Event, Review

Lichfield 10k Event Review

Lichfield 10k Map

Introduction:

September 10th saw me and my fiancé take on the Lichfield 10k. Race entry cost us £17 each, but included free parking, a technical t-shirt, a medal, 2 bottles of water and a banana.

We arrived at 9:30 to ensure that we were able to park, although in hindsight there was plenty of space, and to pick up our t-shirts from the sports hall and return them to the car so that we didn’t have to wait around after the end of the race. I also didn’t want them to run out of our size of t-shirts, but it turns out that you can only take the size that you requested on your entry form, which was nice to see.

Pacers:

There were pacers for:

  • 40 minutes
  • 45 minutes
  • 50 minutes
  • 55 minutes
  • 60 minutes
  • 65 minutes

I was hoping for a 70 minute pacer but would have fallen short anyway.

The Course:

The start of the race was well organized, with markers indicating where you should start depending on your expected finishing time.

The race started on time, and it only took me and my fiancé around 90 seconds from the starting signal to actually reach the start line!

There were plenty of marshals around the course to ensure you stayed on the correct path.

The course was tougher than I expected with a few hilly parts which I struggled with, especially one seemingly steep hill at around the 6km point; my pace dropped significantly here and there wasn’t even a downhill section on the other side! I got a little confused towards the end as there were no signs, but a lot of tape, and I needed a marshal to point me towards the turn for the last 50 metres.

There was a split timer at the 5km mark, which was a nice touch.

Aid Stations:

Bottled water was provided just after the 5km mark.

Entertainment:

There was no on course entertainment for the event.

Atmosphere:

There were a good amount of spectators out for the event, offering Jelly Babies and signs of encouragement.

The finishing area also had a lot of people waiting to cheer runners on and the course never felt lonely.

Goodie Bag:

There was no goodie bag provided, just a banana and a bottle of water at the finish line.

T-shirt and Medal:

I was a bit disappointed with the colour of the finisher’s t-shirt as I already have two tops in that exact colour. The 2016 Lichfield 10k t-shirt was a fluorescent yellow, which I was hoping to get my hands on after seeing so many people wearing it at other events. I did like the design and the t-shirt itself felt of good quality.

I liked the medal design with the Cathedral in the background. I also prefer it when medals state the distance and date of the event, so this ticks both of those boxes!

One thing I really liked about this event was that you could only take the t-shirt size that you originally requested when you entered the event. The size was marked on your race number and when you collected your t-shirt, a marshal would tick your race number to say it had been collected. This process was simple and ensured that everyone got the t-shirt size that they ordered. There have been numerous events where I have finished and there were no small t-shirts left despite me requesting one when signing up.

T-shirt and Medal

Medal

Overall:

The only gripe I did have with the event was when it came to leaving the car park as it became quite congested. It took a while for us to be able to leave, but that was unavoidable really as it is a single lane exit and we just had to follow the marshal’s directions.

I really wish all events would use the t-shirt size structure of this event to ensure that everyone gets the t-shirt size they ordered. It’s really frustrating to get to the finish line to find out there are no small t-shirts left!

All in all, the Lichfield 10k was a well-organized event with a challenging but fun course.  The support from spectators was great and the marshals were friendly and encouraging. The lack of a goodie bag was disappointing, however there was no charge for parking. The marshals did a great job of controlling the traffic as some of the roads remained open, and I never had to stop and wait.

I also managed to get a personal best despite not having the best time training, so I may be a bit biased (read about that here)!

4 Stars