Winchcombe 10k
1:40pm, 25th Aug 2024 | Run Winchcombe 10k | 10 Comments
Blog by Sorequads
| More by this blogger
| More bloggers
Returning for maybe my fourth turnout here, Winchcombe 10k is always a low key event I look forward to. With views of the Cotswold escarpment and Sudeley Castle, it makes for a great venue.
First off were the 7 - 10 year olds with a km around the fields. My daughter was in this one and her school friend had travelled over from Worcester. She went out hard and had some lovely form. When they came back into view she was halfway down the field and having a good tussle with another boy. He operated some wily tactics to block her path, real cat and mouse stuff! Think she just took him at the end 😀.
Then the 6 and unders. My son completed the whole thing with mum, and ran the whole way. Third boy and a solid goodie bag. He was made up!
Whilst getting dressed, my wife vetoed my super short race shorts. You’re too old and there’ll be kids there 😆
Fifteen minutes of off-watch jogging and a couple of strides, before we lined up at 1030. It is a km lap and a half of the field before a gate we had been warned about - usually fully open, but had to go through a kissing gate on this occasion.
A group of five formed at the front with me about 10m off it. Quite a punchy start, I thought. Put in a bit of a spurt to join this, mainly to look good for the family. Passed them, and they weren’t even looking 😆. Could see the gate ahead, so off-piste into the rough to smash from sixth to second only about a metre behind the leader. Incredibly, he appeared to deliberately pull the gate to ensure the clasp locked. I called him out on this poor form in a semi-friendly way. A couple of 6:30s in the opening two miles.
A group of three of us had formed as we began the climb: around 700ft over the course of a mile and a half, taking you to Belas Knap (a Neolithic long barrow 🤓) at the top. Had to take a few walking steps, but largely kept running with a 9:29 the for the uphill auto mile split, reaching the peak in second, with about 35m to first and third narrowly behind.
Third caught me about half a mile later just before the steep descent: “Let’s catch gate closer” he said 😆. 8:11 for this up then flat mile, before a 5:40 on the steep descent which included a couple of gates. How was that ever 5k pace 🤷♂️. 6:09 for the final full mile.
Glanced back with a k to go and could just see fourth; better keep the hammer down. Back into the Castle grounds on the sweeping driveway. Some nice support from the family and others and held on for 🥉 and 1st MV40!
strava did the ‘others you ran with’ and matched me with the winner/gate-closer. [Sic] ‘If you aint first your last’ his tag line… It also showed me as a slightly fast time than last year. A genuine, but nice surprise!
Sponsored by a local butcher, everyone gets a packet of delicious looking sausages. They won’t last past this evening. A jar of local honey for the podium and free cakes for the kids.
All in, a great morning. It will be the polar opposite of next week’s large and commercial Cheltenham Half, but I at least hope to run a faster average pace for twice the distance.
First off were the 7 - 10 year olds with a km around the fields. My daughter was in this one and her school friend had travelled over from Worcester. She went out hard and had some lovely form. When they came back into view she was halfway down the field and having a good tussle with another boy. He operated some wily tactics to block her path, real cat and mouse stuff! Think she just took him at the end 😀.
Then the 6 and unders. My son completed the whole thing with mum, and ran the whole way. Third boy and a solid goodie bag. He was made up!
Whilst getting dressed, my wife vetoed my super short race shorts. You’re too old and there’ll be kids there 😆
Fifteen minutes of off-watch jogging and a couple of strides, before we lined up at 1030. It is a km lap and a half of the field before a gate we had been warned about - usually fully open, but had to go through a kissing gate on this occasion.
A group of five formed at the front with me about 10m off it. Quite a punchy start, I thought. Put in a bit of a spurt to join this, mainly to look good for the family. Passed them, and they weren’t even looking 😆. Could see the gate ahead, so off-piste into the rough to smash from sixth to second only about a metre behind the leader. Incredibly, he appeared to deliberately pull the gate to ensure the clasp locked. I called him out on this poor form in a semi-friendly way. A couple of 6:30s in the opening two miles.
A group of three of us had formed as we began the climb: around 700ft over the course of a mile and a half, taking you to Belas Knap (a Neolithic long barrow 🤓) at the top. Had to take a few walking steps, but largely kept running with a 9:29 the for the uphill auto mile split, reaching the peak in second, with about 35m to first and third narrowly behind.
Third caught me about half a mile later just before the steep descent: “Let’s catch gate closer” he said 😆. 8:11 for this up then flat mile, before a 5:40 on the steep descent which included a couple of gates. How was that ever 5k pace 🤷♂️. 6:09 for the final full mile.
Glanced back with a k to go and could just see fourth; better keep the hammer down. Back into the Castle grounds on the sweeping driveway. Some nice support from the family and others and held on for 🥉 and 1st MV40!
Sponsored by a local butcher, everyone gets a packet of delicious looking sausages. They won’t last past this evening. A jar of local honey for the podium and free cakes for the kids.
All in, a great morning. It will be the polar opposite of next week’s large and commercial Cheltenham Half, but I at least hope to run a faster average pace for twice the distance.
Got something to say?
To see the comments on this blog, or to add a comment yourself, you need to either sign in or register as a user.