Race report by David Phillips
Well I arrived with plenty of time to spare to avoid the queues in the car park but it was almost empty. So I got my race number, read the papers in the car and wandered to the start at 0955 with just a handful of others. Then I spotted Mark Ursell in Red and White and apart from 3 from Kenilworth, 1 from Leamington I did not know anyone else. In fact there were only 57 of us on the start line.
It was a very cold day but at least it was dry and flat but after 2k I was in 57th place. Should finish in the top 60 I thought so OK there.
Draycote Water runs are quite daunting as you can see the whole of the c5 mile circumference wherever you are and it always looks like you are running to the horizon in all directions but at least this was just one lap (with a bit of extra at the start) not the 4 I did in their 20 miler last month. Ughhh!!
It is a lovely place to run as it is traffic free (apart from a few cyclists) and people out there for their Sunday stroll (like me). Plus there are the anglers in their boats and also yacht races going and of course the beautiful scenery all the time.
The 5k came in 36 minutes but I was the unofficial sweeper by now with just the marshal sweeper cyclist behind me making sure I didn’t do a biathlon and swim or catch a boat to the finish line! Some chance indeed.
Eventually the 9k marker was there and it was just that straight jog to the finish along the lower path on the lake side.
Not surprisingly there were goodies galore on the goodies table so with my medal I had loads of bananas, the snack bar they gave everyone and then a whole box of these snack bars that were surplus.
So good fun and good value for my 50th race of the year.
Massey time:
Dave Phillips 78mins 24 secs.
Next Sun 2/12 is the Chelmsley Wood Centurion 5 mile from John Henry Newman College at 1100 hrs. Also Kenilworth Runners asked me to advertise the usual Christmas Day Run in St. Nicholas Park, Warwick at 1030 hrs. Registration (free) in the Roebuck Inn from 0930 at the bottom of Smith Street near the Park.