What’s the oddest prize or goody bag treat you’ve ever had from a race? Yesterday I won a cabbage.
An explanation: Sunday saw this year’s running of the longstanding Cabbage Patch 10 miler. It’s a race based out of the Cabbage Patch pub in Twickenham – a smallish field (1,720), and yet one of considerable quality. The £1,000 prize money attracts some seriously speedy runners – the winner this year, Loitarakwai Olengurisi, finished in 49min 35sec. It is also a race with an impressive history – previous winners include one Mo Farah, and in 1983, Richard Nerukar set a world’s best of 46min 2sec – still the UK record to this day.
It’s a lovely race – my favourite of the year. Flat, friendly, well-marshalled and, to my mind, the perfect distance. You get a great long-sleeved technical T-shirt at the end – there’s no goody bag and medal, but that must help keep costs down. It’s £21 to enter, which considering that T-shirt, is really a bargain.
I was really pleased to knock more than two minutes off my 10-mile PB (down to 1hr 6min 35sec), considering I’ve had a fairly heavy week. And, most importantly, with two of my speedy team-mates, I scooped the ladies team prize. Hence the cabbages (and some beer). Now, though, it’s proper taper time with the New York marathon in two weeks.
One final note on the race, and a postscript after I failed to see the humour in the Ealing Eagles signs during the recent Ealing half marathon: they’ve got a new one. Top marks, Eagles.
So, any brassicas for you this weekend?
