NWFPAC ‘Michael Page’ Championship 2026 – Race 2: Cheshire Spring Half Marathon

It was an early start from the eastern side of the Pennines. Setting off with blue sky and a bit of breeze, I was thinking that the Met Office had maybe gone awry with their weather forecast of near zero degrees windchill and heavy showers. Indeed, the panoramic views of the Cat and Fiddle were fantastic, showing off the Cheshire plains at their spring best. Alas leaving Macclesfield, the weather then turned decidedly grey. Maybe these weather folk know what they’re talking about?

Anyway once the rather long queue for the car park entrance (imagine your typical queue for a running event toilet) had been navigated, I ventured out of my nice warm car into a cold harsh, southerly strong breeze. Base layer it was then. A brisk warm up and then time to line up for the start. That process was pretty seamless although I heard a few people were grumbling about a lack of pacers.

I spotted Dave Simmons at the start, suitably wrapped up, and after a friendly nod, the race began. The first few ks went by well enough although I was getting slightly worried I’d set off too quick as I was ahead of my target pace by 25 seconds by 5k, knowing it was broadly uphill for the first half. The sun was out and the wind had disappeared so I was regretting wearing my base layer. The roads were pretty flat as we wound our way around the course. Things got a bit lumpy with a little valley followed by a bridge crossing the M56 but that was as hilly as the course really got. The leaders came sprinting back the other way having completed the far loop. I must be getting old, as they all looked about 20 (Nicola Boorman later confirmed she had the same thought which made me feel a bit better but still old).

Around half way when we started to head back the way we had come, the wind was now strongly in our faces. There was the answer for why the first half had felt relatively comfortable. I was not grateful for that base layer as the wind remained arctic cold.

About 3/4s of the way round, I had reached the point the leaders previously had, I was greeted by the sight of a firefighter in full gear. I wasn’t hallucinating thankfully but the heartiest chapeau to that madman and also to the woman (and child) pushing a buggy whilst running the course with said child. I definitely didn’t envy them in the conditions.

The final 3k had a pesky final hill to add to the mix before the distant boombox of the finish line could be heard encouraging everyone around me to pick up the pace. They dragged me to the finish and to some quite tasty Trek Biscoff flapjack and a torrential shower so back to being icy cold it was as a reward from the weather gods. I found Dave chatting with Aisha and Mike. Aisha and Mike had to leave (Mike to do a 9km warmdown…) leaving myself and Dave to watch the rest of the finishers.

Mike returned from his warmdown and there was just time for a quick pitstop at the coffee van before we departed for our cars and another 30 min queue to get out of the car park.