North Downs Run 30k

British Masters and Southern Counties success at the North Downs 30k TRAC Club Champs fixture

In the June sunshine, today TRAC headed to Gravesend to take on the North Downs 30km. With forecasts showing highs of 27 degrees celsius, runners were advised to start hydrating early, slather on suncream, don a cap, and adjust their expectations of a PB. All would have been sensible to take this advice.

The course starts at the Cyclopark, which runners complete a 400m section of before heading out for 6km and then loop round, to join the top of that 6km to see you home and over the finish line. 

A late morning start meant that the temperature was starting to rise as we approached the beginning of the race. The organisers made sure that more water stations than previous years were available, with a chance to rehydrate every 5km. This was needed. 

As the midday sun approached, temperatures soared beyond the forecast. Luckily, the route wound through woodlands which provided welcome shade. The ups and downs were constant, with stretches through orchards and vineyards offering no respite from the sun. If runners were able to take their minds off the heat, the views were wonderful – you don’t get views like these in Thanet! The course was fantastically well marshalled, with little room for getting lost.

There was a solid representation of TRAC runners. Everyone crossed the finish line within 3 hours 45,  which is a brilliant achievement considering the conditions. There were outstanding performances from Steve Suttle who was awarded a bronze medal for his age category in the British Masters and gold in the Southern Counties. Dave Winch won gold in both the British Masters and Southern Counties! Full results are below:

Pos	Gen Pos	Name	Chip Time
35	34	Matt McCarthy	02:22:23
39	38	Christopher Brenchley	02:24:12
57	54	Phil Stevens	02:32:16
66	61	Richard Allan	02:38:18
80	72	Stephen Suttle	02:43:48
109	16	Brittany Crombie	02:50:29
150	122	James Figgins	03:06:16
151	123	Andy Stevens	03:06:32
155	126	Mark Croucher	03:07:34
191	41	Julie Williams	03:19:00
200	44	Joanne Kemp	03:20:20
222	174	David Winch	03:27:18
282	214	Mark Skelton	03:40:05

Upon crossing the finish line, runners were adorned with their medal, able to grab a swanky t-shirt and make a choice from a vast array of cakes baked by the local Brownies group. It makes it all worth it, right?!

Huge congratulations to all who took part in what was a tough race made even tougher by the weather. I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine in a little less extreme or exerting way this afternoon.

Please click on the link for the latest Club Champ positions:

The next Club Championship race and the next opportunity to score in the Kent Grand Prix is the Sevenoaks 7 Mile on Sunday 13th July. 

On 8 July, we head to Canterbury for the final instalment of the much-loved Road Relay races. We’ll look forward to seeing you there, where we’ll celebrate the end of the season with a picnic afterwards.

Thanks to Brittany Crombie for the race report. Some amazing efforts today in some extreme heat!