29 Jun 2016 – Club Handicap

With 37 runners (double last year’s figure!) in the event, well done to everyone who came along and gave it a go. It was a really positive evening, with some great running on the path around the Hambleton Peninsula. Great to see so many socialising at the Grainstore afterwards as well.

The growing membership makes calculating appropriate handicaps trickier than ever – the intention being that start times are staggered so that anyone could finish first, if they are on form, feeling good, give it everything and have that little bit of luck we all need. With predictions based on recent race times and parkrun PBs, there was 16 minutes between the first and last starter – and more than half the field finished within a minute of their predicted time.

It’s a deceptive course, sharply hilly from the start, with a flatter stretch towards the end that never seems to be over – with 5.2 miles total distance. The staggered start means that it is then a straight race for who can be first over the finish line.

For the first time in a few years, it was one of our quickest runners who worked his way through the field to finish first – so well done to Darren Glover, outsprinting Andy Nicholls in the finishing straight. They were closely followed by Simon Proctor in third and a host of Striders hot on their heels.

With so many runners, there are a few gaps in finish times where people were crossing the line in quick succession – if you recorded your own time then please send it to us and we’ll fill in the gaps in the results below.

Finally, thanks go to Michael from Melton Sports for once again donating vouchers as prizes for the first three finishers.