Phoenix Running Events – Surrey (The OG)
There isn’t much you can get for a fiver these days; in fact our premarathon rutual takeout pizza with added curly fries for Mary was £11. So we didn’t have high expectations, but with a chance to log another marathon for only £10 for us both, I decided to risk it.
Phoenix Running are now launching franchises around the country based on a similar multilap format with a 6/7 hour cut off. Run one lap and you are a finisher. Run a certain number (today the target was 8) and you complete a marathon.
The flexible start time means you can rock up and run; no massed start, just let them know you are ready and off you go! So with my first percy like pig in hand / mouth we started around 7:30 with a walking warm-up / digest a rushed porridge pot lap, before Mary ran off and left me – her sensible easy pace is just too quick for me – so with music playing through my cheeks (bone conducting headphones are just plain weird but having music playing and being able to hear everything around you is great.) I jeffed my way around the next 6 laps. Each time grabbing a chewy pig, and three foam bananas and the occasional pretzel washed down with either water, orange or lemon squash or flattened cola. There were many other sweet and savoury options available at the aid station, there was no corner cutting there.
Lap 8 my legs had had enough! After missing parkrun last week due to illness, I am on the towpath to recovery but the first 14 transversions of the Blue Bridge of Doom had reminded me I am not fully fit! I did the sensible thing, I decided to walk, rather than stop at 23 miles as I had plenty of time before the cut off.
As I rang the bell to finish Mary was waiting in the beer garden with a chilled drink as she sipped away on a pint of Guinness wearing a Red Phoenix Medal!
Yes, for a fiver, you got a full and well stocked aid station, a qualifying event and a medal and if you ask… a freddo! To top it off the parking is close by and free and outside the ULEZ and the organisers are great!
They are great events at full price, but for £5 this was a total bargain!
