Big Ben Bridge Dash
Workout - Big Ben Bridge Dash
- 10min @ 6'00''/km
- 4 lots of:
- 350m @ 3'15''/km
- 4min 30s rest
- 5min @ 5'00''/km
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The Running Channel’s We Tried To Run Across A London Bridge Before Big Ben Strikes 12 is a fantastic watch—we’ve extracted the essentials so you can give it a shot yourself. Head to the full video for all the detail, but here’s what you need.
Key Points:
- Westminster Bridge was the site of Florence Ilott’s 1934 challenge, recreated here: cover 350 m (about 1,160 ft) in the time Big Ben chimes 12 times—roughly 40 seconds is the target.
- Before sprinting, the host jogs the bridge at a relaxed pace to measure the distance (2 min 5 sec), then calculates a target: halve the time and subtract 20 seconds.
- The actual sprint came in at 1 min 12 sec (around 3:31 min/km), which really shows how taxing fast short-distance efforts can be.
- The practical approach: use a stopwatch or the Pacing app, set a realistic target (40 seconds is the gold standard), and pace according to your own abilities.
Workout Example:
- Warm‑up jog – Take an easy run down the 350 m bridge to get a sense of it—aim for roughly 2 minutes.
- Set a target – Pick a time around 40 seconds (or a pace you can sustain for 350 m). Match it to your current fitness level.
- Sprint the bridge – Begin at the hospital side. Start your timer with Big Ben’s first chime (or a countdown), then sprint for the far end as hard as you can.
- Record & compare – Log your time and pace (1 min 12 sec equals roughly 3:31 min/km, for example). Save it to the Pacing app so you can improve on future runs.
Give Westminster Bridge a try. Pick a target pace that matches your fitness, track your time in the Pacing app, and have at it. A touch of running history can fuel your next speed session.