Run Your Heart Out Valentines 10K

Claire finished in 67:50

Claire Fritz and Louise Kennedy of Grantham Running Club both completed the rescheduled Run Your Heart Out Valentines 10K in Scunthorpe on Sunday 23^rd February. The race had originally been set to take place two weeks prior but was postponed by Storm Ciara. Conditions were similarly blustery on the race day but the event was successfully hosted thanks to the cooperation of the local authority and service providers to make the necessary rearrangements at short notice.

Claire was first home, finishing in 1:07:50, followed by Louise in 1:14:27. Both were rewarded with a large Valentine’s themed medal for their efforts.

The race was won by Richard Start of North Derbyshire in 31:25 with Gemma Steel of Charnwood AC the winning female in 36:26. There were 1416 finishers.

Louise clocked 74:27

Leicestershire Half Marathon

Pos	Race No	Name	Gun Time	Chip Time	Category	Cat Pos	Gender
182	121	PETER BONNER	1:37:59	1:37:34	V40	32	Male
840	1191	RACHEL VARELA	2:11:30	2:07:55	V40	37	Female

Cape Pembroke Half Marathon

Pasky keeps in touch with the leader early on in the race

Against his better judgement, Andrew Pask took part in the Cape Pembroke Half Marathon whilst working in the Falkland Islands. The annual event runs from the barren territory’s capital Stanley to the Cape Pembroke Light house taking in a rage of ridiculous features as well as the standard battle with the gale force winds. Setting off at a good pace, Andrew was well placed amongst a huge field of 68 runners. After benefiting from the tailwind and good road surface for the opening first 4 miles, Andrew approached his first trip hazard……A cattle grid. A tip-toe later and he’s on his way. Back on the fast pace as best as possible but now without the luxury of an actual road.

Andrew with his medal

Now a solo runner he passed the minefield that the Argies kindly left in 1982 and approached the Lighthouse. The marshal brief was “around the lighthouse and pick-up the other path”…………Simple right? No mention of the kissing gates, ruble for steps to the lighthouse or that the ‘other path’ wasn’t marked at all. After eventually finding the ‘other path’, Andrew quickly realised there was no path at all. In fact what lay ahead was 2.5 miles of sand dunes where all there as to follow was little flags stuck in the sand. With the pace now at an embarrassing level he pushed on regardless, now into the resident headwind. Eventually returning to the ‘break your neck’ cattle grid, he finally found the road back to the Stanley ‘metropolitan’ area.

Heading back into town, Andrew hadn’t seen another runner for miles. Slacking off far too much, at 12 miles he heard the pitter patter of feet approaching? In sheer shock he was powerless to stop the guy who turned out to be a half marathon novice who was wearing every bit of running kit he owned and with a mobile phone strapped to his arm!.......Time to take up darts!

Pushing on to the finish, and without a single glance at the watch all race, he crossed the line at Victory Green, Stanley in 1:38:04 and in 12^th place.

English National Cross Country Championships – Wollaton Park, Nottingham

Sarah, Sarah, Caroline and Matt

Gav was 1321st

Six members of Grantham Running Club joined thousands of other runners in the muddiest, arguably toughest, English National Cross Country Championships in recent memory at Wollaton Park on Saturday 22^nd February.  The effects of Storms Ciara and Dennis on top of already wet ground left the course and its surrounds saturated. Simply staying upright was a challenge and finishing the race could be considered a real accomplishment in conditions that purists like to call ‘proper cross country’. 

The senior women raced before the men over an 8km course and it was Sarah Chynoweth who came home first for GRC, clocking 43:30 and finishing a highly respectable 269^th. She was followed in 679^th by Caroline Davis (54:05) and Sarah High 744^th (56:15). The race was won by Danish international Anna Moller of Aldershot Farnham & District in 32:59.

The senior men raced on a 12km course and it was club cross country champion Jonny Palmer who led the way home with a solid run to finish 289^th in 51:33. Matthew Williamson followed in 998^th (1:02:26) with Gav Meadows finishing in 1321^st place (1:08:12). The race was won by Callum Johnson of Gateshead Harriers and AC in 43:36.

Pokhara 10K

While Grantham Running Club’s members suffered a second weekend of frustration with many races across the country postponed courtesy of Storm Dennis, Nev Chamberlain took advantage of travelling in Nepal to take part in the Pokhara 10K on Saturday 15^th February.

A supporting race to the Safal Pokhara International Marathon, the 10K started and finished outside of the city's brand new multi-purpose sports stadium. The route gradually took the runners downhill over the first half of race to the main tourist area of the Lakeside before turning back uphill at 7km towards the finish. 

Although Nev admitted that his lack of training in recent months took its toll on this final uphill section, he was thankful that quite a few others had been over exuberant in the easier first part and was able to gain some places in the closing stages.

Nev finished in a time of 1:02:40 which was around what Nev had expected. Nev commented after the race: "Although it is way off my usual times, to quote the old cliché, today was all about ‘the taking part.’ Nepal is one of the world’s poorest countries and being less than five years on from a devastating earthquake, organised sport isn't too prevalent.  It was heartening therefore to see not only a large field of local runners but also plenty of support along the route."

Purna Bahadur Karki was the winner of the 10K race with Indrakala winning the women’s race.

Mallory Park Winter Race Series

The final races in the inaugural Mallory Park Winter Race Series took place on Sunday 26^th January and there was Grantham Running Club representation in the 1 mile, 5K, and 10K events that took place on the Leicestershire motor racing circuit.

Flash crosses the line

In the ‘Fast Mile’ race Joaquim Jeronimo sped to the finish line in

Peter ran all 3 races

5:24 to claim fifth position overall, twelve seconds ahead of seventh placed Peter Bonner. Clark Roberts of Coventry Godiva Harriers was the winner in 4:44 with Hannah Oldroyd of Ribble Valley Harriers the winning woman in 5:18.

Both GRC runners were back competing in the 5K. Joaquim finished eleventh overall in 18:43 with Peter Bonner finishing fifteenth in 20:06. Although not credited at the time, Joaquim was retrospectively awarded the 5K Series prize for his efforts in the three events. Behind Peter, Stuart Baty ran well to clock 24:03 – just seven seconds outside his 2019 best in his first 5K race outing of the year – and Simon Hartley ran a similarly strong race to clock 32:51, twenty three seconds outside his 5K PB set last June. The 5K race was won by Jonathan Peters of Race Rapid in 16:10 with Hannah Oldroyd backing up her mile victory by winning the 5K too in 18:06.

‘Flash’ opted not to run the 10K but there was no stopping Peter Bonner who capped a good morning’s work with a 43:39 clocking in the 10K race which saw him finish twentieth overall. Robert Braker improved on his Oundle 10K performance by over two minutes with 54:02. His wife Julie Braker was a few seconds down on her Oundle time with 55:36. Both won their respective age categories by dint of being the only entrants!

The 10K race was won by Ashley Hurdman of Burton AC in 32:02 with Charlotte Buck the winning woman in 41:42.