Race Report by Dave Phillips
Well if you thought Storm Gareth (named after my son) was on its way out you should have been at Banbury today. Very cold, windy, a bit sunny, very hilly and a massive hail storm cascaded down to complete the fun.
This a lovely event taking us in some of the remotest country places imaginable round here with virtually no farmhouses, houses, people, pubs, shops in fact as lonely as it could be. Plus when you are the sweeper there is literally no one at all in sight-except 4 ladies who refused to let me catch them up and the marshal in his car behind me collecting the road signs!
The run starts and finishes in the Banbury Park with the HQ at the Leisure Centre where I picked up an £80 parking fine (£40 if you pay early). I paid £3.20 to park and thought that was for the day but it was only for 3 hrs as it was the Sports Leisure Centre car park. 50 yards away was a normal £1 per day park!!
So far then £43 down!
The run was a toughie with the elements against us all the time but thankfully most of the remote lanes were traffic free. Not surprising as there is nowhere to go or do anything en route to see except lovely countryside and farmland.
A very well marshalled and organised event so well done Banbury Harriers and the good news was that I finished in the top 250. Bad news was that I was 249th out of 249 finishers.
But as I’ve always said it’s time on your feet that counts not speed so on that score I’m well ahead of most people.
So my 500th full at Stratford is looming large and more later but I will start 40 mins early to make the 11 mile cut off plus the party for everyone afterwards is at Cox’s Yard (near the finish on the Avon Bridge) so watch this space.
Cov ½ next week-done them all so let’s all be there as Cov’s number 1 club.
Massey time:
Dave Phillips 3hrs 24 mins.