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this race was first held in 2007 with a relatively low key event to see if it might be feasible to hold a larger race down the towpath of the Birmingham Canal from Wolverhampton to Birmingham in the future . . obviously it proved to be a success because in 2008 a larger event was held, to be repeated again today . . being a run along a narrow canal towpath, we can't all set off at once and so a system of setting runners off in waves according to anticipated finish time has been developed, which from my own experience of last year and this, seems to work really well, in conjunction with chip timing . . for me the day works as follows . . drive to central Birmingham and park at Brindley Place, as close to the finish as possible, having stopped overnight with friends in Knowle . . walk to New Street Station . . train to Wolverhampton . . and run back . . Nice!! on the way to Brum I stopped to take a few photos . . well actually to have a rest, but understandably I felt the need to disguise that . . and here they are . . taken with a small compact camera which has seen better days but doesn't mind coming along for the journey . . a nice touch this year was that the drinks stations were staffed by longboat owners, who moored up alongside the bank in the appropriate place, climbed onto dry land, and served the drinks . . whilst the mile markers were all marshalled which prevented a repeat of 2008 when most of them were to be seen floating in the canal! from a personal point of view, disappointed with my time, some 26 minutes slower than 2008, but that's what happens when you stop training, and it wasn't quite a pw . . and I still lugged my body 13 miles didn't I!! on the other hand it was, as always, lovely to see so many running friends and have a little bit of a catch up . . it's never enough, especially when you all run away from me, but there's always next time . . thanks to the organisers and the marshals for letting us run . . I'm looking forward to 2010 already!!!
thanks to Stuart Steele / StuWeb
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