Westminster Mile 2018

The Westminster Mile 2018 had the same setup as previous years. Namely a great race village in Green Park with all kinds of things to do and for us a kids area where my daughter always loves to have her face painted.

westminster mile 2018

Over the last few years I have run my own time trial while my wife and daughter would follow behind at their own pace. This year was a little different because we'd just had our second child and my wife wasn't taking part. So I entered me and my daughter into one of the family waves and we ran together.

Also a little different this year was the wave I entered - for the last few years I had run in the Sweatshop Running Community wave, however that wave has now been discontinued and while it was tempting to enter the parkrun wave instead, we stuck to one of the regular ones so we could leave enough time to catch the Monaco GP afterwards.

westminster mile 2018

Our wave start time was scheduled for 11.20am, so we headed over to the start line at 11.10am to ensure we wouldn't miss it. What I hadn't factored in was the fact that we were had a D in our race numbers and waves A-C would be set off before us.

The wait in the start pen was about 40 minutes, and by the time it came around to our wave starting we were very hot, thirsty and fed up. I could easily get over this, but it wasn't so easy for my daughter. So when we finally got sent on our way, she wasn't as enthusiastic as she was 40 minutes earlier. Couple that with people randomly stopping on the course and I could tell this wasn't going to be a good year.

westminster mile 2018 [photos: mameek / dani]

As we made our way through the half-way stage, I could see that she just wasn't into it anymore - the heat was too much and she just wanted to see her Nan, Grandad, Uncle and Cousin, who were waiting near the finish line. Fortunately the final 100 metres saw some enthusiasm return and she unleashed her mission impossible sprint finish.

After picking up our medals and goodie bags, we met up with the family and had some overpriced ice cream in the sun. An hour or so later and it was time to head off to watch the Formula 1, so we packed up our bags and left. It had been a great morning out, but sadly the run itself was a little disappointing.

westminster mile 2018

Our results were sent by text message the second we crossed the finish line, which was pretty cool. She got around the course in 12.04 which was slower than the previous year by 13 seconds. Not surprising given the situation. For me, it was nice to finally go around with her rather than busting my guts, so from that point of view it was good.

Westminster Mile 2017

The Westminster Mile has become a bit of a family tradition and the 2017 event was fifth year of the event and the fourth that I had taken part in. As I had in the previous few years I entered the race via Sweatshop and ran in one of their waves.

The event takes place on the late May bank holiday weekend and uses the same set up as the London 10000 event which takes place on the Bank Holiday Monday. Last year (2016) I ran in both events, but for this year I had a bit of a dodgy ankle and decided to just stick with the 1 mile event.

I wasn't feeling particularly racy, so I set myself the goal of running an even pace and aimed to come in a smidgen under 6 minutes. If I was going for a full-on race I would have ditched the Sweatshop Running Community t-shirt that I was wearing and opted for a singlet instead. These days I find that during races even a short-sleeved tech t-shirt makes me overheat.

So I had registered myself, my wife and my daughter, and we arrived in good time to wander around the event village where my daughter had her face painted in the kids zone. There are always loads of activities going on in Green Park and worth spending some time checking it all out.

We had been put into Sweatshop Running Community's first wave which had a 12 noon start time. At about half eleven I started to warm up with a jog around Green Park and I then made my way to the start on The Mall.

As I was going for a sub-6 minute time, I headed up towards the front of the starting pen while my wife and daughter stayed closer to the back. At the 2016 event my daughter had set a personal best time of 12.11 which she wanted to beat this year.

At 12 o'clock on the dot, the air horn was sounded and we all headed of along The Mall with St. James' Park on our right hand side. I kept my pace relaxed but strong. The first 400 metres were a little congested as my sensible pace tied in with most other runners' 'run as fast as I can for 200 metres and then suffer the rest of the way around' pace.

By the time I reached the 400 metre mark, I had found some clear air and the timing clock showed 1.27 which was right about where I needed to be time-wise. Once past the 800 metre mark at 2.54 and turning onto Birdcage Walk there is a slight rise of elevation which slowed my pace a little.

With 400 metres to go the timing clock was on 4.27 and all that was left to do was maintain that pace and I successfully continued my sub-six minute streak with an official time of 5.57.

