Cuppers 10m TT/Cambridge Half Marathon, 8/9 Mar 2025

Having a Half Marathon to run the next day, I unwisely decided to race the Cambridge University inter-collegiate 10 mile TT on Saturday. The weather was stunning, and so I was very excited to roll up to the start with my TT bike all decked out and one of Tim’s cool helmets on. However, I was quickly humbled by the block headwind. The tactic became to smash it all the way out into the wind and just try and survive the way back. Luckily this worked quite well - the only hiccup was that I ran out of gears in the ridiculous tail wind on the way back in. I clocked 25:16, slower than 10s I’ve done before, but enough to win by a few minutes and secure 2nd place for Sidney Sussex. Good day out!

Next up was the Cambridge Half. Having done it last year, swearing I would not do it again, I lined up at the start with two of my best friends in the sunshine. Just like the day before, that turned out to have lulled me into a false sense of security. We plodded along comfortably singing to a great 00s playlist for the first 10 miles, before I decided that I did in fact fancy a PB. I ran the last 3 miles quite a bit quicker (actually clocking my second fastest 5km time in the process!), and came over the line positively bozeyed and dribbling in 1:49. My legs regret it; I don’t. Thats my running career definitively parked - until next year, when I’ll probably do it a third time.

Freya Taylor