I followed up last week's Southend Half Marathon with the Newmarket 10k this weekend. This was the 7th time that I have run the race since I first ran it in 2017. It is a race I always try to get to, when dance, gymnastics and life schedules allow. Our friend Sophie's brother Marcus passed away in February 2016 and he was a keen runner for Newmarket Joggers and this is a race they organise. As well as the personal attachment to the race, it is just a really pleasant, small, well organised 10km on a challenging course.
My results at the race have been less than impressive, the period 2017-2025 has been one of low mileage with my focus on the girls rather than on my running. That has changed over the past 12 months and so I was hoping for a vast improvement. Here are my results over the previous six Newmarket 10k's:
2017 - 50:15
2019 - 1:01:28
2022 - 1:09:03
2023 - 1:00:52
2024 - 1:00:01
2025 - 56:30
Now the course is undulating but those results are nasty. The improvement in 2025 was promising but it was still over six minutes slower than my course record set in 2017. In 2026 I wanted to beat that 50:15 from 2017 as a minimum, and having run over 1,200 miles in the last 12 months and with a 43:55 10k run at the start of April, all be it on a much flatter course, I felt that was a very attainable target.
The weather forecast was set to hot and with the undulating/hilly nature of the course I thought 45 minutes was a good goal and an additional benefit was the ease of maths at 4:30 per km. That was the target I had in mind when I positioned myself at the very front on the start line at 10 o'clock this morning. The race felt much quieter than previous editions and when the starter hooter went I wasn't immediately swarmed by runners so I felt validated in my choice of starting position.
A quick lap round the field before heading out onto the roads. Some cheers from Sophie and her family sent me on my way in what felt like about 15th position. Unlike the congestion that slowed me up at Southend, the freedom afforded me in Newmarket worked the other way and had me setting off at sub 6 minute mile pace for the opening 100m or so. Thankfully by the time we got onto the road I managed to settle myself down into a more sustainable pace.
I will give my splits as we go through the blog along with the splits from my course record so we can compare the different pacing strategies and end result:
1km - 4:12 (4:38) - 26 seconds up.
After the race around the field the course glides gently downhill for almost the entire first km. My pace slowed and hopefully some recovery was gained on the downhill.
2km - 4:31 (4:55) - 24 seconds up and 50 seconds up in total.
I always simplify this race into first 5km downhill, and second 5km uphill but it isn't that straight forward. The 2nd km has a hill but it is so early and on fresh legs that you notice it far less than those in the second half.
3km - 4:32 (4:54) - 22 seconds up and 1 minute 12 seconds up in total.
Through the villages we go on quiet country roads. The marshalls doing an excellent job of keeping us runners safe. There aren't huge amounts of traffic but a tractor is held at this point as we run through Woodditton.
4km - 4:32 (5:12) - 40 seconds up and 1 minute 52 seconds up in total.
2026 me is running like a metronome, I'm not sure what happened to 2017 me with that 5:12 km. This was the section through one of the horsey bits. There were some stable hands that came out to cheer us on along with some marshalls to keep us on track. This year I really noticed that there are big sections of the course that are on trails and paths rather than the road which slows you down somewhat.
5km - 4:32 (4:54) - 22 seconds up and 2 minutes 14 seconds up in total.
Across at the crossroads we go, and up a slope to 5km and the halfway point. A third consecutive 4:32 for some very consistent splitting. The effort level however is high.
6km - 5:01 (5:04) - 3 seconds up and 2 minutes 17 seconds in total.
Should have put my big boys pants on at this point. Having run the race six times before you would think I'd remember every inch of the course. I was working hard up a slope and gave into the urge to walk. If I had just kept on I would have turned the corner and enjoyed a good stretch of very steep downhill to recover. My consistent splits of 4:30's came to an abrupt end with that 5:01 which probably included 20-30 seconds of walking.
7km - 4:40 (4:57) - 17 seconds up and 2 minutes 34 seconds in total.
The big downhill, a left and a little bit of flat meant I could recover and not slow down hugely from my pre-walk pace. It also saw me gain more time on 2017 course record me.
8km - 5:45 (5:14) - 31 seconds down and overall advantage down to 2 minutes 3 seconds in total.
The course is now into the drag up to the finish. The second water station came at 7.5km and I took a drink here. I had opted to skip the one at 4km. I walked through the water station and had another couple of breathers as I ground my way through. 30 seconds of my advantage over 2017 disappeared fast.
9km - 5:41 (5:14) - 27 seconds down and overall advantage down to 1 minute 36 seconds in total.
Another km in the bank, more uphill, more run/walk and grind. The worst of it is over and the finish line will soon be there. The wheels have come off and I've lost almost a minute to 2017 me in the last two km's.
10km - 4:49 ( 5:14) - 25 seconds up and overall advantage back up to 2 minutes 1 seconds in total.
We head onto the pavement as we run through the village, this stretch always goes on for longer than I expect. Finally we turn left onto the field. The crowds cheer, Sophie gets some good action shots of me and I manage to run strong through the final 300m or so and over the line to collect my medal and water.
The Good Points:
- A final time of 48:14 and a course record for me by just over 2 minutes.
- I finished 39th overall and 6th in my category.
- 44:31 would have got me 1st in my category.
- It was a pleasant mornings workout.
- Sophie and I had a great weekend, watching the football and relaxing the day before.
- I got 8 hours of sleep Saturday night the most since 26th April.
- I walked for 2 minutes 39 seconds according to my Garmin.
- I should have run 2 minutes quicker.
- There were only 132 finishers compared to 206 finishers last year so that 39th place is flattering.
- If you think the overall looks flattering the category is even more so. There were 45, 50, 55 and 60 year-old men in front of the first 40 year-old male.
- Last year 48:14 would have got me 81st overall and 17th 40 year-old male. Perhaps that push for a category win is a little premature.
No comments:
Post a Comment