Wilmslow 10k race review

I recently took part in my first Wilmslow 10k race organised by Run North West. Here’s everything you need to know about this event and my race review.

Please note that I’m talking about my own experience in Summer 2024, some things may change in the next editions.

Wilmslow 10k by Run North West

The Wilmslow 10k race is a popular running event in Cheshire and takes place twice a year. There is a Summer edition in July and a Festive one, usually the last weekend of November.

The course starts in Wilmslow Town Centre, not so far from the race HQ. It’s on fully closed country roads and finishing on Mobberley Road/Sandy Lane, over a mile away from the start line.

You can check the course and all the details on my Strava activity here.

This time, the race started at 9:15.

How much does the entry cost?

As of now, the standard entry fee is £22 (or £24 for non-affiliated runners) for next year’s edition.

Race number collection

If you’re local, you can collect your number at the Run North West store in Wilmslow on race week.

Otherwise you can easily get it on race morning, simply head over to the race HQ which is set up just next to the store. That’s what I did and there was no wait at all when I picked it up at 8:15. You don’t need an ID.

What do you get at the finish?

Once you’ve crossed the finish line, you receive your finisher’s medal and can also grab a water bottle as well as a snack (Tribe flapjack this year).

Can you run a 10k PB at the Wilmslow 10k?

With 37m elevation gain, it is overall a fast course, but you need to pace it well in order to PB. The first half is much quicker as it’s slightly downhill.

The second half is more challenging, with a couple sharper turns, more slight inclines which are not really bad but you’ll feel them (especially on the 7th km which is basically slightly uphill all the way).

And then there’s the only hill of the course within the 8th km. It’s only 50m long but it’s quite a sharp one, hard to recover from.

That being said, you can set a new PB on this course, many runners do it. It’s also worth noting that there were pacers every 2 and a half minutes (from 35 minutes), so if you’re looking to run a 37:30 or 42:30 10k, you have a pacer to stick with!

However, I personally found that the Colshaw Hall 10k, taking place in Cheshire in June, is a faster course and I ran a much faster time there.

Wilmslow Summer 10k 2024: my experience

You can watch some footage of the race and my experience in this vlog:

Here’s what I enjoyed the most about this event:

The event was very well organised, with clear guidance for parking and race number collection. We didn’t need to arrive too early, just an hour before the start was enough.
It was overall a pleasant course, especially the first half! Although it was self-seeded at the start, it seemed that most runners were where they needed to be and the first km wasn’t congested.
The official event photographer (Mick Hall’s company) never fails to provide great photos and you can download them for free.

Check out this Reel for a glimpse into race day!

Any downsides?

The only little negative is that the finish was so far from the start, where you had to park. It was hard to jog back there holding the medal, snack and water, so it ended up being a longer walk than what you’d be in the mood for just after a race.

However it’s not a big deal and it certainly wouldn’t stop me from entering this brilliant event again in the future!