New Balance Stafford 20 – Sunday 8th March 2015
Only four of us were mad enough this year to venture to Stafford for a 20 mile jaunt. This is an annual pre-marathon staple for Gareth, Christian had previously run this before joining WRC, so was hoping to better his previous results, Bernard had not run the course before so was on for a course PB whatever, and I had decided after years of supporting that it may actually be more fun running it than standing around in the cold – so for me the challenge was just to finish!
The course starts from Stafford University, an 8 mile loop and two further identical 6 mile loops – it is an undulating course, the hill between 14 and 15 miles was personally my most challenging mile. A slight change to the finish this year due to building work on site meant that the last 100 metres were also up hill following the campus road to the car park, not an ideal finish for weary legs.
This year the weather was very unkind especially to all the soggy marshals around the course…rain from beginning to end and at one point a torrential downpour. Bryan Dale (Race Photographer) even commented on his website that in 12 years of covering races this was the first time he had actually had to pack up and retreat into his car as the rain was so bad. Even so we all finished happy with our times…a good day's work in the end.
Position Name Club Time
1 Ben Gamble Tipton Harriers 1:46:14
36 (1st L) Rachel Wood Blackburn Harriers 2:15:02
157 Gareth Trimble Wilmslow RC 2:37:55
228 Christian Hook Wilmslow RC 2:49:39
265 Bernard McCarron Wilmslow RC 2:56:00
326 Elspeth Gibson Wilmslow RC 3:10:14
Elspeth