Return to favoured Dewsbury 10K race
IF you have a sense of déjà vu, you are not the only one. Because it was 12 months ago that I wrote a race report regarding the Harriers running at the Dewsbury 10k.
Now 12 months later I am writing a report on the same race.
The cross country season is fast coming to an end, with only one South East Lancs league race and the Nationals left to run.
The emphasis now turns to the fells and road, with the Run The Moors Fell Grand Prix (FGP) and Harriers Road Race Championships being run over “the summer” months.
The FGP consists of eight local clubs running in a total of 11 races, with a runners best five races counting towards the final table.
Within the FGP is also the Harriers own championship race series.
The RRC is more simple, it’s purely a Harriers race series consisting of nine road races chosen by the members.
Most runners have their favourite races for whatever reason and the Dewsbury 10k seems to have become a favourite with Harriers runners, being chosen for the second year running – pardon the pun.
The 10k was run on Sunday 4th February in completely different weather conditions. Last year it was very cold and sunny, this year mild, overcast and very windy, the runners facing a strong headwind in the last 2-3km.
A total of 21 Harriers made their way over the Pennines, 17 men and only four ladies (I don’t think it was muddy enough for the ladies, they seemed to prefer the muddy Marl Pits).
First home for the Harriers was Danny Bennett in 101st place, in 35m, 10s and also being placed first in his age category (MV55, 131 entrants).
Harry Clayton followed next in 115th position, 35m, 31s, this being a PB for the 10k distance for him. Jonathan Lupton was the third Harrier home in 433rd position, 39m, 31s.
Closely following Jonathan
was Isabel Brandon Rin 476th position, 40m 9s, knocking 5 mins off her course PB, so well run Izzie.
Two more PB runners were Gareth Bright in 518th position, 40m 50s and Lee Meadowcroft in 527th position, 41m, 6s, beating his course PB by 2 minutes. Harrier’s second lady home was Juliet Smith, 530th position in 41m 20s.
We should also mention Phil Arnfield who knocked 3 minutes off his 10k PB, coming 1064th in 47m 45s.
So some Harriers have been taking advantage of the winter rest period and getting in plenty of training.
Some, who perhaps had a little too much pudding over the festive period, managed to achieve their PW’S (personal worsts) for the 10k distance, aka
Kevin Holland, Jeff Mccarthy, John Mayall and Ian Aitchison. Not to worry, plenty of time for training though, with another eight races left in the series.
One Harrier decided that she fancied a day out at the seaside. So
Sunday found Caroline Fortnum enjoying the “delights” of Southport running in the Maddog 10k, on what can only be described as a very windy sea front.
Still, she didn’t do badly at all, coming 335th out of 1,260 runners in a time of 54m, 14s. Next race in the series is the Oldham Park run on Saturday 10th Feb, followed by the National Cross Country Championships on the 24th February.
After which we are well and truly into the Fell and Road Racing season.