On Sunday the 1st of March I ran my first half Marathon in Bath, just outside Bristol. It was a very cold and windy morning, which was to be expected for this time of the year. I have been gearing my training towards this for the last few months, and in preparation I got myself a new pair of racing flats.

I usually would wear the Nike Lunar Racer but this time around I decided to change and try out the Nike Zoom Streak 5. I first wore these in the “John Treacy Dungarvan 10” where I ran a PB of 48.52.

The morning of the race I did my usual routine and then went to the athlete’s tent to get ready. About one hour before the race I went for my warm up in my Nike Pegasus 31s and when I got back I put on my Nike Zoom Streaks and did drills and fast strides in them.

The shoe itself has the perfect amount of cushioning from heel to toe with a dynamic support built in for a more stable feel. The lightweight breathable mesh and the Flywire technology allow for a very secure and comfortable fit on the foot.

We started off with a quick first mile and then the pace settled as we turned into the wind and the first hilly part of the 2 lap course. Two athletes broke away early on, which left myself and an Ethiopian athlete running together for the rest of the race. It remained like this until the last 20 meters where he just got ahead of me on the line. I finished 4th in a time of 66.18, a time which I look forward to improving on. I am content with that opener in such tough conditions and looking forward to the next race in a few weeks: Mallow 10 mile.

Overall I am very pleased with the Nike Zoom Streak 5 and happy it got me through the 13.1 miles in one piece.