Where Reepham, Norfolk
When August 17, 2008
First Man Nick Earl 32:47
First Woman Jo Tweed 41:18
Last Finisher 1:18:01
No. of Finishers 211
Hats, gloves and waterproof jackets: not exactly what you’d expect to see at the start of a mid-August race (unless you live in Australia), but runners at the Reepham 10K donned a variety of layers
as they braved yet another of the summer’s torrential downpours to line
up for the start of the race.
Huddling under umbrellas in an attempt to stay
dry proved pointless though, as the race began and the rain kept falling. Rivers of water covered the traffic-free country lanes for the first six kilometres before
the route turned off-road for the remainder of the race.
The deluge eased off a little as runners headed along a narrow, tree-lined track, but enough rain had fallen to create enormous puddles and vast areas of slippery mud – prompting the concerned marshals to issue warnings on some of the corners, and causing many runners to curse at their choice of footwear.
The route was flat, reasonably fast
(apart from the boggy terrain in parts)
and well planned. Good organisation was
a key feature of this little race: it had excellent directions and marshalling; an attractive paperweight and banana for every finisher; plenty of spot prizes donated by local businesses; and a great spread of homemade cakes and hot
drinks at the finish.
Most of the competitors on this occasion were local, but this is definitely a race worth travelling to.
