Archive for Races & Reports
British 10k London
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on July 11th, 2011
Simon Harris reports on the British 10k
British 10k 10/07/11 London -
After being advised to get there early for this race I was up yesterday at 5am to ensure getting to the baggage drop off point at 7.45am - Way to early for a Sunday morning !!
After walking up to the start i was amazed to find a few hundred other people already there for a race that was billed to start at 9.35am..Far to much time hanging around although the general banter was very good amongst the other runners. However I was glad that I did as I was reasonably near the front. There was another 25,000 other people there as well all waiting for the race to begin which finally started at 9.45am.
To say that a fast start was needed to avoid being trampled would be a understatement and I was virtually sprinting for the first 500 metres just to get a bit of space. However once we got past the 2k mile things settled down a bit. I was bang on target and was started to enjoy it. Mission on the day was a Sub 39.30 Mins. I got the first 5k done and then pushed on for the second half which started to become a bit harder. The time was starting to slip on the sat nav but thankfully a bit of determination kept me going and running down The Mall with a big smile on my face felt oh so good…Fnished in 39.18 and then straight off for a few well earned beers
I would do this race again as the course is great and a traffic free route with a huge suppor tmakes all the difference but the start is hard going.
Lord Mayor’s 5k City Centre Classic
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on July 11th, 2011
Race Report:
This 5k is abit special and certainly an experience. The race is a prelude to the Lord Mayor’s Parade which allows the route to take advantage of closed roads through the city centre, but due to a tight schedule the race has a strict 20 minute time limit. If you don’t make half way in 10 mins you’re hauled off the course! Back in my hood on my home turf, I thought I knew Norwich City Centre well, but running gives you a whole new perspective on the profile. A hill and a long drag up into a breeze was abit of a challenge but this was offset by coming back down again on the 2 lap out and back route. Due to the cut off it was a relatively small field so feeling like an elite amongst the 105 starters off we set along the crowd lined route. The crowds were amazing and very noisey, at least 3 deep all the way, it was like a condensed London Marathon! The start was frenetic, the hill on the second lap was lung busting, and the downhill finish most welcome! The prize pot was big, so the race attracted a high quality field of racing snakes, the top 13 all finished in under 16 minutes, and 6 were in under 15:00!! I was happy to finish on the 1st page of the results half way down the field in 47th in 17:40.
Check these out for a high quality set of results
Nolan
Flashing abit of thigh for the camera...
Did anyone else race this weekend? If so tell us all about it?
Jim places again! And other news….
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on June 27th, 2011
4th last Sunday at the North Downs 30k, 3rd on Wednesday at the Dulwich 5k and 2nd place at the Weald of Kent 10 mile race yesterday in 57:32… I see a pattern emerging here! So a win next week then Jim? If you need any running shop vouchers, then Jims your man!
Meanwhile the rest of the club were either cycling (lots) or walking (very far)
North Downs 30k
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on June 21st, 2011
North Downs 30k by Jim
Beckenham somehow managed by happy accident to muster up 3 men to make a team for Sunday’s North Downs 30k. Sadly not enough to win the team prize as Serpentine got 3 in the first ten including a new course record but we still managed to bring home some loot. More of that later, but as for the race, this is 30km off road and very hilly in places with climbs overall over 600m but an absolutely beautfiul race, lots of running through wheat and poppy fields. woods, chocolate box villages etc and i for one had practically zero traffic to deal with. And despite recent rain only 1 mile was slippy.
And as usual it was brilliantly organised. Seeing how much shorter off-road races struggle with way markers and with marshalling this was faultless, even Craig couldn’t get lost on this one. And you get treated very well indeed, water, isotonic drinks and gels were on offer (i ate my own gel at 10k only to turn a corner and find them on offer), you get a great technical T-shirt worth the entry fee in itself and lots of free cake at the end along with a band and a free swim for you and yours in the leisure centre.
