Holme Pierrepont GP 10K

It was an evening of contrasting fortunes for the three members of Grantham Running Club who took part in the Holme Pierrepont 10K, held at an unseasonably cool and drizzly National Water Sports Centre on Thursday 29th June.

MKL sub 35

The inclement weather actually made for near ideal conditions for distance running, with only a nagging breeze into the runners' faces along the 2km long finishing straight adjacent to the rowing basin on each of the two laps impacting negatively on the efforts of the 449 finishers. 

First home for GRC was Matthew Kingston-Lee, who clocked his first sub 35 minute 10K as a veteran runner with a fine 34:33, claiming seventh overall and first place in the V40 category: 

"After going out too hard at and suffering the consequences at the Summer Solstice 10K last week, I was keen to make amends at Holme Pierrepont," commented Matthew after the race. "I went out just a bit more steadily and this made all the difference for the second half of the race, enabling me to run a pleasing negative split and score my best ever age graded result." 

Next home for GRC was Andrew Pask, another runner with a point to prove after suffering his first ever DNF at the recent Notts 10 Mile Road Race, also held at Holme Pierrepont. Andrew ran a solid race to come home 68th overall in 41:14, his first 10k for two years.

Pasky and Scott "contrasting fortunes"

Following his podium finish five days earlier at the Grimsthorpe 10K, Scott Jones went into the race with hopes of a strong performance. Alas the fickle nature of running reared its face as Scott suffered a reoccurrence of an ongoing injury that forced him to stop and stretch out with a couple of kilometres to go. He resumed running and came home in 42:52, just making it into the top 100 in 99th place overall. Paul Davidson who was doing the whole series finished in 43:29

The race was won by former track runner Michael Coltherd, who ran a new 10K PB of 30:59 on his return to the sport after a lengthy break. In a similar vein Grantham's talented runner Ian Boneham made his first race appearance in 'at least seven years' at the race. The runner, who has trained with members of Grantham Running Club in recent months, showed that class is permanent when he finished an impressive fourth in 34:15. 

The winning woman was Katie Lomas of Charnwood AC, who finished just a second outside her PB in 37:25. The race was round two of a four race Holme Pierrepont Grand PrixSeries.

Position	Time	Name		Category		Grading	Ranking
7	34:33	Matthew Kingston-Lee		MV40		82.85%	95
68	41:14	Andrew Pask		MV35		66.93%	N/A
99	42:52	Scott Jones		MV40		67.28%	1147
115	43:29	Paul Davidson		MV55		76.11%	464

Grimsthorpe 10

 One sleepy Sunday morning, while most sane people slept soundly in their beds or were recovering from a Saturday night partying with the Foo's at Glastonbury, an army of green vests made the procession from Grantham to Grimsthorpe. 

The 25th June saw SBR Events host the fourth of their 10/10 series. Runners were spoilt for choice with races ranging from a 5k family friendly fun run to half marathon distance with a canicross option available for all 5km, 10km, 10 mile and 13.1 mile distances. A beautifully detailed, bespoke finishers medal, t shirt and goodie bag was enough to lure runners to the finish. Grantham Running Club members; Scott Jones, Rosalind Sadler, Sue Swann, Tracey Smith, Vicky Willan, Justyna Gill, Belinda Baker, Angela Carr, Yvette Taylor and CJ Walker took on the 10 km route. Nicola Cottam, SJ Willis, Caroline Davis, Jacqueline Jacobs, Paul Davis, Peter Bonner, Martin Carter, Gav Meadows and Nicholas Jones completed the 10 mile race while the fearless Rachael Smith and Hazel Dunthorne battled and won pb's in the half marathon.

 

The start and finish area in front of the castle made an impressive backdrop for finish photos and trails boasted the beauty and charm of our county's countryside. Many runners commented on the hills and challenging and varied terrain including tree lined avenues and a redundant Victorian railway cutlet which is rarely seen by the public. The tough course was reflected in the times of even the lead runners and many of the Grantham Running Club who had turned out, treating the event as a chance to experience a more sociable and relaxed race atmosphere, some who had raced less than 48 hours previous in the club's own Summer Solstice 10k in Long Bennington.

Scott had an inspiringly strong run

First green vest home competing in the 10km race was Scott Jones. Scott ran an inspiringly strong 43:52 in his first race since injury and was rewarded with 3rd place overall, his first podium finish! After collecting his trophy Scott commented that he was obviously chuffed to have been placed so high, however, was more thrilled to have run pain free which meant he could return to training "full throttle" again.

