{"id":5132,"date":"2019-04-12T12:12:59","date_gmt":"2019-04-12T11:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=5132"},"modified":"2019-04-24T12:24:41","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T11:24:41","slug":"32-hours-in-prague-half-the-world-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bl6.co.uk\/wordpress\/2019\/04\/12\/32-hours-in-prague-half-the-world-away\/","title":{"rendered":"32 hours in Prague – half the world away"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thirty-two hours is not a lot of time to take in 11 centuries of history and culture in one of the most beautiful cities in the world \u2013 especially when you have to factor a half marathon and a couple of hours sleep into the equation.<\/p>\n

The Sportismo Prague Half Marathon follows a route near to the Vltava River that flows through the heart of this Unesco World Heritage Site city, crossing the water on no fewer than six occasions on five different bridges.<\/p>\n

It was the first time I\u2019d done an overseas event like this; I prefer my feet on terra firma so to take four flights in less than 48 hours was a bit of a challenge for a start!<\/p>\n

I arrived at the airport in Prague just before 10pm, with the race due to start in 12 hours\u2019 time. Thanks to the race organisers I was met at the airport and taken to my hotel, the plush Hilton Prague which doubles at the press centre and race hospitality in the build-up to the race.<\/p>\n

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Sportismo Prague Half Marathon slideshow<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Pictures courtesy of RunCzech, unless marked otherwise<\/em><\/p>\n

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Finally receiving my race number 55 minutes before the start, I managed to relax for a couple of minutes before the gun but I didn\u2019t have much time for mental preparation. And I forgot to pack any suncream!<\/p>\n

Still, the atmosphere among the 11,500 runners and many more spectators in the Czech capital meant I was soon swept up in it all, running through the Old Town at a comfortable but decent pace.<\/p>\n

Bands played, children high-fived and home-made banners were waved.<\/p>\n

Soon I found myself comparing the sweltering heat (OK, 16 degrees Celsius but in direct sunlight) to the 3C at the recent Inverness Half. I stopped at every water station, gulping down H2O and Gatorade like there was no tomorrow.<\/p>\n

The course was spectacular for its surroundings rather than its route, with out-and-back stretches on wide roads providing a chance to see the elite athletes in a race where the winner \u2013 Benard Kimeli from Kenya \u2013 broke the hour mark, with the women\u2019s winner Caroline Kipkirui just six minutes behind.<\/p>\n

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Official highlights of the Prague Half Marathon 2019<\/strong>
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