The original inspiration for this trip was to provide an appealing alternative to the show I didn’t get cast into. Almost simultaneously, Lauren discovered that London had a winter 10k around the time we were planning on going. Every February, London hosts a winter 10k as a fundraiser for cancer research with entry fees going towards the cause along with an aggressive donation campaign. Thousands from across the UK come to central London for the race and to contribute. We secured our spot in late 2023, fully knowing that this would be the largest race we’ve entered and of course the very first one in a different country.

Training for races in winter is not fun. Training for races in winter and living in South Dakota at the same time sucks. Granted, 6.2 miles isn’t terribly far and my conditioning normally hovers around there throughout the year but it’s still a race and something that I wanted to be in good shape for. Lauren on the other hand, is still early in her running journey and had to work harder to be prepared for this. So we both trained at home and on the dreaded treadmill so we could go out and not embarrass ourselves in front of thousands of Brits. Queue February 25. We descended on Trafalgar Square along with 18 thousand other runners to run our best race but also contribute to a good cause. We weren’t necessarily trying to get a personal 10k record, but were more about the experience of the race itself, especially since we were in a new city, within a different country, running in the middle of the bloody winter. The best part of the running route was the pomp the organizers added but the route itself. Starting in Trafalgar Square, we ran in the streets of central London passing by St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, The Lookout, Scotland Yard, the Royal Horse Guards and finishing in the shadow of Big Ben; all under the soundtrack created by local musicians, choirs and the odd Yeti yells. During the race, thousands of spectators were cheering us on and yelling our names (our first names were printed on our bibs) which gave the sensation that all of Britain was rooting for you. Time wise, we both lived up to the expectations we had but the experience was something that won’t be soon forgotten.

British Museum

With the race firmly behind us and a long, hot shower to warm us up, we were back out again to take in the wonders of the British Museum. One of the best offerings that London has is that all of the national museums are free to the public so the only things you have to contend with are the long lines and crowds. Luckily (I guess) the dreary day continued and our wait was only about 15 minutes and after a quick bag check, we were off to explore the wonders of Britain’s best artifacts, across all four stories of the museum.

Instead of building up to it (disappointing, I know), I’ll begin with its most famous exhibit. A short walk from the main entrance, in the center of exhibition room go four lies the Rosetta Stone (not the language learning software). Originally discovered in 1799 as part of Napoleon’s pilfering of Egypt, the Rosetta Stone contains a royal decree about King Ptolemy V that was meant to communicate a message to the entire population. For those who may have been dozing off in school, the importance of this stone comes from the way they wrote (carved) the decrees during 200-300 BCE as it was written in three in use languages at the time – Egyptian Hieroglyphs (language of the gods), Egyptian Demonic (daily use language) and Ancient Greek (ummm…Greek). Since the same message was inscribed three ways, the Rosetta Stone allowed historians to translate the hieroglyphics that adorn nearly every ancient structure in Egypt. While the Rosetta Stone is technically incomplete (it’s a segment of a much larger stone), there was enough inscription of each language to finally decode those ancient symbols. The Brits got ownership of the stone after Napoleon’s defeat and its lived in the country ever since. Interestingly enough, the decree (being a decree) was meant to communite to the populous and Rosetta Stone-esque artifacts have since been discovered. Side note – due to the popularity of the Rosetta Stone, the museum’s gift shop has everything you can image with the stone for the suckers to purchase.

I bought a mousepad!

The museum is absolutely massive and we honestly did not appreciate its scale especially since we had just come off a race and weren’t terribly excited to walk any more than we had to. However, we did see a number of different exhibits that were fascinating in their own right. The first was the Lewis Chessman which were found in Scotland in the mid 1800s and are one of the oldest, fully intact chess sets from the medieval era. Carved from walrus ivory, the set dates back to the late 11th century and is one of the first discovered that contain knights and queens, demonstrating the political structure of the time. Being a board game nerd, it was a great sight to see.

I’m married to an Egypt enthusiast so naturally we wandered through all six exhibits they had from the early beginnings of the ancient Egyptians through to the demise of what we’d refer to as ancient Egypt with the death of Cleopatra and the Romans seizing power. While I’m not as passionate about this period of humanity as Lauren is, the artifacts that were included in these exhibits were nothing less than jaw dropping. As one travels to the east cost US, there’s things from 500 years ago. Going to Europe you can see things from 2000 years ago but Egypt is something altogether. Included in the exhibits are artifacts from 5000 years ago (~3000 BCE) and each one telling its own story. From the toys of Egyptian toddlers to stones with hieroglyphic messages inscribed to honest to god Egyptian mummies, all were on display, only a pane of glass separating you. It’s definitely one thing to read about these in school and another thing to see them in person. I imagine the inevitable trip we make to Egypt will enhance this feeling by about a kajillion.

Travel/Post Details:

• Post inclusive of all activities on February 25
• Accommodation – Assembly Covent Garden
• Featured Image – The view from the center of Trafalgar Square of the start line in front of the National Gallery
• At the end of the 10k there was a band on the main platform in Trafalgar Square, it was an ABBA tribute band and they kicked ass.
• Race Times –
  • Devin: 54:01
  • Lauren: 1:08:16
• The race was structured in colors based upon the expected finish time we entered upon registration. Even though they were supposed to have separate starts, the crowd just kept pushing forward.
• At the British Museum we also visited the money and clock exhibits which had a timeline of its respective topic going back to ancient times.
• On our way back from the British Museum, we got coffee at Lever and Bloom which was tiny but had a two group, lever machine. Lauren got to experience her first lever espresso!
• We had dinner at Fuller’s Ale and Pie Pub, which was adjacent to the hotel we just moved from. We shared a British pie platter which included a variety of homemade British pies including a Steak/ale, chicken/bacon/leek, squash/sweet potato curry and a Cornish pasty. While it was traditional British fare, it lived up to Britain’s reputation for food.