Asda Foundation Lincoln 10k

 

After three rearranged dates due to Covid, Sunday 31st October saw the popular Lincoln 10K road race eventually take place.

Featuring in Grantham Running Club's Grand Prix race series, representation from the Green Army was high with 46 members of the club taking part. The forecast of wet weather proved to be an understatement with most of the race being run in a torrential downpour. The spirits of the 2,700 participants didn't appear to be dampened and at 10am prompt, the race was underway

Starting out on Riseholme Road and finishing in the grounds of stunning Lincoln Cathedral, the course is renowned for being fast and flat with great PB potential.

Taking advantage of this, or maybe just trying to get away from the deluge of heavy rain as fast as possible, an impressive number of club members secured their personal best times.

First home for GRC, and continuing his fine form, was Joe Diggins setting a new PB of 36:54 and taking around 4 minutes off his previous best followed by Alex Curtis on his first ever 10k in 38:15. Next up for a PB was Robin Atter who was taking part in the Lincoln race for the first time and finished in an impressive 40:14.

Jason Walker, Sam Dodwell and Stewart Pick all finished within a couple of minutes of each other claiming PB times of 41:21, 41:57 and 43:09 respectively.

Robert Howbrook won his category a time of 41:57 and an amazing age grading of just under 82% and Nik Parkin shaved a solid 2 minutes from his previous best clocking in at 44:46. 

GRC’s first woman to come home was Holly Durham with a time of 43:33 and 5^th in her category.  Clive George finished an impressive 7th in his age category with a great PB of 46:05. Simon Allsopp ran the last Lincoln 10K in 2019 and was pleased to beat his time by 1:45 to record a new PB of 47:50.

Anthony Boyle put in a very strong performance to dip below the 50-minute mark for the first time, finishing in 49:40, a fraction off 2 minutes from his previous best. Julie Gilbert returned to Lincoln 10 years after her first real competitive run there and shaved a massive 12 minutes from her original course time and 4 minutes off her PB to come in at 51:37

 

John Nevard and Kate Marshall were the next two club members over the line to record a PB with John claiming an unexpected 51:20 and Kate taking a minute off her previous time finishing in 56:22.Marj Spendlow was a graduate of the GRC Beginning to Run program and in her first 10K race recorded an impressive finish time of 56:29. Also great to see two other graduates, Joni Goodband and Holly Wragg completing their first official 10K race. Not far behind Marj was Emma Duncan squeezing in a new PB of 56:59.

Stephen Fay was the next club member to join the PB gang finishing in 57:52 with Wendy Fraser, who has only recently returned to running, finishing in 1:02:35 bring the PB number to sweet 16.

Big thanks to all the supporters on the route who stood around in such awful conditions to cheer everyone on. Great support from all the marshals out on the course too but biggest kudos to everyone that took part whether it was a personal best, season best or a Sunday best.

Aside from the atrocious weather conditions which became what can only be described as biblical as the morning progressed, it put paid to the usual post-race club photo shoot.In typical British weather style, as everyone headed away from the event wrapped up like Christmas turkeys in their foil blankets, the sun came out as if to say, "see you all next year".

 Full GRC results as follows:

Joe Diggins - 36:54

Alex Curtis - 38:15

Robin Atter - 40:14

Jason Walker - 41:21

Robert Howbrook – 41:57

Sam Dodwell - 41:57

Stewart Pick - 43:09

Stefan Latter - 43:27

Holly Durham - 43:33

Alan Carley - 43:32

Kevin Kettle - 44:43

Nik Parkin - 44:46

Clive George - 46:05

Robert McArdle - 46:14

Andrew MacAllister - 47:00

Kirsty Dickens - 48:18

Stuart Baty - 47:54

Simon Allsopp - 47:50

Martin Rodell - 48:31

Anthony Boyle - 49:40

Julie Gilbert - 51:37

John Nevard - 51:20

Sinead McDonnell - 51:44

Michelle Parczuk - 52:40

Victoria Hardy - 53:31

Esther Fraser-Betts - 54:15

Zoe Wragg - 54:32

Tommy Napier - 54:58

Nicola Cottam - 56:53

Kate Marshall - 56:22

Matthew Price - 56:47

Emma Duncan - 56:59

Marj Spendlow - 56:29

Stephen Fay - 57:52

Joni Goodband - 58:06

Mark Rice - 59:25

Simon Hartley - 1:02:26

Wendy Fraser - 1:02:35

Judi Allsopp - 1:02:37

Sara Pask - 1:03:20

Emma Weighill - 1:03:49

Tracey Gell - 1:03:47

Fraser Marshall - 1:03:35

Holly Wragg - 1:03:51

Neil Jameson - 1:04:13

Suzanne Hardy - 1:04:15

Louise Kennedy - 1:09:57

 The race was won by Ronny Wilson of Lincoln Wellington Athletic Club in a time of 30:18

First lady home was Abbie Donnelly of Lincoln Wellington Athletic Club setting a new course record of 33:04