Meridian East Coast 10

Ian on his way to another race victory

Ian Williams of Grantham Running Club headed to East Riding on Sunday 19^th May with club mate Henrietta McCabe with the intention of setting a new 10 mile PB and walked away as winner of the sophomore Meridian East Coast 10 Miler!

The fledgling race, hosted by Patrington Haven Leisure Park, was attended by numerous local running clubs and takes its name courtesy of being just two kilometres from the Greenwich Meridian Line. The event was exceptionally well organised, with the out and back course incorporating the beautiful flat countryside associated with the land surrounding the Humber Estuary. The race is noted for being a flat quick course, with a barely noticeable 12 meters of climbing. Although runners were spared the winds that blight many east coast races, the going was made tough with the lack of shade on a sunny warm day, with temperatures in excess of 20°C come the 10:30am race start. 

In a modest field of just 74 finishers Ian quickly found himself heading a group of three in the lead of of the race. Not one to look back he only realised the group had shrunk to just two at the halfway turnaround point. Assured of a top-two finish, on course for a new PB, and set to break the prestigious one hour barrier for the first time, Ian kept the strong pace going, finally dropping Mark Bissell of East Hull Harriers & AC with around a mile and a half still to run to cross the line the winner in a new PB of 58:55, thirty one seconds clear of second placed Mark and under two minutes outside the course record.

The women’s race was won by Lucy Pinder of York Knavesmire Harriers in 1:09:04  GRC’s Henrietta McCabe ran a fine race to finish second in her age category with a new PB of 1:36:16. The event also featured a 5K race which had thirty finishers and a winning time of 19:41.

The event was very well supported by locals and the Parks’ holidaying tourists with a carnival vibe made even better by the glorious weather conditions. The goody bags were of a very good standard and both runners agreed that they would attend again next year.