My Running Diary

The Leukaemia Research Bromsgrove 10k and 5k Fun Run is organised by Bromsgrove & District Branch of the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Fund in conjunction with Bromsgrove & Redditch Athletic Club. If you live in North Worcestershire or the south end of the West Midlands then this run is a perfect addition to the beginning of your 10k season.

I set a goal for myself last winter to set a new 10k pb this season, I really didn’t expect to achieve it on the Bromsgrove 10k because it’s hardly a course where you expect to do so, however I was rather pleased to do just that.

This race is always well organised, there’s plenty of parking at Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club where the race congregates for the start and where the race finishes. Entry is £10 on the day and goes towards the fundraising for the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Fund. The rugby club provides changing rooms and there’s always a free sports massage available courtesy of students of NEW College. Post race refreshments are well catered for too, burgers, hot dogs, tea, coffee and a bar are all waiting for you on your return.

The start is carefully marshalled, runners congregate at the Rugby Club and are then marshalled a few hundred yards up the road to the start at the end of Walnut Lane. Marshalls are positioned at crucial points throughout the course and there are two well stocked water stations. The 10k usually kicks off at about 11:00am closely followed by the 5k race at 11:15am. Beware of traffic on some parts of the course it’s mostly but not entirely traffic free.

I’ve used this route as a training run so many times that I’ve learnt every inch of it… Keep reading if you’re particularly interested. The Bromsgrove 10k route starts from the junction of Walnut Lane and the Finstall Road and heads of down Walnut Lane, there’s a short incline at the beginning into a long downhill until the right turn into Dusthouse Lane, flat then until the short downhill at the left turn into Upper Gambolds Lane.

A hard climb then until the right hand bend at the top and flat until the canal bridge, a short sharp downhill then into a hard climb up Fridge Hill (there was an abandoned fridge in the ditch at the top for years!) and downhill again until the left turn into Copyholt Lane.

Copyholt Lane meanders upwards (mostly) until roughly the halfway mark in the race where a few hundred yards of flat running leads you to a left turn into Sheltwood Lane which rises slightly before dropping steeply to a sharp right bend and a hundred yards of flat.

Sheltwood Lane then heads uphill steeply, bending left and right before a left turn into London Lane still climbing, the climb is almost three-quarters of a mile in total and is probably the toughest section of the run.

The pain doesn’t stop there though! London Lane drops away very steeply, over the canal bridge and even more steeply toward the end of the lane, tired legs take a real pounding here as you try to keep control of your descent. London Lane ends with a sharp, short and very steep kick up to the left hand turn back into Dusthouse Lane.

Dusthouse Lane undulates gently until the right turn back into Walnut Lane, beware of 5k runners emerging from your left here, and settle in for another long climb back up to the top of Walnut Lane. The hill peaks just before the left turn into Finstall Road where you can settle in to the sprint home to the finish in the driveway of the Rugby Club!

You can also check out the Bromsgrove 5k Route on MapMyRun.com

I have to tell you that my run on the day was just excellent! A brand new PB for a 10k in 43′27″, achieving the goal I set for myself  in the winter. Not only that… I’d decided to use a strategy of running at 7 minute miles for as long as I could and slowing down if I needed too, if you do the division you’ll discover that my time is spot on 7 minutes miles. The power of the mind eh?