A few hundred metres down the road, my wife and daughter were making good progress and after a few minutes of loitering around the finish area, I spotted them heading towards me. The clock showing just over 12 minutes, but by the time the official chip times were confirmed it showed that my daughter had set a new mile personal best of 11.51.

With that all done, we had our timing chips removed, picked up our free lunch from Sweatshop, and collected our goodie bag and medal from the wonderful team of marshals that had made the day possible.

We didn't have much time to spare after the run as we had already arranged to head off to watch the Monaco Grand Prix with my brother (on the TV, we weren't actually jetting off to Monaco), so we shot straight off to do that. It had been another excellent morning at the Westminster Mile and I'm already looking forward to doing it all again next year.

Results page (with filters applied): Sweatshop Wave 1 Results

My Strava GPS file: Westminster Mile 2017

Related blogs:

• Westminster Mile 2013
• Westminster Mile 2015
• Westminster Mile 2016
• London 10,000 2016

Westminster Mile 2016

The Westminster Mile has become one of those races that I just keep returning to year after year, so far there have been four events and I have attended three (2013 and 2015 being the other two - I missed 2014 as I was travelling to Germany for a half-marathon). This event has grown off the back of the London 10,000 which took place the day after and turns the weekend into a celebration of running.

Even though the race itself is good enough, it's all the other small things that makes this a great event. We stayed over in London the night before the event and even had time to visit Highbury Fields junior parkrun (blog to follow) before heading over to Green Park to the main hub of the Westminster Mile event.

This year was a little different because instead of just myself racing, I had registered my wife and daughter as well. We had entered as part of the Sweatshop Running Community and made our way to the SRC tent where we did our last bits of preparation. Me and Matilda were both wearing our New Balance Zante v2 running shoes (blogs: mine / matilda's).

getting ready [photos: 7t / dani]

Sweatshop had three waves of runners, A, B, and C. I had registered first and my predicted finish time had me in wave A, while my wife and daughter were in wave C. I was a little apprehensive about the start time which was advertised as 11.55am because in 2015 the Sweatshop waves had been set off early which lead to some confusion and a little panic.

This year. the organisers stuck to the advertised time slots which was a relief. So at 11.55am, wave A was despatched and all was fine. After 2015 where I went out too hard and suffered. I decided to approach the race with a slightly different strategy this year - I went out at a strong pace but tried to keep things under control.

My goal was to finish in under 6 minutes and while on paper this looked do-able, my own confidence was a little low and I was unsure if I'd be able to do it. The race had markers every 400 metres plus an extra one with 200 metres left, so I used these to judge how I was doing. I knew I had to reach 400 metres in around 1.30, and I passed this at 1.24 which made me a little nervous that I had gone out a little too fast.

ready to go... [photos: dani / mum]

So I tried to stay relaxed through the second 400 metres in an attempt to reach the second half of the race in fairly decent shape. As I ran along Birdcage Walk I was overtaking other runners which was the complete opposite of how last year went, and mentally this really helped to get to the 1200 metre mark.

The last 400 metres was a case of giving it everything that was left. It was at this point that I spotted one of my running buddies from Dartford. He was a good 10-15 metres ahead and I wondered if I might be able to reach him if I had left enough in the tank.

As we turned the final corner and the finish line came into sight, I was about 5 metres behind. I really pushed hard and edged in front a couple of metres before the finish line. So a big thank you must go to Alec for giving me a target to aim for during that last 400 metres.

After finishing I hung around at the finish area to await the arrival of my wife and daughter whose wave were just about to be despatched. About 12 minutes later they came into sight and they crossed the line together. The same post-race system was in place as was last year. First there were the timing chip removal stations and these were followed by the goody bag station. The race medal was inside the goody bag.

We headed straight back over to the Sweatshop Running Community tent where we picked up our free lunch and found a nice spot to eat it. One of the great things about this event is that I find that I bump into so many people I know from various running groups, races and parkruns. It's such a great event for the running community and I have every intention of returning in 2017.

post-run [photos: 7t / dani]

The results were online later that day and my official chip time was 5.41. My wife and daughter completed their mile in 12.11. I've had a chance to think about things and I reckon that the track sessions I've been doing recently played a massive part in helping me to get the pacing for this just right.

