Keyworth Turkey Trot

Twenty two members of Grantham Running Club completed the 36^th Keyworth Turkey Trot, held on Sunday 9^th December in near ideal conditions that could barely be more different than twelve months earlier when snow forced the postponement of the 2017 race to February of this year. A year ending finale for many in the field, the Christmas themed race also represented the twentieth and last round of the 2018 Grantham Running Club Grand Prix Series.

Julie mixing with the big boys

Finishing in 1:53:18 Julie Braker ran her third fastest half marathon of 2018, confirming an emphatic victory in the GRC Women’s GP Series. Finishing first in the V70 category she and husband Robert may have to revise their Christmas dinner plans being the recipient of one of the prized turkeys handed out to age group winners. It caps a remarkable year for Julie who looks set to be ranked #2 in the UK for 2018 over the half marathon and 10 miles in the V70 age group. After the race Julie, like many, commented on the tough nature of the course, with some challenging climbs, particularly at just after ten miles and at the finish, when the steady breeze proved to be a troublesome headwind.  

Matthew Kingston-Lee was first home for GRC, finishing eleventh in 1:17:27. Distinctly relieved that it was his last race of the year, results from others in the race ensured that Matthew was crowned GRC Men’s GP Series winner despite the score of 81.57 not being high enough to count as one of his best six scoring races. Having won a turkey back in 2016 and a hamper back in February as first V40, the Kingston-Lee family will be looking for an alternative Christmas dinner as Matthew finished third V40 this time around, 30 seconds behind the winner. 

MKL, close but no turkey this year

Behind Matthew, Tony Johnson ran another great race to finish in 1:27:07, just a week after racing a marathon, securing third in the GP Series. Peter Bonner had another fine race, bettering his February Trot time by over four minutes and clocking his third fastest ever half marathon with 1:29:34. Andrew Pask was a bit disappointed with his 1:30:27; conversely Gav Meadows was fairly pleased with 1:30:58 – just 20 seconds outside his season’s best. Outgoing GP Series Champion Rob Howbrook finished in 1:33:15, which helped secure him runner up spot in the GP Series.

Having enjoyed a great 2018, which has seen him PB over every distance he has run in except for the marathon, Dean Riggall opted to relax and enjoy the year end finale, finishing in 1:35:41. Stuart Reader attacked the race however and was rewarded with a great PB of 1:43:40, two and a half minutes better than his previous best. Rob McArdle ran well to finish just six seconds outside his 2018 best with 1:44:17. He was followed by Helen Brown, first woman home for Grantham Running Club. She was relatively happy with her time of 1:45:35, which was just outside her best for the year, but feels she needs to get out of a ‘1:45 rut’ and move

Big PB for Kate

closer to her best times that were under 1:40.

Craig Drury with 1:48:16, finished with a very similar time to what he ran over the same course in February. Anthony Boyle ran well to finish just a minute outside his PB in 1:55:44. Behind Anthony there was a great run from Aylin Doerpinghaus who, seemingly in her second ever race and first since May 2017, beat her half marathon best over ten minutes, smashing the two hour barrier with 1:57:26. She was followed by Sarah High, who did enough with 2:00:02 to secure her third place in the GRC Women’s GP Series.  

Sinead McDonnell was just nine seconds slower than her February Turkey Trot time, clocking

2:01:28. She was followed by Julie Gilbert (2:03:57) and Penny Hodges (2:03:58), who ran together for the entire race - the former just a couple of minutes outside her PB; the latter running just to get around having come down with a heavy cold not long after racing over 5K on Thursday night. Neil McDonnell, who has only recently joined the club, finished his first race for the club in 2:07:17.

Sylv Hull, her knee being held together with tape, ran well to set a new PB of 2:13:43, half a minute quicker than the one she set on the fast Peterborough course. Tracy Webb did likewise, her 2:15:54 bettering her Peterborough time by fifteen seconds. Kate Marshall, finishing close behind in 2:16:15, made it a trio of personal bests, knocking an impressive six minutes plus off her previous best at Nottingham. 

The race was won by Jimmy Kershaw of Absolute Tri in 1:12:32, with Alice Daniel the winning woman in 1:25:16. There were 905 finishers.