Cirencester Athletics and Triathlon Club

Wychavon Way ‘40’, Droitwich Spa to Broadway, 40 miles trail

Neil Corbiere exploded onto the ultra running scene with a resounding win of the Wychavon Way 40.

With no ultra running experience, knowledge of the route or even trail shoes, Neil made a conservative start to the race, slowly catching up the lead group and then pulling ahead in a group of three.

By the halfway check point, with twenty miles run but twenty more to do, Neil discovered another tried and tested ultra running technique, i.e. not hanging around eating and chatting but rather ‘take what you need and keep going’.

As a result of that and a significant section of road, he pulled away to spend the rest of the race at the front. Like Neil, the other six members of the ever growing ultra team, found the second half more of a test with steep climbs up into cloud and biting winds on top of Bredon Hill and a final seven mile fight to Broadway slipping and sliding across sodden fields with muscle wrenching clods of mud sticking to each foot.

The conventional wisdom is that ultra running requires more mental than physical strength and Neil clearly has what it takes.

By this time he was completely on his own, battling on, with a few navigational errors adding barbed wire fences to the challenge, but finishing 12 minutes ahead of the next runner and in a “very good” time for the course.

Over two hours later ultra experts Lara and Alan Tompson finished together with a very happy Howard Ewan after reluctantly leaving a valiant Karen Higuera to struggle in with a knee issue not far behind. By the time Liza Darroch (supported by Rupert Chesmore) finished, having walked much of the second half, it was dark but, as the only 70+ (male or female) to tackle the event, and some two and a half hours ahead of the tail runners Liza, who like Neil, Howard and Karen was racing further than ever before, could count it as a job well done.

Standings:

1 Neil Corbiere (Cirencester AC) 5.38.02

57 Lara Tompson 7.57.43

58 Alan Tompson 7.57.48

59 Howard Ewan 7.57.49

83 Karen Higuera 8.17.47

106 Liza Darroch 9.27.34

107 Rupert Chesmore 9.27.34

145 finished.

parkruns, 5km trail

Runs of the week to Ollie Campbell’s repeated win and Nicola Denning’s continued fight back to top form - both at Chippenham. Cirencester saw thirteen club members this week with five (including two juniors) finishing in the top ten.

The senior McAdams tackled Pomphrey Hill while Jacob returned to Slough and Rachel Jones ran in Minehead.

Cirencester AC finishers:

Cirencester: 3 Simon Campbell 21.00, 4 Leigh Guilbert 21.39, 7 Lee Lawrence 21.52, 8 Sam Cook (J) 22.05, 9 Tom Prosser (J) 22.21, 28 Kate Sackett 24.00, 29 Dorian Matts 24.03, 31 Gemma Lund 24.29, 60 Rachel Ranger 26.54, 67 Brendan McCarthy 27.11, 70 Gary Wood 27.27, 154 Nina Lawrence 34.50, 192 Pam Wheeler (sweeper) 54.54, 192 finished

Swindon: 266 Barbara Thomas 28.33, 388 David Moss 32.36, 586 finished

Chippenham: 1 Ollie Campbell 18.08, 21 Nicola Denning 22.16, 214 finished

Pomphrey Hill, Bristol: 81 Alan McAdam 25.23, 123 Rachel McAdam 27.08, 322 finished

Black Park, Slough: 15 Jacob McAdam 20.28, 677 finished

Minehead: 48 Rachel Jones 28.33, 125 finished.