Skyla, Anna and Phoebe took on the Bath Half Marathon...

On Sunday 15^th October, the sun shone bright, and the air was crisp for the long-awaited Bath Half Marathon. Having been either cancelled or postponed for the past few years due to COVID, nearly 10,000 runners were nervous and excited for the challenge ahead. With all abilities from elite runners who are aiming for PBs, to people dressed up in ovary costumes (raising money for the Ovarian Cancer charity) it was a comfortable environment, and although the adrenaline was certainly still pumping through me, I felt happy and at ease and the nerves slipped away; I knew that all I could do was my best.

When it was time for my wave of the race to start, we queued up in a sea of people and waited for the clock to begin. Once 10.40am arrived, we started moving, and I knew that as long as I made it to the finish line, I would be proud of the outcome. I had been training, but after a busy summer of festivals, trips away and working, and an even busier start to term, I found it difficult to stick to a plan and train properly. However, I knew that I was fit enough and capable, and running truly is a mental battle. I started off at a slower pace in fear of starting too quickly, however, as I got more comfortable I picked up the pace and the first half of the race flew by.

With 5km to go, I got a tap on the shoulder from Anna (a fellow Priory House girl), who although I knew was running, with 10,000 total runners, never did I think I would see her. We ended up doing the final 5km together which, I think we can both testify made it massively more bearable! Fuelled on by Jelly Babies and high fives from the crowd, we got to 1 km and made it our goal to find Phoebe (a fellow Arion House girl). In the distance, we saw Phoebe’s ponytail and sprinted to catch up with her, meaning we could all finish the race together. At a time of all roughly around the 1:50 mark, we crossed the finish line as a team! Overall, it was a rewarding and enjoyable day, and I will certainly be doing it again.

Skyla - Prefect - Priory House

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