Wind!? Clouds!? RAIN!?
Shock and bewilderment permeated through our group chat last week in the lead up to our annual 10k club championship race. The Brian Goodwin has been a hit for the Harriers for many years, not only because of the fast course, but it is a race that the weather gods always seem to shine favourably upon. There is nothing better than enjoying a beer & burger at the post-race BBQ and basking in the glory of a rapid 10k time!
Fortunately, the weather gods were only teasing with us, and by the time our 11 runners gathered at the start line, the sun had come out and most of the wind had died down. The organisers at Bellahouston Harriers had staggered the start line into a sub 42 and an over 42 pen, with me, Sam, Natalie and Andrew lining up in the former. Pre-race pep talks had centred around sensible pacing, particularly for Derek who made the mistake of an over-ambitious start last year. This is a flat, 2 lap course, perfect for finding your stride before really going for it on the last mile.
I reckoned a comfortable sub-40 would be my best chance of a happy race this year and it turned out so. I ran a pretty consistent pace throughout and was able to pass plenty of runners on the 2nd lap. Finishing in 39:28, I was happy with my run.
Up ahead, there were no signs of marathon legs for Sam who continued his exceptional form. A brilliant 35:57 taking the club 10k crown. Imagine how quick he would have been with the super shoes! Andrew continued his improving form, coming in at 43:03 and confirming he made the right decision to pick the 10k over the Scotland match! Next, Derek ran a fantastic race, expertly pacing himself to a 43:31 and a new 10k PB. Well done Derek, richly deserved. He pipped Natalie (44:00) on the home straight, who took the ladies 10k championship for a 2nd year in a row. Well done Natalie! Cat (46:54) ran very well considering a few recent niggles, closely followed by Claire (47:31) who smashed it with a 10k PB!
Next up, Ross completed his first 10k in a long time, rolling back the years to finish in 49:00 ahead of Heather (49:39), who ran very well considering she finished a 5-a-side tournament only a few hours previously! She narrowly saw off Alisdair who finished in 49:41, improving on his time from the Cork 10k a week previous. Chris finished us off, running a great 53:26 to take well over a minute off his time from last year.
All in all, a great day out for the team with some big performances. Congratulations to our new champions, our PB’ers, and everyone who took part. Big thanks to Bella Harriers again for putting on such a great event.
