Sunday 1 February 2015

La Course de Printemps 10k - Vietnam.

Race: La Course de Printemps 10k
Distance: 10k
Location:Vietnam Gold and Country Club (near Ho Chi Minh).
Country: Vietnam
Results: Here 
Video: Here 

The location for this race was amazing and perhaps that inspired me to run well. For the first time in ages I felt strong during this 10k. My strength was reflected in a top ten finish. The race was organised by a French International School and it felt more like a French event than Vietnamese although there were plenty of local runners.

Ready to roll. 
We were handsomely ripped off in the taxi which took us to race start. As usual it was an early start to beat the heat and we had to get a taxi as we are too early for other forms of transport. We had looked up reliable firms but the reliable driver didn't know where to go so he drove round the streets of the city until he found an unreliable friend to take us instead. You enter these races not knowing were they are. We knew it was in Ho Chi Minh City but that's a bit like saying it's in London somewhere. As it was, it was on the outskirts of the City and it costs a fortune for for the plus 1 our taxi ride to race start made worse by the inflated price we were charged. It was approaching race start time, we had no chance to argue.
Vietnam Golf and Country Club 

The race ran round the country park. I finished in 44:50. After the race we made friends with two English teachers who let us share their taxi back into town at a quarter of the cost of the taxi on the way there.