After months and months of cancellations and making the best of what we were able to do, as the date for Thoresby 10 got closer and it still looked likely to go ahead, it’s safe to say we were very excited!
Every year, me and Des like to do an event ‘just us two’. It
normally involves travelling to somewhere nice for the weekend but in true 2020
spirit, we set off on the relatively short journey up the a614 on the 18th
October counting our blessings and glad to be finally on our way to an actual
event.
In the weeks leading up to it, we received lots of really
helpful information from the organisers, telling us what to expect and advising
us of the rules in place to keep us all safe on the day. With this in mind, we
parked up and headed to the rolling start area, face coverings in place, at the
carefully planned time for my 10km start.
One of the appeals of the Thoresby 10 is the choice of distance.
Having done this event before as one of my very first in the early days, I was vaguely
familiar with the route and decided to give the 10km another go, knowing I’d
probably be resting from longer distances in the shadow of the Virtual Half a few
weeks before. Des went for the 10 mile option, which follows the same route
with an extra loop added on. There’s also a half marathon, family 5km,
canicross and Nordic walking events all ran throughout the morning making it a truly
inclusive event which, in ‘normal’ years has a buzzing event village and support
at the start and finish area.
As we entered the extended race village area, it was an excellent
balance Covid measures while still retaining some of the race atmosphere we’ve
all missed so much. Instead of a crowded pen to wait for the start, there was a
long line of people scattered between clear signage showing approximate paces.
Then steadily, with our face coverings on (my brilliant new DOrunning neck tube
had arrived just in time), we made our way towards and eventually over the
start line, clicking our watch into action before uncovering our face to start
the run.
It’s a nice start to the route because you go down a very
gentle slope and past a lake with some lovely views. Helped in part by the
staggered start, I found it easy to get myself some space and settle into a
nice pace without the awkward shifting around trying to pass people you often experience
at events.
From what I could remember from the first time around, this
wasn’t going to be a fast and flat course, so I did my best to pace myself nicely
and safe some energy for the ups and downs. The puddles and mud acted as good
speedbumps too – making sure I was concentrating on where my feet were going was
a decent distraction and the first couple of miles went by fairly quickly.
As the half-way point came into sight, I was getting uncomfortably
warm and starting to find running more difficult than I should be less than 5km
in. When I’d put my outfit together a few hours earlier, the weather forecast
had been quite dire, so I’d layered up accordingly. In reality, it was very
mild for an autumnal October day, and I was feeling it.
As I ran on, not looking forward to feeling warm and
uncomfortable for another three miles, I noticed some huge stacks of hay beside
me, separating the path from the farmer’s fields. Before I had time to talk
myself out of it, I did something I’ve never done on a run before... I nipped
around the back and de-layered as quickly as I could – partly to make sure nobody
other than cows saw me and partly because I was aware of the seconds ticking by!
Feeling much better as I tied my now redundant base-layer
around my waist and made my way back onto the track, I had a new sense of
energy and excitement at being part of an actual event. Deciding I was going to
enjoy this race and make the best of it, I picked up the pace and continued on
through the woodland paths, even embracing the ups and downs of the course. Before
I knew it, my watch told me I had just over a mile to go – and I was making
great time for the best 10km I’d ran in a good few years. Feeling happy and
determined, I trotted along with my socially distanced fellow runners, taking
in the scenery and snapping a few quick photos until the finish line was in
sight and the buzz of the small event village took over once more.
I gave Des a big smile and a wave as I crossed that magic
10km mark before pulling my face covering back up as per the reminder signage
to head on to the most exciting part – medal collection! Laid out in rows
rather than handed to us, I picked up my lovely and very fitting for the event
wooden medal. An actual medal for doing an actual event!
I must admit, shortly after I finished my run and Des set
off for his 10-miler, I was so relieved I’d gone for the shorter distance. I’m
capable of doing 10 miles, but I loved the 10km! I had looked forward to it,
enjoyed almost every second of it and felt great afterwards. Clapping other
runners in while I waited for Des felt so special after all the months of
fairly isolated running – it reminded me that we’re part of a huge and very
special community that spans all ages, and all types of people (and dogs too!).
The organisers, SBR Events, did an absolutely fantastic job
of allowing us to enjoy an event again, while putting in place measures to keep
everyone safe without letting Covid have an overbearing feel. The signage had a
great tone to it, the information beforehand was brilliant and I was
particularly impressed with attendants wiping down the portaloos after every visit.
If you’ve ever used a portaloo you’ll know how much of a luxury clean ones are!
The whole morning made me really really look forward to what
will inevitably be coming in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Bring it
on!
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| First race bling in a long time! |
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| Face covered ready for the start |
