Street Fair 10k results
As those who have entered this race know this is not a course for a PB – except for trying to better your time next year.
The personal battle is the main one for most of the runners, to better their time, to get round, to get round in less than their age, etc. As Bruce Springsteen put it, “Tramps like us, baby we were born to run”.
For the grizzled local Vets “fuelling up” at the Street Fair the day before such issues were certainly uppermost in their minds.
As you can see from the list of finishers this is also not the biggest race around but, on its own terms, it set a new record for the number of people who entered the 10K and the 2.5 mile Fun Run.
Given the competition from a 10k in Blenheim, and the Great North Run, the entry was positively sparkling.
The course takes the runner through the backwoods of one of the great remnants of the Wychwood Forest, Cornbury Park, places that are usually closed to the general pedestrian.
This is reason alone to enter but given the chance too of seeing a Serengeti style stampede of the Park’s black cattle too, this is not to be missed.
The final third takes you along the shoulder of the Evenlode Glen, with the sweeping vistas thereof, before the final push up the gentle hill from the station to The Playing Close.
So, if you chose not to enter this year make sure you do next. Some people change their whole work schedules around just to be here, others travel great distances, and intend to come back next year.
As one of the last of the “walk up and go” races it is also extremely easy to enter, and for your money you get a goody bag from the local pharmacist Dean Vincent, through whose efforts the race gets to be run each year.
The day itself dawned slightly parky, and stayed that way for the race; “good conditions”, as one of the grizzled local vets told me.
The race was won by Andy Blenkinsop from Reading, in 36.32, and the first female home, in 6th place overall, was Maddie Horton, in 38.39.
But check out the time of the local junior Max Shaughnessy, 12th overall in 40.17. a young man to keep a look out for in the future.
But the races are about more than just running round, they are a low key festival of fun, the point is to take part and do your very own best.
So make a date to do this race next year. See you there.
Click to download the full results list (150k PDF).
Neil McAlpine
Richard Fairhurst · Sun 25 Sep 2005, 20:16 · Link