Cricklade Half Marathon and 10K, 7th October 2007

Storming PB runs by Ben and Katherine in the half marathon. No shorts from Titch in the 10K. Kevin won the wine, and here's his report...

Race report, Cricklade Half Marathon and 10K, 07.10.07,
This is a bit tricky, I seem to have managed not actually to see most of the people who took part, and left before the completion of the Half so didn't even get the post-race gossip. Right, first the facts: ERR had a very tidy 8 competitors in each event. In the half there was only one woman - Katherine, though it's unclear whether had there been more she wouldn't still have come first with a fast time of 1.41.39. For the men, Ben had a stormer, with a PB of 1.25.14, coming 14th in a finishing field of 235. In the 10K, Pete was the clear winner, followed at some distance by yours truly. Close behind was Lesley to take 50 points in the women's short league. Sandra took full advantage of the limited opposition and played her joker to net a useful 96 points.
For me this was an odd occasion. Jan didn't make it, which meant there was always a strong possibility I wouldn't even find Cricklade on time. As it was I followed the organiser's advice, neatly parking on the main road a considerable distance from the start, then had to walk past the 10K start (already filling with competitors) to get to HQ. The race itself was relatively uneventful, pretty flat save for a longish but not steep rise around 8K. At around 1 mile, while I still idly believed I could catch Pete whenever I wanted, I was passed by 3 or 4 very fit looking club runners. Had they started late? Did they favour a major negative split system? Where they having a laugh? NO...they were the half marathon front runners. Slowly but surely more of these abnormally speedy beings drifted past as both races followed the same 3 mile stretch before the 10Kers took a sharp right. I grunted/waved/smiled vaguely as Tony, Ben and Nick managed to make me look like I was going backwards. At least, I consoled myself, by leaving early this was the last I would see of their smug faces. Walking back to my car after the race I wondered how the other race would turn out for ERR. A guy came running towards me - a guy wearing the distinctive number of a half-marathoner. Slowly a few more appeared as it dawned on me what was about to happen. Smiling broadly, and with a stride pattern shared only by jaguars and panthers, Ben flew past. Despite hiding behind parked cars and hedges I was soon confronted by Nick, then Tony, then Graham. Alright, I admit it, it was good to see them. Well done to them and everybody else who took part.