Runners brave strong winds at Kingston half-marathon

Hundreds of athletes took to the streets of Kingston on Sunday, November 24 to race in the Kingston half-marathon.

Runners faced strong winds from storm Bert with gusts up to 51mph and a forecast of possible wet weather during the 13.1 miles race across the scenic river side and through the busy town centre.

Nicola Douglas, who won the women’s race in one hour, 22 minutes, 53 seconds, said: “It was more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be when I saw the wind this morning. There were sections where you definitely had a tail wind, so I tried to take advantage of that. But there were definitely sections where it felt a little bit like running on the spot. All in all, a good day out.”

In the men’s race, Elliott Avis took first place, finishing it in one hour, 14 minutes, 02 seconds.

“On the way out it was really nice with the tail wind, but on the way back along the river, it was a killer. That head wind is horrible. In the second lap you sort of prepare for it. Then a long stretch all the way back to the finish,” said Avis.

Several runners took the race as part of their preparations for other competitions coming up the calendar, including the London Marathon in April.

Douglas said: “Today my plan was to try and get 1h 20m, which I kind of put out of the window this morning when I saw how windy it was. But this hopefully qualifies me for a championship spot in London. So, London Marathon is on the cards for April.”

Avis said: “I’ve got a 10k next week, and then couple of cross-country races and hopefully a marathon in next year.”

The race started at 9am from the Hawk Hall Centre and was organised by RunUK with the Kingston Hospital Charity as its official partner, helping to raise extra funds for the hospital.

There was also a 10km race, where Jonny Hind took first place, finishing it in 35 minutes whilst Kate Brown recorded the best time amongst the women, completing the race in 38 minutes.

Jasper Smith, who finished 36th in the men’s 10km race, said: “It was really good, I really enjoyed a lot. I thought it was going to be a lot worse weather. I was expecting to be harder, but it was really good fun.

“The atmosphere was amazing today. There were lots of people around who gives you lots of cheers and stuff, just amazing. It was my first race in ten years, can’t have asked for any better.”

Next competition on RunUK’s calendar is the Richmond Half-Marathon on Sunday, February 16.

The London Marathon is set to take place on Sunday, April 27, where athletes run past some of the most iconic landmarks in the capital, including the Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye, starting from Greenwich Park and finishing at the Mall.

The next Kingston Half-Marathon is set for November 23 2025.