The TCS World 10K has historically been a challenging race on a tricky course. This time around there are several changes to the race. What are these changes? Let us look at some of the key changes wrt. Previous editions;
Fun Fact
Kanteerava stadium is no longer the start venue,for the first time since TCS has became the sponsor (since 2011)
In lieu of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the event date has been changed to April i.e. April 28/2024 as against the traditional 3rd Sunday of May when the event has usually been held in previous editions.
The start time has been advanced to 5:10 AM as opposed to the 5:30 AM start we saw in the previous edition of this race.
Weather
Bengaluru weather is very hot and sultry around this time of year. This year in particular has seen a relentless spike in temperatures in April. Hopefully there will be some showers that will bring the mercury down on and around race-day.
Here is the weather forecast sourced from timeanddate.com (updated daily)
Let us cut to the chase and focus on the course. At a very high level, this course evokes mixed reactions from whoever we have spoken to. Your disappointment is valid when you learn that some of the iconic landmarks of Namma Ooru viz. Kanteerva stadium, MG Road, Cubbon park have been dropped in this new route. But on the other hand runners will have reason to cheer as there are significant (albeit hyphenated) sections of downhill running. If you have trained well and the weather gods are in a good mood, the early start and this new avatar of the route may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise - read, improved timings with quite a few PBs. The start point on Cubbon road also might address the cogestion at the start point (narrow exit out of Kanteerava stadium) in previous editions.
Having set the context, let us do a deep dive into the course proper. Just in case the last sentence in the previous paragraph set up some expectations, may we remind you - A known devil is better than an unknown angel 😈. The devil is always in the details, so here goes …
KM-1: You are all charged up and on fresh legs but be careful as it will be dark in this section. The first 500m are slightly undulating before you take that left towards Anil Kumble circle, thereafter you run a short quick downhill and then take a u-turn at the circle and run a steady uphill back on to Cubbon road.
KM-2: Back on Cubbon road, you continue to run a gentle uphill as you approach Chinnaswamy stadium on your left. What follows is a short downhill section through Minsk square and up until the Cubbon park metro station. Here onwards you will again run a steady uphill all the way up to GPO and slightly beyond.
KM-3: This is probably the most scenic section of an otherwise boring route. Ambedkar Veedhi with the magnificent Vidhana Soudha on one side and the regal High court and Cubbon park on the other. The perfect settings to inject some pace into the proceedings! The first 600m of this KM is all downhill, you may want to surge in this section, but do bear in mind the small fact that on the other side of the U turn that you will be taking adjacent to the V.S. metro station there is a steady uphill waiting for you. Surge responsibly.
Pro Tip #1
The terrain in the first 3 KMs follows a similar pattern, steady up-hill/ undulating sections interspersed with short to medium surges of downhill running. Do not get carried away in these initial KMs as there is still a lot of racing left to be done ahead. Good things take time as they should. Patience is the key.
KM-4: The initial section of this KM is a gentle downhill all the way back to Minsk Square. Subsequently as you trace your path back on Cubbon road you encounter a largely flat section with some minor undulations.
KM-5: This is where the good times begin to roll and hopefully that is a harbinger for good things ahead! This section is largely downhill as you get off Cubbon road and make your way through Guard Cross Road (Safina Plaza).
KM-6: You navigate your way through Dispensary road, Dickenson road, St. Johns Road and Ajantha road in this section. Yeah, that is a lot to process. Let us make it simple for you. This section involves a steady downhill as you make a series of gentle turns and then you run an undulating stretch onto Ulsoor lake.
Pro Tip #2
Pro Tip #2: KMs 4 and 5 involve a lot of downhill running while the KM 6 has an undulating stretch towards the end. This is the section of the race where you can run FAST and make up for lost time - in the initial KMs and for the final KM (patience! We always reserve the toughest part for the end 😈)
KM-7: You run by the Ulsoor lake on your right side along Kensington road and the Madras Sappers HQ near the right turn towards the end of this KM. Use the momentum gained from the previous KMs to maintain a steady pace across this section of the race.
KM-8: This is the penultimate challenge on this course; The remnant portion of Kensington road is a gentle uphill before you take the right turn on to Bhaskaran road (towards Gurdwara). Once you are on Bhaskaran road you face the trifecta challenge - a short downhill, a short uphill and a winding road with some pretty decent headwinds.
Pro Tip #3
KMs 7 and 8 are tricky partly because of the course topology and partly because that familiar foe called fatigue is waiting at the gates and the body is asking questions off you to open the gates. Distract yourself in this section – count, hang on to a pack of runners, focus on your breathing, say a mantra, invoke your Ishta devata.
KM-9: This is a largely flat and uneventful section of the course as you cross the Ulsoor Gurudwara on your left and take a sharp right turn on to Gangadhar Chetty road. Here is where you will need to push pace. But be mindful of the “ ultimate challenge “ that lies ahead 😈.
KM-10: This is the ultimate challenge! At the end of Gangadhar Chetty road as it blends into Dickenson Road you take a gentle left opposite to the South United football club. And the fun begins. What follows is a short and sharp uphill followed-up by a right turn into a protracted but gentle uphill worth its weight in gold (pun intended, just look to your right and you’ll see what we mean) finally you take that left turn on to Kamaraj Road.
Wait, you’re not done yet … “reserve the toughest part for the end!” The final 300m will test your grit as you negotiate a sharp but short uphill and make your way to the finish line right next to Army Public school.
Final Pro Tip
JUST HANG IN THERE though the final KM. We get it that you are in “where is the damn finish line” mode by now. Remember, everyone is struggling around you. Derive solace from that fact and try to stay with a pack of runners of similar pace. The silver lining in the cloud is that you can see the finish-line from your vantage point at the bottom of Kamaraj Road.
Let that be your North Star as you make your way to the finish line with a smile on your face!
PACING THE RACE
Given the course elevation profile, a steady pace is probably not ideal. We’ve put together a pace calculator based on the race elevation profile. You can use the calculator to arrive at the kilometer wise split paces based on your goal time.
Check out the pacing calculator here
Here is the link to GPX file if you prefer to analyze the course on your own.
Route preview write-up by Kartik
Kartik Iyer is a conversationalist, running geek, techie, marathoner, miles to go CrossFit junkie and bathroom Carnatic vocalist. He loves striking random conversations with people just about anywhere, music and anyting to do with tech and fitness, in no particular order. He can be reached at @kartikiyer2007 on Insta and on Strava
Route Video and pacing calculators by Aravind
Aravind is a techie, running geek, and a marathoner. He loves all things technology and technology in running, with special interest in running form analysis. He is the co-founder of GeeksOnFeet.