It is with regret that I announce my retirement from the sport of road running, having yesterday made my debut in the sport of road running.

My brother recently asked me to join him for his first road race, the Helena Tipping 10k organised by Wrexham Athletic Club Road Runners. As it turns out, he had to pull out and so I was the sole representation of the Williams family. The course is only a couple of miles from our parents’ house, so was reasonably familiar territory even though I didn’t know all of the route. Not being a road runner, I approached it in the hope that I’d suddenly find it interesting and enlightening, but actually it was just hard work!

I had a reasonable run, pushed myself a bit in the last third, and managed a decent sprint at the end to pass three people in the last 100m or so. I could feel a lack of stamina because I don’t normally run at such a consistent pace; my usual fell running provides more variation. The provisional results placed me in 77th, or 22nd for the 18-35 age class, with a time of 41m 42s.

I’ve been wanting to try a road race for a while, just for the experience. It wasn’t purgatory, but it wasn’t the most exciting race I’ve ever undertaken either – I doubt I’ll be doing any more soon without a very good reason. On the plus side, if this is the only road race I ever do then I must have achieved a personal best. Although conversely it was also the slowest road race I’ve ever done. Hmmm….