Mallory Park Winter Series Races

Podium finish for Peter

With the clock ticking on 2019 and local race opportunities seemingly few and far between, a plucky group of Grantham Running Club members on Sunday 29^th December made the seventy minute drive to the famed Mallory Park race circuit in Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, to take part in the second meeting of the Winter Series of races. The grateful race director welcomed back incentivised GRC members having praised the club for supporting en masse the inaugural event in November.

The morning beginning with a rare opportunity to take part in a one mile road race, Peter Bonner and Rob Howbrook returned to see if they could better their November efforts. It was Peter who finished first for GRC, carving his way up to third from approximately halfway and retaining that place to the finish, clocking 05:30. Confessing afterwards to some Christmas over-indulgence, Rob Howbrook finished fifth in 05:44, thirteen seconds down on his best. Both lamented the strong breeze that plagued a large section of the race track. The one mile race was won by Tony Woodward in a new course record of 04:40.

The 5K race comprised three laps of a mostly flat loop circuit with the benefit of an additional downhill section at the start. Alas the eleven members of the Green Army had to contend with an ever stiffening breeze which tempered the course’s PB potential.

Naomi just outside her PB

First home for GRC was Joaquim Jeronimo. He clocked a respectable 18:14 to finish eleventh, some 39 seconds down from his PB set at the November race. Veteran Gerry Hyde, who is currently training for the European Duathlon Championships in March, was pleased to finish a year plagued with injury in 20:11 – a time that saw him complete his only road race of 2019 inside the top twenty. Next to finish was Russell Maksymiw (21:50), who struggled somewhat with the windy conditions.

First GRC female to finish was Naomi Jepson-Rivers (24:01) who was also cursing the wind that contributed to seeing her finish just four seconds shy of her PB set at the November meet. There was contrasting emotions for the clearly elated Martin Carter, who ran a smart progressive race to break 25 minutes for the first time, shaving 18 seconds from his previous 5K best with 24:59.

Struggling with a prolonged illness, Paul Jepson finished in 25:23, some two minutes slower than his best. Kate Marshall perhaps earned the distinction of ‘unluckiest runner of the day’ finishing an agonising one second outside her PB. Nevertheless she was chipper with her consistency to clock 28:11 in trickier conditions than her PB performance.

The performance of the day arguably came from Claire Fritz who benefitted from increased recent training mileage to exceed her own expectation, breaking her PB set at Lincoln in the summer by fourteen seconds finishing in 28:58. Tracy Webb (29:06), Louise Kennedy (33:01) and Yvonne Buckley (36:06) were all down on their previous 5K bests but all praised the event for its location and improvements in organisation.  All vowed to be back to attempt the race again.

The race was won by James Wardle in a new course record 15:39. The winning woman was international triathlete Sophie Coldwell, also with a new course record 16:24.

With the breezy 5K race complete, the six lap long 10k race was positively plagued by the now stiff wind coursing down half of the route. First home for GRC was Chris Limmer, who ran from his parents home eleven miles away to warm up for a target marathon paced test in the race itself. Showing impressive form, he accelerated in the final mile to finish eighth in 39:21.

Next home in thirteenth placed was Samuel Jepson-Rivers, who ran a disciplined, even paced race to break forty minutes with 39:56. This partially allayed the disappointment of seeing his 39:26 from the subsequently declared short Leeds Abbey Dash officially annulled - this time was fifty seconds quicker than his previous official personal best.

Creeping inside the top twenty were Tony Johnson and Peter Bonner, both happy with the opportunity to keep ‘race sharp’ over the festive period. Tony, clocking 41:14, was particularly keen to return to the venue in better conditions and Peter, undoubtedly feeling the effects of his mile race effort just an hour earlier, echoed the sentiments after coming home in 41:30.

Stuart Baty (49:39) was next over the finishing line, somewhat down from his best, but happy with recording a sub fifty minute clocking. Caroline Davis (49:52) deliberately took her foot off the gas after another year of racing extensively and successfully, enjoying the opportunity to run at the famed race circuit. Sarah High (52:32) was another who vowed to return in hopefully less blustery conditions.

Last, but by no means least, to finish for GRC was Julie Braker. On the comeback trail from serious injury she completed her only road race of 2019 in 54:52. This represents an outstanding 84.55% age grade result – the highest of the year by a GRC woman.

The winning male was former international athlete and current triathlete Bruce Raeside in a course record 33:06. Commonwealth gold medal triathlete Jodie Stimpson was the women’s winner, also in a course record, 35:34.