Darlington 10K 2015

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Gareth Pritchard

This is what a PB looks like. Darlington 10k has to be one of my favourite races of the year without question, it’s fast, local, easy to enter and a very high standard to push everyone onto that all important PB. Last year this was a great race for me, I was in the best shape of my life and flew round in 35:45 which was still my 10k pb as I stood on the start line a year later with 51 fellow striders.

The number 1 strider support crew were in full force with Catherine Smith and Flip leading the cheers on the day, this is a real boost for races like this and a big help and greatly appreciated by all. They managed to capture some fantastic pictures and made the day even more special for us runners, so a big personal thank you from me.

I travelled down with 3 other fellow striders, parking up was easy and everything is very well organised. Good changing facilities, easy bag drop and central location for start/finish. Had a catch up with fellow striders then hit the road with speedy Rob and Simon for a good warm up. Not sure if its just me, but I felt a real buzz in the air, the weather was dry, no wind and the smell of PB was definitely in the air.

My running lately has really started to improve due massively to the input of my coach Allan who has invested his time and effort into my training. This is something as a club that we are really blessed with as Allan also successfully trains many striders like me in the club. After the London I knew my normal/typical running low was on the way and Allan’s 10k training program really helped boost my spirits with Darlington was my end goal.

I had a plan for this race which almost worked to perfection, the first 2 miles were the key for a chance at that PB. 10 sec below 35:45 pace for those first miles, next 3 trying to pick people off and really go for it to the end. So off we went and 5:47 average for first 2 miles, a great start. Time to start picking up the pace and chasing people down. The plan worked well but the course really is not that flat and you can see this clearly in the mile split times. The down hill sections do make up for it very well but it is still challenging at times. Running the course last year really helped, so i knew the finish was down hill and very fast, as you enter the shopping high street its really time to push hard for the line. I spent the whole race passing people and had a great battle with a Durham Harrier lad to the end and was a big buzz leaving him behind as I shot for the line.

Now I kept a eye on my splits so knew it would be close to a pb, but had no real idea of my time in that last mile or as I crossed the line. A very happy and big shock as I saw 35:30 on my watch and a massive sense of joy with another fantastic PB I really did not expect to get any time soon.

I was very shortly followed by rob everson @36:24 with another PB and showing great form over a distance that I know is hard for him. 49 striders were left to follow and all had a great run, comeback pb for coach Allan who somehow managed to fall towards the end and got spoiled rotten by the friendly first aid people after the race. Starting to learn this is standard for the coach and not his first trip .

PB runs also for Michael Littlewood @ 38:10, Catherine Elliott @ 48:44, Andrew Davies @48:26

Turning Darlington Purple. All showing great form and surpassing their tentative pre race predictions. Strong runs from Lesley Charman and Simon Gardner also, showing real running form at a tough distance.

So another strider GP race done and I must admit to a sly happy grin when the nameless GP point hunter was unable to show. This due to being on an amazing holiday and really no contest when you have to decide a holiday or a GP run.

Fantastic race and will definitely be here again next year.

Results

position bib name club cat finish time chip time
1 1425 Marc Scott Richmond & Zetland Harriers Senior M 0:30:42 0:30:42
23 1344 Justina Heslop Elswick Harriers Vet Ladies 35-39 0:34:45 0:34:44
29 642 Gareth Pritchard Senior Men 0:35:32 0:35:30
44 1556 Rob Everson Senior Men 0:36:26 0:36:24
63 1965 Simon Gardner Vet Men 45-49 0:37:10 0:37:04
85 1039 Michael Littlewood Vet Men 40-44 0:38:13 0:38:11
221 1238 Paul Pascoe Vet Men 45-49 0:41:51 0:41:44
427 1240 Fiona Jones Vet Ladies 35-39 0:46:29 0:46:03
442 1097 Michael Ross Vet Men 40-44 0:46:41 0:45:56
457 1219 Greta Jones Vet Ladies 45-49 0:46:58 0:46:23
459 1281 Philip Connor Senior Men 0:46:58 0:46:43
465 1509 Danny Lim Senior Men 0:47:02 0:45:05
504 1557 Martin Welsh Vet Men 50-54 0:47:41 0:46:43
536 1224 Karen Jones Vet Ladies 45-49 0:48:14 0:47:39
569 887 Andrew Davies Senior Men 0:48:53 0:48:26
576 1640 Catherine Elliott Vet Ladies 35-39 0:49:00 0:48:44
587 199 David Spence Vet Men 65-69 0:49:10 0:48:11
611 1028 Lesley Charman Vet Ladies 40-44 0:49:35 0:48:48
622 1288 Richard Hall Vet Men 55-59 0:49:46 0:47:49
652 1205 Victoria Brown Senior Ladies 0:50:26 0:49:56
693 1642 Craig Elliott Senior Men 0:51:19 0:51:03
725 599 Katherine Preston Vet Ladies 45-49 0:51:56 0:51:10
786 626 Lindsay Rodgers Vet Men 45-49 0:53:01 0:52:15
805 1124 Stephen Ellis Vet Men 60-64 0:53:21 0:52:35
899 1011 Kate MacPherson Vet Ladies 40-44 0:55:01 0:54:15
1013 1053 Robin Linton Senior Men 0:57:19 0:55:06
1071 1364 Louise Hughes Vet Ladies 35-39 0:58:32 0:56:02
1077 1313 Rebecca Devine Senior Ladies 0:58:37 0:56:37
1104 1232 James Potter Senior Men 0:59:05 0:57:01
1170 1237 Angela Coates Vet Ladies 40-44 1:00:06 0:59:19
1195 1125 Janet Ellis Vet Ladies 50-54 1:00:45 0:59:49
1228 1559 Clare Metcalfe Senior Ladies 1:01:29 0:59:16
1260 920 Jill Young Senior Ladies 1:02:02 1:00:03
1278 1287 Helen Hall Vet Ladies 45-49 1:02:32 1:00:43
1307 342 Sophie Dennis Senior Ladies 1:03:29 1:01:40
1362 1030 Joanne Thompson Senior Ladies 1:05:09 1:04:13
1368 891 Laura Chapman Senior Ladies 1:05:20 1:04:24
1427 1245 Laura Gibson Vet Ladies 35-39 1:06:46 1:05:50
1473 894 Rebecca Embleton Vet Ladies 35-39 1:08:22 1:06:22
1491 1431 Lisa Hall Senior Ladies 1:09:28 1:07:29
1492 914 Neil Jennings Vet Men 50-54 1:09:28 1:07:29
1513 994 Joanne Richardson Vet Ladies 40-44 1:10:24 1:07:25
1514 1037 Mike Elliott Vet Men 65-69 1:10:25 1:07:26
1556 815 Alison Simms Vet Ladies 40-44 1:13:13 1:11:11
1563 905 Rachel Leigh-Firbank Vet Ladies 40-44 1:13:33 1:11:33
1606 2125 Rachel Wilcock Senior Ladies 1:19:25 1:17:24
1608 2112 Natalie Gillon Senior Ladies 1:19:36 1:17:34
1628 916 Rachel Toth Vet Ladies 40-44 1:24:29 1:22:27
1629 915 Elaine Jennings Vet Ladies 50-54 1:24:35 1:22:33
1630 444 Katharine Bartlett Vet Ladies 45-49 1:24:35 1:22:33
1634 2117 Kerry Ellis Vet Ladies 35-39 1:26:02 1:24:00
1635 2133 Donna Austin Vet Ladies 35-39 1:26:02 1:24:00
1636 628 Allan Seheult Vet Men 70-74 1:26:17 1:23:06

1649 finishers.

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