Thruxton 5km

Having been to Thruxton on several occasions to watch the Touring Cars, I had previously wanted to run the 10km there – but the Salisbury club stopped organising this some years ago so the chance to run round the track appeared to have gone. However a new company advertised a new 5km series at the circuit and so thought would give it a go...

The 7pm start made for a fairly frantic drive up the A303, although actually arrived there at about 6.30pm – strangely early for me! It was quite cool driving right into the heart of the circuit, under the track and up to the “parc ferme”, with the race HQ in one of the pit garages. I had anticipated a large crowd but had looked at the results of the first race and there had been only 18 runners – was another go at a top 10 on the cards?! Seems not, as the local clubs had now heard about the race and there were now masses of people – at least 30 – in attendance, many of whom were busy warming up despite the temperature being on the hot side of sultry. It was quite odd being at a race where I didn’t know anyone to have a chat with beforehand but obviously this didn’t stop me for long, inviting the Andover and Overton clubs to our 5kms and then it was a case of walking around the track to the start. It was a very low key affair (not sure there were any prizes even) and the race started with the race director explaining the course in detail – round the track one and a half times would have sufficed!

The race took us along past the finish straight (running in the opposite direction to when the cars are racing round) and then down through the chicane – the pile of water bottles at the side of the track being the only indication of where the finish would be – before heading round the bottom loop. The field of thirty had stretched out and whilst I tried to hang on to a small group, they stubbornly kept just out of reach, and when the track started rising in the third kilometre, it was more a case of sticking to the racing line and making sure I kept ahead of those behind me. There was a lady in white who I could just see out of the corner of my eye and I was determined to hold her off and from the car finish line it was a case of sprinting as best I could to the finish line at the end of the chicane- just ahead of the chap from Andover who I hadn’t even noticed had been catching me up. My time was 23m37, so an improvement of 6 seconds on the previous 2 5kms I’d run, but only enough for 23^rd out of 30 runners.

As a low key affair, with the chance to run around the race circuit, this is a race that could appeal to many of the Club members – race you up the A303 on the 9^th August!

Maiden Castle Loop

Another evening and another race, with the Maiden Castle Loop down at Dorchester, and a Saturday evening to boot. I’ve never been good at judging when and what to eat before an afternoon race – a lamb & mint Morrisons slice and half a bag of Haribos on the way to Dorchester join the list of what not to have! Arriving at the race HQ there were a number of Yeovil vests already in sight, with Jon Rowe and Tony Watts already warming up – surprised that they weren’t knackered before the race, as they were still busy running about right up to the race start time and arrived at the start line with seconds to spare (we were all busy planning our Newsletter entries!)

I don’t think any of us realised quite how hot it was when we set off. The Loop is a race of strategy (particularly when you’re not feeling up for the run!) and can be divided into three sections. The first is the run out to Maiden Castle along the road , walk the hill and then run down the other side – this is the “survival stage”; section 2 is the climb up to the ramparts and then the run along one ring and around the inner ring – the “consolidation stage”; and then finally you have the run for home, dropping down a nice downhill, and then back along the road for a mile and a half before the last climb- what I would call the “racing stage” as that’s when I really start trying! I was lucky to be running in the company of first Cath Elsworth and then Andy Staples (formerly of this parish) and Charlie Spencer of Maiden Newton, and demonstrated another survival tactic – stopping to take photos at the top of the hills! The Survival stage went fairly well, making the most of the flat road sections, and then joined the walkers going up the hill to the ramparts for the Consolidation stage – trundling up and down the hills along the ramparts and on to the inner circle, making sure to avoid the rabbit holes this year. The camaraderie was good but it’s been better – I seemed to get less abuse shouted by the faster runners at me this year, although Jon Rowe did spot me! I was still feeling quite good as I dropped off the Castle  and felt good to push on – Cath Elsworth was still in sight but try as I might, I couldn’t catch her over the last mile, although I did pick up perhaps 6 or 8 places on the run in, 3 of those up the last steady climb back to the finish which seemed to go forever!

Overall a nice run – finished in 58m something so beat the hour mark that was the initial aim – and the tea at the end came with a free bit of cake, which kept Phil happy, before the annual pilgrimage to Weymouth for chips on the seafront.