Last Wednesday evening saw the inaugural Toonie Express 10k Trail Race. It was based at the Lakeside Camping and Leisure site at Ancaster near Sleaford. 102 runners started in a very pleasant Lakeside setting and took in a course that participants described as "HARD".  Anyone who knows the area will be aquainted with the big Transmitter Mast at Carlton Scroop (doesn't that so sound like a Medical Condition ?). The mast sits atop a hill, hereinafter referred to as THE HILL . It is pretty well a fact that one can not run up this thing, everone tried for sure and everyone ended up walking. Great, get to the top of THE HILL and all will be fine and dandy,...wrong !! because you turn a left hander thinking its the top,...and it keeps on going along field edges in an un-runnable rut. This changes to a field traversed with un-runnable loose, jagged stones. Downhill Tarmac at 7k for not far enough and then more field edges to the joy of a Tarmac finish.

 

A very well run event with a good 'feel' to it, maybe due to one very good Marshall with the name Jill McIntyre who is a Toonie...to be a Toonie you have to demonstrate that you have done at least one 'Grim', 'Beast', 'Farmyard' run, Jill with her track record of toughies including the Catterick 10 for Paratrooper selection surely is well qualified.

 

Mike Bullock    41.51

 

Andy Pritchett  51.46

 

Kate Fisher      56.21

 

Bob Oakham   61.40

 

A super run, we will be back !

 

A mention for Alan and Craig Fisher who, respectively ran in 57.50 and 53.21

On the same evening Jackie Duers and Nigel Watkin went to Nottingham to take part in a Five Mile Race organised by Notts AC. The course, that took in the Trent Embankment, was a' two and a bit lap' event run on Tarmac and grass.  Jackie reports that she 'really enjoyed the race and had a great time', and so she should as she was rewarded with a PB time of 46.49, having chopped off a serious 1 min 11 secs from her previous best.  Nigel also had a good run with a time of 29.09 that put him second in his age group.

 

Methinks congratulations are called for !!