Battersea Park Chase the Moon 10k Race Recap

On a cold winter's night on Wednesday 26th November, I set a new PB in the 10k - 00:44:46. Funnily enough, when I signed up to run at the 'Battersea Park Chase the Moon' event, it was actually from a social point of view. A group of my friends, having known each other since university, all decided to take part following some light peer-pressuring 😅. This event had a 5k and a 10k option, so we each chose what we wanted to do and bought a ticket to race here. I wanted to write a brief blog on it to cover how the race went, but also how I found running a race at night rather than early on a Sunday morning - which is usually when races occur.

Training 💪

I hadn't been training in particular for Chase the Moon - just doing my regular biweekly running sessions which consisted of a shorter tempo run, and a longer easy run. As I mentioned above, I didn't go to this event with a goal of setting a new PB - it was more a reason to get out after work one evening and do something different for a change. I did know that I've been quite consistent with my training following my marathon attempts earlier this year (you can read Brighton & London if you wish) - so I had a feeling my general fitness had improved. Time to put that to the test.

Something else that was important was that I had been consistently strength training in the gym since April - my longest streak since 2023. This has made a big impact on the quality of my running, recovery and pace, by making sure my body can withstand the loads and stress when stomping some tarmac. So overall, my fitness consistency had improved, but would that lead to a faster time? Let's find out.

Race Day 🏁

'Chase the Moon' was organised by RunThrough, an organisation who, in my opinion, do a brilliant job of organising races across the UK 👏. Their events are slick, with minimal faff (unlike some of the bigger and more popular races where you spend the entire day at the event). My race bib was posted out to me a week before the event, with clear instructions of what I needed to do to prepare. A race pack was also available with all the information a participant could need. Upon arrival at the race village in Battersea Park, there was a bag drop, toilets, a table with spare safety pins, and lots of volunteers on standby to answer any questions. The weather was dry and cold that evening, although it had rained in the days leading up to the event so the ground was still wet. I tried to keep my layers on for as long as possible before changing and putting my bag away, to keep warm.

A short group warmup later and we were herded to the start line, which was a few hundred meters away from the race village. The 10k race was 4 laps of the park, finishing at the bandstand. As the clock hit 19:04, the 10k started:

• Lap 1 - There was a bit of a bottleneck where the chip timing sensor was, so the start was crowded as everyone tried to set off. I ran fast out of the start line to try and clear the crowds and get a clean section of path to run on without being obstructed. As expected, after the first km the runners started thinning as people fell into their pace, and from then on crowding wasn't an issue. As I didn't really have a time in mind for this race, I was running based on 'feel' - my perceived level of exertion rather than keeping my eyes glued to what my watch was telling me.
• Lap 2 & 3 - Continuing to run on 'feel', I fell into a nice cadence and rhythm for the middle section of the race. These laps went by without too much effort. As I had already completed 1 lap of the course, I now knew where the best bits of the path were to run on, how to take each turn etc. (there's a lot of commonality between F1 & running strategies it turns out!).
• Lap 4 - As I knew this was the last lap, I pushed on faster, but not overdoing it, ensuring I had enough in the tank for a strong finish. 2km out from the finish line I upped the pace, and held it as I crossed the line in a time of 44 minutes and 46 seconds - a new 10k PB! 🏆

I was pleased and happy with the result - despite being my fastest time, it felt comfortable and controlled. I paced that run well, and my choice of clothing was pretty spot on for the weather conditions. That being said, I had to chuck back on my warmer layers soon after I finished, as you get cold quickly once you stop running.

For anyone looking for a 'B' race (a race you take part in to prepare for another event), I'd recommend having a look on RunThrough's website. They have so many things going on, wherever you're based in the UK.

A Note on Gels 🧪

Next year I'm running the 2026 London Marathon (more on that in future blogs 😉), and an aspect I need to get right is my hydration and nutrition. I've started to experiment with gels and will continue to do so in the run up to April 2026. Prior to running this 10k, I took a High5 gel as I wanted to see how my body would react running with gels in my system. No issues which is a good sign - and (coincidentally) I was catching up with a mate today in London (shoutout to Sach) who suggested I read into FODMAP compounds, and the impact they can have.

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These are types of short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can cause digestive symptoms in some people (bloating, gas, abdominal pain or diarrhoea)

I mention this as some gels contain FODMAP compounds (fructose being a popular example). So have a read of the ingredients and see if you can spot any of these chemical compounds in them. BUT, at the end of the day, experimentation and what works best for YOU is most important, irrespective of the science. Thought I'd include this in the blog as it was news to me, and might be for you.

More updates to follow on my running endeavours. Take care and as always, reach out if you want to have a chat!