And now for something completely different…
Ever fancied running on the track, as part of a Grand Prix meet, in front of a crowd? Well that's just what Louise Rudd and Matt Atkinson did last Tuesday (14th) in Chorlton. The Trafford Grand Prix meetings are held regularly throughout the summer and include all distances from 100m through to 3K. The standard is pretty high – we are talking 3:47 for 1500m, 1:50 for 800m so it's not for the faint hearted. And so it was on a wet, windy and cool night (I can vouch for all three!), both bravely entered the 800m races. Lou was first up in heat 7 and with those arms and legs pumping away ran an excellent 2:30:46. Matt followed in the next heat and thanks to a final sprint in the last 100m, stormed home in 2:23:73, without spikes! They both 'enjoyed' the experience and vowed to be back to better their times.
So if you fancy something a little different, and you're looking to get out of that comfort zone, I would heartily recommend the experience. However, I do have one word of warning – if you are slightly of the nervous disposition, pay attention to the start of each race – that starting gun sure is loud!
Full race details and future events can be found here: http://traffordac.co.uk/
Steve Smith
14/07/10