Another podium place was for the men's 10 mile team, who claimed first place; Paul Davis, Peter Bonner, Martin Carter and Gav Meadows.

Team prize for Martin

Other successes for the club were the 10km ladies team; Rosalind Sadler, Sue Swann and new member Tracey Smith receiving second place. Tracey, who has clearly been bitten by the running bug, said she would wear her medal with pride all week. The ladies 10 mile team; Nicola Cottam, SJ Willis and Caroline Davis, also returning from injury, also claimed second place despite SJ suffering from breathing difficulties during the final mile.

The event was a testament to the spirit of the running club and the running community with great support from fellow athletes, marshals and family members. Many runners left already talking about race strategies for next year.

Summer Solstice 10k

MKL was first home for GRC pictured here at the start

Shane Robinson and Rebecca Gallop were the winners of the 2017 Summer Solstice 10K Road Race, held at Long Bennington on Friday 23rd June. The Grantham Running Club hosted event, first run in 2010, again attracted over 900 entrants and had 835 finishers, making it currently the largest club organised road race in Lincolnshire. 

Race Winner Shane Robinson

From the moment the starting horn was blasted at 7:30pm, the men's race established itself as a two-way battle between 2014 Solstice winner Ben Livesey (Notts AC/Royal Air Force) and 2015 winner and course record holder Shane Robinson (Lincoln Wellington AC), who was hoping to return to the top spot after finishing second in 2016. In a closely fought battle it was Shane who finished victorious in 31:46, eleven seconds clear of Ben and just 16 seconds outside the course record on an evening when a blustery wind made the going tough for much of the opening half of the race. 

First lady: Rebecca Gallop

The race for third was an even closer affair with veteran runner Stephen Dickens (Rushcliffe AC) clocking 34:02, smashing his old 10K PB by nearly a minute to finish four seconds ahead of fourth placed Chris Nicoll, who was two seconds ahead of fifth placed Philip Nind (Lincoln & District Runners). 

Holly was first lady for GRC

The women's race saw Rebecca Gallop (Newark AC) hoping to finally claim victory having finished third, fourth, fourth, and second on her previous four Solstice appearances. She faced tough competition in the form of twice World Duathlon Age Group Champion Claire Steels (Unattached), who herself was hoping to win her first Solstice having finished second in 2015.Ultimately it was Rebecca who won; her winning time of 37:53 over a minute better than she had run before and thirteen seconds quicker than second placed Claire. Third was 2014 and 2015 Solstice winner Emily Foran (Sleaford Striders), who was the only other woman to break forty minutes, with 39:19.

Chloe looking relaxed as she finishes

Race hosts Grantham Running Club were able to field a large contingency of forty runners, nine of whom had taken part in the club's 2017 10 Weeks to 10K (10W210K) campaign as a build up to taking part in the race. First home for GRC was Matthew Kingston-Lee, finishing seventh in 35:00. He was followed by Gav Meadows, who smashed his old PB with his first sub-40 minute performance, clocking a superb 38:59. Tony Johnson (39:09), Richard Payne (39:27, PB), Matthew Williamson (39:43, PB), and Andy Atter (39:50) all broke 40 minutes, making it the strongest ever showing in a 10K race by the club.

Belinda holding off a L & D runner

First GRC woman home was Holly Durham, who was an excellent fifth, clocking 42:13. She was followed by Suzanne Britz, who was delighted with a new PB of 51:04, and 10W210K runner Rachael Smith, who clocked 54:41. There were six further personal bests set on the night by GRC members: Gavin Skinner (55:40); Hayley Staff (56:48); Nicola Fahy (56:56); Andy Barradell (58:33); Victoria Dexter (58:19); and Carole Walker (67:28). Stuart Batty was the first 10W210K finisher in 48:15. 

Kathleen with a few yards to go

The Summer Solstice 10K has gained a reputation for offering a race experience over and above what you'd normally expect at a club-hosted race. Runners in the race village could enjoy, amongst other things: a pre-race group warm up from Biltong Farm co-owner and Fitness Instructor Rebecca Smith; post race massage from Sophie Hunt and David McKee; food from North Field Farm; and post-race bubbles to celebrate with from the Vino Prosecco Bar.