Pete Basksh (41st), Ken Fancett (32nd) and myself all did the club credit coming in under 2hr 30m and in the top 50. Ken won the v60 prize and i got 4th place prize, nice crystal goblets which is a welcome variation on the usual prizes. This race first ran in 1984 and is still going strong, record turnout this year i understand so can certainly recommend it for next year. With the t-shirt and cake it’s worth it even if you treat it as a long Sunday training run. Just hope there’s something left in those legs for the next grand prix, Dulwich 5k on Wednesday.
Anyone seen Craig?
Posted by Nolan in Everything Else, Races & Reports on June 15th, 2011
Do you remember that tall bloke, not alot of hair, he spoke with a funny accent and often wore dresses to the Christmas party….shouted alot at the start of a race… yes Craig that’s it!
It was abit like finding Wally, but news from across the pond in Los Angeles is that he’s still running 10k’s and showing the LA folk how it’s done. He minced around the LA Frontrunners Pride 10k in just over 38 mins finishing 4th overall! Pride 10k results
Craig looking like a pro.. but what is it with Yanks running bare chested, just don't get any ideas Ben my hairy chested friend!
Sri Chimony Battersea Park 10k June 2011
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on June 13th, 2011
The Selways go on tour…
Race Report
On Saturday Richard and I crept out of the house at the crack of dawn (well, 06:45 certainly felt like it) to catch a couple of trains to Battersea Park. It was a cool but dry morning with promise of some sun a bit later. As our beloved Norman Park parkrun was cancelled for this week we used the opportunity to double the pain in a 10k race on a lovely flat course. We registered on the day for the wonderfully low key but well organised leafy park race and set off at 8am on a 3 and a bit lap course. At a guess there were at most a couple of hundred runners so no start of the race argy bargy to get into the flow of the race. It was well marshalled and a lovely flat course so no excuses I thought for a good time. Richard was pacing a friend and colleague who was hoping to break 40 min and true to form he, Richard, achieved his goal precisely. Our time at the half way point was called out to is which was a great touch. I strived to keep a 7min 30 pace but with a fairly sparse number of runners lost my concentration as the chap I was running alongside for half the race took off into the distance at an increased pace. Couldn’t keep up and my pace slipped by. The beauty of doing laps I found was that I could try to claw back some pace on the last lap and with Richard cheering like mad on the home straight I did a fairly good impression of a sprint finish. The finishing time was called out as runners crossed the line and yes I achieved a PB in 47min 04 which leaves me with the next goal of running sub 47! Always looking to the next goal. I d recommend a Battersea race, there are several scheduled over the summer of various distances.
Georgina
Bupa 10000
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on May 30th, 2011
Monday was the Bupa 10000, (results aren’t out at the time of writing so don’t know else ran), but Ed Osbourne has filed the following race report……
All that mattered today was to go under 40 minutes. I nearly left the house at 9am only to discover that the start time was actually 11am instead of 10 as advertised in the magazine.
Went back to bed for an hour but started feeling groggy so decided to get up.Cycled over up to Surrey Quays and followed the marathon route over to Tower Bridge.
Continuing down the Embankment to Southwark bridge I was able to pick up some of the 10k route. Fairly strong wind but not as bad as yesterday. It’s so different when the roads are closed.
Jogged down to the start with 20 minutes to spare and spot David Scrimshaw. Have a bit of a chat. With a quick calculation he plans to run 15seconds per mile faster than me but I thought I’d try and keep up to the 5-6k mark.
After the announcement of the top 5 women and men elites we were off.Straight out of the park and onto victoria embankment. There were alot of runners who we were passing and it was quite tricky finding a good line and avoiding runners.
First mile in the bag at 5.58 Hmm maybe this is a bit too fast for me but who cares. Next mile 6.01 things are starting to thin out a little as the effort increases as we go up a slight incline past cannon street. Onto Eastcheap and left onto Seething Lane. Mile 3 at 6.19
I go past the 5k mark at 19.10 and heading back for home. Starting to feel it a little but know there’s not much further. I let David go but still manage mile 4 at 6.00 but then out of nowhere I pull up with a pain in my thigh. I have to get going again but at this point I’m not sure if I’ll make it round. Should I have done some proper stretching before the start ? Well maybe.
