Great North Run, 10 Sep 2023

The Great North Run is the first race I’ve done in a long while. Months of revision, finals and an undiagnosed respiratory issue slightly detracted from exercise in general. A last minute cold the week of the race made this concoction of unpreparedness all the more difficult. It’s safe to say therefore when I got to the start line I was mightily unprepared.

I first ran the GNR in 2019 in 2 hours with no training and given how I was feeling on the start line I was worried I wouldn’t beat this time. However when we first started running this concern flew out the window. The GNR really is the friendliest race with the best atmosphere and I spent the first 5km completely pumped as we ran past groups of spectators cheering.

The race was a bit of a slog after that. Heat and illness didn’t make the best combination but I kept pushing on and was pleased to cross the line in 1 hour 45 mins. Not my fastest time but a good 15 minutes quicker than last time. Given two months ago I couldn’t talk without being breathless this may be one of the races I’m most proud of. Exercising with an undiagnosed breathing issue is scary so I’m proud of myself for keeping my head and getting round… but I’m definitely going to train properly for my next Half, and maybe finally beat my mum! 

Maddie Angwin