A year ago the Olympics came to London and to mark this anniversary the National Lottery Anniversary Run was organised. About 12,000 lucky runners got to complete 5 miles around the Olympic Park with the final 300 metres on the track that saw so many top class Olympians compete last year.
So at 9.15 this morning I duly lined up on the start line waiting for the official off. What could be better than the starter to be one of our greatest Olympians ever, Sir Chris Hoy. As mainly a cyclist rather than a runner this was fantastic to see and enjoy being sent on our way by this amazing sportsman.
The course took us around the park including going around the velodrome, I was having a great time! As we came back into the stadium we then were tantalisingly close to the track but had to double back under the stands to join the track further round.
As I ran around the track the atmosphere was amazing, crowds cheering and other runners all lapping it up, the phones were out, photos were being taken! Everything looked different from this angle and I was struggling to pick out my wife and son, eventually I spotted them and managed to wave enthusiastically as I went past.
Then all I had to do was complete the final 100m then I was there I had crossed the famous finish line in the Olympic Stadium! As I crossed the line I managed to grab a quick handshake with Iwan Thomas and then had to dash off to get my goody bag and get back to the stand to meet up with my wife and son so that I could change number and get over to the start again for the family run!
Yes if it was not enough to run into the stadium once I was about to do it again with my youngest son. The family run was to be started by another cycling star, Victoria Pendleton! What a day I was having.
As Victoria sounded the horn to start our wave William ran off through a gap at a seriously fast pace, having eventually caught him and convinced him to slow down we settled into a nice pace around the park, his little legs did slow to a walk for some of it,
As we entered the stadium he announced that as soon as we hit the track we had to run the rest of the way! After 200 metres on the track we found my wife in the stands and posed for some photos. Once we were sure the photos were down we were off for the last 100 metres, William at a speed that I thought would give Usain Bolt a run for his money, I certainly struggled to keep up!!
We crossed the line, him still in front obviously! As we milled around the fishing line taking in the experience we spotted a certain Paula Radcliffe who was congratulating people and also very generously posing for photos, after a bit of patience waiting our turn I did manage to get a photo of her with William.
So eventually we did need to leave the stadium and wind our way back collecting our medals to the stand and on back to the station, a fantastic day out at the Olympic Park with an amazing opportunity to run on the Olympic track was over. I will be back there again in a couple of weeks time but this time with my bike as I take part in Ride London100 as part of Team Skoda, I can't wait!!
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