone who finished the race received a medal.
Many thanks to Dicky for his help and support on
the day.
I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me and helped me to raise nearly £400, that includes family, friends, workmates and a generous contribution from some people over the pond on the HCG, who don't even know me, who have contributed £80 (nearly $150).