Race Date: Sunday 28th November 2021

Race Report by Laura Mella

Doncaster 10k 2021 – the cold one!

I started the day feeling smug that I’d had the foresight to move my car onto a main road the night before – the logistics of getting to Doncaster in the aftermath of Storm Arwen took more preparation than the run itself!

After an uneventful journey and arriving safely at Doncaster Racecourse, I scoured the crowds and was happy to spot some Striders huddling in the warmth of the building. This was my first event as a Strider, and I was very happy to be sporting my SCS top, and was thrilled to see so many other Striders there too, and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. After some debate about how many layers was the correct number, and gloves vs. no gloves, we went to line up at the start with the other 1800 runners.

I had set myself a somewhat ambitious target time, and lined up between two pacers to try and meet my target. It was around this time that I regretted my choice to go gloveless – the weather was baltic! Thankfully we were soon on our way so didn’t stay cold for too long. The course itself is a fast one, looping around Doncaster town centre before passing the racecourse again and following a long, straight road with a slight incline before turning back and running into the racecourse for the final 500 metre ‘sprint’. Up ahead of me was Strider Lucy who was running a fantastic pace. I decided to try and catch up with her, but it wasn’t to be – I managed to keep her in my sights but she just got further and further away!

As a very inexperienced runner, I’m not very good at pacing myself and set off a little too fast, running out of steam briefly at about 5km, then getting a second wind, which was quickly replaced by a massive stitch as we got to the turning point after the ‘hill’ (flat by Sheffield standards, but certainly noticeable after the flatness of the rest of the course). Despite the stitch and a recurring knee issue returning to haunt me in the final stretch, I made it to the finish line within my target time and got a new 10k PB. Sadly, Strava thinks it was 9.99km, but I’m refusing to accept that 🙂

I really loved running as a Strider – it was great to look out for the green and gold and wave at other club runners, and for them to wave and smile back! It’s a wonderful sense of community and so good to get a cheer when you’re flagging. It was great.

After the run, we all enjoyed a pie and a hot chocolate, which also came with marshmallows, to my delight. We chatted about the run, including reflections on our choices of clothing. Most agreed that after the cold start they were ok, but some said they were too hot and wished they’d ditched the layers! Clearly made of tougher stuff than me. Well done to everyone who took part, it was a great event. Go Striders!

1822 runners lined up for the Doncaster 10k. Winner of the men’s race was Jordan Skelly of Gainsborough & Morton Striders in a time of 31:15. Winner of the women’s race was Charlotte Ward of City of Hull AC in 34:48. 24 Striders took part.

Striders Results