The festive season has been a crucial period of sport for many years, with Premier League football, test match cricket and horse racing taking place. Amongst the highlights of this packed schedule is the Winchester Running Club Christmas Relays, a chance for the whole club to get together and work up an appetite for the frivolities ahead.
2023 sees a new venue for this much-loved contest as the Park & Ride South played host to 17 teams, each containing three runners faced with three legs of 1km each. The two-lap course was selected to maximise supporter interaction. Teams are selected on estimated running speed, the aim being for all to finish at approximately the same time. Teams have a mixture of fast-paced and slower runners, juniors and more seasoned athletes.
With marshalls in place and varying levels of Christmas decoration in place on the runners, the race was off. This was a chance for WRC to demonstrate what it is all about. Support on every turn from festive marshalls and encouragement from every runner at the end of each lap and changeover. Estimated times go out of the Advent Calendar door once the racing has started.
Whilst everyone was a winner at the Park & Ride, three teams finished ahead of the others and deserve mention. In 3rd place were Harry Wilson, Grace Baker and evergreen Karen Hazlitt. 2nd place went to Will Atkins, Peter Saville and James Bailey, whilst the eventual winners were the bookie’s pre-race favourites Sam Wilkinson, Matt Grote and Christian Brookes.
Well done to all who took part, especially the marshalls and training recommence in preparation for next year’s event.
Photos courtesy of Sarah Witt (https://www.flickr.com/photos/91403470@N00/albums/72177720313561178)