Poets Path Potter results

There was a rare ‘double double’ success for Tewkesbury RC runners at the Poets Path Potter events held over the Easter weekend. Although not billed as a formal race, try telling that to local marathon enthusiasts since the marathon event (approx. 27 miles over lovely and scenic, but quite demanding off-road paths around Dymock celebrating local poets – Poets Path I and Poets Path II and the Daffodil Way) has always attracted very keen competition from runners looking to hone their fitness for spring marathons such as London to come, and 2016 was no exception.

Amongst the men, three strong runners were inseparable for each of the three loops involved, until Tewkesbury RC’s Nigel Tillott got away just before the end for his first win in a marathon event (in fact his first ever race win it seems) in a new course record time of 3 hours 56 minutes, a remarkable time knocking 2 minutes of the previous best despite a slightly longer course this year due to a changed HQ because the usual Dymock Cricket Club pavilion is being rebuilt.

Not to be outdone and so completing the club ‘double double’ team mate Angie Sadler completed a third successive year equal first women’s place and also recording a ladies fastest ever time of 4 hours 52 minutes with friend Kate Browning.

The combination of 5 different distances from 8 miles to the marathon attracted its largest field yet of nearly 90 runners and walkers and given a lot of favourable feedback, was a great success. Next year’s provisional date is Saturday 25th March.

You might like to know that Angie and I ran the Bath Beat 26.7 mile off-road LDWA marathon last Saturday on a lovely day. Angie finished in 5.20 and running my first marathon since my cycling accident I got around in 6.58, with which I was more than satisfied under the circumstances :-)