(THE 54^th) BRAMPTON TO CARLISLE 10 MILE ROAD RACE

Saturday, 18^th November 2006

MARTIN’S RACE RATINGS:

Do it again: Yes

Scenery: 7

PB potential: 10 (but not today)

Atmosphere: 9

Organisation: 10

Value: 0 (£8 to pre – enter, but no memento) and £3 to park and £2 to get the bus to Brampton and possible speeding fine/fines?!!

Beginner Friendly: 10

I travelled on my own today, (206 mile round trip), – Trevor and Andrea Rayner were staying overnight at my sister’s cottage at Thornthwaite. Joanna Goorney was Youth Hostelling at Grasmere and John Bertenshaw already had a car full. The radio weather forecast on the way up was for the first snow of winter and, sure enough, as I approached the Howgills, they had a smattering of snow on the tops. Joanna and John had witnessed the aftermath of a bad car crash on the way up, but it was completely cleared by the time I went through.

I arrived at William Howard school in plenty of time and went for a walk round Brampton while Joanna did her stretching. (I’ll have to get a photo next year in front of the Hadrian statue in my Wesham vest! I once took a photo before the Rome Marathon with a gladiator, but left the film behind!) I found a sandwich shop and bought a banana. Brampton looked well worth a further exploration. Maybe an overnight stay? Maybe a future Wesham trip?

I had felt good at the start. I’d done a fairly good speed session, (for me), on Tuesday after seeing David Cosgrove of Therapy House and had set off fairly fast doing a couple of sub 6 minute miles. Former Wesham runner, Dave Preston came past at about the 3 mile point. He looked really strong. It’s a while since I heard Dave shout out, “Coarr!”, in his broad Preston accent, as a warning to other runners of an approaching car. It made me smile. I stayed close for a while and, after 5 miles, (32 min?), his new club colleague, Anne Sweeney also came past and I died. I went through 10k in about 40:02? I had run last year’s race in 61:02, so was a bit disheartened, despite running into a strong headwind.

I kept going and finished in 66:24, grabbed my rucksack and set off back through the Lakes to the Watermill at Ings. The roads round Ullswater were starting to flood.

1^st John McCole (Liverpool Harriers) 51:30

1^st Lady (49^th overall) Gillian Laithwaite (L35)

St Helens Sutton 58:51

74^th Karl Lee 60:09

84^th Alan Hudson (1^st V55) 61:10

(Alan did sub 50 on this course

when he was a lad)

108^th John Bertenshaw 62:38

111^th Trevor Rayner 62:52

190^th Martin Bates 66:24

218^th Joanna Goorney (2^nd L35) 67:48 (PB) Joanna got through the finish funnel and promptly vomited. (I told her not to eat an energy bar 5 minutes before the start!)

357^th Peter Cooke 73:58

562^nd Andrea Rayner 90:27

Wesham 12^th Open Team and 5^th Vets

Other locals : Alan Metcalf (PH) 59:27, Stephen Hargreaves (LSARR) 60:18, Dave Preston 64:27, Anne Sweeney 65:37, Steve Jackson 69:19 (all PH) and Willie Richmond (LSARR) 73:32

Inquest

There’s always an inquest! Because we ran into a strong headwind, runners were saying maybe knock two minutes off…….yet, last years winner Mike Scott was only 5 seconds slower!!

On reading the Gazette when I got home, I was pleased to see we had another photo in, but was horrified to read there are new ‘state of the art’ speed cameras on the M55 on the 50mph restriction! I’ll be on tender hooks for the next two weeks, but I’m not optimistic.

Michaela ran 75:18 the next day in the Preston 10. She had 9 seconds quicker on her watch. Was anyone else a bit out, just as a matter of interest?

Stephen Hargreaves (LSARR) ran Saturday (60:18) and Sunday!! (61:33).

Written by: Martin Bates

Submitted: 20^th November 2006

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor