Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I am the gingerbread man! No need to catch him, he is on your medal and in the goody bag!
After seeing Anne-Marie and Dave’s stash of goodies from last years race – Mary was keen to race this year – got to love a girl that likes a pork pie! So I signed us both up, and we were join by 8 other Massey Runners, which for a race that took us three times longer in travel time than running time. It had better live up to its billing from Runner’s World readers as the best 10km race in the UK. (2012 onwards!)
Market Drayton has really thrown its weight behind the event, turning the school into a running festival with shorter races for children and adults before the main 10km (Next Year I must do the Costa Run!) the school field had stalls selling running paraphernalia and food – but no beer tent! An oversight I feel!
It feels odd picking up your t-shirt before the event, but it provided a great meeting point for the red and whites, also an opportunity for Dave to show off the canteen wares – are you in sales? – and for me to be led astray with a last minute prerace nutrition chocolate flapjack!
Apart from the first and last 500m around the school playing fields the race runs through and around the town on closed and relatively flat roads – definite PB potential! Market Drayton residence have really embraced the event (much could be learnt Coventry!) coming out in surprisingly large numbers for a 10km to support; clapping and cheering and in the town a very noisy but on beat drumming group. In fact as you pass the Costa Coffee shop they are even have a small water station – always knew Costa was a fantastic coffee shop!
The whole course was really well marshalled and the official water station gave out proper sized bottles of water with sports caps! And a few marshals had taken water bottles further down the street just in case you missed out as you raced past; a very sensible and thoughtful touch.
What makes this race so highly rated is the goody bag. Normally for a 10km race at this price you get a medal or t-shirt (today both! And a tech t-shirt at that!) and the goody bag has a snack and lots of leaflets. But Market Drayton the goody is too small for everything you get – A tray – yes 12 – Muller Rice Corners! A pork pie, Porridge Oats, Mars Bar, a gingerbread man and all in a proper shoe bag. My only whinge is the XL t-shirt is a little tight or maybe like the goody bags I am rather ample!
Massey Runners take their post hydration and recovery very seriously and after gathering the group together we made our way into a local hostelry to consume liquid carbohydrates and find probably the only person in Market Drayton who didn’t know about the run, but was very impressed we had come all the way from Coventry to race!
This is an excellent race well worth the £16 entry fee – if you apply before the 31st May you get a £2 discount! – and if like the 201 people so far that have signed up, I will see you there next year!
Massey Times
- Steve Damms 41:36
- Andy Cutting 48:39
- David Goodwin 51:56
- Cathy Keay 54:57
- Daniel Connolly 59:05
- Mary Connolly 59:35
- Ali Virgo 1:02:50
- Anne-Marie Paszkiewicz 1:05:02
- Jane Damms 1:09:16
- Emma Cutting 1:09:27
by Daniel