Race report by Dave Phillips
This event started in 1976 and has been an annual event ever since. I first did it in the late ‘80s ( c8.5 miles) and have done them all since and now Massey’s continue to flood the field.
There is a limit of c25/30 runners that can enter because of congestion, lap counters etc. and today 15 were on the start line at 1100 hrs including 5 Massey entrants.
At 11:00 hrs the gun goes and off you go. How odd it was to see 14 others starting their watches because at each lap the time keeper calls out the actual time as each runner passes him. My watch was in the car!
Soon the speedy guys and gals keep passing you but they are never more than 400 metres ahead of you so good news there. Plus if you want to pull out (or go to the loo as does happen) you only have 100 yds. max to get back to the pavilion.
As you can imagine the comments from our lap counters, time keepers and onlookers were of the usual banter. “Think you’ll beat the hour Dave?” “Gets dark at 8 this eve Dave-get a move on”. “Not a bloody marathon Dave-speed up”. “Bet you can’t do a better time that the winner Dave” etc. etc. lap after lap.
Plus as each runner passes you or you pass him or her, there’s always a goodwill comment. That’s why we love it and keep going back.
Then at 11:59 the whistle goes signifying that there is just 1 minute to go and all hell lets loose as the 15 of us got into top gear. Then at 60 mins the gun goes and you shudder to a halt and stay where you are. Your lap counter comes to you and sticks a peg with your number on it in the ground where you are. Then you leave the track to join your friends and the officials check your distance on the last lap. The track has metre markers each 10 metres so the exact distance is known by adding this final reading to the number of laps recorded for you and each lap is 400 metres. Simple or what?
Then showers and off to the Millwright Arms pub in Warwick for the results and prize giving in the garden and in the sun . So all those who did a boring 5 mile training run you now know what you missed.
Roll on 2017.
Massey results.
1st and winner of the event: Jerry Trill – 14,851 metres
That’s 3 years on the trot that Massey has finished 1st!!!! Good news is I did exactly the same time as Jerry! But huge congratulations Jerry. Plus he won 1st in the vets category so 2 medals for Jerry.
Graham Patton – 12,500 metres
Sheila Johnson -10,964 metres
Dave Goodwin – 10,258 metres (I’ve got your lap card Dave).
Dave Phillips – 7,965 metres
But we all finished in 1 hour. Wow!
Coming up for me-3 halves and 4 fulls in the next 8 weeks leg(s)/knee permitting. Any one at Chester marathon?