By Helen Bell

As dawn rose on an extremely windy morning in the Waikato there were two important occasions of note occurring in the Bell household.  The first being that we were getting ready to attend a sporting event that I was the only family member participating in.  A very rare occurrence indeed.  Unfortunately, the pre-run nerves and the view of the trees outside our house bending at ninety degrees as they were beaten by the wind caused me to temporarily  forget the other occasion of note, the fact that it was Kevin’s birthday!  Oops! Luckily we have Charlotte, who can single-handedly be counted as the most reliable and thoughtful person in the family to remember and appropriately mark any important event and she saved the day. Anyway, what better way to celebrate than being part of a 3 person half marathon support crew. He was very lucky we had such a nice day planned for him.

Off we went to Cambridge for a very fast and easy registration and race number pick up, a quick warm up jog and a brief hello chat to some fellow Hawks.  I always appreciate the ease of local, club-run events, simple logistics of starting and finishing at the same place, plenty of parking that is not miles away and entry fees that don’t cost the earth.  The Cambridge Half, hosted by the Cambridge Harriers did not disappoint in any of these areas.

The hot topic, pre-run, mid-run and post-run was the wind.  At times we were running into a head wind so strong it felt like you were barely moving.  At other glorious times you could feel it giving you a decent push forwards.  It never seemed to even out though and it definitely was more of a hindrance than help.  Sometimes it just kind of hit side on.  Whatever direction, it was a constant presence and set the theme for the run.  I was quite pleased when two very experienced Hawks told me, completely separate of each other, that the wind would have added on a good two minutes to everyone’s times. I had been putting my slower time down to advancing age but I’d prefer to go with the wind theory.

The two lap course was a mix of roadside, parks, and housing.  Nice and flat and largely on gravel, I found it very pleasant with enough variety to keep things interesting.  My support crew were outstanding and made multiple appearances throughout the course, offering all types of energy boosting options and many, many words of affirmation.  A stranger running near me throughout the race came and told me at the finish line that he’d also enjoyed the numerous sightings of the kids so I’m glad that it wasn’t just me that found them uplifting!

All the encouragement in the world can’t beat the sight of the finish line in the distance and by the time I snaked back through the park I was well and truly relieved for it to be over.  A big blister in the arch of my foot from recently acquired orthotics was giving me grief and the wind was well and truly winning its battle.  It was my first half since the infamous 23km+ Huntly Half of 2025 and I was pleased to get it done.  I’d definitely recommend the event, and I will be back again.  The kids enjoyed reversing roles and relished being my cheerleaders for the day.  As for Kevin, I think he enjoyed his birthday outing, after all what injured runner doesn’t love to watch non-injured runners run? Such a treat!

Well done to all the Hawks who took part in the various distances. Great work battling the wind and some amazing times achieved.