On Saturday, Newport & District Running Club were well represented at the Gnosall 10k(ish), a popular local race which is not for the faint-hearted! Measuring in at 11.2 kilometres (hence the “ish”), the race takes runners on a tour of the local countryside near the village of Gnosall, with participants having to deal with a particularly muddy section of canal towpath (the bit in a deep cutting that never sees the sun), fields, deeply rutted farm tracks, fields woodland hills, a boardwalk and a former railway line. 

Left to right: Andrew Wilmot, Ralph Humphries, Kay Wilkinson-Smith, Phil Hardy, David Thomas, John Metzger

Matthew Walley was 4th overall, and the first NDRC runner to cross the line, in a time of 44 minutes, 5 seconds. David Clarke was next, taking 18th place with a time of 49:38, whilst David Thomas was 64th in 55:58. Richard Bennett finished 84th with his time of 57:59, whilst John Metzger finished 114th in 1:02:07, just ahead of Kay Wilkinson-Smith, who clocked a time of 1:02:57 in 127th position. Phil Hardy came in 132nd with his time of 1:04:13, just ahead of Phil Cross, who was 154th 1:06:16 Ralph Humphries took a tumble into the mud, but recovered to finish 248th in a time of 1:15:00, whilst Rachael Hughes finished 327th with her time of 1:31:27.

Ralph Humphries was covered in mud by the end!