SVHC 5km Road Race Championship - Clydebank

On a balmy, calm night in the familiar surroundings of Clydebank Business Park, 85 veteran athletes lined up for the annual Scottish Veteran Harriers Club 5km Road Race Championship. For some reason this was a significantly bigger field than in recent years which was all to the good as it meant that there would be head to head competitions throughout the field. The course takes in about 3.5 laps of a wheel measured course entirely within the business park. The only point of note to mention is that the previously severely pot holed road had been resurfaced with smooth Tarmac recently.

The race walkers were set off 5 minutes in advance and all too soon it was time for Harriers Frances Maxwell and Alan Derrick to step onto the line for the 5k race. The flat course and wide range of ability means that inevitably the initial pace is too fast and most people blow up well before the finish. I was determined not to let this happen this year but was also determined to try for my first sub-17 for several years. There was no comfortable option for me.

As expected the field streaked away at the start but I hung back off the pack a little and sure enough, after 400m, I was gliding past people who were blowing out their ears. However, I also knew that I was probably going too fast. Gradually the positions settled down and my rate of progress through the field was slower but still positive. After one and a half laps I already felt that I was hanging on to the pace but was determined to keep the pedal to the metal for the penultimate lap and see what was left for the final round. By this time I had latched on to a pack of runners who I had not been beating in recent years and once again found myself drifting past them and chasing down a few more isolated runners ahead. For the final lap I was chasing one more runner and on the limit. The final half lap was a further gradual acceleration to around 5 minute mile pace (I see retrospectively) and it felt like it. As usual I lacked the final sprint for the line but off that pace, a sprint was never going to happen and would make little difference to the time. As I ran through the finish I heard the time keeper saying 51, 52 and immediately thought it was 17:52 and I had blown it in the middle laps. However a glance at my watch gave me the very pleasant surprise of a 16:53, my first sub-17 for several years and some 30 seconds faster than I achieved on this course last year. Once again this year, I was lucky enough to be first M50 and subsequent checking of the Power of Ten UK Rankings confirms the time as ranked 11th in the UK for an M50 this year, so double delight! Just got to find another 3 seconds through better pace judgement to get into the top ten.

I have no idea how Frances was able to contemplate this short, sharp race after her 40 miles of WHW support crew duty at the weekend. But, as a true Harrier, compete she did and finished in 21:28, which is her second fastest 5k of the year! Frances was second F50 and does her chances in the SVHC Grand Prix no harm at all.

The race was won by the ever present Robert Gilroy (who will be at our Trail Race on Friday) in the fantastic time of 14:59, competing in the M35 age group.
Alan