Nottingham 5k Winter Series, Race 2

Lured by the prospect of a potentially quick course to clock a fast time at the end of the year, seven members of Grantham Running Club headed to Victoria Embankment in Nottingham to take part in the second race of the Nottingham 5K Winter Series on Thursday 6^th December. The race was held in good conditions, cloudy and very mild for a December race beginning at 7:30pm. While the course was certainly flat, three tight U-turns proved taxing, as did the slightly underwhelming street lighting that made it hard to pick out the numerous ripples in the pavement, caused mostly by tree roots.

First home for GRC was Matthew Kingston-Lee. Leading from the gun, he found there were no volunteers to help share the pace. Reducing the lead pack to just two, Patrick Townsend proved impossible to drop. Resolutely sticking to Matthew’s shoulder, Patrick finally took over the lead with around 300 meters to run. With Matthew racing again a few days later he didn’t contest the sprint finish, allowing Patrick to pull clear, winning in 17:01. Matthew was content to finish second and first in his age category, with a time of 17:16 earning himself a bottle of wine for his efforts.

Grant Davies followed in a fine fifth place, clocking 18:41, under half a minute outside his PB. Joe Clarke finished eighth in 19:21 and Matthew Atter was pleased to break 20 minutes, finishing twelfth in 19:52. Both established personal bests as they ran a 5K race for the first time, although both have run over a minute quicker at parkrun.

Jack Dodwell also ran his first 5K race and did well to clock 21:05, finishing nineteenth and just twelve seconds slower than his fastest parkrun time. The GRC men’s team were clear winners of the men’s team prize, earning themselves more wine for their efforts.

Penny Hodges finished sixth woman and second in her age category in a time of 22:03. Although disappointed with her performance and failure to break the 70% age grade barrier, it was a run that actually equalled her PB set earlier in the year, although she is another runner with a parkrun PB over a minute quicker.  She was followed by Sarah High who didn’t quite achieve the objective of a 70%+ age grade but did establish a 5K PB time of 26:32 which earned her another bottle of wine for GRC as first finisher in her age category. The women’s race was won by Gabrielle Coveney of Holme Pierrepont Running Club in 20:26.

In addition to the half dozen or so bottles of wine awarded to the club, all finishers were presented with a gargantuan Christmas themed medal and mince pies were offered to those who wanted them.

Leicester Winter 5K Winter Series, Race 2

Ian Williams of Grantham Running Club finished a fine fourth at the second race of the Leicester 5K Winter Series, held on Wednesday 5^th December at Victoria Park in Leicester.

On a twisty two lap course and despite having a relatively lonely race, Ian clocked a superb 17:38, which establishes his 5K PB and is three seconds quicker than his parkrun best. It also ranks him #2 for GRC over the distance in 2018 and, so long as Ian runs well at the forthcoming Gloucester 10 Mile Road Race on December 30^th, should see him finish well up in the overall standings for the club’s Men’s Champion - a fine achievement for someone who only joined the club in October.

The race was won by Joe Dugdale of Cumberland Fell Runners, smashing the old course record with a fine 16:19. There were 88 finishers.

Skegness 10K

Peter Bonner and Mark Edwards of Grantham Running Club headed to Butlins in Skeggy to take part in the Skegness 10K on Sunday 2^nd December. The race takes begins and ends at the legendary resort, utilising quiet and very flat back roads in the countryside outside Skegness.

Peter had yet another very good race to clock his second fastest ever 10K time. 39:43 is less than half a minute slower than his PB set at Leeds in November and the second time he has broken 40 minutes. This earned him 24^th position overall and sixth in his age category.

Mark, having raced well at the Derby 10 a week earlier, for reasons unknown at the time of writing finished well down on his best in 1:12:28.

The race was won by Thomas North of Lincoln Wellington AC in 33:34 with Claire Cooney the winning woman in 39:15. There were 752 finishers.

North Midlands Cross Country League – Race Three: Shipley Park, Heanor

Twelve members of Grantham Running Club took part in the third race of the North Midlands Cross ^st December 2018. Thanks to it being one of the busiest shopping days of the year, the journey from Grantham to the venue at Shipley Park in Heanor was nearly as arduous as the course itself. Late arrivals and the popularity of a single toilet cubicle each for men and women meant the races were delayed by ten minutes, but aside from these difficulties the event was a well organised, highly competitive affair, held in comfortably mild conditions for the first meteorological day of winter.

Country League on Saturday 1

The women were off first, taking part on a two lap course of approximately six kilometres. Heavy rainfall in the week meant the constantly undulating course was churned up with sticky mud in places, making the going particularly difficult. Caroline Davis was first home, running well to finish 93^rd in 38:07. She was followed by Sarah High in 111^th (40:29), Sylv Hull 138^th (47:35) and Diana McDonald 140^th (48:05). This gives the Vets team 8^th overall in the standings. The race was won by Chloe Hubbard of Newark AC in 27:55.

The men raced over an approximately ten kilometre course comprising of one small lap, then two large laps. Matthew Kingston-Lee made a lackadaisical start that saw him spend the rest of the race making his way through the field, ultimately finishing 51^st in a time of 38:37. A far cry from his fourth place at Belton House in the Lincs XC Leauge, it is perhaps worth pointing out that Belton House winner Will Tucker of Grantham Athletics Club finished 40^th in 37:44.

Matthew Williamson came home 122^nd in 43:00, closely followed by Rob Howbrook (127^th, 43:36) who was an excellent second in the V60 age category. Simon Smith finished 190^th (48:52), Paul Davis 200^th (49:21), Chris Toon 203^rd (49:38) and Russell Maksymiw 215^th (53:08). Daniel Howson dropped out part way through the race, troubled with an injury and a very large breakfast!

As with the women, GRC unfortunately didn’t complete a senior team but had a strong showing in the Vets table, finishing fifth of twelve teams on the day which saw them climb to ninth in the overall standings with one race remaining. The race was won by former Grantham Athletics Club member Jake Richardson of Lincoln Wellington AC in 33:07.

Nottingham Christmas Marathon

Tony Johnson of Grantham Running Club successfully completed the Nottingham Christmas Marathon on Saturday 1^st December. This event is based at the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont and consists of 8 ¾ laps of the 2km long Regatta Lake. Despite the overcast sky, conditions at the start were almost perfect with only a slight ripple on the surface of the lake. This didn’t last however as the almost inevitable wind soon picked up, bringing showers along with it. This meant that the return leg along the far side of the lake was into a headwind for most of the race.

Runners received a Santa hat (wearing not compulsory), a medal and a Christmas stocking goody bag. Pictures by event photography stalwart Mick Hall were also offered as free downloads.

Tony commented: “I entered this race as a start of my build up to next year’s London Marathon and given that I was treating it as a long training run, and hadn’t run a distance further than 14 miles in preparation, I was pleasantly surprised to clock a time of 3:24:54, 10 minutes faster than this year’s London Marathon.”

The race was won by Richard Howarth of Horwich RMI in 2:38:38 with Steph Forrester the winning woman in 2:56:05. Tony finished 33^rd and was third in the V50 age category. There were 200 finishers.