Troon 10k

On a damp and very windy night last night a creditable field of over a thousand runners lined up for the 31^st consecutive running of the Troon 10k. While conditions were not as bad as feared considering the forecasts as you can see below (if you look closely) the elements were more suited to windsurfing than running.

Having had my number posted out, unusual these days, in the weeks prior to the race I had plenty of time to watch the kids races before the main event.

Almost as many parents as children towards the back of the field!

After the start it was a short hop over to to the finish where David Wardrope and I watched one young lad storm home well clear of the competition.

The leader comes into sight which was approximately fifty yards behind the camera

 All too soon it was time to warm up (chance would be a fine thing) in preparation for the big kids race whereupon I ran into Neil Green, his son Cameron and Martin Howell. On the start line I bumped into Gordon McInally and Marion and learned that Paul Rooney was had also come 'doon the watter'. Marion was vocal in her dislike of the conditions and was very keen to get going. Handshakes all round and soon we were off whereupon I was immediately reminded this was not an ultra as I was left for dead by most of the runners around me, my legs taking more than a few seconds to run a tad faster than they are used to. We were also running straight into the gale blowing up the Clyde estuary but the press of bodies at this point helped in that regard by giving most runners the opportunity to draft behind others, although it didn't seem to help Marion much in the picture below, judging by the angle of her hair!

 The only athletes this didn't apply to of course were the leaders, seen here.

The eventual first three are already out in front just yards into the race

As usual the wind ceased to be a factor once the route turned away from the sea at Royal Troon Golf Course, where the upcoming Open Championship was very evident from the gigantic temporary stands  already in place, fully two months before the tournament. I am looking forward to returning there in July as my son and I have weekly tickets but hopefully the weather will be very different.

From there on the race became both warmer and calmer although, and despite fifty three miles in my legs from the Fling on Saturday, it wasn't hurting as much as I had expected and was able to push the pace a little. My initial aim had been to keep each kilometre under five minutes and although the first one was slightly over I kept chipping away and by halfway was thirty seconds under target and beginning to hope I might even squeeze a sub-49.

Other than misjudging the turn around the cemetery wall and almost completely taking out a fellow runner there was nothing of note until, in the final kilometre, I was passed by a woman running impressively strongly. No-one else had overtaken me since the first few kilometers and this, of course, was a like a red rag to a bull! Off I went, charging after her, expecting a real tussle over the final few hundred metres but she disappointingly ran out of steam very quickly, leaving me to struggle to keep my increased pace going but managing to come home in 48:59. I even managed a wee smile as I glanced at my watch and reflected on the time I would have run had the lady not surged past me just when she did. I finished 310th of 1,004 finishers.     

Leading harrier(s) on the night was/were Neil Green and Martin Howell in a time of 41.02 for 73rd place overall. (Neil tells me that's his slowest 10k for quite a while)

Paul Rooney finished second harrier in 195th place in an excellent time of 45.25, a pb.

Following him was Gordon McInally, also running a pb, in 244th place in 47.08.

Unknown to me at the time Dariusz Ples was also running and he finished in 54.11 for 549th place. He told me later this was his first run for a while as he has been injured, a casual run he called it. I like that phrase, I may well use it myself in the future if you don't mind Dariusz!

Some other action shots from the race

 

Martin/Neil storming home

Paul on his way to a pb

Gordon also heading for a pb

Me not running a pb

Ding, ding

The seven action photographs from during the race are all courtesy of the excellent and ubiquitous Kenny Phillips, the others are from my phone.

Other finishers were;

David Wardrope 46.20

Marion O'Connor 44.30  

Tanya Rooney 60.50, Paul tells me this was also a pb for his wife so double cause for celebration in the Rooney household!

The first three finishers were

Michael Deason of Shettleston Harriers in 32.27, Robert Gilroy of Cambuslang Harriers in 32.43 and David Millar of Irvine RC in 33.02. The ladies race was won by Lelsley Chisholm from Garscube Harriers in 36.21 in an impressive 16th place overall.

Unusually the results included what I assume to be age-graded percentages, mine being 67.85 - unfortunately I don't really understand them so will have to speak to coach to find out if that is any good or not or if I should just be taken out and shot!

In the Walker Hall later I spotted Highland Fling Race Director John Duncan who had run the race too and had a nice wee chinwag about last weekend's event with him and his other half Noanie.

Vainly trying to sweetalk John into giving me a place in the Devil O'The Highlands

Finally making my way home via the B road to the south of Troon I was surprised to see the final runners still out on the course gamely struggling on in the gathering gloom, fair play to them for the effort they were making. For the record the final finisher came home in 1.36.03.