Event Review: Bupa London 10,000

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All of Helen Keeling’s running over the last few months has been done in the cold, so the prospect of racing in 25 degree heat was a little daunting… here she reviews the Bupa London 10,000 for Sportsister.

The event

The 2012 Bupa London 10,000 was held on the morning of Sunday 27 May – one of the hottest day of the year so far. Starting and finishing on the Mall, the race took in a plethora of famous sights, including Nelson’s Column, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge and Westminster Abbey.

Using the same course that will be used for the Olympic marathons later on in the year, the atmosphere was electric and thousands of people turned up to support both us, the fun runners, and our Olympic hopefuls.

The elite

Competing in the men’s race was 5,000 metre world champion, and winner of the previous three Bupa London 10,000s, Mo Farah. In 2010, Mo set the course record – a speedy 27 minutes and 44 seconds. Mo’s main opponent was British marathon runner Scott Overall.

Mara Yamauchi took top billing in the women’s race, exactly 10 weeks before she will compete for a medal on the same course in the Olympic marathon. Mara’s main British rival was expected to be the Scot, Freya Murray, who was recently the second British woman home in the Virgin London Marathon.

Four kilometres in, I passed both Mo and Mara. Sadly, this wasn’t because I could suddenly run five minute miles but because Mo and Mara were a couple of kilometres ahead of me on the other side of the course, running back to the Mall. When my fellow fun runners and I spotted Mo, Mara and co, we felt compelled to join in with the crowd and cheer our Olympic hopefuls on.

Mo Farah produced a sprint finish to clinch his fourth successive win and Scott Overall placed third.

Mara Yamauchi led from start to finish and Swansea Harrier Caryl Mair placed a superb second. Freya Murray came in fifth.

Keeping our cool

Further back in the race, we were all attempting to stay cool. Realising that the heat had put paid to our chances of getting a PB, my run partner and I spent the final hundred metres engaged in an impromptu water fight. Those caught up in the crossfire seemed to appreciate the temporary reprieve from the heat.

The 2012 Bupa London 10,000 was great fun, and the chance to run part of the London Olympic marathon route just weeks ahead of the Games was a real thrill.

Good points
- The excellent organisation
- The course (passing so many famous landmarks)
- The crowd

Bad points
- The weather!
- A few more toilets at the start would have been good

Helen Keeling, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Image credit: Bupa London 10,000

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