Why Blackpool Should WIN!

A post from December, 2016

It was great news to discover this week that the Blackpool Illuminations 10k, organised by the excellent FCR events, has been shortlisted in the national running awards, so I wanted to put something together as to why, in my opinion, they should win.

Before I start, a little bit of background on me, I have been running and entering races since 2014, I have lost count of the number of races I have entered to date, but it must be well over 50 throughout the UK.

One of those races was the Blackpool Illuminations 10k night run, which was held for the first time ever in August of this year.

It was by far the best running event I have ever taken part in….

Here’s why…

1). First off, lets cut straight to the chase, this event is held at night, and they turn the illuminations on exclusively for the runners for the entire duration of the race!, now, I am not talking about the odd neon sign here, they turn the whole illuminations on, the tower, the trams, the big wheel, the pier, all of the lights, the whole lot! Runners at this event are treated to an exclusive preview of the illuminations a good 2 weeks before official launch! Running a night 10k to the backdrop of the wonderful illuminations has to be one of the most magical and enchanting things I have ever done in my running life!

2) The organisers did a superb job of promoting the event and attracting over 1,000 runners which was even more remarkable given that 2016 was the very first time this race was ever held

3) Registering was very quick, easy & straightforward online with instant e-mail confirmation

4) The organisers send you a welcome e-mail and keep you updated as race day approaches, they are also very active on social media and you can communicate directly with them online, I found that if they didn’t respond to my questions instantly, it was usually within the hour.

5) When you arrive at the registration tents on race day to collect your number you are greeted with the biggest smile! the race was extremely well organised with plenty of staff on hand to cater for your every need, it felt like nothing was too much trouble for them, there were more portoloos (approx. 50!) than I have ever seen at any other race with no sign of the usual ‘big queues’ you often encounter at popular events.

6) A DJ was belting out the music and doing a great job of ‘pumping’ everybody up creating a real ‘party’ atmosphere before race start. seeing 1,000 runners bouncing up and down on the start line ‘ready to race’ gave me goosebumps

7) You had a real mix of ages and abilities, from ‘elite’ club athletes at the front to people just looking to ‘get round’ at the back but nobody had an attitude, everybody was made to feel welcome and the atmosphere amongst all the runners was one of the friendliest I have ever experienced , everybody seemed intent on just having a bloody good time!

8) The course itself was a runners delight, and perfect for a PB, it is held on the purpose built promenade walkway which is pretty much completely flat, dead straight, super smooth concrete, fast, wide enough to fit about 50 runners on side by side so plenty of room for overtaking, completely traffic free, hardly any pedestrians, clear km markers every km and extremely well marshalled with plenty of water on hand if required – running paradise!

9) The views out to the north sea as you run along the promenade boulevard were spectacular and envigorating, combine that with the backdrop of the wonderful illuminations and you have a truly unique, magical running experience like no other.

10) The DJ gives every finisher a heroes welcome from first to last, there was a large crowd of spectators making noise at the finish and the ‘bling’ was great.

11) The event had chip timing, and results were availale online almost instantly

12) After the event all runners, no matter what their finish time are encouraged to share their experience on the organisers facebook page and there is a real ‘community’ feel about this page with everybody congratulating and encouraging eachother no matter what their result

So there you have it, 12 reasons why Blackpool should win, But there is one final thing, and in my opinion, FCR deserve to win for just this reason alone….

Blackpool is well known as a ‘party destination’ and has long been tarnished with the ‘lager lout’ brush, especially at this time on a Saturday night, so there is something magical about the fact that now, for one night of the year at least, on one side of the road you have 1,000 people making merry and partying the night away in the clubs & bars, yet on the opposite side of the road, a little further down and hidden from view, 1,000 runners are having a very different type of party.

That FCR have managed to gather 1,000 kindered spirirts to create, promote and celebrate a healthy lifestyle slap bang in the middle of ‘party central’ at this time on a Saturday night, there is something wonderfully romantic about it.

By the way, to anyone considering this run for the first time, don’t be put off, the run takes place well out of the way from all that, it’s just the stark contrast this event has created given Blackpool’s reputation, it’s beautiful.

For me , this makes the Blackpool illuminations 10k a truly deserving winner of the award in its own right! never mind the other 12 reasons outlined above!

I do hope the judges at the running awards get to see this, and take it into account when making their decision.

One thing is for certain, This race will be the very first race on my calendar for many years to come!

By the way, I have written a book, it’s all about how I went from zero fitness to completing Ironman UK (twice), it’s got some fantastic reviews and you can check them out here…

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