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Another year has gone and the Bath Half Marathon has shortly crept up on us. For those of you who don’t know, the “BATHALF” is an annual road running half marathon held in Bath, England. It has been held every year since 1982 except for 2018 when it was cancelled due to snow. It is normally on the second or third Sunday in March. This year it will be commencing on Sunday 17th March at 11am.
The Bath Half Marathon is one of the longest established and most popular city centre road events in the UK. It is also the largest charity fundraising event in the South West region, raising over £2.25 million for charity in 2017 alone.
The course itself is fast and flat making it suitable for all abilities – for beginners whose key objective is to complete the course, to more regular long-distance event runners, looking to beat their personal best time. It covers a two lap 13.1 mile (21.1km) traffic-free course straddling both sides of the River Avon. The race starts and finishes in Great Pulteney Street, in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath.
This year the half marathon is even more exciting than usual as one of our very own students is taking part; Ana. We are very excited to be cheering on Ana at the sidelines while she runs.
We managed to speak to Ana directly, asking for her tips and tricks on how to prepare and stay focused for a half marathon. Read on to see what she says…
What inspired you to train for the Bath Half Marathon?
I have always enjoyed running as I have been doing it for nearly six years back at home. However, the main reason why I wanted to run the BATHALF was because I wanted to integrate into the Bath life.
How did you train for it?
I trained in various ways; with my running club in Bath (JMS Run Crew), on my own and with friends. It is a social event for everyone but everyone also has their own race. People have different aims such as achieving their personal best time or just enjoying the day.
What motivated you through training? How did you not give up?
It’s in my personality that when I have an aim, I don’t give up. This commitment was enhanced this year as I wanted to run the half marathon last year but due to heavy snow it was cancelled. I spent all of last year raising money for charity and getting people to sponsor me based on the race so when it got cancelled, I donated the money to my chosen charity - Julian House and made a promise to run the half marathon next year. This is what motivated me to not give up, I had a promise to uphold as people were so generous with their donations I had to keep my side of the bargain.
How did you learn about the Bath Half Marathon?
I learnt about the half marathon when I came to Languages United. I was already thinking about what I could do in my afternoons and free time after school so when I enquired about local running clubs, the school mentioned the Bath Half Marathon. I had heard a lot about it such as the atmosphere is exciting where everyone is cheering you on and music is playing. It was something that I was definitely interested in.
Would you encourage others to take part in the Bath Half Marathon? If so, why?
Of course! It is great to take part in one of the biggest days in the city, it doesn’t matter what your personal time or aim is as everyone is doing it for different reasons. It is a great way to make friends and find new friends who also love running.
Although Ana stated time doesn’t matter, she achieved a new personal best this year with her finishing time being 1:47. Well done Ana! Everyone at Languages United is beaming with pride.
