Oundle 10K

Flash, Joe and MKL pick up award for first men's team

Fourteen members of Grantham Running Club took part in the second Oundle 10K on Sunday 12^th January. Once again the race kicked off the club’s Grand Prix Series and gave runners the opportunity to blow off some cobwebs after the Christmas break. There was also a supporting 5K race, which no members of GRC opted to take part in. 

Runner up spot for MKL

Although the blustery conditions were hardly ideal, those who ran the race twelve months earlier considered the wind a mere breeze compared to the gales blowing in nearly exactly the same south westerly direction they faced in 2019. Many runners though did have the misfortune of being struck by a rogue rain shower that hit the course in the midst of some pleasantly sunny conditions.

Stuart 51:07

First home for GRC and second for the second year running was Matthew Kingston-Lee. As in 2019 he made his way through the field to sit third at the opening lap when he passed the same second placed runner he overtook at exactly the same point twelve months prior. Literally minutes behind the impressive V50 winner John Herbert of Helpston Harriers, who ran a course record 33:24, Matthew was pleased to finish a somewhat lonely second in 35:31 – over a minute faster than he ran in 2019. 

Behind Matthew Joaquim Jeronimo was also pleased to kick off the year in a positive manner, bettering his time at the 2019 edition by nearly two minutes with 38:39 and in eighth overall and seventh male given that women’s race winner Hannah Oldroyd of Ribble Valley Harriers finished fourth overall in 37:41. Joe Diggins showed he had made a full recovery from a calf injury suffered at the back end of 2019 to finish fifteenth and under a minute outside his 10K PB with 41:08. Mark Rice, who joined the club in October having taken up running again after some years away from the sport, finished his first race with GRC in 51:07. Fraser Marshall ran his first race in GRC green having formally joined the club at the start of the year, clocking 54:58.

Julie was first FV70

Julie Braker was the first of four GRC women to finish, claiming first place in the V70 age category coming home in 55:08 and ahead of husband Robert, who ran 56:44. Behind Julie there was a race debut for Amanda Walker, who ran well to break the hour with 57:45 and a debut too for Rachel Deans who clocked 1:05:41. Louise Kennedy struggled with the hills, wind, cramp and minimal training but showed grim determination to complete the race in 1:21:08.

 

The other Grantham Running Club finishers were: Peter Bonner, 42:57; Ian McBain, 45:21; Stuart Baty, 51:07; and Tommy Napier, 54:35.