European 50K Championships, Chicago Marathon, Ridgeway Trail Run
European 50K Championships, Chicago Marathon, Ridgeway Trail Run
It was a relatively quiet racing week for most before XC season bursts on the scene next week, but very big news for Rebecca Bunting who headed off to Spain to compete in the European 50k Championships representing GB and who came 5th overall and got team gold! There were also impressive times at the Chicago Marathon, and closer to home at the Ridgeway 15K trail run.
European 50K Championships, Avila, Spain, 8th October 2022
Big excitement for Rebecca Bunting in Spain on Saturday where she was representing Team GB in the European 50K Championships - her first time over that distance. She came in in an incredible 5th place overall and got team gold as well as a club record in a time of 3.26.04. Huge congratulations Rebecca!
Here’s her report on the big event:
I got to spend a few days in a Team GB bubble with all the kit, running chat and racing excitement you could ask for. Dream!
We flew out on Thursday, had a jam-packed Friday (my watch counted 10.7 miles getting to and from the technical meeting, press conference, flag parade, opening ceremony etc and pasta party) before the race on Saturday.
We arrived early to set up our feed station, limber up, get to the call room. With the race being laps we were able to leave gels/drinks labelled with the lap number you wanted it, and the 3 team managers did a medal worthy job of handing drinks to 11 athletes. Lots of rules: not allowed to run alongside an athlete of the opposite sex for a 'prolonged period' (lest they be pacing you), nor be handed a drink by anyone other than team managers.
The temperature rose to 20+ degrees throughout the morning. We'd walked the course the day before, a hilly 5k road loop x 10 with fabulous views of surrounding mountains. I went out at a sort of sensible pace in a lead group with Romania's Liliana Maria Dragomir and a Czech runner for the first few km, and then while feeling good and well prepared took the lead until about 38km. I was then caught by team mate Ali Lavender and Ireland's Cairtriona Jennings, and then another of my team mates Sally O'Gorman and Dominika Stelmach of Poland. I couldn't stay with either pair and had to adjust goals and concentrate on getting the last few laps done. I really enjoyed the race itself and felt in good form after a big build up.
Both GB women and men won team gold, and I was happy to be 3rd British woman and make the 3-to-score winning team (2nd, 4th and 5th overall positions). It was an amazing experience, I loved being a part of it.
5th Rebecca Bunting 3.26.04
Ridgeway Run, Tring, 9th October 2022
No report back on this but 5 Heathsiders took part in this scenic trail run near Tring, and were led home by Angharad Harris.
158 Angharad Harris 01:25:17
162 Mike Hickey 01.25.40
183 Rebecca Marshall 01:28:02
200 Emilia Vynnycky 01:30:28
261 Tara Tapper 01:36:35
Heathsiders at the Ridgeway Trail race
Chicago Marathon, Chicago, 9th October
Three Heathsiders headed out to do the Chicago Marathon - I’ve had no race reports back on this, but Damien Lane was the leading Heathsider in a great sub 3 time of 2.51.06
959 Damien Lane M V50 2:51:06
5843 James Connell M V45 3:24:38
16137 Michael Gray M V45 4.06.27
Parkruns
Parkruns can be found here, and congratulations on first places go to Lily Woolcock (Hackney Marshes), Tom Fancett and Nicola Graham (Highbury Fields), Johnny Forsyth (Whitstable), Julia Kelk and Christopher Gracie (Mile End) and Annabel Litchfield (The Old Showfield)
Compiled by Caroline with thanks to Rebecca for her report and photo
