As I made my way to the start line for the Fulham 10k, I was pretty sure that the previous year when I ran the event, we started running in the opposite direction. I’m not one for checking out the course in detail (but I did nail my prep using this Race Prep Guide) but already, I was intrigued.
The route wasn’t the only thing that was different for 2019 though. Personally, my journey to the start line of the Adidas City Runs Fulham 10k was as important to me as running the actual event on the day. In 2018 when I got the opportunity to take part in the event, I arrived at the start line feeling a little vulnerable.
It had been quite a while since I had been to Adidas Runners and it had also been quite a while since I’d done any running due to my studies. I ran the first 3k on my own, then bumped into Shakil (another fellow Adidas Runner – pictured above) who was suffering from an injury. We stuck together for the next 7km, and honestly, I can say hand on heart, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it half as much had I continued to run on my own.
After the Fulham 10k in 2018, I realised that I really needed to drop running the distance if I was unable to train so I committed to focusing on the 5km distance using ParkRuns. As my studies were coming to an end in September 2019, I decided that one thing I really wanted to do was to get back into running and the Fulham 10k 2019, one year after my last 10km event, would make the perfect comeback…
My Journey To Fulham 10k
As well as the mixed group of runners that meet on Mondays and Saturdays, Adidas Runners also has a Womens group that meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays from the Studio in Brick Lane. In preparation for the Fulham 10km, the Adidas Runners Womens Saturday Sessions began following a 10km training programme which I was lucky enough to get involved in. I can’t stress enough how much of a difference having a community around you makes.
The weekly sessions focused on running form, speed, distance, injury prevention… basically, everything you need to run your best 10km. These same women (and guys!) were the ones who spotted me on the start line and ran the whole 10km with me.
What’s Included:
- a technical t-shirt which serves as your bib for the race
- free race photos
- medal
- training sessions (if you join Adidas Runners)
- Exclusive discounts
The Fulham 10k Route
I very rarely venture over to this side of London so this event is already new in that aspect. With the route in reverse, we began at Eel Brook Common and were soon making our way through Stamford Bridge stadium – home to Chelsea FC – for a quick loop. Running through the stadium is actually the only real noticeable incline and decline in the event so overall it’s flat and fast – perfect for creating a season Personal Best.
After this, the route goes through and past Fulham Broadway before heading into more residential settings. At this point, I was busy chatting, laughing and singing along to the tunes Shakil had on a portable speaker to really notice the surroundings. But I was able to recognise parts the route from last year even though we were running in a different direction.
We didn’t spot that many photographers on the route; I’m pretty sure there were none in the first 5km of the race. The 5km point was where the water station was located and as cold as it was, that cup of water was much needed.
I spotted portable toilets at various locations around the route which would be handy for anyone caught short during the race. Support on the sidelines was up and down – not surprising considering how cold it must’ve been for those just standing out on the side of the roads.
Eventually, I recognised the point at which I had met Shakil last year so I knew that we just had 3km to go till the finish line. Once you’ve got this far in an event, you just can’t give up, so the four of us that ran together dug deep and focused on getting that coveted medal.
My Race Day Kit:
The Finish Line
Somewhere, somehow, we managed to pull a sprint finish out of the bag for the final 200 meters of the Fulham 10km (really hope the photographer captured that!). Once we were over that finish line, there were hugs and congratulations all round before heading through the finishers funnel to collect our medal (along with a grenade protein bar, coconut water and still water)… Then onto photo’s and finding the rest of the Adidas Runners Crew to see how everyone got on before heading off to find some food…
Did you run the Fulham 10k?! What did you think of the event?
Are you planning on taking part in the 2020 series?
Elle
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