Ed: Keith Gilbert doubles up, normally running here the Park Run 5K and reports:
On May Bank Holiday Monday I ran in the Whitstable 10K. This was the third time for me, so after fuelling up at home on an extra large bowl of porridge with added raisins and light muscovado sugar I cycled the 8 miles between Canterbury and the race HQ in Whitstable using The Sustrans mostly off road Crab and Winkle Way cycle route.
It was a good bright day, but very windy. The course as usual was mostly coastal, with the wind hitting in to you on the outward 5k to Hampton; one assumes that the wind behind you on the return 5k along the seawall would be helpful, it certainly added a very elemental quality to the run!
I ran at a fairly steady pace throughout, and felt quite strong and in control. I had set a goal of sub 50 which I didn’t really expect to achieve, but was happy to have a chip timing of 50:20, coming 273 out of 613 runners. Being a large race and not being too near the front at the start, I probably lost some time through being cramped in for the first 1/2k .
However, it was certainly an improvement on last years 51:01 and in fact a 10k PB for me, if one disregards my racing prehistory! But then I suppose a PB is always a PB.
All in all it was a good day, plenty of crowd support and very well organized by Canterbury Harriers.
On the cycle home, at the mid point winding pond, Sustrans and SPOKES [East Kent Cycle Campaign] were holding a picnic/ small exhibition to mark an anniversary of the opening of The Crab and Winkle Way.