Moreton Morrell Summer Sun 10k - 13 August 2011...

Distance: 10k (6.2 miles)

In a time of...
hh:mm:ss
00:33:13

Finishing Position: 1
Number of finishers: 100
Putting me in the top: 1%

Cracking little race which I only really decided to do in the final few days leading up to the race. The race was quite local and the course ran over familiar territory - there was certainly potential for a fast time although closer inspection of the course showed two distinct climbs which would hamper any PB attempts.

Starting just outside Moreton Morrell College, a fast downhill descent saw me running alongside one other guy, though I edged ahead once we hit the flat and started to open up a gap. The pace was fast though effort levels weren't anything above normal - first mile came and went in 4:47 - despite being much faster than target pace for the whole race, I felt it was about spot on considering the descent.

A subtle and slight incline over the second mile saw pace drop to 5:25/mi as I settled into a rythym and opened up a comfortable gap to second place... no longer was I concerned about the challenge for the race win, but purely focused on the race against the clock. A third and relatively flat mile in 5:17/mi finished just before the first of the climbs - a relatively steep (by road race standards) hill of around 200m up to the hamlet of Newbold Pacey saw me go through the marked 5km point in 16:16. Slower than my 5km split in my 10km PB (15:56), but it was bang on target for my planned 32:30 finish time.

The fourth mile, despite the tough climb just before the 5km marker was evened out thanks to a long and very gradual descent - giving a nice opportunity to open up the legs and cruise along... again, despite the climb, that mile was completed in 5:17. The next mile I think was the final flat mile before what was to be a very long uphill drag towards the finish... frustratingly my legs were starting to waiver slightly as I approached the 5th mile marker - not what you want knowing you're about to attack a big climb whilst trying to maintain the same pace!

5mile passed in 5:21, and all that was left was an almighty uphill effort through the college campus climbing consistently before reaching the courses highest point just before 6miles. My mind said I needed to race to the 6mile marker and treat that as my finish line - the final 0.21mi was all downhill (with a short sprint on the flat to finish), so giving it my all I attacked this relentless uphill slog - which gave a very brief respite in the middle. Frustratingly, despite my best efforts I could feel time was slipping away, and I went through 6mi with a mile split of 5:57 - losing a good 40seconds off my target pace/time... inevitably I wasn't going to be able to make this time up despite the fast finish (which absolutely pummeled what was left of my quads into a throbbing numbness) - I crossed the finish line in 33:13, which I have to admit considering the intensity of the last climb, I was relatively pleased with.

Second place came in around a minute and a half later (34:48), before the masses began to appear. A great race which I'll certainly return to do - my only thought being that if the course had started in the centre of the college campus, and finished at the edge of the campus (near to where we started) - it would be possible to chop at least half (if not more) of that final climb out, with a long finishing straight to really kick home on.