Eye 10K

Sam, Suzanne and Tony

A trio of Grantham Running Club members took part in the Eye 10K Road Race on Sunday 12^th May. The race, now in its twentieth year, attracted nearly 500 runners from around the area lured in part by its PB potential given the predominantly flat lands east of Peterborough.

Beginning at Eye Primary School, the 10K course began with a loop of the local housing estate before opening up in the countryside fens for the majority of the race. At around 4.5 miles the course turned off onto a gravel track for around a mile before returning back to the sealed road to allow for a sprint finish across the line back at the school. 

With an 11am start the runners felt the intensity of the sunshine beaming down on them. The heat did little to deter the prolific Tony Johnson, who was the first GRC runner to cross the line, 24^th overall and third in his age category with an impressive 39:02. Tony was pleased with his opening 10K race of the year, especially given his priority to longer distance races in recent months.

Sam Clark, who recently completed the London Marathon, used the race to gauge his form compared to the 2018 Summer Solstice 10K. The results were encouraging, finishing 46^th overall in 41:37, less than a minute outside his PB

Last but not least was the final member of the trio, Suzanne Britz, who is returning back into race mode following an injury to her knee at the Equinox 24 Hour Race last September. Suzanne ran well to finish 224^th overall and ninth in her age category in a time of 52:14. She admitted afterwards to struggling in the heat and with the gravel path section but she enjoyed her first visit to the Eye 10K and would certainly consider taking part again next year.

The race winner was Matthew Bowser from Lincoln Wellington AC in 32:11 with Chloe Finlay from Peterborough AC the winning female in 37:22. Each runner received a bottle of water and a bottle of Joggers Tipple brewed by Mile Tree Brewery as a memento. There were 499 finishers.