Running is not always terribly conducive to a normal family life. If your partner isn’t also a runner, the sport can lead to varying levels of tension in the home and many of you will have put her or him through a lot while pursuing your passion over the years. I certainly have. However, in the last three years, something peculiar and wonderful has happened to my wife and two boys.
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Seeing me frequently disappear for a quick blast around the park or my weekly track session (and, of course, my races for RW) has finally – thankfully! – had an effect on all three of them, to the point where the kids are now regulars at junior parkrun and my wife will also, on occasion and favourable weather permitting, be persuaded to lace up.
Keen to make the most of this critical breakthrough, last year I suggested a family mini-break with a race as its focus. It didn’t take long for me to find the location – the Isle of Wight. But instead of buckets and spades, we would pack running shoes and tops.
The races were at Ryde, on the northeast coast of the island. I entered the half, while my wife and kids chose the 2K fun run. A 5K race was also staged, so there was something for runners of all levels.
The race location couldn’t have been better, with proceedings starting and finishing in beautiful Appley Park, which is located right beside a sandy beach.
And we were not the only ones who were undergoing a new experience. After 30 years of staging an event here, race organisers Ryde Harriers had radically changed the route for this latest outing. Instead of taking runners south along the eastern coastline to Bembridge and Brading, as they had done since 1985, the course now stayed closer to Ryde and its surrounding villages.
After the start on Ryde’s seafront I was soon knuckling down for the first – and, mercifully, the highest – of six climbs on a course that was made up of two loops, the first of which was smaller than the second. The total ascent was 230m.
There may have been a few chunky climbs to deal with, but we were rewarded for our efforts, as the route took in the prettiest parts of this side of the island. Of all the lovely villages the race passes through, St Helens is probably the most enchanting. It’s said to have one of the largest village greens in England – there is some dispute over whether it’s the biggest or the second-biggest. Whatever the case, it is large enough to serve as the home ground for the local cricket team. You could easily imagine the actor Jeremy Irons, who was born here in the village, sitting beyond the boundary rope in a deckchair, watching a few overs, a sweater draped carelessly over his shoulders.
Both loops of the course took us south into Nettlestone, where a smattering of villagers stood in their front gardens to clap us by. While it didn’t quite match the overwhelming atmosphere and emotion of crossing Tower Bridge on the London Marathon route, the understated nature of the support here was just as motivating in its own gentle way.
The race route also provided runners with plenty of tantalising glimpses of the Solent, the 20-mile-long stretch of water between the island and the Hampshire coast. At the top of every hill along the route I also enjoyed perfect views of the graceful Spinnaker Tower, which dominates the skyline above Portsmouth.
However, since almost all of the race is on quiet country roads, this is, in general, an event for zoning out and relaxing rather than keeping your eyes peeled for landmarks at every turn.
After just about conquering the final hill, the road guided us back to Ryde. A very satisfying 300m downhill section took me into Appley Park and the finish, where I discovered my family had managed to refuel with a postrace ice cream and warm down with a round of crazy golf while they were waiting for me to cross the line. As we compared medals and swapped tales of our races, I reflected on how running, however modest the distance, had added a new angle to our family days out. I could easily see this year’s family summer holiday destination being running-themed, too. I’d better start practising my sales pitch.
The 2016 Isle of Wight Half Marathon is on August 21st.
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London, September 18th
Take a trip to leafy southwest London. As well as a marathon, half marathon and 10K for adult runners, there are two junior races – a 500m dash and the Nike Kids’ Mile. There is also music (it’s a festival, after all).
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, September 27th
While the grown-ups are tackling the hilly 10K course, the younger family members can zoom round either a 400m or 800m race on nearby playing fields. Tea and cakes await the finishers.
Naseby, Northamptonshire, March 2017 (date TBC)
This one starts and ends in Naseby, close to the site of the decisive battle in the English Civil War. There’s a half marathon, 10K, 5K and various duathlon distances, as well as a one-mile family fun run.
Isle of Wight Half Marathon
2015 stats
First man: Julian Manning, 1:16:16
First woman: Cassie Thorp, 1:32:22
Runners: 377
Finishing stats
1-1:29 hours: 5%
1:30-1:59 hours: 49%
2:00-2:29 hours: 37%
2:30+ hours: 9%
Photography by Ben Knight. Adrian used visitisleofwight.co.uk to plan his trip. He took the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to the island. He stayed at the Seaview Hotel.
