Pewsey Half Marathon - 28 August 2005
AS you drive into Pewsey Vale, in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, you can't help notice the curious poster stuck up by one of the bus shelters: "Save our toilets"! Seeing this ominous poster an hour before the start of a half marathon when you're busting for a leak is not the news you need!
Pewsey Vale is a quaint village 58 miles and an hour and a half's drive from Stubbington.
Some seven miles south of Marlborough, 18 miles north of Salisbury, Pewsey has seven pubs, primary and secondary schools, churches, a sports centre, apparently one of the best carnivals anywhere - and Pewsey Vale Running Club.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the club hosted its annual half marathon in baking hot sunshine which attracted a field of more than 400 runners.
A friend at Stubbington had recommended this race since she had run it 12 months previously. She had clearly omitted the words "undulating" and "bloomin' hilly" in her recommendation because though extremely picturesque, this was a tester - made moreso by the scorching heat.
There is one long and grinding climb around mile four, as the route takes you into the countryside running along neat lanes dotted by chocolate box cottages. And every so often, the course offers a testing climb.
The race starts and finishes at the Pewsey Sports Centre, which is also the village's school, and the atmosphere of the race is very laid back. The fact that cakes, tea and other sweet offerings were being served up before and after the race added to the village fair type feel.
No dodgy medals or pennants for finishers, but a pretty decent t-shirt. The field was made up of runners from across the region, down as far as Cornwall, and there was one runner from Scotland Romsey, Eastleigh, Winchester, and Southampton Running Club were all represented.
Simon Barrett from the Serpentine Running Club in London won the race in 1hr 15min 16sec, with Amy Chalk from the Bristol & West club the first female home in 1:20.25sec. I sauntered in heavy legged in 85th place in 1:36.57.
Dave King.