Julia sprints to the line

The race also featured pacers for the first time. From Ian Boneham, the sub-40 minute pacer, to Nick Jones, the sub-70 minute pacer, pacers at five minute increments helped numerous runners achieve their time targets. Moreover, to the delight of Club Chairman Matthew Kingston-Lee, a bottle of commemorative cider was also on offer for the first time to finishers in addition to the traditional ale and half pint glass.  

"Once again I was blown away by the quality of the event staged by our club," commented Matthew after the race. "Our new Race Director Ben Mason and his crew of volunteers, comprised entirely of club members, their friends and family, should be congratulated for organising a race that has now become, for many, one of the highlight races of the year. I'm looking forward already to the 2018 race!"

Gun Position	Name	Chip Time	Age Grade
7	Matthew Kingston-Lee	35:00	81.78%
37	Gav Meadows	38:59	70.79%
40	Tony Johnson	39:09	79.05%
47	Richard Payne	39:27	69.17%
52	Matt Williamson	39:43	67.60%
55	Andy Atter	39:50	68.87%
82	Peter Bonner	41:49	68.45%
89	Holly Durham	42:13	72.80%
152	Stuart Reader	45:30	65.36%
211	Kevin Kettle	47:38	66.04%
227	Stuart Baty	48:15	61.16%
268	Tommy Napier	49:25	65.27%
298	Paul Durham	50:14	68.25%
326	Suzanne Britz	51:04	64.34%
418	Chris Gearren	53:16	54.14%
424	David Lewis	53:36	56.36%
457	Rachael Smith	54:41	56.43%
473	Caroline Davis	55:39	59.64%
490	Gavin Skinner	55:40	53.84%
512	Hayley Staff	56:48	54.58%
523	Nicola Fahy	56:56	57.71%
543	Anne Barnabas	57:41	55.06%
579	Victoria Dexter	58:19	53.44%
568	Tracey Smith	58:29	52.43%
576	Andy Barradell	58:33	50.40%
607	Warren Stark	59:03	48.84%
594	Rachel Hamilton	59:14	51.23%
606	Joanne Moore	59:22	56.52%
649	Kathleen Gray	01:00:57	51.13%
661	Simon Hartley	01:01:41	49.37%
682	Belinda Baker	01:03:01	57.36%
687	Julia Hallam	01:03:30	48.60%
738	Emma Weighill	01:06:08	47.69%
748	Amanda Mumby	01:06:45	46.96%
753	Claire Fritz	01:07:27	45.96%
754	CJ Walker	01:07:28	46.46%
770	Nicholas Jones	01:08:04	44.04%
774	Melanie Taylor	01:08:44	45.10%
796	Angela Wilson	01:11:42	45.40%
829	Helen Barradell	01:23:21	38.39%

Baslow Bootbash

(L to R) Nick, Yvonne, Sarah, Penny, Andrew, Robert, Catherine, Rushie, front row Brendon and Mark

Ten members of Grantham Running Club travelled to the Peak District to take part in the annual Baslow Boot Bash trail run. Runners could choose between a 26 or a 14 mile course across the beautiful mixed terrain of the White Peak. There were 92 starters on the 14 mile route and 153 starters on the 26 mile route which included a total ascent of 1,165 metres. The event was run on one of the hottest days of the year with temperatures reaching over 30 degrees. The humidity proved a particular challenge on the long route and caused a higher than average retirement rate with 22 runners falling victim to the high temperatures. The 26 mile route from Baslow visited,  Chatsworth, the River Wye, Over Haddon, Sheldon, Cressbrook, Foolow and Froggatt Bridge before returning to Balsow via Bank Wood. The route was familiar to Paul Rushworth who returned in 5 hours 14 minutes closely followed by Nick Payne who navigated his own way through the course at his first attempt arriving back in 5 hours 37 minutes. On the 14 mile route, Penny Hodges returned in 14th position and Yvonne and Brendan Buckley followed in 3:23, all three runners are tempted to consider the longer route next year. Full results 26 mile: 8th Paul Rushworth 5:14 13th Nick Payne 5:37 21st Catherine Payne 5:55 22nd Robert McArdle 5:55 26th Andrew MacAllister 6:05 36th Mark Hillson 6:34 37th Sarah High 6:34. 14 Mile: 14th Penny Hodges 3:05 19th Yvonne Buckley 3:23 20th Brendon Buckley 3:24.  

