In my head, Blaydon 2016. A very personal view.
Running well. Feeling good. Pre race 17 min durham parkrun pb. Reality check at club track mile race on Wednesday. 2nd place strider last year. Wanting to be competitive this year. Please let it be close. Massive doubts. Deep breaths. Catching up with strider friends. Feeling relaxed. Squashed in at the start. Stood like sardines for 20mins. When will we start? So many people, 4000+ runners with 100+ striders. Feeling very northern at the Blaydon start line.
Down hill start, must start fast, must be leading after 5k, please don’t let it be close with 2k to go, I won’t stand a chance. hoping club member achieve their goals, where is Catherine? Can I really push myself that hard at the start. Stick to the plan. Concentrate concentrate and relax………. Was that the start horn?
Go. Zero to race pace in a flash. Find some clear road. This is nuts. Accidentally barge people out the way. How did they get so far up the field? Control ur pace Gareth but push push push. It’s down hill, push. 1k @3:21, fast but need to pick it up. Be brave. Get that gap, get that lead Gareth. I know that runner? Yes, hi mate. Looking good, wrong way man? Yes that’s my Washington 10k bud. So glad he won that day, now show him your true speed. Help I can’t breath. Push push push.
K splits 3:13. 3:16. 3:17. 3:13. Can’t breath. 16:19 5k omg. Keep it together. Relax, maintain stride, don’t look back, you have your lead. Hope it’s enough, I want to stop. I know him? Push past and say hi just. Expect them to try keeping up as you pass, just push harder. I know the hills are coming. Don’t look back. Turn, then dash back up the hill. Time to see who is close. Where is he? Please don’t be just behind, I need a gap. I’m slowing. can’t see them.
Yes yes yes, still can’t breath but I have my gap. Surely he can’t catch me now. Still passing people. Spot More striders running. Try to say something, but I can’t breath. Fly over ahead. Pushing and still passing people. Getting so so hard. Big shock on the coaches face. Into Blaydon, I know this course well. Keep pushing Gareth, you got this.
More surprised strider supporters. So happy to see familiar faces. Hold it together, push. Last hill, know it’s coming. Grass and sprint to the line. I did it.
Check watch, 2 mins off last years time. Definitely First strider home. In disbelief. Taken down Rosie, just. Turn and support. I love this race. That was hard. Now I can breath.
Results
pos | bib | name | category | gun time | chip time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | 2 | Peter Newton (Morpeth Harriers & Ac) | 19-39 | 27:11 | 27:09 |
– | 32 | Alyson Dixon (Sunderland Strollers) | 35-39 | 29:48 | 29:44 |
1 | 921 | Gareth Pritchard | 19-39 | 31:00 | 30:40 |
2 | 637 | Stephen Jackson | 19-39 | 31:24 | 31:05 |
3 | 714 | Michael Littlewood | (M) 40-44 | 33:35 | 33:14 |
4 | 1186 | Mark Warner | 19-39 | 34:27 | 33:35 |
