Jack Crawford 10K - Race Report

Post date: Mar 14, 2017 9:52:39 PM

By Ewan Smith

Jennifer Martin, Katie Ferguson and Ewan Smith were the CRC contingent at this year's Jack Crawford 10k in Bishopbriggs. For those of you who

have never done it, it takes place each March starting from Bishopbriggs Sports Centre. The first couple of K go round the streets and then it's

an out and back along the Forth and Clyde Canal. Conditions this year were near perfect.

The start is uphill - though not severely so - but I was determined not to make my usual mistake of setting off too fast. That lasted a couple

of hundred metres. Notwithstanding that the Garmin said I was doing 3:55 minute Ks and that Jen was behind me, I decided that there were an

awful lot more folk in front of me than I expected, coupled with which there were so many old people passing me it was like a post office on

pension day so I decided to up the pace which wasn't wise. Later I would discover that out of 220 runners, 53 were sub 39.

Fortunately Jen passed me at that point and sense kicked back in. For weeks at training Jen has been telling everyone that they're " running

really well" despite the fact that pretty much nobody is running as well as she is, so it was just a case of setting a pace a fraction slower

than Jen's and sticking in as we approached the canal.

The turning point is past the half way mark; a fact I'd forgotten when I was congratulating myself on being at 4.8K and not yet having met the

front runners coming back. Soon Jen came into view comfortably in front of a couple of women she'd identified as being really good runners at

the start line. Somehow I managed to run past Katie without seeing her.

Sometimes the headwind on the inward leg can be a factor in this race but while it was more noticeable than on the warm up it wasn't

bothersome Soon I was at the finish in 40:41 which was about what I'd hoped for. Jen was there already and was second lady with a time of

39:50. Katie came in shortly after in a very creditable time of 44.58 and was 9th female home which isn't too shabby at all.

A thought for the older members at this point. The fastest old fla's time was 37:40. Should that inspire you to achieve more or leave you

depressed that your age is no excuse? However Jennifer Martin was CRCs star turn and there's only one way to end this report. " You're running

really well, Jen!"