Hethel 10
YOU know when you’re a keen runner, bordering on the obsessed when you not only take your running shoes with you on holiday, but you fit in a race at the same time.
Jon Leigh is currently undergoing counselling for post-traumatic holiday running disorder after breaking up his Center Parcs break in Suffolk for a 10-miler just over the border in Norfolk.
He headed for Wymondham AC’s Hethel Engineering 10.
“Although it was quite a small low key race it was very well organised with the race headquarters at the ultra modern Hethel Engineering centre,” explained Jon.
“The only downside to the race was the 20 minute walk to the start/finish area which may explain the numbers being 50 down on the first running of race last year.
“I thought it was an ideal chance to have a proper warm-up/down but some people are never happy. When I reached the start conditions seemed perfect with a bit of cloud cover and quite cool for June, but by the time the gun went the sun had broke through and, although not excessively hot, it was one of those races where you're glad of the occasional shade.”
Jon ran well, and at one stage thought he was on for a personal best. “In the end, I ended up just hanging in for the last couple of miles, probably due to my lack of real quality training lately,” he said after clocking 1hr 8min 29sec for 33rd place.
Jez Cox from St Albans Striders led home a field of 148 runners to win in a time of 57min 22sec. The first lady to finish was 16th placed Emma Coombes from the City of Norwich Athletic Club in 1:05.21.