Ian Walton for The Vitality Big Half
The Vitality Big Half hasn’t had a lot of luck when it comes to the weather. In 2018, snow storms caused by the ‘Beast from the East’ threatened to cancel the race. Last year, the winds were so strong that a runner dressed as Big Ben was nearly blown off the course. The subsequent video went viral and the runner in question, Lukas Bates, ended up raising more than £8,500 for his chosen charity, such was the level of sympathy for his ordeal.
So, what a long-overdue delight it was to see the sun on Sunday for the third iteration of this hugely popular half marathon. Sure, it was still a bit cold and gusty, but compared with previous years this was near-perfect running weather.
As ever, the Big Half attracted a stellar elite field. Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, who’ll be going head-to-head with marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge in London next month, triumphed in the men’s race, winning in a course-record time of one hour and 22 seconds, 53 seconds faster than Mo Farah’s previous record of 1:01:15, set last year. Britain’s Lily Partridge, who’ll also be competing at London next month, won the women’s race in a time of 1:10:50.
But this is also a race for the masses. Many of these are training for spring marathons themselves, and the Big Half provides perhaps the ultimate dress rehearsal for London, as it covers much of the same route.
Beginning at Tower Bridge, runners headed eastwards, soon heading down into the subterranean, satellite-free world of Rotherhithe tunnel. I was pacing the 1:40 wave and, as ever, there was lots of friendly, excited chatter from runners targeting PBs. One told me was going for the ‘sub-100-minute half’, which somehow sounds a lot more exciting than ‘one hour and 39 minutes’.
To Canary Wharf next for a few twists and turns, before heading back towards Tower Bridge. Even with the odd headwind to contend with, I was reminded of what a fast and flat course this is. Add to this the generous scattering of support throughout, and it’s easy to see why so many people leave the Big Half with a PB.
Heading south over Tower Bridge, I was thankful once more that the winds weren’t quite as fierce as they were in 2019. But even in good weather, the half-marathon distance will test you to the limit. Between miles nine and 11, in particular, runners must knuckle down and ignore the inner voice providing increasingly convincing reasons to slow down. I’m proud to report those in the ‘sub-100-minute’ group found a way to do that. And the finish, when it comes, is well worth grafting for.
Anthony Upton for The Vitality Big Half
Crossing the line in the shadow of Cutty Sark, cheered on by thousands of spectators, has to be one of the best half-marathon finishes available. Unfortunately, the postrace experience for many participants was diminished by the lengthy cues at the baggage lorries. The volunteers, despite working as quickly as they could, seemed overwhelmed by the sheer number of runners looking to be reunited with their bags.
Event director Andrew Smith said: ‘We are sorry for the delay some runners faced collecting their bags after finishing yesterday’s Vitality Big Half. This did not meet our usual high standards. We are investigating to understand why this occurred and ensure it doesn’t happen again. We apologise to everyone who was affected and hope it didn’t spoil what was otherwise an amazing day.’
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