I took on the Kettering 5K Race and this is how it went

I’d been apprehensive about the Kettering 5K for a while, being a thoroughly average runner, and was well aware of the how the climb up London Road could pose a challenge. I got to Wicksteed Park in good time, and nervously made my way to the event village to sign in, and await the start.

The event village on a field in the park was easy to navigate as runners littered the land finishing any last-minute warm-ups. The space felt more like a celebration than a calm before a storm, though, as runners of all shapes, sizes, and motivations prepared as best they could for a race that had been marked on many people’s calendars since 2024.

The half marathon runners began their 13.1-mile race at 9am sharp, which gave the 5K runners the opportunity to see them off, get in any last-minute stretches and warm-ups, and shake off any pre-race nerves before our start time of 9.20am.

The big race route took runners through Kettering town centre, the grounds of Boughton House, Grafton Underwood, and back to Wicksteed Park, whereas the 5K had runners leave Wicksteed Park, travel up London Road, a quick loop around the town centre, and back down the same road to the finish line.

The route was great. It was well laid out, easy to navigate, and the changes in elevation helped keep the run constantly fresh. I was never allowed to run on autopilot, there was always something I had to consider, adjust to, or anticipate, be it the elevation changes, or managing my pace to ensure I reached the finish line at all.

The last two kilometres –consisting of a steep incline up Barton Hill, then a hairpin back into the park– were tough. Matching the pace I had set for the first 3K felt like a pipedream, but the pacer in front of me was as consistent as ever, so I had all the motivation I needed to stay on his tail. Back into the park and the finish line just metres away was a sight for sore eyes. As soon as it’s crossed cadets and volunteers were on hand to pass your medal, water, and snacks to ensure a speedy recovery.

The best part of this year’s event (and I’m sure future events), was the atmosphere. People lined the streets to will you on and, even though many are complete strangers, it never felt insincere. It’s testament to Kettering’s sense of community that people would turn out in their hundreds, some with signs they’d spent the previous day designing, to cheer on people they didn’t know.

A strong new personal best already uploaded to Strava, I proudly rang the PB bell to let others know of my accomplishment. The training up to the race was where the bulk of the work was done, and the impressive scale and smooth running of the event made it feel like a victory lap, being the culmination of, sometimes months, of hard work.

I stuck around some time after to see the first of the half-marathon runners cross the line, won by Michael Aldridge with a blistering 1:13:06, trying to put in the same positive energy that had been such a help for me just a few minutes ago.

The volunteers were amazing, the event staff were incredibly helpful, and Wicksteed Park is the perfect place for an event of this nature, beautifully maintained and has all the facilities it needs to make the 5K and half-marathon a day to remember.

Thank you, RunThrough and Kettering Town Council for such a well-organised event, but perhaps more importantly, thank you people of Kettering for pushing me forward.

I’ll do my best to be lining up with the half-marathon runners next year, but if I don’t, I’ll certainly be there cheering them on.