Run Aintree 10k - 'Michael Page' NWFPAC 2020 Championship - Race #8

In the unusual world we’re currently living in, the final round of the 2020 Championship took place in May 2021 at Aintree racecourse, although thankfully not involving hurdling the fences. The course was a 5k loop of 2 laps sticking to the perimeter road crossing the actual course a couple of times. At the same time as the 10k, there was also a half marathon and a 5k race.

My day started with a text from Dave S asking me to do the report and to inform me he was injured and sore (OK, Pinocchio!).

Many thanks to Adrian Rogers for the tip about car parking, which was just over 5 minutes’ walk away with tons of space. Arriving at the racecourse itself with 15 minutes before the start I felt well prepared for my first race in 5 months. It was then I remembered my shoe tag was still in my car. That was the warm up sorted but almost resulted in a faller before the first.

As is customary at the moment, we started in lines of two, walking to the start before the “gate” was opened and we were let loose onto the course. A mix of pedigree runners and carthorses, we started by leaving the perimeter road for a short loop of the show ground (this was no beauty parade) before rejoining the perimeter road and crossing the actual racecourse to do an internal road loop, crossing the track again, running along the Melling Road [Sounds just like the Grand Nation this - Editor.] and joining the outer perimeter road again for the final few furlongs of the course, completing the lap by the main grandstand.

As you’d expect, it was flat and the going was definitely hard despite the soaking we all had on Saturday. Despite the flat route, I did spot that Dave “climbed” an extra 27m (71m v 44m) so maybe he decided to add in a few of those fences. As you’ll see from the results, it didn’t exactly slow him down.

Against a field of 395 from our stable, first past the post was a flying Adrian Rogers (running with a dead leg I’m reliably informed) in a time of 35:42 (19th overall) and a PB. Next was David Chambers in 37:26 (26th overall) which was also a PB. Congrats both. Completing our podium was Nicola Boorman (53:52, 214th overall, 36th female and 2nd V40 – well done Nicola on a double podium).

I’m not sure how far the bookies were paying out but for those of you who backed the wrong horses the rest of the results were as follows:

4th - David Simmons – 42:35 (62nd overall)

5th – Alan Reynolds – 44:25 (78th overall)

6th – Ash Richardson – 47:21 (118th overall)

Also an apology to Steven Henderson who I accidentally called Stuart when I spotted him on the course doing the half marathon.

I must confess I don’t know what this has done to the championship (Team and Individual), but with time pressing and copy due, that’s enough from me!