Official chip time (me): 5.41 (Westminster Mile (search fields applied)
Dani / Matilda: 12.11 (Westminster Mile (search fields applied)
Official results: Westminster Mile 2016 (main search page)
Official results: Westminster Mile 2016 (run britain)

The following day I took part in the Vitality London 10,000 2016.

Westminster Mile 2015

Now in its third year, the Westminster Mile encapsulates a series of 1 mile races throughout the day and takes place on the late May bank holiday weekend. The event is linked to the annual London 10,000 metre race, which is currently known as the Bupa London 10,000. I think it's important to note that this is more than just a 1 mile run around the outside of St James's Park - this is a full-on family day out.

The 1 mile and the 10k races share their main assembly areas and start-finish infrastructure. The first time the Westminster Mile races were held, they took place on the Sunday. However, in 2014 the mile was changed to the Saturday (I missed this event as I was travelling to Germany to run in the Tivoli Lauf Halb-Marathon). I was pleased when I heard that the 2015 races would return to their original Sunday slot. The 10k race took place on the bank holiday Monday.

westminster mile [photo: 7t]

The standard entry fee for the 2015 1 mile race was £8 for adults or £6 for juniors and registration was possible in advance only (no on-the-day entries). The race organisers sent out runners' race bibs, timing chips and map of the course and immediate area. via the post during the week before the race. Mine arrived with a few days to spare.

On the day, we arrived in Central London and headed towards Green Park, which was set aside as the main hub for the event. Here there was a race information tent, live music performances, a huge picnic area, changing areas, toilets, a children's area, various entertainers walking around, plus the Feel Great Britain Mind, Body and Soul zones which offered sessions on stretching, pilates, yoga and so on.

goddit? [photo: 7t]

I had entered the race via the Sweatshop Running Community (SRC) and had the luxury of being looked after in the SRC marquee complete with bag drop area, free t-shirts and a free post-run packed lunch. Not bad considering they also covered the entry fee for all of their runners.

I bumped into loads of people I know from various parts of the running community and as more and more runners and their families arrived the atmosphere grew and the vibe was great.

marks. set. [photo: dani]

SRC are famous for their bright yellow running shirts (which you get for free after you have collected five SRC stamps) and all of the runners were requested to wear their shirts for the event, of which I was happy to oblige. I was even lucky enough to pick up a junior-sized one for Matilda.

Once she had her shirt she was keen to try out the temporary running track which also featured some tuition on the best techniques for starting a track race. She also learned a little about how to start using a starting block. My wife and daughter then headed into the children's area where Matilda had her face painted and made a sign and a medal for me.

the balloon guy [photo: dani]

There were over thirty separate races over twenty different waves ranging from the 'Family Run/Walk' waves right through to the elite men, women and wheelchair athletes. The first wave of runners went out at 9.45am and the last was at around 3.30pm. There was also a special parkrun wave which I didn't enter because I was quite content with limiting my exercise to the one solitary mile.

As I was milling around I caught wind of a rumour that the SRC waves would be going out about 10-15 minutes earlier than advertised. If anything, this proves the point that it is wise to arrive quite a bit earlier than you might think is necessary. You can easily pass the time by soaking up the great atmosphere in Green Park. Even though the published wave start times are only estimates, I do think the organisers should have tried to stick the the guideline times. a wave starting 15 minutes early could easily catch people out.

src runners gathering at the start line [photo: 7t]

After a quick pit-stop in one of the many hundreds of portaloos, I found my way to the race start line about half-way along The Mall. I bumped into a few familiar faces here and slotted into a space near enough to the front to make a swift getaway.

Being a 1 mile race, I felt fairly comfortable for about the first two minutes and then it all began to hurt. After a few more minutes of agony, I turned the final corner and headed towards the finish line which is right outside Buckingham Palace.

the mall [photo: sweatshop]

Here's an interesting thing - as I crossed the line the official timer was definitely showing around 5.39, but my official result has been recorded as being 5.41. Exactly the same thing happened when I ran this race two years ago and I had a similar discrepancy. Most of the runners I've spoken to also have a similar story (discrepancies of between 2 - 9 seconds) so it's not just me.

