RunningDutch Review: City-Pier-City

This posting is a review for international runners that want to participate in a major run in the Netherlands. This time a review of the half marathon City-Pier-City.

Location: The Hague
This half marathon is held every second weekend in march in the city of The Hague. A city with approximately half a million residents on the North Sea. Seat of the Dutch government and home of the royal family. Only 40 minutes from Amsterdam and its international airport Schiphol. Besides offering a great run; worth wile to visit with various tourist attractions such a museums and for example Madurodam (a collection of famous Dutch sight on a scale of 1:25). In and around the city center are some nice restaurants to make your stay attractive.

The track: Fast, Flat, Fun

Samuel Wanjiru setting a new world record in 2007

In 2007 the half marathon world record was run in The Hague. Since then the route has changed for the better. The scenic start and finish area close to the house of parliament was transferred to the ‘Malieveld’. Taking out some twist and turns. The Malieveld is a great open area close to the main railway station and only a 5 minutes’ walk from the city center. It offers enough space for all the infrastructure required to house a race with well over 30.000 participant. The route follows wide streets outside the city center, first heading off to the south west before looping back to the boulevard and Pier in Scheveningen. Due to renovation works on the boulevard you won’t actually see the pier. Be rest assure, it’s there, and skipping the boulevard makes the route faster!
From Scheveningen it is one straight line back to the finish. Thanks to the wide streets the route feels never crowded. At least for those runner at the front of the pack. Maybe it is more crowded when you are a more average runner but then again; speed, time and finding your own pace are less important. The organizations allow fast runners to start in front of the masses. Fast being: Able to show a finish time within 1h30m.

The organization: Professional
The organization of the CPC is run by Like2run also responsible for the Rotterdam Marathon and some smaller venues. The event is very well organized, the infrastructure around the start en finish area is ok, the route (see above) is free of cars and spectators, refressing posts are with water and sports drinks at every 5k. No complaints on this front.

The entourage: OK
 Along the route you will find enough spectators and music to create a nice atmosphere for the runners. Don’t expect spectators lined up three lines thick along the whole of the route but even on the least crowded stretches there are little groups of people ready to shout you on. The finish area is functional but it lacks the atmosphere of the finish on the ‘Lange Voorhout’ from a few yours back or any other finish in a city center. 

The verdict? For fast runners; worth a try!
My verdict for the CPC run for international runners? I can’t be object as I live in the Hague and the CPC was my first half marathon ever. I also ran my half marathon PB here. OK, the Hague is probably not as scenic as Lisbon (currently holding the world record being only 10 seconds faster than the CPC) but judging by the number of tourists I see the whole year round it is apparently attractive enough.

Combine this with in general good running conditions in march: 5 – 10 degrees on average and if it is windy; it usually is giving you a push the second half of the run. This gives you good a recepy for and attempt to run a personal best (PB) here. So are you looking for a weekend to combine you running exploits with some culture? Do join the CPC run!

This is a first of reviews I intend to write on some of the bigger and more international events in the Netherlands. Feel free to comment and leave your experience with the CPC. Want to read other reviews in due time. Simply click on the ‘review’ categorie.