5 | 606 | Andrew Hopkins | (M) 40-44 | 34:47 | 33:58 |
6 | 132 | Matthew Archer | 19-39 | 34:46 | 34:27 |
7 | 474 | Simon Gardner | (M) 45-49 | 35:23 | 35:02 |
8 | 1118 | Paul Swinburne | (M) 40-44 | 39:56 | 37:15 |
9 | 1044 | Tim Skelton | 19-39 | 40:02 | 38:08 |
10 | 875 | Mike Parker | (M) 40-44 | 40:33 | 39:21 |
11 | 4595 | Alex Witty | 19-39 | 41:45 | 39:42 |
12 | 2140 | Louise Warner | 35-39 | 40:23 | 40:23 |
13 | 324 | John Coulson | 19-39 | 43:31 | 40:42 |
14 | 1477 | Sarah Davies | (F) 45-49 | 42:56 | 40:58 |
15 | 1858 | Louise Morton | 19-34 | 42:06 | 41:21 |
16 | 592 | David Hinton | 19-39 | 47:46 | 41:25 |
17 | 1724 | Fiona Jones | 35-39 | 44:18 | 41:34 |
18 | 753 | Michael Mason | (M) 40-44 | 43:34 | 41:54 |
19 | 1806 | Rachelle Mason | 35-39 | 43:35 | 41:54 |
20 | 1204 | Martin Welsh | (M) 50-54 | 43:41 | 42:00 |
21 | 984 | Michael Ross | (M) 45-49 | 45:28 | 42:27 |
22 | 368 | Colin Dean | (M) 55-59 | 43:48 | 42:36 |
23 | 978 | Lindsay Rodgers | (M) 45-49 | 45:22 | 43:05 |
24 | 1722 | Karen Jones | (F) 45-49 | 46:02 | 43:17 |
25 | 1415 | Lesley Charman | (F) 40-44 | 46:06 | 43:25 |
26 | 1532 | Catherine Elliott | 35-39 | 44:21 | 43:35 |
27 | 1378 | Victoria Brown | 35-39 | 46:37 | 43:39 |
28 | 4608 | David Case | 19-39 | 46:23 | 43:43 |
29 | 1076 | Ian Spencer | (M) 55-59 | 45:33 | 43:46 |
30 | 1761 | Roz Layton | (F) 60-64 | 45:48 | 43:49 |
31 | 2163 | Nicola Whyte | 19-34 | 46:53 | 44:10 |
32 | 431 | Stephen Ellis | (M) 60-64 | 46:18 | 44:16 |
33 | 1028 | Chris Shearsmith | 19-39 | 46:14 | 44:43 |
34 | 1921 | Stephanie Piper | 19-34 | 47:09 | 45:07 |
35 | 4604 | Victoria Walton | 35-39 | 47:11 | 45:12 |
36 | 1307 | Louise Barrow | 19-34 | 46:49 | 45:22 |
37 | 429 | Craig Elliott | 19-39 | 46:18 | 45:31 |
38 | 564 | Peter Hart | 19-39 | 49:14 | 45:35 |
39 | 356 | Andrew Davies | (M) 40-44 | 48:53 | 45:36 |
40 | 851 | Richard Hall | (M) 50-54 | 48:56 | 45:49 |
41 | 1840 | Karen Metters | (F) 40-44 | 48:52 | 45:52 |
42 | 546 | Jonathan Hamill | (M) 40-44 | 48:16 | 46:02 |
43 | 1983 | Jill Rudkin | 35-39 | 50:51 | 46:33 |
44 | 711 | Robin Linton | 19-39 | 49:26 | 46:35 |
45 | 1627 | Lesley Hamill | (F) 40-44 | 49:46 | 47:22 |
46 | 243 | David Browbank | 19-39 | 49:40 | 47:36 |
47 | 2000 | Jenny Search | (F) 40-44 | 49:50 | 47:48 |
48 | 2091 | Kate Thompson | 19-34 | 50:52 | 48:01 |
49 | 1723 | Debbie Jones | (F) 45-49 | 50:58 | 48:14 |
50 | 1790 | Kate Macpherson | (F) 40-44 | 51:08 | 48:25 |
51 | 2187 | Fiona Wood | 35-39 | 51:41 | 48:44 |
52 | 2025 | Catherine Smith | (F) 40-44 | 51:35 | 48:55 |
53 | 2088 | Helen Thomas | (F) 40-44 | 50:47 | 48:57 |
54 | 1648 | Helen Hedley | 19-34 | 52:07 | 49:01 |
55 | 2136 | Faye Ward | (F) 40-44 | 51:47 | 49:22 |
56 | 1534 | Janet Ellis | (F) 50-54 | 52:18 | 49:37 |
57 | 1491 | Rebecca Devine | 19-34 | 53:00 | 50:07 |
58 | 1058 | Alan Smith | 65-69 | 51:37 | 50:22 |
59 | 2198 | Jill Young | 19-34 | 53:14 | 50:24 |
60 | 1364 | Stacey Brannan | 35-39 | 52:09 | 50:24 |
