1 minute 29.287 seconds. That's the amount of time it took for Lewis Hamilton to claim pole position for last year's British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Somehow I fear today's journey at the home of British motorsport may take a little longer than those of Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel and the rest of the Formula One grid. For years I have stood the other side of the fencing on the spectator banking, watching cars flash past at impossible speeds. Today, I finally get let loose on the track, it's something I've dreamed about most of my life.
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| F1 cars were replaced by a herd of runners. |
But what exotic vehicle will propel me around these famous bends? A nimble little single seater you ask? Wrong. Maybe one of the Aston Martins from the driving school? Wrong again. Today rather than a racing car doing the work, my own two feet will be providing the power.
The Formula One legends who usually lap this old wartime airfield have over 900 horsepower propelling their backsides around the billiard smooth tarmac. I have one manpower, which, by using simple calculations, (two legs vs four) I reckon, is worth half a horsepower. This means Lewis and his Merc had 1800 times more power than me and my two legs. Fact!
Also, just to get all the excuses out of the way now, my one singular manpower has, for most of this year been struggling with injury and fatigue, unable to get out of first gear.
As the very typical British Grand Prix style drizzle descends, the flag drops and we all struggle to put the power down on the now rather damp surface. We charge off the line all aiming for the same apex in the first corner, in front of the now packed grandstands. Ok, so I may not be driving a car today but at least let me pretend.
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| The old bridge corner, 160mph for an F1 car, maybe a bit slower for us |
The sounds of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain fill the air as we all head through the start line, at least I think they do, if you asked me now I can’t actually remember if the song was playing out over the P.A or if it was just in my head. We scramble out of Copse corner, usually 160 mph in the dry but today slightly slower and floor the throttle down to Maggots and Becketts. As I pass people on the next straight I just about resist the urge to make engine noises.
It's busy at the start with everyone jostling for position. We have a wide expanse of track at our feet but unsurprisingly everyone wants to stick to the racing line, taking the shortest route through the first few turns. I overtake a few people, before getting pinched on the kerb. After a great exit from Becketts, I slipstream a gaggle of runners down the Hanger straight and fly past the first mile marker. I'm coming for you Lewis. By now of course Lewis would have lapped me about 5 times.
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| Not a bad place for a run |
After the hectic start through the first few corners the race starts to settle down as we come to the fastest part of the track. Cars hit 200mph here, it's where my childhood hero Nigel Mansell slipstreamed past Nelson Piquet to snatch the lead with two laps to go in 1987.
On to Stowe and then after that it’s hard breaking into Club where in 1997 we cheered our world champion Damon Hill after he was fastest during a wet morning warm up. Later that day on the following straight we looked on as Mika Hakkinen lost what would have been his first win when his Mercedes engine went up in smoke.
Into the new complex now, tight second gear corners and the perfect place for me to make up a few positions, the 1.45 pacer now disappearing in my rear view mirror.
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| Lewis loosing the 2013 race with a blowout |
Next it’s the Wellington straight, where Hamilton lost a win in 2013 when his tyre exploded and then onto the final couple of turns to complete the lap. A quick drink of water round Brooklands and into the never ending Luffield where I first had my seven year old mind blown watching F1 cars for the very first time.
This really is the perfect race for the runner/F1 geek. Each turn has its memories, the run brings them flooding back.
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| Sunrise on the morning of my first Grand Prix. Later in the day we watched Damon Hill win the race |
Out of the final turn we get on the power ready to blast down the old pit straight, today however the marshals signal for us to come into the pits.
We have a little further to travel than Lewis on that pole lap. 13.1 miles as opposed to the 3.2 of a single lap to be exact. Silverstone management have had to get inventive with the route to squeeze it into the circuit limits. Rather than continually lapping the track we get to visit both pit lanes, hopefully without stopping, before winding our way around many of the access roads that criss-cross the site,
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| Round and round and round, just a few corners on route then! |
Now is time to concentrate on the run, to get my head down and watch the miles tick by. Today will be four miles further than anything I've run this year. I've just got to pace myself and hope I get through them. Ironically considering today's setting my race has nothing to do with speed.
Those miles gradually disappear and as we head back on the track to run the wrong way round to the finish, the sun even comes out, lighting up the still damp surface, reflecting off the mirrored glass of the new pit buildings.
I can't help but push on for the last couple of corners, the excitement of being back on the circuit getting the better of me. Into the final mile and I speed up, still taking the racing line back to where we started what seemed like ages ago now.
Just before I cross the line I hear the commentary. "In six weeks time during the London Marathon these guys will only be at half way, they will have to run this all over again." Just what I wanted to hear. For now I'm going to try and forget that fact, today I've finished, I've done exactly what I wanted. The first proper long run of the year is in the bag and, for now, the marathon plan is on. There is just the small matter of having just six weeks to double my mileage but I can worry about that another day. Anyway, I've always liked a challenge.
At this home of speed I've run my slowest half marathon ever, but this is just one more training run for the marathon, at the moment speed it not important. It’s been amazing to run the circuit, next time though I may just use four wheels to get around the track rather than two rather exhausted feet.
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| With my CDF club mate Gareth after the finish |
