Rain was expected but both the weather and the results for the club exceeded expectations at the village of Overton, where the new season of Hampshire Road Race League (HRRL) opened with the traditional 5-mile race.
This was my first Overton 5 and I was braced for hills. “Don’t worry it’s downhill overall” I was assured, based on the fact that we walk uphill to the start. Technically true; the Garmin reports 82m up and 108m down, but the 82m up was plenty punishing enough for me.
Race bibs and numbers were allocated on the day, either at the finish field where the race village was located, or for late arrivals from a table near the start. One of our runners was among the latter and was given his bib but unfortunately there were no pins left. Perhaps some of us could manage with three pins and a bit of flapping? A better idea was to yell “Anyone got any spare pins” whereupon pins emerged from pockets of various runners in the crowd, allowing all bibs to be fully attached and demonstrating the friendliness both of the race and of the running community.
The start is in a fairly narrow country lane marked out with expected time ranges; I was tipped off that it pays to get in place early. Yes it is congested at the start but with 466 runners it was not too bad.
It is a pleasant course mostly on country lanes but with a tiny bit of trail. Marshalls and others shouted encouragement, I focused on trying to keep up my pace, passing some, passed by others, and seeing fellow club runner Steve Oliver’s back receding into the distance.
On to the finish, after a slightly awkward crossing of Kingsclere road where traffic marshalls armed with a Go/Stop sign battled bravely with motorists some of whom felt that their need to pass was greater than that of runners engaged in a mental battle not to slow down in that critical last mile.
WRC had 32 runners and some great results. Erin Willmers was first female with a fantastic time of 29:52, and her PB for the course. The WRC men took second and third place. Will Atkins was second by a hair breadth; the chip time was an excellent 25:55 for both Will and first-placed Joseph Arundel of Bournemouth AC, but the gun time 1 second behind, while Matthew Port was third with 26:33.
Top of age category was Tamsin Anderson (FV35), who was also 3rd female overall, and Caroline Carr (FV50).
Coach Nick Anderson who studied the results from the HRRL team perspective said that “we think that we won the men’s and women’s races with our B and C teams also doing very well … a stunning start for WRC.”
As for me, I was chuffed with a 5 mile PB by over a minute and a better pace than at the (flatter but longer) Lordshill 10K in July – the final race in the HRRL.
Post-race was a lovely atmosphere too, with an Overton glass and medal for runners, HRRL mugs for those who completed 7 or more races in the previous season, ice creams, drinks and cakes for sale, and an award ceremony both for the race and for the HRRL winners.
We cannot all win prizes but we can all have a great time running and celebrating that we ran with the best and finished.
The full Overton results are here.
Elsewhere Andy Costello was among the top 10 finishers at the Garmin New Forest 10K, and 2nd in age category; Lorraine Hedworth at the Semi de Bolbec in France Marathon was both top and bottom in age category F65 – 1 of 1 – with a very creditable 1:58:50 time; and Harry Stow and Stephen Clow were waving the club flag, or at least the vest, at a damp but memorable Great North Run in Newcastle.