Well what can I say about the very 1st BUPA London 10,000m held on 26th May 2008, IT WAS VERY VERY WET!!!

But it was great! After deciding on Friday night to run the race after debating whether to bother, a hotel was duly booked for the night before. It was a lovely day on Sunday, the sun shone as we walked the mile from the hotel to Buckingham Palace where the race was due to start and finish just to make sure I knew what was what and where.

The sun was NOT shining when Joe and I awoke on Monday morning but out we went armed with my Strider umbrella and kit bag. Leaving Joe to go into the runners enclosure at Green Park the rain continued to get heavier and heavier.The race was being started in 3 waves, mine luckily being the 1st wave so I braved the weather and left my fleece in my kit bag and proceeded to wait with the other runners under the trees and no it didn't help and yes I had forgotten to take a bin bag to wear. It wasn't going to rain that hard surely?......After being directed to the start I found myself right at the front behind the various celebrities and the Elite runners, yes really!

After freezing to death in the wind and rain for half an hour the race began and we were off. My Garmin had decided it couldn't be bothered to find a signal through the rain so I had to pace myself by looking at the km markers and planning to run each one in 5 mins thus giving me a time of 50 mins. Running along the Embankment spectators had braved the weather including Joe who seemed to have decided to get soaked rather than use my brolly. There were more people under the various bridges and even a few bands playing. Real Marathon atmosphere but without the constant tripping up.

As we passed the 5km marker a runner next to me commented we were on the home stretch. At that point I was overtaken by a man covered in a thong and green paint! Luckily it was a 10 km race otherwise the paint may not have held on until the end! As we ran back along the Embankment again the rain continued to fall but as I passed Big Ben it chimed the quarter to with less than 1km to go so I was on target for my 50 mins. " Come on Stowmarket, we're from Suffolk " came a cry from the crowd. Real booster that one. So was the 400m to go sign.

Running down the Mall towards the finish I looked down to find I was foaming at the knees, literally! Have no idea what that was about other than I had been in the rain for so long it seemed to have re-activated the washing powder I'd used to wash my leggings, bizarre!

All in all weather aside it was a good race, nearly flat and fast as I came in at 47.58. I also came in 87th woman and in the top 1000 out of 6000 runners. Result! and yes, I will do it again. I met Joe at meet and greet his hands full of my Strider umbrella that had been destroyed by the wind and rain! Well done to, to Linda and Alan 'Elvis' Wells who I bumped into afterwards and to Glenda Taylor who also ran for the club.