You may not believe me when I say this, but when people ask me the best way to see a place, I always respond with "running." There is no better feeling to go to a new place when you have a race to run, and the British 10k is one of the most interesting ways of seeing London, while keeping yourself fit at the same. Plus it gives you a good excuse to spend the afternoon afterwards lazing at the banks of the River Thames having a few pints of beer.

The British 10k is run every year, usually at the start of July on a Sunday (July 2, 2006) and starts at 9:35am. Both times I have run it I have been joined by approximately 15,000 other runners, giving an excellent party atmosphere.

I don't know what it is about running but everyone is always so friendly and talkative, and if you want to have the chance to interact with English people then this well could be your best opportunity!!

You don't have to be fit at all to run this (you could even walk the whole race), as people of all sizes and ages run, most just for fun, so time is never an issue.

The reason many people run, is that you get to see London from a whole different perspective. Running through the streets of London is one thing, but when you are running in front of adoring and excited crowds of people clapping and cheering your every step, then you feel like a million dollars, even if you never see the professionals who finish first.

You go through a whole range of emotions, from proudness to feeling humble running past some of the most recognized monuments in the world with so much history attached to them.

You start the race at Hyde Park Corner, with Wellington Arch as its backdrop. On route you pass landmarks such as St. James's Palace, Trafalgar Square, the River Thames, Somerset House, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, before finishing on Whitehall, just past Downing Street. You cannot really complain when you get to see so many sites, running one of the top-three mass participation road races in Great Britain.

The British 10K London Run is open to anyone aged 15 years or older on race day, and costs just less than £30. In my experience this is a little expensive compared to other 10k races I have ran, but then you don’t get so much culture and such inspiring crowds and views to cheer you on. Plus you get a T-shirt and medal included in the cost, which is a nice memento of the occasion.

They say the English are a reserved society, but it's events like this that make you question this assumption—with the friendliness and encouragement exerted by both runners and spectators

For more information see:

www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk

Or phone the race information hotline on: +44 (0)871 2003 708