Well this was my 2nd race of the year and my 3rd half marathon.  I was a bit tired before the race after doing a 5:01 minute season’s best at parkrun the day before.

I got there early it was already hot I’d hoped for rain like the weather in 2015.  I sat in the stands of Glanford Park waiting to see my friends, as I was waiting I saw a few people who I know off  Facebook and congratulated me on my marathon and talked to me for a bit. I Saw a few East Hull Harriers and then said hello and good luck.  Soon after that I saw my friends we talked then took a few pictures, some of them I met them for the first time, again congratulated me on my marathon.

At about 8:20 am we all went to the start line, I saw a lot more people who I know off Facebook and again they congratulated me on my marathon, it made me feel that I’m a very popular man with a good support base.

The weather was very hot and the race started at 9am, it took a few minutes to clear the line within the first mile I was feeling my legs getting tired, I could tell that was going to be the calm before the storm.

Within the first 2-4 miles I overtook a few people, and I could tell it was getting harder the heat was a massive factor in this, luckily I was still on pace but I could feel the effects of fatigue and the heat taking its toll, but there was good support up to that point which spurred me on.

Then the route goes into the countryside, but the good thing was there was shade for a little while, there was a few people in front of me so I thought I’d be able to catch them up but they were, a bit in front, I knew I was struggling but I would have to do a negative split to get a PB.

As I approached the halfway point I was glad there was a sponge point which I needed, I went through the halfway at just over a 3 hour pace so the challenge was on, I was just looking forward to the 10 miles Point then I would go like tap of the heels as in Dorothy out of the Wizard of Oz.

The next few miles were hard and I’d preferred to the Humber Bridge half then this, I found it harder because of the heat and many other factors. As the next few miles went by the heat was a challenge but the route provided some good scenery to focus on.

I got to 10 miles and I felt so happy I started to enjoy the race again and I was on target for my negative split and I started to catch up to some of the people who had been in front of me for all the race, for some reason I felt more fresh in the last 5km then I’d done in the previous 10 miles.

As I got to the last 1.5 miles or so I remembered what I was thinking last year about it being hard but this year I thought it was 1000% easier. As you run along the long road towards the finish i was enjoying it this year and it felt so good.

Just before I got to the end of the long road I saw the 4 people I’d managed to see occasionally in front of me just about 200-300 meters in front of me and I knew I could take them no problem.

At the end of the road you turn right and then go on to some cross country, I then  got to the last 1km sign I went for a good finish and decided to pick off  a few people in front of me, I got up the little incline and within less than 200 meters I overtook the 4 people who had been in front of me for the full race I was a lot faster/stronger then 2015 I continued up to the stadium As I turned into the stadium I spirited like Mo Farah I continued it faster and faster to the finish line which compared to last year was 1000% better, I then got my medal which is nice bit of bling, lots of people and friends congratulated me on my impressive finish, I got a PB in 2:58:22 and a PB by 1:43 but I could’ve done a lot better but just wanted to get around in a PB,SB,RB. I was less tired then last year which shows to me a good sign of an improvement in fitness and stamina as last year I struggled to walk up the stairs after it this year I had no such problem.

James Braithwaite