We hear from the ever-energetic Sid DeLara, concerning the Romsey 5 and the familiar race vs. Sunday shoppers battle that so many of us have encountered…
Hello. First run of 2009, proved to be heavily involved in the politics and bureaucracy that are always tangled up with sport. The event The Romsey (Hampshire)5 Mile Road Race, now joins a long list of those with an uncertain future. The organisers were told late in the day  by the local council authorities that for the run to go ahead this year, then roads would have to be closed and adequate signage (by their definition) supplied.
This not being a viable option it was intended to arrange an alternative 5 lap course, around the industrial estate where the race starts and ends. Fortunately at the last minute the local authorities decided to let the run go ahead along its normal route.
Running around the course (quiet country roads on a Sunday morning)i could only identify a few cars momentarily held up and no real problematic safety issues caused by the runners. 
 A far more high profile event in this part of the world, attracting runners from all over UK,with a field of 2000plus, is the Totton 10k, a fast flat pb course
(i achieved a PB on this couse 2008) probably will not take place this year, due to disruption to local traffic (is the official line), this race interrupts traffic going to ASDA for a few hours every year.
 What you will also encounter this year as well as cancelled events is earlier start times to avoid the apparent traffic disruption.
  So the Romsey 5 went ahead on Sunday Jan 11th and fortunately the weather was warmer than it had been and the only problem with ice was a 100 metre stretch near the beginning and end. For me it was a slow start to the year, 20 secs lost due to a shoe problem. I now
have Vegan Runners printed across the front of my other club (Southampton RC) vest.