Gold Hill
REMEMBER the Hovis adverts on the box? The little boy walking up the steep hill as a steady drizzle fell from a leaden skyline to the strains of Dvorak’s New World Symphony?
You would think that classic 1973 advert was filmed in Yorkshire, when the setting was Shaftesbury in Dorset. Gold Hill, as it is known, provided the centrepiece for the Gold Hill 9.5km race and among the runners was Stubbington’s Barry Hards.
“It's the hilliest 10km I have ever done” said Barry afterwards who, despite the gruelling run, still managed to clock 39min 20sec and come home in sixth place.
Pete Roper from the Votwo Club won the race in 34.12 and the leading lady was unattached runner Cathy Hanson in 44.15. A total of 116 runners took part.
A week earlier, Barry’s wife Bev took part in the Chalke Valley Challenge which is based at Broad Chalke, 11 miles west of Salisbury. “It’s an undulating race along the rural lanes of the Chalke Valley - the challenge being the two big hills,” explained Bev.
A total of 121 runners took part with Sara Ponsford winning the women’s race in 40.08, just under two minutes ahead of second-placed Bev in 42.02. Bev was the first Vet 40. The race itself was won by Justin Montague in 36.14.
Photo courtesy of Gillingham Trotters.