Great Warford 10 Mile

After a week off from running and a great track session, was seriously ready for a race but Great Warford was a tough one.  It's not somewhere I've heard of but the race id part of my Warrington Road Runners club championship and I need a club standard in either 5 mile, 10 mile or a half so thought it was a good opportunity to get a base time to find out how much I need to improve.  There was eight club members at the race so not a bad turn out.

Great Warford 10 Mile Elevation

The race is held by Wilslow Running Club and takes place at the David Lewis Centre in Great Warford, which is between Alderley Edge and Knutsford.  After a small loop of a couple of miles you then do two laps of 4 miles.  There are a few hills, Particularly a steep one that you run up three times with the finish right after it but it's short and can be a good one to sprint up.  The downhills provide a good balance too so the course whilst undulating is not bad (I don't like flat courses cos I get bored).   The organisation was very good, collecting numbers was quick and easy (Although the numbers were chopped up, what's that about?), free parking, nice marshals and registration right near the start.    The only issue that I found with the race was the water station which seemed to be in the wrong place near the start of the large lap.  You went past the station at 2.5 and 6.5 miles but on a hot day not having water for pretty much the whole last lap was hard going. 

Jogger's Tipple

I ended up walking up the two hills on the last lap and broke my cardinal rule of never walking in the last mile but it was just too hot and I really needed a drink.  I probably could have pushed through it but it was my first 10 miler so no pb to chase and knew I wasn't going to be quick enough for the standard.  At the finish we were given a bottle of beer (Which wasn't that bad) and a flapjack.  The faster people got given bags and t-shirts too but they were from other races so wasn't really disappointed to not get them.  On the plus side, there was free photography and I actually got a decent running photo of myself for once, smiling and everything so it must have been close to the start:).

I think it is a race well done with a good route but in hot weather it was very hard going.  I think I'll skip it next year if the weather is the same.