Autumn Shakespeare Raceways 5k, Half and Marathon - 15 November 2014
The Autumn Shakespeare Raceways event at Long Marston is held twice-yearly, raising funds for Kids Run Free, and offers the unique opportunity to race over a range of distances, all from the same start line.
Runners complete the number of 5k laps appropriate to their event, ranging from 1 lap for the 5K to 8 and a bit laps for the marathon. It’s not pretty; but it is flat and potentially fast (if it isn’t blowing a gale). It also boasts the squeakiest short stretch of smooth tarmac on the planet (a drag-racing strip).
And where else can you run a marathon or half marathon with friends and family for company for the first few kilometres? The laps include numerous switch-backs which give lots of opportunity to wave to club-mates and see how many runners are slower than you.
Debbie Davidson was undertaking the Half Marathon, with daughter Rosie running the 5k.
Susan Hunt was attempting to break 4 hours for the Marathon (again) with son Christopher and hubby Mick running the 5k.
Steve Edwards was also running the Marathon and hoping for a sub 3:15 (the goal of 300 now tantalisingly close). He was very happy to find one so close to home and also on a Saturday (giving him and, more importantly, Teresa an extremely rare chance to spend Sunday at home).
In the early stages of the race, the 5k Hunt duo found themselves briefly running alongside Steve (equivalent to finding yourself driving alongside Lewis Hamilton on the M6?), before Steve purposefully accelerated off into the distance. Suitably inspired, Christopher and Mick stormed to the finish in 6th and 7th place overall, with Rosie Davidson hot on their heels in 8th place (in 23:09, 23:07 and 23:20 respectively).
In the Half Marathon, Debbie Davidson looked extremely comfortable (maybe because she is used to swimming a lake and cycling up a mountain as a warm-up to her run). She was delighted to run a personal best time of 1:43:47.
The Marathon course included 41 hair-pin bends, which Steve and Susan must have taken rather too wide, as both their Garmins recorded that they ran almost half a mile over the standard marathon distance.
It was Steve’s 659th marathon and he finished in 3:11:08 (his 288th sub 3:15 race). It was Susan’s 9th attempt to break 4 hours in the marathon and she was the happiest person on the airfield when she finished 5th Lady in 3:49:21.
Highlights
Susan Hunt smashes her marathon PB and goes sub-4, at the Autumn Shakespeare Raceways marathon in 3:49:21.
Debbie Davidson PBs at the Shakespeare Raceways Half Marathon in 1:43:47.
Steve Edwards completes his 659th marathon and his 288th sub 3:15 race.
All photos by Darren Davidson.
Other reports may be found on our recent race reports page.