East Midlands Grand Prix – Milton Keynes 10k – Tuesday 27 June 2017
Race Report by Martin Smith
The Milton Keynes 10k is the eighth and final race in the East Midlands Grand Prix Series.
It is always a challenge in finding the Open University in Milton Keynes – grid reference – H9 intersection with V10 on the A421. Luckily direction signs do now include the Open University as a late addition to the list of destinations and suddenly after a series of roundabouts you come across V10. Eureka !
The weather deteriorated as we headed south from Coventry so we had steady rain throughout the race – a far cry from the heat of previous weeks !
The course is naturally flat starting from Woughton Playing Fields, going through Woughton on the Green before entering Ouzel Valley Park and circuiting the bottom end of Willen Lakeside Park. After 3km we then join the familiar ring roads that many Massey runners will know.
At 4km we could see flashing lights ahead from several emergency vehicles. We had to run beside a crash site where two cars had crashed on a roundabout and 3 people were injured, being treated by Ambulance and Fire crews on the central reservation.
The route continues on the ring roads until after 8km we turn back into the Ouzel Valley Park before entering the Open University campus and finishing in front of the Sports Pavilion.
The course was extremely well marshalled by Milton Keynes AC especially considering the rainy conditions.
231 Martin Smith 46:52
270 Graham Patton 48:05 – 1st Over 70
456 Finishers