Coventry Godiva Autumnal 5

Has anyone done this before?

Just wondered if it has any PB potential! 

I haven't raced this but have logged many a training lap here. The Memorial Park is pretty flat (few dips - nothing resembling a hill) so should be good for PB?

Sounds good to me, just printed out an entry form which says “NEW FAST COURSE!”.

Only dilema I have is a 10 mile legue race on Sunday morning. Will I have anything left in my legs for the Sunday morning? 

Ah if it says it on the form then it must be true! Don't know the exact route but assume it will be on the tarmac and pathways.

I guess by NEW FAST COURSE they will be utilising the newish (Last couple of years or so) path that runs inside the park parallel to the Kenilworth Road, rather than heading out of the park onto the Kenilworth road and back into the park via the main gates, which was a bit twisty.

Apart from the new bit (which is flat) the outer loop of the memorial park is gently undulating to slightly hilly, not entirely paved (But the off road section is hard enough in the summer not to slow) and is pretty quick if you like running on slightly undulating paths (it is by no means pancake flat). The good guys run some pretty impressive times there so it can definitely be considered a pb course, I think.

I've not raced there for a couple of years but plan to this time around, and will probably do the 10 mile race on Sunday in Leicestershire. Not entirely sure I'll recover in a day but I'm keen to do at least one 10 miler and one five miler this year.

Hi Go-KL  Thanks for the info. Still trying to lower my PB for 5 miles as I have had a bit of form of late & think I might be able to do a bit better. I think if I wait till next year my form might have dipped. SO the way I see it is to chase it while you can - I ain't getting any younger! 

Are you doing the John Fraser 10 on the Sunday? It is a good rural course (organised by my running club) - out for 3 miles then a 4 mile loop and then back (the way you went out) for the last 3 miles. It is undulating but the big turnout makes up for it. Last year there were just over 500 runners.

No problem Knight Rider. Yes the John Fraser is the one I've got my eye on. I'm after a sub 60 10 miler having cracked it finally unofficially in a half marathon, but fall some way outside that barrier in a proper race. The fact its undulating may prove troublesome but if you don't try you'll never know...

There were 16 runners under 60 minutes last year & Mark Powell beat the course record with 51.53! So it is possible so just go for it. I'm hoping to get around 63 minutes this year.

You can check last years results here (probably best to copy this into browser - just click & drag as it is long):

http://new.hermitage-harriers.co.uk/index.php?page=results_extra.php&race=11&year=2008&club=all&sex=all&cat=all 

I am also tyring to crack sub 30 minutes for 5 miles hence the Coventry 5 miler on the Friday. Been pretty close recently, 30.36 @ Notts 5, 31.16 @ Wellinborough 5 & 30.40 on Wednesday @ Huncote Joy Can 5.

Think I need to up the milage & get some hill work under my belt as well as keeping up the speed work. 

Hi Guys

This will be fun on Friday evening, a nice warm up for Sunday's Wolverhampton HM or may go for ther FM yet ??

Not sure

The park and course is exactly as Go - KL says

Ah, I'd forgot about Wolverhampton!

Was my first marathon

Good luck to all doing it.