On Sunday, five members of Newport & District Running Club took on the Bridgnorth 10k. Starting and finishing at the iconic Town Hall, the undulating route flows through High Town, Low Town and the surrounds of the Shropshire market town. The steep hill of The Cartway awaits runners at approximately 2 kilometres, and the sting in the tail of the race is the even steeper Railway Street hill, which lies in wait at the 9.5 kilometre point.
David Thomas was the first NDRC finisher, completing the course in 48 minutes, 54 seconds to take 86th place overall. Philip Link was next, in 131st place, with a time of 52:40, whilst Dale Fordham took 160th spot with his time of 54:28. Philip Hardy ran a time of 56:37 to finish 198th, whilst Emma Glanville was 211th overall in a time of 57:38.
Dale Fordham said of the race: “This was my first attempt at the Bridgnorth 10k. It was an 11am start, a cool 12 degrees with drizzle made for my first wet race since January. Due to the undulation, I set myself a sub-1 hour goal, and was pleased to cross the line in 54:28. It was well marshalled, well supported and a field of 449 runners made for an enjoyable yet challenging experience.”
Phil Hardy said afterwards: “This was my first time running this race. Enjoyable but challenging, with two very steep sections back into High Town near the start of the race from the old Town Hall and in the final 1k up to the finish line. It was a dull chilly day, and, typically, it started to rain just before the 11am start, but the drizzle was quite refreshing. There were great views from High Town by the beautiful Old Cliff Railway, and a long downhill section along the bypass back into town. We were very well supported on the route! A large donation from the money raised goes to a good cause in Severn Hospice, and overall it was an enjoyable race in a lovely local market town with lots of pubs and cafes.”
Newport & District Running Club 