News

Mileta 10, Spenborough

28th Oct 2004

Town Hall

Its 10am Sunday morning and I am sat in my Car in the car park at Princess Mary Running Track Cleckheaton and I am both cold and tired.

Why am I here?
Answer: To do the Mileta 10mile Road Race.

Why am I cold and tired ?
Answer: Because I spent yesterday travelling home from a 2 week holiday in Corfu.

So why tired I hear you ask, well the Holiday was a 210 kilometre walk around the island.

Its now 10.20am the race starts at 10.30am most people are warming up in shorts and vests, I am still keeping warm in the Car.

Eventually Treena and Heather talk me out of the Car and track suit and I have a short jog to the Start Line on the running track.

Here if find Bill, Martin, Rodger and Andy ( apologies if I have forgotten anyone else).

After the usual lecture about obeying marshals and the roads being open to traffic the race starts.

Down the back straight and round the bend then out of the gate through the Car Park and onto the road toward Cleckheaton.

As we go through the gate, to my surprise I find myself in the lead.
This strange situation continues to the Bus station ( about 1mile) when the winner of the race come past and the pulls away up the climb.

Still in Second place at the top of the first climb (2 miles) but I can tell there is a group hard on my heels.

Up the next climb the guy who ends up second comes past me and as the winner had done before he pulls away.

The rest of the group are still hard on my heels. I think they are just letting me take the wind especially on the exposed section between miles 3 and 4.

As we run through Clifton village 1 guy pulls up level with me, I recognise him as some one I do battle with quite often.

We run neck and neck all the way through Clifton and Hartshead, and we drop the rest of the chasing group.
On the hill up to Roberttown he takes the lead but by the top (8 miles) I have regained 3rd place.
He remains just behind me down the hill and past the 9 mile marker.

In the last mile I manage to pull out a lead and get 3rd place in a time of 1 hour 30secs.

Martin comes in, in seventh place, Andy in the top 20 and Rodger has a good run as he continues to get back to form.

Treena did well and got third lady and Heather had a good run.

Bill unfortunately had to pull out after a couple of miles due to an injury.

Treena and I both got matching fleece jumpers as prizes for being 3rd man and lady. Creams all very well for the ladies but its not quite me, however I last saw it hanging in Lindas wardrobe.

So my training tip for a Hilly 10 mile road race is a 200 K walk over the fortnight before!

Submitted by Andrew Meskimmon

<<<< Back to Index