I had a ‘phone call on Thursday from the organisers saying that I’d put my estimated time at 5.25 but there was a 5 hr time limit. Did I want to change to the half she asked? Wow what a stupid question. So I asked her if I could start early and she said “yes of course-a few are”.
So I got to the deserted airfield at 0745 and started at around 0820 and for 3 laps a few of us had the place to ourselves. But it was bitterly cold and so windy that I froze from the start to the finish.
And yes of course it was very flat (airfields usually are) and so exposed with head on winds for much of the time. And those 8+ laps? Well not as bad as I had anticipated because at 5k per lap you know that there was never too far to go to the end before you started again. Plus with 750 in the 5k, 10k, half and full, runners were always around and about you were never alone (well not after 3 laps in my case). They gave us 8 elastic bands which you put on a wrist and at the end of each lap I took one off and it was great to see the number of bands diminish all the time.
So my fears of a boring monotonous event were not well founded and over all it was a great event. Made more so by the Massey mob running all distances, cheering us on, AM taking “slow motion snaps” in my case, and being welcomed home by D Good and AM. Many thanks.
I think there’s a repeat of this event in Oct so keep an eye open.
So that’s 448 done-so roll on Worcester then London for the 450th and my round + grub at the club!
Race report by Dave Phillips.
Massey time:
Dave Phillips 5.25 (see para 1-told them so!!).