61 | 1513 | Jane Dowsett | (F) 45-49 | 53:14 | 50:28 |
62 | 1623 | Lisa Hall | 19-34 | 52:48 | 50:29 |
63 | 1558 | Rebecca Fisher | 35-39 | 53:12 | 50:33 |
64 | 270 | Gareth Cardus | (M) 40-44 | 53:41 | 50:45 |
65 | 580 | Mark Herkes | 19-39 | 54:07 | 51:10 |
66 | 1655 | Lucy Herkes | 19-34 | 54:08 | 51:11 |
67 | 913 | James Potter | 19-39 | 53:17 | 51:13 |
68 | 849 | James Nicholson | 65-69 | 54:19 | 51:22 |
69 | 1556 | Katie-Louise Finney | 19-34 | 54:23 | 51:32 |
70 | 1826 | Debbie Mcfarland | 19-34 | 54:29 | 51:39 |
71 | 1710 | Sue Jennings | (F) 50-54 | 54:34 | 51:52 |
72 | 1331 | Louise Billcliffe | (F) 50-54 | 54:40 | 52:10 |
73 | 1674 | Karen Hooper | (F) 40-44 | 55:02 | 52:13 |
74 | 2105 | Ann Towers | (F) 55-59 | 53:10 | 52:13 |
75 | 1142 | Andrew Thurston | (M) 55-59 | 54:59 | 52:40 |
76 | 411 | Andrew Dunlop | (M) 40-44 | 54:57 | 52:43 |
77 | 2011 | Nicola Simpson | 19-34 | 55:59 | 53:09 |
78 | 1639 | Emma Hart | 35-39 | 56:52 | 53:12 |
79 | 1996 | Aileen Campbell Scott | (F) 45-49 | 55:24 | 53:19 |
80 | 1488 | Sophie Dennis | 19-34 | 58:26 | 55:43 |
81 | 1482 | Katie Davison | 19-34 | 58:44 | 55:48 |
82 | 1707 | Julie Jarratt | (F) 45-49 | 59:01 | 55:51 |
83 | 1461 | Lindsay Craig | (F) 45-49 | 59:01 | 55:52 |
84 | 848 | George Nicholson | 65-69 | 58:32 | 56:12 |
85 | 1408 | Karen Anne Chalkley | (F) 50-54 | 58:32 | 56:13 |
86 | 1324 | Kathleen Bellamy | 35-39 | 59:33 | 56:22 |
87 | 2009 | Alison Simms | (F) 40-44 | 1:00:03 | 57:58 |
88 | 1537 | Rebecca Embleton | 35-39 | 1:00:04 | 57:58 |
89 | 1533 | Pauline Elliott | (F) 50-54 | 1:00:22 | 58:21 |
90 | 1276 | Teresa Archer | 19-34 | 1:01:15 | 58:33 |
91 | 1586 | Laura Gibson | 35-39 | 1:01:39 | 58:51 |
92 | 2124 | Bev Walker | (F) 50-54 | 1:01:20 | 59:15 |
93 | 1548 | Amy Farquhar | (F) 40-44 | 1:02:34 | 59:46 |
94 | 1743 | Alison Kirkham | (F) 40-44 | 1:04:08 | 1:01:16 |
95 | 1440 | Kelly Collier | 19-34 | 1:04:09 | 1:01:18 |
96 | 2075 | Kate Talbot | 35-39 | 1:04:42 | 1:01:34 |
97 | 1682 | Louise Hughes | 35-39 | 1:04:40 | 1:01:37 |
98 | 1717 | Natalie Johnson | 35-39 | 1:04:56 | 1:02:09 |
99 | 1529 | Karrie Eilles | 35-39 | 1:04:56 | 1:02:09 |
100 | 1290 | Jane Baillie | (F) 40-44 | 1:07:18 | 1:04:09 |
101 | 1411 | Laura Chapman | 19-34 | 1:09:52 | 1:05:18 |
102 | 1353 | Clare Botone | 35-39 | 1:08:39 | 1:05:51 |
103 | 1844 | Elaine Mills | (F) 45-49 | 1:08:51 | 1:06:01 |
104 | 1773 | Helen Lintron | (F) 55-59 | 1:09:25 | 1:06:32 |
105 | 1593 | Rebecca Gilmore | 19-34 | 1:09:24 | 1:06:32 |
106 | 1576 | Claire Galloway | 19-34 | 1:10:57 | 1:08:05 |
107 | 1696 | Laura Jackson | 35-39 | 1:11:40 | 1:08:49 |
108 | 2101 | Helen Todd | 35-39 | 1:09:51 | 1:09:51 |
109 | 1765 | Rachel Leigh-firbank | (F) 40-44 | 1:15:06 | 1:12:12 |
110 | 646 | Neil Jennings | (M) 50-54 | 1:15:09 | 1:12:14 |
111 | 1709 | Elaine Jennings | (F) 50-54 | 1:15:10 | 1:12:16 |
DNF | 426 | Mike Elliott | 65-69 | 19:36 | 19:36 |
4130 finishers.