Ed finishing the Bupa 10000
I make it back on to the Embankment. There’s a huge crowd of people lining the side of the road. I hear a “Come on Ed” and see Clare Elms and Steve Smythe at the side of the road which gives me a real lift when I needed it. Leave the embankment and turn right onto horse guards avenue then right again on to whitehall and up to trafalgar square. The bad spell has gone and I check my watch 37 minutes… I think I might just do it this time. I turn left at Trafalgar Square. Head through the mall and see Nolan and give him a thumbs up. The clock comes into view. It’s still on 38 something but I can’t quite make out the seconds but with less than 400 left I know I can do it. I give it cheesy smile for the photographer. I cross the line and stop my watch at 39.23.
It’s a great course and fast so I’d be tempted to run this again.
Garmin Connect
Pleased with the time but know there’s more improvement.
Well done everyone who ran.
Ed
Click on Mo to see the rest of my Photo's
Littlestone Lifeboat 10k
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on May 30th, 2011
The inaugural Littlestone 10k proved to be a great success, run along the sea wall in perfect conditions on a Friday night followed by music, bar and bbq, it made a pleasant change from the usual Sunday morning 10k. Mel finished 2nd lady, Andy 1st oldun, and Stuart ran his fastest 10k in 12 years to finish 4th! Littlestone Lifeboat 10K 2011 Results
Click on image for more photo's
Race Report: Joyden Wood 5k
Posted by Nolan in Races & Reports on May 26th, 2011
On a whim I cycled to Joyden Wood (14 miles away) to take part in this great evening race. It’s a 5k off roader through the woods with fair number of nasty little hills and one large doozer of a hill to climb at the end.
I ran quite hard on Monday at Battersea, and covered 13 miles on Tuesday, so what with cycling 14 miles to the race I should have expected it to not be my finest performance. At the start I didn’t really notice many faces about, I saw who’d be 1st and 2nd so I thought I could be in with a shout of a 3rd place…I did see Paul Browning who’s done this race before so gave me the low down on the hills. Shame I ignored him! So off we went. The 1st k was down a really steep section, I hammered it hard, only to then find the course started rising again…. I was in 3rd place, but after the 1st little steep rise my legs went to jelly and I was breathing like I was in the final home stretch. Not good with 3-4k to go… so 3rd drifted to 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th…. I ran the rest of the race with abit more control but on very heavy legs, I couldn’t wait for this one to be over! Come the final doozer of a hill, I let 2 guys go past me, one started falling back as we got into the climb. But one of the good things about the race is a spot prize for every 10th position. So not wanting to let go of 10th place I let the 9th person stay a little ahead of me.
My reward for mediocrity and not getting into a sprint for 9th place, a bottle of wine…. a really nice low key race. (19:30ish 10th ) This was part 1 of a 3 race series with the next one on the 29th of June if anyone wants to join me.
Weekend Extraaaaaaa 5k and Marathon News…..
Posted by Nolan in Everything Else, Races & Reports on May 25th, 2011
As well as Myra Garrett members were in action at a couple of other races over the weekend and Monday night….
Copenhagen Marathon: Serial marathoner Edgar writes, Simon Harris and myself ran yesterday the Copenhagen marathon. Though flat, is not an easy course due to the windy patches. Race organisation, slightly poor.
Our times:
Edgar: 3:08 (my 20th marathon!!)
Simon : 3:12
Sri Chimnoy 5k: Alice, myself and Paul Fletcher braved the swirling gusts and drizzly weather to run this low key race in Battersea Park.
Conditions were quite tough and it felt like we were battling a constant head wind, which led to myself being 37 seconds slower than the last Assembly League race. However it didn’t seem to effect Alice who obviously found someone to draft as she managed to knock another 15 seconds of her PB finishing in the medals as 6th lady. If you haven’t heard of the Sri Chimnoy races, there’s usually a race from 1 to 10 miles on a Monday night and the occasional Saturday morning, they’re really well run and great value Battersea Race Fixtures
24th Nolan 17:50
77th Paul Fletcher 20:56
80th Alice 21:05
