The Olympic Park Run
Marc Stokes celebrates the once in a lifetime opportunity to run round The Olympic Park!
Name: Marc Stokes
Age: 32
Occupation: Photographer
Event: Olympic Park Run (National Lottery)
Distance: 5 Miles
Race time: 41:26
How long have you been running? 2.5 Years
What made you decide to sign up for this race?
Once in a life time opportunity to run in the Olympic stadium, and before even team GB.
What were your expectations for race day?
This was not a race for me, but a run to soak in and enjoy, but in saying that I ran a really good time for me with a pace nearly 45 seconds a mile faster than my usual race pace.
What were your high and low points during the race, if any?
High points were obviously crossing the Olympic finish line, and the rush of coming out the tunnel and into the stadium filled with 15,000 spectators, was a memory I’ll have for life, there really were no low points to this race, every person I met on the start like was really nice and the whole atmosphere was electric.
What was the best part of the course for you?
The final 300 metres, it’s the Olympic stadium; I don’t think any race on earth can top that.
What was the most challenging part of the course for you?
The course was tight and twisty for the most part, being able to keep 5 miles within the confines of the park and around all the main parts such as the velodrome, the aqua centre etc meant a lot of corners and twists and turns
How would you describe the crowd support?
Simply amazing, most of the course was closed because the park is still under construction, but even those construction workers were shouting support from the scaffold, but when you hear 15,000 people cheering and chanting in the stadium, it really makes you smile.
What was the male/female ratio roughly in the race?
It seemed pretty even.
Did you see many people running in costume, and if so what was the best costume?
The run was in a compulsory race shirt so very little in the way of costume, but lots of people made themselves stand out. I for one ran with a Union jack tied around my waist until the stadium, where I ran with it in my hands behind me like an athlete after winning a race, other people who stood out to me were the guy who died his hair day glow pink, and a woman with the brightest union jack running tights I ever saw.
What’s your overall verdict of the race? Please give marks out of ten for the following categories:
Organisation: 10
Scenery: 9 (this would have been a 10 if the whole park was finished, but this was a minor issue)
Atmosphere: 10
Would you do it again next year?
This was a one off event, never to be ran again.
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