The Cambridge Boundary Run

Left to right: Catherine Payne, Gav Meadows, Nick Payne, Robert McArdle, Rob Howbrook. Front Row Olivia Payne.

The Boundary Run is a multi-terrain full and half marathon round the city of Cambridge and although the weather was bright and dry underfoot conditions were heavy especially along the river banks and ploughed fields. The race attracted a record entry of just under a thousand runners including five of GRC's members to get in a long B race in before the main event and at £14.40 it was good value.

Gav is heading to Rotterdam with hopes of going sub 3:05 on the same day that Rob strives to go sub 3:20 in Manchester. Catherine Payne and Robert McArdle are both doing Brighton the following week as a masters qualifier. Although the off road bits are spread over the whole course the first half tends to be about ten minutes faster than the second. Gav's plan was to set off at round about eight minute mile pace and see how long he could keep going without having to dig too deep. He fell into a decent rhythm until mile 21 when the terrain got a bit too tricky for normal running and he eased off dropping back by around 10 minutes over the final 10k to finish in 49th place in a time of 3:36:35. 

The next three jogged most of the course together going through the half way point at 1:50 and 20 miles at 3:00 After Gav next in was Catherine in 84th position with a time of 3:48:50 to finish as sixth lady closely followed by Robert McArdle one place behind in 3:49:08. With a week less to recover and having recently run the full Belvoir Challenge Rob Howbrook decided against increasing his pace in the closing miles to come in just outside the top hundred in a time of 3:53:44. Wearing the club shirt for the first time Nick Payne finished in 196th place in a time of 4:26:22.

Olivia trying hard not to outsprint her "old man"

Our reigning ultra-running champion Nick Payne passed a major milestone at the weekend as he completed his 50^th race of marathon distance or longer at the Cambridge Boundary Run. These races have taken place in seven countries with the longest being 110 miles! In the last twelve months he has run twenty six of these marathon+ events. He currently holds the club record for the LDWA 100 miles event and the 69 mile Hadrian Wall Run. By completing his fiftieth long race he is now eligible for associate membership of the hallowed 100 Marathon Club which he intend to join as a full member next year after running 10 marathons in ten days to bring his total to exactly 100!

He started running marathons to fund raise for Pancreatic Cancer after his dad was diagnosed with the disease.  He soon became addicted to the sense of achievement after finishing a marathon - nowadays he can't think of many better things to do than go out running for most of the day exploring the countryside and new places. 

He didn't like cross country at school and doesn't consider himself a natural runner, however running marathons has taken him well out of his comfort zone, helped him grow as a person and increased his confidence.  It’s also improved his determination as even when his body wants to stop, his mind doesn’t let it!    Nick says “It's shown me that I can achieve what I never thought possible”. 

Nick was accompanied across the line by daughter Olivia as he finished in just under four and a half hours, Olivia having previously run with him at Belton parkrun as the middle part of his long training runs.

Nick was congratulated by fellow multiple marathon man, Gav Meadows, who himself had run a year’s worth of road marathon’s round Europe as part of a charity challenge. The picture was taken by Nick’s wife Louise, an Ironman triathlete who is currently injured but expecting to return to racing herself within a few months.