My Great South Run experience!
By Deputy Features Editor, Larissa Chapman
Last month I was lucky enough to take part in the grand finale of this year’s Great Run series, the Simplyhealth Great South Run in Portsmouth, one of the world’s leading 10-mile running events.
As the runner (and I use that term loosely) of the Top Santé team, I’ve attended a few events in my time, but I can honestly say that this was one of my favourites! It was such a well-organised and friendly event, with so much support around the route.
The course was fast and flat and finished along Southsea sea front and included a run through Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, home to HMS Victory and the Mary Rose Museum. The last two miles of the 10-mile stretch might have been the toughest (and windiest), but they were certainly the most beautiful and the views really kept me going!
The course was steeped in history and interspersed with charity cheering points, boost zones, bands on the run (live music dotted around the route, just when I needed it) and unrivalled support from local residents!
Getting down to Portsmouth was a fair old trek from where I’m based in Cambridgeshire, but it was absolutely worth the journey – I went home with a huge smile on my face and I’m eagerly planning another outing to one of the Simplyhealth Great Runs next year.
Whether you’re a pro runner or just getting into it, I highly recommend the series. There are distances to suit most abilities (from one mile to a half marathon) and different groups in the longer races, so you can run with people of a similar ability to you.
This year Simplyhealth became title partner of The Great Run Series and launched its #millionsmoving campaign, which aims to encourage greater participation levels in sport and physical activity www.millionsmoving.co.uk
