In training to be a spectator

Carenza was preparing for the Hackney Half Marathon.

She was hoping to beat her previous best by a whole seven minutes – a bet with a friend was at stake.

‘I’m quite proud of myself – I’ve done a reasonable amount of training.’

Pascoe and I were to spectate, joined by Dan. I had not watched Carenza race since she was at school.  I had neither trained nor prepared for my role as spectator.  How naive I was!

Carefully, Pascoe and I traced the route map and found a midpoint from where we could also cut across to the finish line. But how would we know when to expect Carenza?

‘You can just download the Hackney Half App and track me on that.’

Carenza went off to the start and we found our spot and waited.  The app said she was coming, coming, coming.  She appeared to be lagging her target time. Oh dear.  Then suddenly she was past us, but Pascoe, Dan and I hadn’t spotted her.

We trudged off towards the start/finish line and stood there.  The app said she was stationary at a rehydration station.  But she WhatsApped us ‘Yay.  Beat my personal best by ELEVEN minutes.’ We’d missed seeing her again, but she was somewhere very nearby.

Finally it dawned – with huge numbers of runners and supporters, all on their phones, there was a big lag on the App.

When we caught up, Carenza was delighted with her time but the start had been dodgy.  It had been so cold she left it until the last minute to check her coat into baggage, thereby missing the warm up and being allocated to a starting pen for much slower runners.  In the pen, amongst the runners, appeared an elderly homeless man who took a shine to her.

‘They say there are twenty-five thousand runners here today.  Make it twenty-five thousand and one, baby – I’m coming with you!’

He did indeed start the race, carrier bag in hand, but luckily she soon outran him.

It was clear that Pascoe and I had been rubbish spectators – instead of failing to catch Carenza at the middle and end, we should have been at the start to see her off safely.

Our spectator training is complete - we’ll know for next time.