On Sunday, Newport & District Running Club were represented at the Shrewsbury Half Marathon and Metric Half Marathon, both of which took place on the same day around the streets of the county town, with the start/finish area at the West Mid Showground, just to the north-west of the town centre. The metric race, measuring in at 13.1 km, followed a “lollipop” style course with a lap of Porthill, Kingsland and The Quarry, whilst the full half marathon followed the usual 13.1 miles, which threw in some extra loops around the tow centre, and utilised more out-and back sections for much of the course.
In the metric race, NDRC’s Matt Walley was first back for the Novaportan team, finishing 10th overall, in a field of 353 runners, with a time of 54 minutes, 36 seconds. David Thomas was 44th in a time of 1:06:45, whilst Dale Fordham, tackling the distance for the first time, was 57th with his time of 1:08:16. Stephen Mansbridge clocked 1:34:23 to finish 285th, and Taryn Gronbeck placed 336th with her time of 1:46:12. 1,270 runners took on the full half marathon, and Emma Glanville was the sole NDRC representative, taking 1,063rd position in a time of 2:20:15.
After the race, Dale sent us a report about his experience: ”This was my first attempt at 13.1k. Starting and finishing at The West Mid Showground. The scenic route showcased Shrewsbury’s highlights including the Welsh & English Bridge, Kingsland, Porthill, Coleham, The Quarry, Frankwell, and the picturesque town centre with its medieval buildings and unique streets. A 10 degree, dry overcast morning that later turned to sun. Having never run beyond 12k I set myself a sub 1 hr 10 finish target. I was pleased to cross the line in a chip time of 1hr 8 min 16 sec (1hr 8 min 21 Gun Time). I took full advantage of a free post-run leg massage provided by Move Sports Injury Clinic therapists. I now look forward to Bridgnorth 10k on 19th October.”
Newport & District Running Club 