Jack Walters Memorial 10 Mile Road Race, Holme Pierrepoint

Matt, Ben, MKL and Dene on the back row, Tony, Nev and Peter on the front.

Eight members of Grantham Running Club took part in a sultry Jack Walter's Memorial 10 Mile Road Race at HolmePierrepoint on the evening of Friday 16th June. While not as hot as the day that followed, nor as windy as the day before, conditions were less than ideal for distance running with temperatures in the low twenties Celsius and a stiff breeze blowing across the rowing basin.  Despite this there were an impressive four PBs on a night which saw a higher that usual attrition rate due to the hot conditions.

First home for GRC was Matthew Kingston-Lee, who was back to something approaching full fitness having been forced to sit out the recent Woodhall Spa 10K with a calf injury. Matthew ran a strong, tactically smart race, to finish 17thoverall in a quality field and third V40 in a time of 57:41, just 21 seconds outside his PB set in 2013. 

MKL goes over 80% again

"The heat and the wind made that a tough race!" commented Matthew after the race. "I concentrated on making sure I had shelter from other runners in the headwind in the opening stages then worked well with a young runner with whom I shared the pace until around 8 miles. When he tired I pushed on and was able to catch and pass several runners in the closing stages. Given the conditions I rate that as my best ever 10 mile race performance!" 

Next home for GRC was Tony Johnson who again showed great form in his new club colours, finishing fourth V50 in 65:41. He was followed by Matthew Williamson, who put on the club's performance of the night to run a six and a half minute PB, clocking a swift 66:56. He also consolidated his lead at the top of the intra-club Grand Prix series, this race being the sixth round, and Matthew being the only runner to have taken part in all six races thus far. 

Dean Riggall ran a 10 mile PB of 70:21 courtesy of it being his first 10 mile race. He joked afterwards that this PB will stand the test of time as it felt like a marathon, and there won't be a next 10 mile race! Peter Bonner was another runner to claim a PB thanks to having never run a ten mile race before, clocking 71:35. 

There was a fight to the end between another ten mile debutant Nev Chamberlain and Ben Mason, with Nevoverhauling Ben on the finishing straight to finish nine seconds ahead of Ben in 79:35. Unfortunately Andrew Paskfelt out of sorts from the start and was forced to record his first ever DNF, dropping out at 4 miles. Nevertheless he showed great team spirit by putting his own personal disappointment behind him to cheer home his club mates at the finish. 

The race was won in 50:13 by Leicester based Cardiff AC athlete Kevin Seaward, who represented Ireland in the Rio Olympics marathon. The women's race was won by another Rio Marathon Olympian Sonia Samuels, who clocked a new 10 mile PB of 56:54. There were 300 finishers in the race dedicated to the memory of athletics stalwart Jack Walters, who passed away in 2016 having officiated at 100s of events, including every edition of the Notts 10 since it first began in 1972.

Position	Time	Name		Category		Grading	Ranking
17	57:41	Matthew Kingston-Lee		MV40		81.26%	31
52	1:05:41	Tony Johnson		MV50		77.38%	99
63	1:06:56	Matthew Williamson		MSEN		66.31%	1534
89	1:10:21	Dean Riggall		MV40		67.69%	N/A
102	1:11:30	Peter Bonner		MV40		65.56%	N/A
167	1:19:35	Nev Chamberlain		MV55		66.09%	272
172	1:19:44	Ben Mason		MV35		57.89%	N/A

Clumber Park Trail 10k, nr. Worksop, Notts

Rob Howbrook was GRC's sole representative at this off road run through Clumber park finishing 24th in a time of 41:04, he later described the course as challenging but very picturesque.

Robert

Howbrook

M50

(002/050)

Pace/06:37

41:04

24th

Peterborough Grand Prix 5k

Five members of GRC took part in the busiest race of the Peterborough Grand Prix series, the overcrowding at the start made even a season's best impossible after the first two or three minutes but it still gave the runners a good workout. At only £5 for the race it was not expensive, the points are added up and prizes presented at the final race at the end of the summer.

Position	Time	Name		Category		Grading	Ranking
58	19:17	Rob Howbrook		MV55		81.74%	47
109	20:29	Peter Bonner		MV40		66.64%	N/A
148	21:30	Catherine Payne		FV50		78.95%	20
170	22:11	Robert McArdle		MV55		70.45%	193
187	23:04	Nev Chamberlin		MV55		66.62%	N/A