Falmouth Half Marathon...our home race!

So that was it. The Falmouth Half Marathon came and went, as brutal as ever. A chilly northwesterly wind gradually blew the remaining clouds away as we piled round Pendennis Point, allowing hazy sunshine to filter through and warm us up. Fantastic home crowd support spurred runners on through the fast flat and downhill section from the Falmouth Hotel to Gylly Beach, before a kick back up cemetery hill and a left turn with a slight variant on last year. Another fast downhill section leads to Swanpool and the base of the first major hill. Climbing in two stages, the road heads up to a T-junction where Denise Lydall, Aly Kate and Rachel Flanagan cheered everyone on just as they were starting to despair. Just round the corner, Wiebke Lammers greeted you at the start of a fast downhill section all the way to Maenporth, giving an opportunity to stretch the tiring legs and pick up some speed. Just as you're getting into a rhythm though, you hit Maenporth hill, the longest hill on the route. The first part of the climb turns a bend, then you can see almost the full length of the hill rising above you, runners in various stages of fatigue struggling up it, wishing it was all over. A truly daunting sight. This is the make or break of the race. Once at the top though, the road out to Mawnan Smith is fast and predominantly flat, before a gentle downhill section into the village. But the hills aren't quite over yet. Rising back out of the village, runners are directed left downhill out onto a little country lane, before being hit by two hills, rising in stages to the highest point of the race. The high point doesn't mean the hills are over, but it does mean the worst are done. Some nice fast downhill sections offer a good opportunity to run a negative split in this race, being broken by a couple of unwelcome hills rising up Swanpool hill and then cemetery hill, before a long drag back up from Gylly to the Falmouth Hotel and the fantastic crowd to cheer you home. A great race, great weather, and a great experience! Thanks to all the marshals and support out on the course today! :)