How Rocky and dreams of Guinness made Northampton's half-marathon 'Amazing' for this trail runner
My home town half, The Amazing Northampton Run, took place last month - I had to enter
Just over two years ago, I suffered what paramedics originally thought was a heart attack.
In fact, my ambulance assisted dash to hospital turned out to be for a bout of a condition called pericarditis, a rather unpleasant inflammation of the lining of the heart most probably caused by a virus.
The good news: I could run again. The bad news: It took seven months to get there.
At one point, I was huffing and puffing up my rather small set of house stairs with a heart rate of around 180bpm.
If you're expecting this story to turn into some kind of redemption run at this year's The Amazing Northampton Run, then think again.
That tale happened towards the end of 2022, when I was able to jog my way round a trail half-marathon. Trail being the key word. Because my post-pericarditis recovery owed much to taking to dirt tracks and moving more slowly to make sure I didn't push my heart too much.
And I grew to love the feeling to the woods, trees and countryside as I traipsed my way back to fitness - so much so that once I'd reached that point, I'd swapped road running almost entirely for long, slow yomps on trails.
So, it would have to be a pretty amazing run to get me back doing a road half-marathon.
That race came in the form of my home town half, an event which has been around in Northampton for more than a decade but which re-launched in a new guise last year.
The Amazing Northampton Run. I'll be honest, the idea of a run through the centre of Northampton, a town much maligned for its empty shopping units, run down feel and tired vibe, doesn't immediately appeal.
But then again, who would have thought the UK’s biggest half-marathon would become so popular based on the glorious surroundings of a route that flows (and I use that word in the loosest possible sense) along a series of A-roads?
And, as anyone who has spent a bit of time in the town centre will know, underneath it's not always glowing exterior Northampton town centre actually has plenty to offer.
Not only is it the biggest town in the country, it boasts a varied and storied history. Having first been granted a town charter by Richard I, the Lionheart no less, it played a major part in the English Civil War, suffered a Great Fire in 1675 and gave the country its first female MP in the form of Margaret Bondfield.
Look up at the tops of town centre buildings, admittedly sometimes above fairly unappealing chain shops, and this history is played out in the form of plaques, architecture and brilliant brickwork. St Giles' Church and the town's Guildhall, meanwhile, supply the star dust to this unexpected heritage.
This year's route started in the picturesque surrounds of St Giles Street (next year it will begin at a fully renovated and rejuvenated Market Square, the largest enclosed market square in Europe no less). Independent shops and cafes stared down on the event's runners as they prepared for 13.1 miles of pain, parks and no shortage of hills.
The run winds it's way through a somewhat cramped, but pretty, canal side path - ruined or enhanced, depending on your viewpoint, by the looming Carlsberg factory, a building which actually has huge architectural significance having been designed by the renowned Knud Munk and which, in 2024, is celebrating 50 years of bringing jobs to Northampton.
Along the way, runners pass by the town's three sporting stadia, home to Northampton Saints, Northampton Town and the county cricket club. I particularly enjoyed jogging through Franklin's Gardens, allowing my mind to dream of Guinness and rugby rather than the pounding of my feet.
Another of those stadiums brings with it one of the runs more controversial moments in the form of 'The Rocky Steps'. As I propelled myself up the set of steps outside Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium, I could hear fellow runners either humming the Rocky theme tune or muttering about 'who puts steps in a half-marathon'.
Marmite comes to mind for some reason, but it is this kind of touch which makes The Amazing Northampton Run different from its town centre competitors.
It passes through parks and swings along the water's edge, but you also always feel you are passing through a real, living and breathing town, cheered on by its happy inhabitants and a host of bands and choirs.
Like far too many races, it also manages to incorporate an uphill finish, that touch of race director evil that so often seems to serve as their revenge for the months of paperwork and planning that go into making these events happen.
Finishing back at St Giles Street - no long walk or battle with public transport to get back to where things began and cars may be parked - runners are greeted by more cheering crowds and a unique, recyclable medal.
Will I be trading the trails for a future of road running? Probably not, but The Amazing Northampton Run offers enough of everything to keep you hooked.
Perhaps a better question is will I be back next year. I'd be amazed if I wasn't.
DISCLAIMER: A version of this story appeared on the Go Beyond Challenge website. Go Beyond puts on The Amazing Northampton Run and I do PR for them. With that said, this report is an accurate and honest reflection of my race. The only way you can find out if that is true is by going and running it yourself 😉
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