Heckington 10 NAD

Pictured left to right: Holly Durham, Tracy Webb, Stuart Reader, Nev Chamberlain

Four members of Grantham Running Club took part in the 10 mile road race that is a feature of the annual Heckington Show. Lining up at the start in the main show arena Tracy Webb, Holly Durham, Stuart Reader and Nev Chamberlain were all relieved that the high temperatures of the past days had dropped to a more bearable level although the weather would still play it's part in the race.

From the showground the course heads out for two laps of village streets and fen roads. It was out on the exposed fen that the weather played it's part with winds gusting to 40mph making miles 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 particularly hard work.

With Nev being the only one to have ran this or indeed any 10 mile race before it was hard to judge what if any effect this had on overall times but maintaining a consistent pace was certainly energy sapping.

First of the quartet home and 5th female overall was Holly in 1:10:38 followed by Stuart 1:17:05, Nev 1:22:18 and Tracy 1:43:45. Talking afterwards all commented on how the start and finish being in the main show arena with support from both the public and the marshals and it being part of a larger event all helped make for an enjoyable race and one they hope to return to next year.

Thurlby 10K

The annual Thurlby 10k took place on Sunday. Thurlby is a village just south of Bourne. Paul Jepson was the sole representative for Grantham Running Club. 77 runners completed the race in blistering heat. 11am was the race start time with the thermometer at 29 degrees. The race starts with a 2k steady climb out of the village. Then 7k of country lanes with very little shade. The last kilometre is back into the village with a final gentle climb to the finishing line. A demanding race in hot conditions. Paul finished in 33rd place in a time of 53:51.

TR24 Paul Davis (Solo)

Despite a dodgy knee Paul gave it his best shot and afterwards commented "I too ran my own laps without worrying about times. Obviously it was an exercise to find out where i might be in terms of recovery. Though I'm very pleased to have completed five laps I would like to have done more. My body told me exactly how unfit it has become. We only had one airbed between the two of us so at around 01:30 when Caroline finished her 2nd lap I went out for a wander. It was sheer knackerdness after  three overnight laps that made me through the towel in. Only thing missing was some mud."

TR24 Team of Five

Ben, Matt, Catherine, Robert and Mark

The team of 3 -5 is regarded by many purists as the ultimate form of 24 hour relay running, combining the need for fast running with both endurance and sleep deprivation. GRC’s team of five at the TR24 featured the same line up as successfully competed in 2017.

Matt Williamson was first off and his task was to run fast enough to get the rest of the team running in clear air without taking too much out of himself, a conservative forty three and a half minute run met this target, next off was the injured Catherine Payne who had pulled out of a midweek race in order to save her injured leg as best she could for this one, again a conservative 48:08 kept the team ahead of the pack. The third runner was Robert McArdle in his third race in seven days initially struggling with an ankle injury picked up some six weeks previously but later was struggling trying to pass the solo walkers especially the ones two abreast and carrying poles in the more twisty sections in the woods. He handed on the Mark Hillson who despite the growing heat punched in a sub 50 minute lap 4 before handing on to the final member Ben Mason. Less than three and a half hours after finishing his previous lap Matt was running again on this occasion just keeping his time sub 45. The team settled down for another ten laps before Catherine’s Achilles tendon tore forcing her to stand down at the end of her third lap. This meant the remaining team members had an even smaller rest period dropping to under three hours between laps even in the dark. Short of training Ben Mason had also given his all and ended on the deck after his third lap only to be cajoled out for a final circuit of the course before he too would have to retire. With the gap between laps now under two hours the last thing the team need was for Mark to get his foot caught in the tree roots and badly scrape his knees in a fall. Daylight came and the running order was tweaked to try and get an extra lap in. Robert had a quick turnaround to start his sixth lap an hour after finishing his fifth one. By the time Mark set off on his sixth lap the heat was as much of a factor as it had been the previous day. Matt started his seventh lap knowing that anything under an hour would catapult them up the finishers table as Robert was standing by for his seventh lap but it was not to be, Matt simply ran out of steam in the final 4k and even had to walk at one point. After the initial disappointment of not getting an extra lap wore off the team vowed to return next year and get that extra lap.

TR24 Yvonnes Team

The grounds of Catton Park in South Derbyshire were once again the venue for the Continental TR 24 Hour Thunder Run as popular as ever and celebrating its 10th anniversary  proving its popularity with some 3000 runners taking part from all over the country. The cross country 10k event which ran from mid day Saturday to mid day on the Sunday features solo runners, pairs and teams of 5 and 8,  with the prime target of achieving as many laps as possible in the 24 hours. Grantham Running Clubs 'Team D’ incorporated mostly new comers to the event which entails camping for the weekend, and the delights of late night and early morning runs with little more than a head torch to guide them along the 10k course something not to be forgotten but certainly an experience enjoyed by all. Leading the team out at the start on Saturday was captain Yvonne Buckley (3 laps 01:15:46, 01:18:43, 01:20:50) handing the batton over to Richard Hall who paced himself superbly over the course of the event with only 52 seconds separating his lap times (3 lap 01:06:49, 01:06:20, 01:07:12), Justyna Gill (3 laps 01:10:13, 01:14:16,01:19:01), Simon Hartley (2 laps 01:10:53,01:13:30), Melanie Taylor (2 laps 01:19:30, 01:27:07), Dona Hall (2 laps 01:16:05, 01:32:57), Brendon Buckley (3 laps 01:09:58, 01:17:27, 01:12:53) and Tracy Webb (1 lap 01:09:11) With 19 laps overall completed the team were placed 198th.