Vitality London 10k

Race report by Daniel Grech

Last weekend was, in my opinion, the best race of the year. The Vitality London 10,000 is a fantastic event — not only is it run on fully closed roads through central London, but it’s also “only” 10K. Unlike the marathon, which shares parts of the same route, this distance lets you soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the sights without having to grind through 26.2 miles.

My goal for the race was to run a PB. Twelve months ago, I raced my last all-out 10K and broke 40 minutes for the first time. This year, the target was sub-38 minutes. After an incredible summer of track races and club relays, this was the furthest I’d run hard since the marathon. Training at fast paces on the track has worked wonders for my confidence — now those “slower” 10K efforts feel far more comfortable.

The event itself was brilliantly organised and ran smoothly from start to finish. The crowd support was phenomenal — London’s energy never disappoints — and running past so many famous landmarks, including St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament, made it truly special. The course starts on The Mall, loops through Westminster and the City, and finishes spectacularly in front of Buckingham Palace.

Personally, I was over the moon to cross the line in 37:50, taking nearly two minutes off last year’s time. It was also brilliant to cheer my wife-to-be across the line as she smashed her own 10K goal.

It was great to see plenty of TRAC runners out on the course too. Kevin McQuaid (36:57) gave me a shock as he flew past with a cheeky slap on the bum before disappearing into the distance! It was lovely to see the Brown family before the start, supporting Elizabeth (50:38), and huge congratulations to Sarah for finishing in 57:03.

If anyone’s looking for a 10K to enter, this is hands down the best one of the year. Closed roads, an iconic route, a great T-shirt, and a finish outside Buckingham Palace — I even signed up for next year on the journey home!