Glenrothes 10k 28/6/09
Jenni laughing at another Michael Jackson jokeSundays Glenrothes 10k does not leap out at you from the fixture list, being a jaunt round a new town, but I had never raced the distance and was able to get an entry from Jenni (her friend Ailsa’s mother in law organises the event).
Unfortunately the weather did not give me the chance to top up my Porty vest shaped tan, but it was perfect for running – calm with drizzle.
There is a real community feel to this race with events for kids and parents prior to and during the 10k. Ailsa’s 18month old son Finlay did a sterling effort for the 400m with only a wee bit of help from mum/dad/ grandma & grandpa.
In fact it was odd that we were given timing chips as the vibe was definitely more about participation than cutthroat racing, evidenced by the have a go hero 18+stone bloke up front on the start line, along with an assortment of lanky kids in astro trainers. This caused some minor issues as we went off round an initial running track lap, but I suppose you get that in any race.
Leaving the startThe course was a mixture of gently undulating roads and forest path sections which provided a good challenge to run, being fast but not totally flat.
I completed the first mile uphill in 6.08 and tucked in behind a luminous Kinross runner who I had initially overtaken, but had bitten back. Bert said that 6.33min miles had seen him under the 40mins at Peebles, and this was what I had in the back of my head as a target. My mile times deteriorated to 6.18 and 6.28 before I overtook Kinross who must have been faring worse than me. I in turn was over taken by a Dundee runner and a diminutive wee guy who sped past at 7k, but I eventually managed to reel in one more Fife Ac guy.
Turning into the home straightOn the long downhill section at 8k I felt good, and I thought I would be back around the 6min mile mark. No chance. I was still doing 6.28, which meant I was either being lazy or was a bit knackered.
The race finished concurrently with the kids and parents 4k using different lanes of the same running track!?! It was a bit of a nightmare dodging the wee beggars, but I got onto the track without trampling anyone, and found one other 10ker in my sights. Normally I would back my sprint finish to do the job in the last 200m, but this guy was having none of it, and fought back to overtake and beat me by a clear few meters. The race officials ignored my request for drug testing.
About to overtakeWhen I looked at my watch I was really chuffed to see I had got under 40mins for my first 10k, but surprised that it read 39.50 (though I await my chip time). I thought that I would have been a bit farther ahead than that, so it was lucky that I did the sprint, and will have to scrutinise Bert’s 10k splits more closely…….
PBs all roundI waited at the finish to see Jenni post another pb of 48.17 – they just keep on coming - and are a testament to a great training effort, and running pretty much every road race that is going!
Ailsa also achieved a pb of 49min with her husband pacing/ taking her verbal abuse, so everyone came away happy.
Would I recommend Glenrothes? I thoroughly enjoyed the course, but parts of the race such as dodgy corner cutting (or taking the racing line dependant on your opinion), and the finish straight demolition derby might annoy the more seasoned athlete.
Report (and photos) Jamie Marwick
(In a full distance 10k you'd have to keep up 6.26 pace to run 39.59)
