Race for Life 5k : Richmond Park

This was the second year I ran the Race For Life, after taking part in the Norwich Twilight 5k last year, which was an awesome experience and my first "race".

This year I managed to persuade some of my work colleagues to participate in the Richmond Park 5k, and they really embraced the challenge, even getting on-board with wearing pink tutus! 🙂

It was a gorgeous day, hot and sunny, and while not ideal for running it made for a great atmosphere with lots of supporters lining the course.

The route was all out in the open in Richmond Park which was good as you could see how far you had left (or bad, depending on how you felt!). It did mean I felt very exposed however and was really glad I decided to carry a bottle of water with me - I was sweating buckets!

We all set off as a group, cheering each other on. I always love the start of a race - there's a massive sense of anticipation and a huge adrenaline buzz, you can't help but smile!

We were really lucky to have a big group of husbands/partners/family who had come to support us- thanks guys!

I tried to stick with Alice as I wanted to run the whole way (despite the heat and lack of training) but she was a speed demon!

A very cheerful speed demon however - look at that grin! 🙂

It was also fairly impossible to keep track of anyone after a short while - a huge mass of people in pink makes it hard to spot individuals!

I just followed the flow - it was difficult to go very fast, even if I'd been able to, as the course was packed with some tight corners, so I just enjoyed the atmosphere and picked out people in crazy costumes 🙂

Eventually the finish was in sight and I was running past the boys again, waving and looking far more cheerful than I actually felt! I was melting!

I grabbed a bottle of water, and brioche with jam (random but tasty!) and was given my pink medal. I then headed over to congratulate Alice and the other girls as they finished- everyone did great!

And despite the heat I felt great too (even though I'm sure my face matched my tutu), having finished another race and achieved something great for a good cause, and participated with an awesome group of friends- thank you ladies 🙂

Well Done!

We massively surpassed our sponsorship target, and I'm hugely grateful to all the people who donated. The Race for Life is an important event in raising money for Cancer Research UK, an amazing charity dedicated to saving livings through research, and helping people deal with the life changing illness that is cancer.

Here is a video that one of the girls, Kate, made: