Three Bournemouth AC runners made the trip to Berkshire for the annual Wokingham Half Marathon, one of the South’s most popular early-season road races. First staged in 1984, the event attracts thousands of runners each year and is known for its quick course and competitive fields on closed roads around the town.

Representing the club were Rich Brawn, Sanjai Sharma and Sophie Read, each approaching the race with slightly different goals.

Rich attacks from the outset

For Rich Brawn, the race formed part of his build-up to the Newport Marathon on 19 April. As usual he has thrown himself into the preparation, getting in a solid long run every weekend while also leading the club’s marathon group sessions.

His season had begun well with a strong 36:23 at the Stubbington 10K, but things had taken a slight dip the previous weekend at the Bramley 20. Battling grim weather conditions, he finished in 2:12:32 – 41 seconds slower than his time there the previous year and not a race he will look back on fondly.

Determined to take a different approach at Wokingham, Rich decided to attack the race from the start rather than hold back. Having raced here two years ago, he knew the final three miles feature the toughest hills and that the key would be making the most of the earlier miles.

The opening mile includes a steady climb and he clocked 6:06 before a quick downhill second mile of 5:48. Settling into rhythm, he followed that with a couple of miles at around 6:06 pace before dipping under the six-minute mark again with a 5:59 fifth mile.

Miles six and seven featured an out-and-back section where conditions suddenly became more testing. It was only when he turned at the cone that he discovered a strong headwind waiting on the return leg. Powering through the gusts, he was relieved when the course turned again and the wind was finally behind him.

At mile eight he was caught by the 1:20 pacer and briefly tucked into that group. The pace proved a little too demanding though and, mindful of not blowing up completely, he sensibly let them go.

Having reached ten miles in good shape, he knew the hard part was coming. The hills on mile eleven knocked him back to a 6:37 split and took a lot out of his legs. Mile twelve followed in 6:20 before a determined push over the final stretch saw him finish with a 6:18 last mile.

Crossing the line in 1:21:31, Rich finished 206th overall with an average pace of 6:11 per mile. While not quite the sub-1:18 he managed in 2024, it represented a solid bounce-back performance after the difficult outing at Bramley.

Tough day for Sophie

Sophie Read had taken a slightly different approach to the early part of the year. Rather than targeting a spring marathon, she decided to focus on shorter races and sharpening up her speed.

Her personal best stands at 1:31:33, set at the Fleet Half Marathon last March, and she arrived at Wokingham hoping she might be able to get somewhere around the 1:30 mark.

Starting alongside the 1:30 pace group, she stayed comfortably with them for the first four miles at around 6:45 pace. However, an incline soon afterwards disrupted her rhythm and she struggled to regain momentum.

From that point the race became more of a battle than expected, with the pace gradually slipping as the miles ticked by.

She eventually crossed the line in 1:38:14, finishing 793rd overall and 108th female out of 947 finishers in the women’s field. While it wasn’t quite the run she had hoped for, the race offered a useful marker as she looks to rebuild some speed over the coming months.

Sanjai digs deep

Meanwhile Sanjai Sharma was using the race as a fitness test ahead of what will be his 32nd running of the London Marathon on 26 April.

He has been steadily building up his training again, getting marathon sessions underway and reintroducing longer runs into the schedule. Having run his previous three half marathons in around 1:34, he was hoping for something in that region again.

Sharma completed the course in 1:36:02, finishing 719th overall in a field of 2,854 runners and placing 18th out of 111 in the M60 category.

If there was any doubt about how hard he had pushed himself, it disappeared shortly after the finish line when he was sick – clear evidence that he had left absolutely everything out on the course.

Even the elites have tough days

Even elite runners can have an off day. Sophie’s boyfriend Jaymee Domoney, who would normally expect to be competing much closer to the front of the field, decided to abandon the race after 5km – a reminder that in distance running, things don’t always go to plan.

Race winners

At the sharp end of the field, Jack Shayler of Abingdon AC won the race in 1:05:43, ahead of Ben Robinson (1:06:21) and David Bishop (1:06:35).

Fourth place went to Samuel Gebreselassie in 1:07:27.

The first veteran was Peter Coates, ninth overall in 1:08:23, while Will Green topped the M50 category with 1:09:12.

In the women’s race, Chelsea Baker took victory in 1:14:07, finishing 59th overall. She was followed by Megan Marchant in 1:16:16 and Gemma Kersey in 1:16:20.

Another race done – further experience gained

Overall it proved to be a mixed but worthwhile outing for the Bournemouth AC trio. Rich produced a solid run as he continues his build-up towards the Newport Marathon, bouncing back well from the previous week’s struggles to post a respectable time.

Sanjai showed his usual determination ahead of the London Marathon, digging deep to finish strongly and demonstrating that the marathon preparations are well underway.

Whilst Sophie endured a tougher afternoon, she will undoubtedly use the experience as motivation as she looks to sharpen her speed over the coming months. As ever with distance running, not every race goes perfectly – but each one provides another step forward in the season ahead.