On Saturday, Newport & District Running Club were well represented at the Gnosall 10k, a race with a slightly misleading name, as runners don’t reach the finish line until they have completed over 11 kilometres of running. As such, this is one of the toughest races in the local area, with most of the race taking place on fields, tracks, hills and muddy canal towpaths, which test runners’ legs to the limit.
Starting and finishing at Gnosall Family Sports & Social Club, the route takes runners on a clockwise loop of the countryside to the southwest of Gnosall itself, taking in the Millennium Way, the towpath of the Shropshire Union canal (including Cowley Tunnel) and a climb up Broad Hill on their tour of the countryside.
NDRC had three runners finishing in the top 10, all of whom won their age categories, and it was Alex Millington who led the way for the green and purple team, finishing second overall in a time of 43 minutes, 42 seconds. He was followed by David Clarke, who finished 4th overall in 46:11, and Alex Cochrane, who clocked a time of 48:05 in 9th position.
Matthew Walley finished 20th overall with his time of 51:49, whilst Rich Owen came in 33rd in a time of 64:19. David Evans was 46th in 55:49, whilst Mandy Purves was the first NDRC female finisher with her tie of 58:11 in 58th place. David Thomas finished 63rd in 58:31, followed by Dale Fordham, who was 87th in 1:00:21, and Phil Hardy, who was 116th in a time of 1:04:46.
Richard Skingsley stopped the clock at 1:05:25 in 12th position, just ahead of Elly Blake, who was 129th in 1:05:37. Phil Cross clocked 1:06:13 whilst finishing 134th, followed by John Metzger, who was 144th in 1:06:58. Rachel Mander finished 188th with her time of 1:11:32, just 20 seconds ahead of Richard Bennet, who finished 193rd. Kay Wilkinson-Smith finished 221st in 1:14:58, followed by father and son duo Ralph and Matthew Humphries, with Ralph 230th in 1:16:33 and Matthew taking 261st position in 1:21:26.
Newport & District Running Club 