Vitality Bath Half Marathon (AKA BathHalf)
Distance: 13.1 Miles
Runner – Andrew Heale
Approx # Competitors – 11,317
Price - £41.00 for UK athletics members, £43 otherwise
What you have show for it - A t-shirt, medal , goodie bag – and a massage
Course Description - The Vitality Bath Half Marathon is a fast flat course, straddling both sides of the river Avon and avoiding all the hills surrounding the City. It is an ‘honest’ two-lap course with proven PB (‘personal best’ time) criteria, entirely traffic-free (full road closures throughout). Even at the front end you’ll have plenty of company to pull you round for a good time.
Reality of Course Description - As described, one small hill you go up twice.
Water and Fuel Stations –
- Bottled water: 2 miles, 5 miles, 8 miles, 10.5 miles, 12.5 miles
- Lucozade Sport (orange flavour): 4.5 miles, 10 miles
With more at the finish.
Time of year – Mid March
Why I chose this race – My sister lives nearby and persuaded me to enter. She had previously run the course to raise money for charity when my Dad died. Last year we lost Mum, so seemed to make sense.
Organisation – This was my first event so nothing to compare but I thought absolutely fantastic. Plenty of toilets, signs, facilities and marshals.
Feedback Summary – I really enjoyed the whole experience, the crowd of 45,000 was really supportive, with various bands along the way adding to the atmosphere. A great run through a beautiful city on a glorious day. Plus I raised around £900 for charity and got a free massage courtesy of the girls from the local training college. What could be better?
Will I be back – I don’t doubt it.
Tips for next time: Allow plenty of time for park and ride into the city centre. Make use of last minute toilet stops.