Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon 2022 — Last Race of the Season

Miss me? Back for another race in the Paris region — the Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon, just one week after crossing the finish line in Deauville. I had barely enough time to recover physically, with only a single easy jog during the week.

I’ll skip the Saturday details and bib collection — you know the drill. I will mention the Boulogne-Billancourt Christmas market in full swing on this 27 November, a genuinely pleasant atmosphere despite the cold that had well and truly arrived.

The Course

Sunday: Race Day

It was fairly cold and already drizzling. The race started at 10am, which meant a relaxed morning lie-in — a real change from Deauville. The start was near Marcel Sembat metro station. For my warm-up I jogged between Pont de Sèvres and Marcel Sembat.

Access to the starting corrals was via a bag drop area, which was somewhat poorly designed — runners not dropping bags still had to queue through it. If you weren’t early enough, it could have been a problem. I had plenty of time though, so no issues.

For this final start of the season, my legs were still heavy and the warm-up did little to reassure me about my form. The rain paused briefly and we set off through Boulogne-Billancourt and its Christmas decorations.

The course was genuinely pleasant. The halfway point at the Longchamp racecourse marked the entrance to the Bois de Boulogne for roughly 6 to 7 kilometres. Aid stations were similar to Deauville — no plastic bottles, just cups — and I stopped only at the first one for a little water before switching to my electrolyte drink for the rest.

Around the 15th kilometre the rain started again. The hill at km 13 had slowed me down, but despite the rain I pushed back up to a stronger pace. I’d done the maths at that point: finishing under two hours was only a few minutes away. Despite holding a good pace, the worsening weather became increasingly problematic — I could barely see through my glasses. I was extra careful with every stride but I think I lost some time in that final stretch.

Final Result

At the finish I knew I’d set a new record. I desperately wanted to break two hours, but with the rain and the race the week before, I closed the season with a new half marathon PB of 2h02m30 — a time I fully intend to demolish next year! I’m proud of the performance given the difficulties along the way.

Highlights:

• A wide course allowing room to run freely from the off
• A crowd that showed up despite the weather
• The mega cookies at the finish — an absolute treat

Lowlights:

• Access to the corrals a bit fiddly

See you next year for new races!

Official race info: Semi de Boulogne