Ryde Harriers took part in the annual Alresford Rotary 10-kilometre race on Sunday (18th June).
After having taken the 06:00 ferry to this quiet Georgian town (which was kindly recognised by the race announcer with his loud microphone), a warmup took place in Arlebury Park, which was also the location of the registration tables, bag drop, and race starting line.
At 10:00, the race began – but not without issue, as the starting line mat had become momentarily displaced, and several runners had managed to trip over it.
Much of the race route could be described as pleasant countryside roads, with some of the distance being covered by large trees. Curious farm animals were passed during the run, and a family of black cows was even seen attempting to run alongside the runners, though there was a fence in the way.
After the halfway point of the race, a stream that had burst was passed; it was later said how tempting it had been to ‘take a dip’ in that cold stream, due to the 23-degree heat.
There was a brilliant atmosphere at the finish line, with enthusiastic spectators cheering on the runners. The challenging route had been undulating throughout with significant uphill sections at roughly the 1.9km, 3.8km, 4.8km and 3.2km points of the run.
The Ryde Harriers’ times were 40:15, 45:48 (1st Vet 75), and 51:58 (Trevor McAllister, Peter Young, and Elliot Tyler, respectively).
Ryde Harriers will be hosting the following events in August, September and October:
- Isle of Wight Half Marathon – 20th August
- Isle of Wight Fell Series – 9th & 10th September
- Isle of Wight Marathon – 8th October
