Blenheim Rotary 10k 2018

Another Sunday morning up early and heading up the A34 for a race.  This was a return to the fabulous Blenheim Palace for the Rotary 10k.  The lovely Mrs S had switched to the 5k race as a comeback from a hip injury, and it was our first combined race outing for a while.

On the journey the skies were getting brighter after a misty start until some point in Oxfordshire where we hit a wall of fog.  The Blenheim grounds were wreathed in grey as we parked the car and met with with Jo and Ali, two of the Hampshire Hares out for their second-ever race.

The Hares on tour

The Rotary team running the event were priceless.  There were four old chaps in a commentary booth, with one of them gently and sonorously describing every step of the two courses, while the ladies cheerfully manned the registration desk. 

There was a common start for both the 5k and 10k races.  Charmingly, sub 45-minute 10 and sub-30 5k runners were classed as 'elite' and invited to the front.  We set off with a bunch of young children racing out ahead and quickly falling back, as I tried to find a sustainable pace.

The fog was now rapidly clearing and I was really njoying the views of the grounds - I don't remember doing this last year.  At about 3km there was a dog-leg approach to the baroque palace front, and a few of the runners ahead peeled off to the left to do the 5k.  There were now just a few ahead of me.

I was all on my own for the rest of the race.  I felt happy with my pace, I loved the course, and I finished in 4th place in 38:19, over 30 seconds up on last year, albeit in perfect windless conditions.  Here are my stats.  We had to wait forever for the prizegiving (I got the M50), which was a comically hapless (and slightly infuriating) affair... 'Right, now we'll do the men's results.  Oh Roger, that's the wrong bit of paper, that's not right.  I think Fred has the right bit of paper, but Fred seems to have disappeared.  Where's Fred?'  Mrs S, Jo and Ali had all enjoyed their races.  This is a quirky and delightful event that's becoming established as a regular outing.  See you in 2019.