It was a very long day for this race. I normally travel with my friend Martin who lives in Fulwood. However, Martin wasn’t feeling well so plan B was to travel to Manchester on the train. I got to Dore station to find the train was cancelled! Time for plan C, drive to Manchester. This was non-trivial as the distance was further than the range of my electric car, I had to stop and get a charge on the motorway.

In spite of all this I arrived in good time. I did 900m to warm up before the start. We had a change of course from usual, we normally go down the hill from Simister into Heaton Park, turn round and come back for one 5km lap. However, the bit of the course near the usual start and finish has rather busy traffic and not much pavement. The start is now 300m further down the hill where the pavement is wider.

9 of the old fogies who walk for Lancashire Walking club lined up, it was cold, windy day. Off we went, immediately our champion walker Adrian took the lead, I was just behind him with Nigel. Soon working hard to hang on, as was Nigel, I was wondering how long I could hang on for. Down the hill and into the park, around 2km Adrian started to pull away so I speeded up to follow him, Nigel was just behind. On to the new 2.5km turnaround and we headed back. Adrian kept putting in surges to get clear but I was hanging on by my fingernails. I was hoping we would drop Nigel so I would be clear in 2nd and then I would let Adrian go. Back up the hill to the start, end of lap 1 in 31.02, just behind Adrian who stopped!

Lap 2 I was in the lead with Nigel 6s behind, kept going hard down the hill but not flat out, my left hamstring was complaining. I was doing enough to stay ahead. Back to the park and turn again, very tired by now. I tried to gradually pick up the pace and pull away but about halfway on the way back Nigel came past. I just sat behind him until 500m to go and then gradually speeded up. Very hard work at the end but I kept going to win in 62.30, 14s ahead of 2nd.

Very pleased and surprised to win, I didn’t think I would go that fast, my best time for a few years. 900m very slow post-race recovery before getting back inside.