Tidworth 10k - 5th November 2006
FORTY minutes is widely regarded as the Holy Grail of 10km running. For those able to run under the 40 minute mark for the 6.2 miles of gut-wrenching torture, it's elevation to top class running; no longer a middle-packer, but heading towards the top echelons.
Paul Hammond had only managed to break 40 minutes once, but on Sunday the Stubbington runner achieved the feat again with a 39min 50sec run at the Tidworth 10km near Salisbury .
"A last minute change of plan on my social calendar allowed me to have a clear head and run the Tidworth 10k," said Paul. "It was billed on our website as an entry on the day event only, this it was not, but I managed to secure the last of the 500 places - with everybody's favourite race number!
"The weather was as near to perfect as you could wish for running; clear, cool,sunny and no wind.
"The event is primarily a charity race with a multitude of Army personnel taking part as you would expect.
"The course was a loop around a tank training site which had just about every running surface you could imagine; grass, tarmac, concrete, gravel, mud, sand. There were a few testing hills - though I'm sure to the Army they were mere slopes - with a long tough hill through some woodland at 7km."
Paul said that the Titchfield rollers, which he ran the previous Thursday, must have worked wonders to give him the 39.50 time.
He added: "There were no finish positions except for the first three men and women, and no official timing, I clocked the clock as I finished. All in all, a good event."