The 2026 GetPRO Bath Half Marathon once again attracted a field packed with quality, with more than 12,000 runners taking to the traffic-free streets of the historic city. Known as one of the fastest half marathon courses in the UK, the route is not without its challenges, most notably the sting in the tail as the race climbs back towards Royal Victoria Park in the closing stages.

For Bournemouth AC, Jack Davis and Harley Brooks were among those lining up on the start line, each with very different goals but both producing performances to be proud of.

Davis on a mission

Ever since missing out on a sub-three-hour marathon by less than a minute at last year’s London Marathon, Jack Davis has been a man on a mission. The disappointment might have dented lesser athletes, but Jack responded in the best possible fashion. Just three weeks later he proved to himself what he was capable of by running a 2:59 marathon in training.

His progression continued throughout the year. A demanding outing at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Marbella saw him tackle a 2,000-yard swim, a 55.7-mile bike ride with over 5,000ft of climbing, and finally a half marathon. Jack closed that race with a 1:29:18 run to record an overall time of 4:53:56, underlining both his endurance and resilience.

More recently, a superb personal best of 35:16 at the Stubbington 10k in January confirmed that he was in excellent form heading into Bath.

A bold approach pays off

Jack is known for racing with intent rather than caution, and Bath was no exception. The opening mile, featuring an early downhill followed by a slight rise, was covered in a brisk 6:01 before he accelerated to 5:55 in mile two. A 5:58 third mile brought him through 5k in 18:34 – ambitious, but well within his capability.

He maintained the tempo through the next section of the race, clocking 5:55, 6:02 and 6:05 to reach 10k in 37:24. The only concern at that point was discomfort from a brand-new pair of Adios Pro 4 shoes which had begun to rub against his heel, but Jack pressed on regardless.

The next three miles were impressively consistent at 5:59, 6:05 and 6:03, bringing him to 15k in 56:21 and keeping him firmly on track for a sub-80-minute finish. A perfectly judged 6:00 tenth mile saw him reach 10 miles in almost exactly an hour, leaving everything to play for in the final 5k.

Grit on the final climb

As fatigue began to bite, Jack’s pace drifted slightly with splits of 6:09 and 6:10 for miles 11 and 12, taking him through 20k in 1:15:31. Then came the decisive moment of the race: the notorious final climb back towards the finish, where many personal bests have unravelled.

For the first time all day, his pace slipped beyond seven-minute miles, but Jack dug deep, cresting the incline before launching a final push to the line. His 6:26 final mile was enough to secure a finishing time of 1:19:53, dipping under the 80-minute barrier in 223rd place overall in a field of exceptional depth.

Blisters from the new shoes were an unwelcome souvenir, but they did little to dampen what was a superbly executed and hard-earned personal best.

Brooks builds through the field

Harley Brooks approached the race with a more conservative strategy, using the event primarily as a fitness test rather than an all-out target. Having set a previous half marathon benchmark of 1:38:50 at the Great North Run, he set off at a steady pace, covering the opening miles between 8:10 and 8:20 per mile to reach 5k in 25:41.

Gradually increasing the tempo, Harley lifted his pace to around eight-minute miles over the next section, passing 10k in 50:46. By the third 5k segment he was moving well, reducing his pace further to approximately 7:45 per mile to hit 15k in 1:15:10.

He maintained that steady rhythm through the latter stages, reaching 20k in 1:39:40 before tackling the final climb. Thanks to his disciplined pacing, Harley was able to hold his effort together on the incline and avoid the dramatic slowdown that often characterises that last kilometre.

He crossed the line in 1:44:53, finishing 2,874th overall and comfortably ahead of expectations given that he had not specifically trained for the race.

Fast racing at the front

The race itself was fiercely contested at the sharp end, with four of Britain’s leading distance runners battling for victory. Joe Wigfield eventually prevailed in a sprint finish, winning in 1:02:07 ahead of Phil Sesemann and Alfie Manthorpe, while last year’s champion Jake Smith placed fourth.

In the women’s race, Alex Bell led home a high-class field in 1:09:15 to take the win and secure her place at the World Road Running Championships.

A successful day in Bath

For Bournemouth AC, it was a highly positive day. Jack’s aggressive but ultimately rewarding race strategy delivered a landmark sub-80-minute performance, while Harley’s measured and intelligent pacing produced a strong and confidence-boosting run.

With spring marathon season approaching, both athletes will take plenty of encouragement from their performances on one of the country’s most prestigious half marathon stages.