Round The Runway 5 mile – 2nd Of July

The last of Our Races for another year.

2023 Report:

A big Thank you to Rob, Richard, Andrew and all the others who helped out across both races.

We will have raised more than £2500 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association – more later when Rob has finished counting! 😊

With no big WRC guns out. No first male or female winner.  Barry and Ella were our first male and female finisher.

Category firsts: Barry, Graham, Kate, me! And Trevor. Seconds Paul. Thirds Mike, Di and Janine.

Photos courtesy of Jan-Christof Telford will appear here in a day or two.

My first off road for 4 years! Last ran here in 2018! How would it go?

I Parked the car near the pub. Not busy! I thought our guys went back to the pub afterwards!! Still a warm up to pick up my number.

A challenge of sub-48 was my goal. 6 minute pacing.

We had lots of Marshals out on the course and I can confidently say they were supporting and encouraging everyone around the course. 24 Club runners ran.

The weather held – no rain and a busy packed start was off to the whistle! No chance of spotting any Wilmslow runner ahead of me as the pack  remained a pack until it was funnelled into the start of the first trail section and became a snake!

Ahead of my goal pace  at 1k but was puffing a lot. Second K – over 6 minutes.  Runners still romped past me. The Trail elements slowed the pace down and allowed me to catch up with whatever pack was in front. The runway trail was a bit tricky – rutted in places and the ankle nearly went I got caught in a rut. Following the ladies is a good tactic. They never get their shoes muddy. Always choosing the best path. Unfortunately, it was a male bozo I was behind on this section – constantly changing from track left to track right – which almost wrote my ankle off. I Girded myself for the tunnel. But the downward slope caused me to drop speed and lean back to avoid tumbling forward.

The Hill! I didn’t stop – just! Most people were walking and I slowly – very slowly – passed them. Big Ian at the top encouraged everyone. Onto the flat and slowly the runners I’d passed; Passed me! 6k and feeling good [i.e not awful]. Better than Colshaw. Slowly moved past a few runners. Remembering the course from previous occasions – and Sunday runs. Felt strangely good. The last 1k. A panting runner was hanging onto my shoulder – I don’t think that should be allowed 😊

600m to go and running style was going. 200m and the wheezer went past in a Macc vest!! Dug in. 200m to go. Was there anything in the tank for a last 75m push to attack the Macc runner. Final bend. Accelerator down. No response. Empty.  Watched the clock start another minute ☹. Finished. A cheerful and bubbly Kate greeted me. Looking at my watch 46:03! Damn!  But I should  have felt really good. Off back to the car  – I realised I’d left my bag, top and drink at the Registration area. Now how to get back over the finish mat without messing the system up. It keeps beeping as people cross. I began to unhook my number – just about got it off when a nifty Nifty man appeared. Seems by being close to the mat I was causing a problem and must just cross the finish again!! Sorry!

The cool down jog back wasn’t easy. The legs had gone. Decided I might as well have a drink at the Railway Inn. The pub  and gardens were full of green vested  runners.  Leigh, Lym, Bramhall. Seems one group must have arranged food outside for their group.  More green vests arrived. A message came on my phone from Nifty. Time Officially 46:02!  

Then the  Chairman appeared with a piece of card which he gave me. I amazingly was the first vet 70!  I was Not expecting that! Aches now forgotten. But a quick glance at watch told me I needed to get off to get home by 9!

Wilmslow Runners results below:

Chip t	Chip pos	Runner	Club	Cat	CatPos
27:04	1	Jamie Williamson	Springburn H	Snr	1
29:33	7	Barry Archbold	WRC	Vet 50	1
30:23	12	James Speedie	WRC	Vet 40	4
30:25	13	Mark Kirkby	WRC	Vet 40	5
31:23	17	Graham Screawn	WRC	Vet 55	1
31:55	20	Beatrice Cordingley	Sale H	FSnr	1
32:22	24	Lewis Jones	WRC	Vet 40	7
32:44	26	Matthew Taylor	WRC	Vet 45	4
33:26	29	Andrew Whittingham	WRC	Vet 50	7
33:46	31	Mike Hill	WRC	Vet 55	3
33:59	33	Jarrod Homer	WRC	Vet 55	4
35:34	57	Colin Caisley	WRC	Vet 50	12
35:49	60	Ella Howells	WRC	FSnr	5
36:30	71	Paul Garnett	WRC	Vet 60	2
36:40	73	Stephen Greaves	WRC	Vet 50	14
36:50	75	Ian Roberts	WRC	Vet 55	12
37:10	82	Paul Norris	WRC	Vet 65	2
37:40	93	Nic Bown	WRC	Vet 55	14
37:56	97	Diane Bygrave	WRC	FVet 45	3
38:36	110	Janine Ellis	WRC	FVet 50	3
38:42	117	Kate Sutton	WRC	FVet 60	1
40:12	135	Colin Walton	WRC	Vet 60	5
40:44	143	Laura Reynolds	WRC	FVet 45	10
46:02	219	Patrick Grannan	WRC	Vet 70	1
51:53	280	Catherine Machin	WRC	FVet 40	15
01:02:44	308	Trevor Faulkner	WRC	Vet 80	1