Notfast Open 10k

Gav was first home for GRC

The ninth round of the GRC Grand Prix Series took place at Newark Rugby Club on Sunday at the 30th NOTFAST 10k race. This race is an old fashioned club affair which has been updated over the last few years with a new route but still retains the club race feel with a modest entrance fee and generous prizes. At three hundred runners it doesn't have chip timing so middle and back of the field runners will lose out compared to their times at other local races. Although it is popular with club runners it is by no means elitist with the largest club represented being the purple vests of the Notts Women's Runners Group
With rounds seven and eight taking place just a few days before this one some of the members missed out on this one the give their bodies a chance to recover but we still managed to muster sixteen runners on the start line. The course is a tough one especially for those who have not done it before with a few surprises along the route.

Holly with her trophy

First home for GRC was Gav Meadows, in his first visit to this race, just missing out on a top ten position as even with a ten o'clock start it was a bit hotter than he preferred but his time of 40:42 was a fair reflection of how much slower than a fast course this one is even at the front.
Next in was Holly Durham as second lady and first FV35 in 42:52also running the event for the first time who found herself seriously compromised as the lead ladies were blocked by slower men as the course narrows to single file during the first mile. A temporary road closure would have helped everyone get smoothly away.

A great run by Gavin

Five minutes slower than his last 10k it was a very gutsy performance by Richard Payne who was hoping he had got over the illness that was effecting the rest of his family, during the warm-up it was clear that he was nowhere near recovered, hopefully his efforts have not set his road to full fitness back.
Competing in her second race in 5 days Catherine Payne was not able maintain her usual pace all the way through the 10k fading in the final mile but still pleased with her position as fourth lady, first lady over forty and the highest grand Prix score on the day. Five places behind her was Penny Hodges competing in her first 10k in a year and knocking six seconds off her 2016 time. New boy Stefan Latter was next in delighted with his time of 47:03 and the support his GRC vest generated especially from the cruelly positioned Ric Dobbs taking photos at the top of "that" hill at 5k.

Penny,Holly and Catherine with their prizes

Robert McArdle, Kevin Kettle and Stuart Baty found it tough going and like most and were adrift of where they had been previously. As the temperature rose those still on the course found it ever tougher to get close to a season's best especially when you factored in their delay in crossing the start line and being able to run freely until the road opened out at the 2k corner.
Paul, Durham, Suzanne Britz and Nicola Cottam's guns times probably did not reflect how well they had run taking everything into account but Catherine Davis definitely had the previous day's canal run and the Whissendine 6 in her legs costing her at least a minute and possibly a prize. Three races in 48 is pretty special. Gavin Skinner was certainly the runner of the day almost matching his chip time at the Solstice on this course is a stellar achievement and one that suggests there is more to come.
Jacqueline Jacobs and Nicola Fahy gave good accounts of themselves with another sub 60 run from Jacqueline and Nicola missing the mark by a mere four seconds.

Position	Time	Name		Category		Grading	Ranking
11	40;42	Gav Meadows		MV35		67.81%	959
24	42:52	Holly Durham		FV35		71.69%	211
29	44:08	Richard Payne		MSEN		61.83%	N/A
34	44:46	Catherine Payne		FV50		77.71%	76
39	45:00	Penny Hodges		FV35		69.25%	416
51	47:03	Stefan Latter		MV40		60.38%	N/A
61	48:13	Robert McArdle		MV55		67.47%	650
64	48:38	Kevin Kettle		MV50		64.68%	N/A
77	50:23	Stuart Baty		MV45		58.57%	N/A
95	51:55	Paul Durham		MV60		66.03%	N/A
96	52:10	Suzy Britz		FV45		62.98%	N/A
104	52:43	Nicola Cottam		FV45		63.65%	N/A
118	54:37	Caroline Davis		FV45		60.77%	N/A
123	55:43	Gavin Skinner		MV45		53.80%	N/A
152	59:20	Jacqueline Jacobs		FV45		55.97%	N/A
155	60:04	Nicola Fahy		FV45		54.70%	N/A

A huge turnout by Notts Women Runners who stayed and cheered everyone over the line