Joe Cox Half Marathon 27 Mar 2011 Andrew Mynott reports: "O' to be in England, Now April's there" wrote Robert Browning. A similar thought crossed my mind at the start of the Joe Cox Half Marathon, but in my mind it was "O to be on the road, Now tarmac's there". After a winter spent running cross-country races it was great to be back road running, on a pleasant day in the middle of the Suffolk countryside. Running on the road was great after ploughing, sometime literally, through mud, streams, snow and ice through the winter months. "This is easy", I thought as I steamed into the lead, passing 6 miles in 34:00 and 10 miles in 57:00. But then I turned into a headwind, simultaneously my legs seemed to think I'd done enough running for one day. But I was still in the lead - by about a minute by my reckoning. I dug in, and was still running sub-6 minute miles. But my competitors were catching me up - 11 miles down and I still had a 20 second lead, 12 miles and I was still 10 seconds ahead, 13 miles - and I was still in the lead by a head. My foe kicked for the line, I kicked too but found someone had replaced my calf muscles with rocks somewhere in the last mile. I was beaten - but I could still make under 75 minutes and qualify for elite-entry to London Marathon next year? I turned the final corner - the line within 30 metres. 5 seconds left. I found some energy from somewhere and started to sprint, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I crossed the line and collapsed in a heap. Had I made it? No, 1 second short. There's probably a picture of me crossing the line looking extremely annoyed and mouthing an expletive. Oh well, there's always next year ... and it was a personal best by nearly two minutes. The Joe Cox Half Marathon is a really good race - well-organised, gently undulating along Suffolk country lanes, but not as exposed as the Grunty Fen Half Marathon. There's ample parking and facilities are generally good, although there isn't any changing rooms or showers. It's well marshalled and there's cash prizes for for the first, second and third men and women, and trophies for the age-group winners and winning teams. It's a long way to go, around 50 miles but is just about worth it.