Golden Girls on ParkRun Tour – Worcester Pitchcroft ParkRun 13/10/2018
Cal, Sally and I took the A46/A422/A44 to Worcester today to run Worcester Pitchcroft ParkRun. It is a nice flat course. I had volunteered as Tail Walker, as it enables me to do the course as well as volunteer.
The Race Director did the briefing, and gave the Golden Girls a shout out, and then everyone moved to the start line. Sally was chomping at the bit, and Cal and I were moaning that we were carrying 5 extra pounds. Then we were under starter’s orders, 3, 2, 1 and we were off.
The going was good to firm on the frontstretch heading up to the viaduct, but we were running into the wind. The tic-tac man was waving his arms, signalling that all bets were off. After the canal turn, the going became soft. Cal thought she saw a faller, but it was just a runner tying her shoelaces. The field were on good form at the 4 furlong mark. Then, on the approach to the Grandstand, Cal was almost unseated by a runner who pulled up in front of her. At the Grandstand, the runners were cheered on by the crowd (well, Lucy the marshal).
Conditions were firm along the backstretch, where we had the wind behind us. The course took us alongside the river, where we saw swans, a narrow boat, and rowers out practicing. The course was 1¾ laps, and I was lapped by 4 runners. The field thinned on the second lap. The final furlong was soft (on grass). The front runner, a colt who was odds on favourite, finished in a time of 18:26. The cart horse at the back (Tail Walker) finished in 45:47.
In case you haven’t guessed, the ParkRun is on a Racecourse!