Oundle New Year 10k

The Oundle New Year 10k returned to its usual slot in January 2022 after last year's event being moved to the spring due to Covid. The route follows a scenic and very undulating course along wide, country lanes in the villages surrounding Oundle, including Cotterstock and Glapthorn.  The 10k race consisted of two laps of the course.   

3 members of Grantham Running Club made the trip to Northamptonshire and first through for the club was Gav Meadows in 41:09, a time he was very happy with on the gently undulating course.  Next was Nichola Webster in 57:42, a little way off her PB but she was pleased to be working her way back to her best.  Rounding off the GRC representation was Louise Kennedy with a PB of 1:04:45, beating her race from the previous week by 5 minutes and improving on her previous PB on the course set in 2018 by 2 minutes.

Finishers were rewarded with a bespoke medal, mince pies, Jaffa cakes, bourbon biscuits or haribos. The men’s 10k was won in 34:14 by Richard Gibbs of Skegness DRC.  The first placed woman was Natasha Martin of Kettering Town Harriers in 38:25. There were 270 finishers in this race.

 

 

Lincolnshire cross Country Championships

Robin and Tom

 

On the 9th January a hardy bunch of Gratham Running Club members headed over to Biscathorpe near Louth for the Lincolnshire cross Country Championships.  In contrast to recent events the weather was much kinder with some actual sunshine.  However this didn't prevent the course being an incredibly challenging one with plenty of mud and water for the runners to contend with.  Jason Walker commented that somehow the terrain managed to be simultaniously boggy and frosty which was a special kind of challenge.

 First off were the men who ran 10k.  The winner was Matthew Bowser of Lincoln Wellington in a time of 33:08.

First back for GRC was Peter Bonnner in 46:10, followed by Rob Howbrook in 46:16, Gav Meadows in 47:11, Robbin Atter in 47:39, Tom Johnson in 47:41 and Jason Walker in 49:30.

 The women's race was 5.7km and the first lady back was Claire Cooney of Lincoln Wellington in 24. For GRC, Caroline Davis came home first in a time of 31:15, followed closely by Michelle Parzcuk in 31:43 and Sarah High in 32:02.

Sherwood Pines New Years 10k

 

On the 9th Januray Nichola Webster and Louise Kennedy of Grantham Running Club travelled to Nottinghamshire to take part in the Sherwood Pines New Years 10k.  The race route followed a scenic course using the undulating tracks and trails within the picturesque forest.

Despite the chilly conditions, both runners really enjoyed kick starting their running year and are looking forward to some warmer races.First back for GRC was Nichola in a time of 1:01:02 then Louise followed in 1:11:37.

 The men's race was won by Matthew Craen in 35:54 and the women's race was won by Ciara Porter in 45:54. Runners were rewarded win an excellent medal.

Adana Half Marathon

Claiming to be genuinely missing the dismal weather of the UK in January, Grantham running Club's Nev Chamberlain continued his globetrotting adventures by running the Adana Half Marathon in Eastern Turkey.  

Enjoying the far more agreeable climate, he clocked a time of 1:58:00 on his watch which he was very pleased with given that it was his first half marathon since 2018.

Winter Solstice 10k Race

 

The Solstice Podium

After a delay of exactly 18 months Grantham Running Club were finally able to stage their 11^th 10k road race, this event was a much different affair from previous editions  not only because of Covid but

the cool foggy winter morning was a far cry from the balmy summer evening position it normally held in the calendar. This was the final time for outgoing Race Director Ben Mason the be in charge having originally signed up for three years he was only able to retire after one and a half times that having fulfilled his task not only to raise funds to help the club operate but in giving GRC the chance to be seen to be paying back the local running community by taking their turn to stage a top quality race.

Jan as a guide runner

Ben the RD

One of the hardest working members of the Race Crew was treasurer Gordon Geach who had been liaising with the runners who entered in Spring 2020 and offering them the choice of carrying their entry forward or having a refund on two occasions and although the last minute concerns of the Omicron variant meant a flurry of last minute drop outs there were still over 550 hoping to start out of an initial target of around a thousand athletes. The reduction in the number of finishers neither lightened the load for the seventy odd GRC members turning up over the weekend to help out nor the joy at so many runners being able to compete of this classic course and end the year on a running high. Sam Jepson was not only the lead marshal but also the club’s fastest 10k runner this year who led by example giving up his chance of home glory for to make sure the race was staged safely. The fastest women in the club this year, Sarah Chynoweth turned down the certainty of a race win to help out with a road closure on the Junction of the A1. Although there were too many helpers to mention individually Vicki Ball was medical director, Paul Rushie

Joe helped out before and after his race

Rushworth for setting up and clearing down the course and finally Kate Marshall and her junior parkrun team who volunteered at the 9:00 event in Grantham and still managed to be in position for the race start on Long Bennington

The race was won by Elliot Smith-Rasmussen in a course record of 31:47 well clear of Marlon Dunkley of Rushcliff AC the runner up with Sleaford’s Alan Oliver just a few seconds further down the road. Anna-Marie Thompson also of Sleaford was first Lady 14 seconds clear of runner up Alison Dunphy of Eye Community Runners with the final place on the podium going to Shantelle Gaston-Hird.

First home for the home Club was Joe Diggins less concerned with clocking a PB of 36:02 than in getting back to continue helping out by welcome the other runners home with the usual goody bag of beer and cider as well as the Winter Bling. The current plan is for this race to return to its normal mid-summer date for 2022.

A foggy first place for Elliot