Peter Wedderburn is a regular runner at events ranging from parkruns to marathons. He founded KBC Special Events and has been organising races through the company since 2013.
I guess you could say I am pretty obsessed with running!
It didn’t start out this way. Back in the last century, around 1999, I decided that I needed to make that mid life change in the way I was lived my life. It was triggered by a visit to my old friend Chris who was living on a croft about 15 miles South of Aberdeen. Twenty years or so previously we had done a bit off running together for general fitness. Then Chris had moved from North London to Scotland and we had drifted apart, but on visiting him it appeared he had gone in one direction and I had slowly drifted in another. Chris had turned from being a committed smoker to giving up tobacco and had got seriously into his running with a lot of races and a few marathons under his belt. I was dead impressed. The following week I ran with a local running group in Kingston called the Stragglers and I have been running with them ever since.
In the last 19 years running has gradually taken over a lot of my life. I have done loads of races, including 19 Marathons. I’m not that quick but usually finish mid field. My best marathon time was London 2002 in 3hrs 56.57. My most recent in Liverpool last year was just under 4hrs 30. Along the way there have been many adventures and also changes in focus.
Since 2012 I have moved from running in races to organising them as well. This makes for an interesting mix of perspectives on the running world.
If there is such a thing as a typical day then yesterday was it. The morning was dedicated to looking at our Summer event, the Harry Hawkes Raceday. This year Quicksilver Running (KBC Special events new brand name) is introducing a new 10k, the Ditton Dash on Sunday 24th June. We have all of our races officially measured and I was meeting Hugh Jones our course measurer later in the day. It always a pleasure and a privilege to have Hugh certify our races as he has a tremendous distance running pedigree. Amongst many results the standout is his win at the 1982 London Marathon in 2hrs 09. 24.
The day followed the usual unseasonal pattern of spring 2018 with heavy rain through the morning but by the time that we started course measuring the clouds hand blown over and we spent a fairly sunny afternoon checking out the course. Although it was pretty muddy through Ditton woods we made the measurements and will be able to mark up accurate km points when I get the figures back from Hugh.
Early evening continued the running theme but this time as a competitor. A glute injury messed up my running in the second half of 2017 but I have been getting back to some sort of form and was ready to start my first race since last June. The Wimbledon Trail Series is organised by Andy Bickerstaff. It’s a series of three races held on the first Wednesday of May, June and July on Wimbledon common, with the start and finish close to the Windmill.
I wasn’t expecting to do anything special but was looking forward to the race. The earlier rain had passed and when I parked my bike and locked it to the stands the early evening was sunny and felt warm after the cycle from Kingston Hill. I picked up my race number, did the usual pre-race prep and then at seven o clock we were off.
The course follows a variation of traditional cross country routes over the common, which is a fairly hilly area. Usually at this time of year it would be a dry trail run. But recent heavy rain and the bucket loads earlier today had changed all that and it was serious cross country going into Tough Guy. I had some old trail shoes which helped but for anybody in road flats they would have done well to keep upright.
Did the course in a watch time of 44.24 which was sub 9mm. Given the conditions well pleased with that.
Next runs will be at the Stragglers at Ham tonight, parkrun on Saturday ( if I can fit it in) and the Ranelagh Richmond Half on Sunday. Its great to be back!
This Running Life 