The Cabbage Patch 10

The Cabbage Patch 10 is a highly professional race. It is a race organised by runners for runners and is almost as old as the London Marathon! It is one of the flattest, most scenic ten mile races in the country aimed at runners of all standards on roads and towpaths. Starting in King Street, Twickenham, the route crosses the Thames at Kingston Bridge and Richmond Bridge, runs along the Riverside to finish on the drive in front of the York House Civic Building in Twickenham. This is the 34^th year that the race has been run.

The Cabbage Patch 10 was founded in 1982 by Frank Dupree, ex landlord of the Cabbage Patch Pub and Malcolm Ellis, founding member of The Stragglers Running Club. For you mathematicians out there it was not run last year because of the Rugby World Cup. Over the years this race as raised around £100,000 for charity.

The Cabbage Patch is actually named after the nickname of Twickenham Rugby Stadium. Before the stadium was constructed, the site was used to grow cabbages and hence the giving of cabbages as prizes to the top runners. Previous winners and high placed finishers include Olympian Mo Farah, Scott Overall and Mara Yamauchi. Richard Nerurkar set an all-time British Record on the course in 1993 – a stunning 46:02. Also in the race that day was Rob Edwards our WebEd who finished around 20 minutes later. He said “that was a good time for me back then, it was a perfect course for a PB and in those days the changing was in the pub, very convenient.” This year’s winning time was 48:16.

The race Director this year was Caitlin Limmer a great longstanding friend of SIDMOUTH Running Clubs Justin and Claire Ashby who previous lived in Twickenham and this was the reason they were on the start line in the Mighty Green on Sunday morning, unfortunately there was no cabbage for their dinner this time.

Justin who is running extremely well at the moment, recording a PB of 35:30 for a 10K only a few weeks ago, finished 34^th in a time of 58:41 which also won him his age group category. Claire also ran a very steady race after very little training finishing comfortably inside the top half of the field in 1:24:37. The popularity of this race can be seen by the number of finishers, 1452.

And a final word from Caitlin “The race will continue to be what it has always been; a race of legends, both for the Olympic athlete and the common runner.” Truly a race for all.

Bristol and Windsor Half Marathons

Four SIDMOUTH Running Club ladies – Jane Hemsworth, Becky Robson, Helen Palmer and Jo Earlam – travelled up to Bristol for the half marathon, making a girls’ away trip of it with an overnight stay in a rather smart Marriott Hotel.

The hotel lift was the source of amusement on the morning of the run, as three of them mistakenly alighted on the 4^th floor when heading to the start, prompting a bemused guest to inquire: “Have you finished already?!”. A fit of giggles later and error quickly corrected they all lined up at the start with the thousands of others competing in this popular closed-roads city event.

They all started off running together until about the four mile point, where Helen slightly dropped behind – having completed a hilly 100km cycle ride just two weeks earlier this wasn’t surprising. Jane, Becky and Jo remained close together for the whole route, Jane leading the charge and finding the energy to high-five dozens of spectating children, right up until the final run-in to the finish line. An extra competitive spurt clinched her first spot of the Mighty Green runners, in a time of 2:02:50 an excellent 16^th place of 73 in her age group. Becky and Jo crossed the line together five seconds later.

All three were in the first 4,000 of more than 7,000 finishers.

Helen, having stopped in a toilet queue finished in a commendable 2:16:27 but with runners crossing the line at more than one hundred a minute that put her around 1,400 places down the field, such is the scale of this event. It was very well-organised, a great showcase of the city, brilliant spectator support, good course for a PB – possible repeat trip next year, with perhaps more of the Mighty Greens?

Meanwhile up in Windsor, Lynda and Kaylee Hawkins were running the Windsor half marathon that takes place close to Windsor Castle in Windsor Great Park. With only 6,000 places this is soon sold out and over-subscribed.

The course is two laps, one of approximately 4 miles, the other about 7.5 miles with the remainder made up by the 1.5 mile Long Walk at the start and end of the run. The course is best described as undulating. It has many flat stretches, but there are some hilly sections to make the race a bit more interesting. The final 1.5 miles Long Walk is particularly impressive. The spectacular sight of Windsor Castle in the distance beyond the finish line is quite outstanding and not something many will forget quickly. Kaylee came home in 1:54:00 while Lynda matched the Bristol ladies finishing in 2:02:00.

