Worcester 10K & HM

The vibrant city of Worcester was the welcome host to no fewer than 23 Tewkesbury Running Club members who took part in the city’s 10K and Half Marathon races on the 15th September. With slick organisation, great crowd support around the city streets and riverside walks. With a fast 10k course, many TRC runners were looking forward for a great run in the early September sunshine.

The half marathoners were first to race off at 9.00am (with the 10K racing 45 minutes later) and Tewkesbury had 3 runners ready for the occasion. On paper the 1st home for Tewkesbury was going to be a close affair and this did in fact turn out the case sadly not with the times they had hoped for.

Alan Whitby had been slowly returning from hamstring injury this summer and had successfully broken the club 5K V60 2 weeks before and all was set for a great run. Indeed, Alan set off as if he meant business and up until the 12 mile marker, Alan was set for the race age category win and another club record, but disaster struck as Alan suddenly felt the ‘jelly leg’ feeling and try as he could to reach the finish line, he had to have assistance from the medical team to get him across the race’s final 200m and into the medics tent in a time of 1hr 45min 20secs. After expert assistance from the medics and Jo Chandler, Alan came round from suffering low blood sugar in the final stages and started to wonder what would have been? This is a distance Alan is sure to have success next time.

Simon Meadows stated at the start of the race saying that he was to use the race as a training run, but a 1st 2 miles in 12mins 30secs soon showed that Simon had also another race in mind! However, Simon suffered from some of the same quad problems that he suffered at the Newport Marathon and had to see out the race the best he could to time in at 1hr 45mins 54secs.

Luckily, TRC had a good news story in the Half Marathon. Chris Nicholls has been supplementing his run training with various others activities and he was hopeful of a good run and to keep the sub 2 hour target well in mind. Pacing himself round the course well and having to negotiate a testing climb in the 2nd half of the race. Chris was ecstatic to break the tape in 1hr 59 9 secs, breaking the 2hr mark with time to spare!

The 10K runners soon assembled themselves and as the clock struck 9.45am they were set off. 1st TRC member home was TRC’s very own August Runner Of the Month Simon Crilley. Having set an excellent PB of 39mins 47secs at Bourton earlier in the year, Simon was looking to better this mark - and that he did as he came home in 39mins 43secs as 5th MV45. With a good winter of training and Cross Country, Simon will look to significantly better his PB even further.

James Head closely followed Simon home in a time 39mins 44secs. Having raced freely until 4K and went through the 5K mark in 18mins 20secs, James started to feel the effects of the previous days parkrun and probably lost 2 and a half minutes in the second half of the race.

Vlad Venglar has been clocking up some astonishing training mileage of late, having completed a recent challenge which involved running 220+ miles over 2 weeks. Setting off with a PB attempt during the 1st 5K, Vlad just faded in the final stages, but still clocked 40mins 29secs as 7th MV45; Vlad’s 3rd best 10K on record.

Amanda Martin was the next club member across the line and the first TRC Lady. Amanda ran well throughout the race and clocked an impressive 44mins 48secs, deservedly dipping back below the 45mins barrier to take 4th FV50 to start an excellent roll for the TRC Ladies.

Nick Curd has rapidly improved throughout the summer, having only started the C25K programme in April and after flurry of great performances in August, Nick was keen to get under the 50 minutes barrier for the 10K distance. With a fast 1st 5K, Nick was well on target, however the 4th and 5th miles, which were the slower miles for nearly all runners, put his target in danger. With a final push in the last 1K, Nick ran over the chip mat to record a very satisfying time of 49mins 41secs, along with a new PB.

Following on from Amanda’s excellent showing for the TRC Ladies, Sharon Lockley had yet another great run to record yet another PB for her this year. Sharon has been clocking up some healthy training miles this summer and her mileage has shown in her race results. Not only did Sharon time in at a superb 50mins 37secs, but she also claimed 2nd in her FV55 age category.

Whereas the London Marathon has their ‘ever-presents’, the Worcester Run Event has it’s Roy Northcott. Roy has competed in every year the Worcester 10K / HM has been put on and this year Roy lined up for the 10K. Having not had the best of 2019 with niggles and injuries, Club Captain Roy timed in with a commendable 51mins 45secs.

Following on from Amanda and Sharon, Linzi Dyer provided TRC with another success. Linzi has been training well all year and her progress this year has been noted. It seems nearly every 10K Linzi has run this year, she has run close to or set a new PB and today was no exception. Coming back to the racecourse Linzi was delighted to see her time of 51mins and 46secs - a near 2 minute PB!

Jo Chandler, who unselfishly gave up her free packet of Haribo as she aided Alan Whitby, ran a solid 54mins 15secs before performing reviving duties in the medical tent ! Jo’s performance should stand her in good stead for hopefully another great campaign in the forthcoming Cross Country season.

Jude Rodrigues has been performing steadily on the racing circuit after some time off this summer (after his hectic spring racing calendar). Jude showed that he is slowly coming back into the game with another solid 53mins 32secs.

The next 2 Tewkesbury club members had planned to run together as Cam Pay gave valuable assistance to Sheena Moseley, as she set out to claim a big race PB. This tactic worked to perfection as Sheena worked hard for her new best of 57mins 51secs. A great result for the ever improving Sheena this year.

Laura Kent is another who is having her best year of running this year and although the run today is not one of her best; it goes to show how far Laura has come to say that a 10K time of dead on the hour is well down on her normal … a time others would dream of.

Sam Robinson has been training well of late with lots of Saturday morning long runs in preparation for a club trip to Krakow Half Marathon. This training put her in good shape for the race as she waltzed in with a time of 1hr 3mins 22secs

Emma Haworth-Smith has also training well recently with the club, having stepped up from the Jolly Joggers group led by Sam Robinson. Emma came so very close to breaking the 1 hour mark at the Gloucester 10K earlier in the summer. An attempt was well and truly on for the target at Worcester. However injury niggles got in the way for Emma and she had to leave her challenge for another day as she timed in at 1hr 3mins 24secs. The sub 1hr time will surely come.

Vicky Earls returned to the scene of her marvellous PB she set at Worcester 10K last year. Although not in the same shape as last year, Vicky enjoyed her run around the streets of Worcester in a time of 1hr 4mins 41secs

Dan Chandler is one of TRC’s graduates from the C25K programmes and always ready to up his game, Dan took on his 1st 10K race and indeed attempt at the distance. With several well run club 5 mile handicaps behind him, Dan settled into the race well and was delighted to finish with a creditable and well deserved time of 1hr 9mins 2secs.

Tewkesbury Running Club also had 3 new runners running the Worcester 10K having been regulars with Sam Robinson’s Jolly Joggers running group. All 3 performed with style with Katy Smith clocking 1hr 1mins 54secs, Helen Brown 1hr 12mins 42secs, and Megan Meier closing in with a time of 1hr 11mins 13secs.