Further investigation found that the official results page was showing gun times while the actual chip times could be found on the Run Britain Westminster Mile results page - official chip time was indeed 5.39! Then a few days later, the official results were finally updated to show everybody's individual chip times. Phew.

a small corner of the src group photo [photo: dani]

So with that done I waited at the finish line as the rest of the SRC runners streamed through - we congratulated each other and took plenty of selfies together. Then it was on to the timing chip removal points followed by the goody-bag / medal collection point. The goody bag contained some water, a small chocolate bar, some shampoo, toothpaste, a dairy-free banana milkshake and a packet of dried egg noodles. The medal was a good quality double-sided bespoke design and very nice.

With that all taken care of, I headed back over to the SRC tent where I picked up my free lunch, met my family and then sat down for a little picnic in the sun. I found out that my wife and daughter hadn't heard any announcements about the change of timings so they missed my race completely (and as they had the camera there are no action photos for the blog). We hooked up with the rest of the SRC crowd where there was a huge group photo taken before everyone started to make their way out of the park.

team7t [photo: kat]

We had a great day out in Green Park, the entertainment and the amazing vibe made it worth attending even for non-runners. I'd like to give a huge thanks to everyone from Sweatshop that worked hard to make the day a great success for all of the SRC runners. Same again next year?

Westminster Mile 2013

When I signed up for this race I was in the middle of an 3 month injury to my foot and didn't know if I'd actually make it to the start line.

pre-race

Fortune had it that I did make it to the start line, but after the lay off I was not in as good condition as I would have liked to have been. During the sign up process the website asked for a predicted finish time, so I optimistcally put down 7 minutes.

About a week before the race I received my pack which contained a guide to the day, my race number, my timing chip and a baggage tag in case I wanted to leave my bag in the bag drop area while I raced.

Buckingham Palace

The course starts halfway along The Mall and takes you around the outside of St. James's Park until you reach the finish line just outside Buckingham Palace. It's about 3/4 of a lap of the park.

Green park is used as the main area for all race related stuff such as the changing areas, toilets, information tent, water stations, etc etc.. There are plenty of spaces for supporters to watch the races but most tend to gather just outside Buckingham Palace near the finish line, which creates a really good atmosphere as you round the final corner.

My supporters (including mobot attempt)

Everything is very well organised, all you need to do is be in the right place at the right time, wearing your number and timing chip that were sent and the rest takes care of itself.

My race number had me in the blue C starting wave, which meant that I had to be in the C start area in time for a 10am start. Small, individual races are run throughout the whole morning and set out at around 5-10 minute intervals.

The start

I had never raced one mile before so had no idea how exactly would be best to run it. I decided to just run and if I got it wrong it would be a good lesson for next time.

As we set off down The Mall I felt good, but pretty soon after turning the corner into Horse Guards Road I had a sense that I should have started a tiny bit slower. Still I pressed on and before I knew it I was passing the 800 metre point (also known as 'half-way'), I glanced at my stopwatch and it said 3.15 - On target for a 6.30 finish time.

My last few agonising metres

Once you turn the next corner onto Birdcage Walk there are markers every 200 metres, plus a 100 metre marker just before you turn the corner into the final straight. I'll be honest and say that during the second half of this race I was complete agony and did not enjoy it all at. I just wanted to stop. Maybe that's just what one mile races are supposed to feel like.

Post race hugs

Upon reaching the finish straight I had nothing left in me and couldn't sprint across the line, I just tried to maintain my pace as best I could. Looking down at, and stopping, my stopwatch as I crossed the line I was surprised to see that it reported my finish time as 6.10.

Once my timing chip had been removed I followed the road around to the goody bag and medal distribution point and then exited back into Green Park before heading off to find my supporters.



You have to have the medal (and stopwatch) shot!

I'd definitely be interested in signing up for next year's race to hopefully try to better my time, and in a shock piece of the news the wife also said that she quite fancied signing up too.

Later on that evening the results appeared online and gave me an official time of 6.14 - My result

(31 May) EDIT: An interesting point to note is that a few people have commented on Westminster Mile's facebook page that their own timings were 3-4 seconds faster than the official published times, which seems to point towards my own timing being correct.