Taunton 10K

With the SIDMOUTH Running Club ladies enjoying themselves in Bristol and Windsor half marathons, Justin Ashby was dispatched slightly less far up the M5 to take on the Taunton 10k. Starting at the Blackbrook Leisure Centre, the route is mostly flat, taking runners past Kings College across the M5 into the country lanes of Stoke St Mary before circling back over the M5 and into Taunton again. As 10k’s go, it is a scenic one that is very well supported too.

Those who run with Justin will know that he has been trying to break 36 minutes for the distance – since 2012! He has come close on a number of occasions recording 36:00 twice, 36:01 and a host of other close shaves in the intervening years. Now, finally, after 2 months of dedicated 10k training, he can tick off that goal, having finished 3^rd overall in a time of 35:30. Not just breaking it but smashing it. Says Justin: “There have been some near misses along the way, some tactical blunders and some comical mishaps too, but the wait has been worth it. Besides, I promised JP I would do it”.

River Exe Summer 5K Series and Sidbury Fair

The final race in the River Exe 5k was run by two SIDMOUTH Running Club members with ages at either ends of the spectrum. A friendly Park Run sort of event it isn’t, with the last runner coming in under 25 minutes. With a field of over 100 fast young runners and everyone in Club vests, except Jason whose was in the wash, it is very competitive.

Even without his Mighty Green Jason Drew had a stunning run coming 3^rd overall in 16:14:00 just 21 seconds behind the winner and as an under 20 he should still be improving. At the other end of the 108 strong field Rob Edwards in terms of age and speed avoided being last, just about. Finishing in 23:01, his quickest time since 2001 and placed 97^th overall he was second M60+ which sounds ok until you realise that there were only 3 M60+ and all three M65+ runners were quicker. Anyway Rob it’s not the winning but taking part so both are looking forward to the start of the six races series starting again in April.

Sidbury Fair attracted two new and two stalwart members of the Club. New member Paula Farrand had a great start to racing in the Mighty Green coming first in the local Adult category in 33:52 and that time gave her 3^rd place in the Adult Open. Had she been paying attention instead of soaking up the glory towards the finish she would have been second having been overtaken with a few strides to go.

Naomi Garrick retained her open title wining in 32:39 but will have to be watchful next year with Paula just over a minute behind this time. Paula’s running buddy Bert Dykema also enjoyed his first race for the Club so much so that he couldn’t stop the Mobot at the end.

Rachel Burrow a long time supporter of this race also enjoyed the conversations on the way around.

A Tale of Two Marathons

Prolific SIDMOUTH Running Club marathon runner Jo Earlam took her total to 52 when she competed in the City to the Sea Marathon. The run started from Exeter Quay and finished in Babbacombe, Torquay. The run started with a couple of loops around the canal tow path and was totally flat for the first 13.5 miles to Dawlish Warren. There were a few smallish hills on the coast path to Teignmouth at 20 miles which she reached in under 4 hours keeping a consistent pace of around 12 minute miles. It was also the furthest she had run since the Portsmouth marathon in December and she was feeling in good form and pretty pleased with herself, despite very little training. Then came a series of tough hills for the last 6.5 miles, which reduced her time to what felt like a crawl and took a further two hours and 15 minutes dropping her pace to 20 minute miles. By this time it was also pouring with rain, but even moving at what seemed to be a snails pace she still managed to overtake a dozen or more other runners and let no one overtake her.

Jo grew up near Babbacombe so was delighted to reach the short road link to the finish on the Downs, only to discover that the course director had a final sting in the tail, sending them nearly back to sea level and then a climb up steep steps by Oddicombe Cliff Railway. I am sure she was not the only one muttering expletives at that point. However there is something about a hard, hilly finish in the rain that is particularly sweet and she crossed the line full of smiles and very happy to have made it number 52.

Meanwhile not that far away Danny Painter had headed off to Dartmoor to take part in the inaugural running of the Dartmoor High Ground Marathon.

What Jo was experiencing at sea level was 10 times worse on the top of Dartmoor. The Mighty Green vest couldn’t be seen beneath his storm jacket but then again not much else could anyway with the storm force weather and clag. The conditions made it more of a navigation exercise than a speed test.

There is a mandatory kit list to be carried so you are prepared for all eventualities and you are not allowed to start without it such are the conditions. If you like fell races and the effect of running towards a fire hose on at full blast this is the race for you, and it proved so for Danny coming in 6^th place with a time of 5:34:51, a very remarkable result.