David's sporting challenges

London Run the River 10k - September 2016

Tuesday 6th September at 7pm was the big show-down - me versus a work colleague for the unofficial ICICI Bank running crown. We run around 6k together most Monday lunchtimes, and we seem fairly evenly matched. Sometimes I have bad days (“my legs feel heavy”), sometimes he does (“I went to the rugby yesterday”) and on those days we have what we euphemistically call ‘recovery runs’.

We’ve raced each other twice. For the last two years he’s beaten me at the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge*. Though this year I was the Bank’s fastest runner, he didn't take part through illness. So on to the Teach First Run the River 10k that we had both entered. Could I get revenge over a longer distance? The start is by Tower Bridge, then the 3,000 or so runners go to Blackfriars Bridge, cross it, run back to Southwark Bridge, cross that, go back to Tower Bridge, cross that again and end by City Hall.

We’d agreed that we’d start at the same time, and run together for the most part, but towards the end all bets were off and we would race for the line. Where ‘towards the end’ was was up to each of us to decide.

On the day of the race:

Him: "I haven't run a long distance in ages, been away in India all last week, you'll win, no problem."

Me: "On Sunday I ran 15k in the Swiss hills, not good preparation for a fast 10k tonight. I'll probably be struggling for stamina later on."

The pair of us – mind games or getting in our excuses early?

Anyway, as the race kicked off we ran together comfortably, and I was giving our times at each km marker (we were consistently just under 5 minutes per km, which boded well for a sub 50 minute 10k.).

Then at around the 8km mark I start to think race strategy, as I sense he's breathing heavily. Can I do a long drag at a higher pace to drop him? Shortly after that thought a faster runner passes us, so I latch on to his shoulder and accelerate. My colleague follows easily. I ease off, deciding that that strategy won't work. I'll have to rely on a sprint finish, I think. I play five a side football a few times a week, and that should give me the ability to do a short dash away from him close to the line.

However, at around the 9km marker he decides to up the pace. I react, and follow. We turn into Shad Thames for the final straight, running quite fast but I'm happy at that speed. I know I have a short burst of acceleration left in me.

Then disaster. As we run from under Tower Bridge there is a small turn to the right and I get baulked by two slow runners I hadn't spotted. He gets a 7 or 8 metre lead, and is off. I dig deep. "He hasn't dropped me for speed" I tell myself. "It was an unintentional block. I can still keep up”. I get back to him, but I can feel I'm in the red. For a few moments I try to relax (!) and get ready for the last push.

With less than 50 metres to go there’s a sharp left and then up a small ramp to the finish. I go for it. He's surprised, as he thought he'd dropped me, and he can't react quickly enough. I cross the line in 48'46", and he finishes a few moments later. I was almost caught, as yards from the line I eased up thinking I'd done it.

Almost caught, but not quite.

*This is a 5.6 km race around Battersea park for firms in the financial services industry in London, and for the last 2 years our bank has had over 60 entrants. It is run over 2 evenings, with around 15,000 runners each day.