Midweek ‘Scorchio’ Race Results

21 July 2016 - By Anita Grainger

Whilst most club members enjoyed the sunshine and continued heatwave in the UK three of our members took part in races. Why oh why I hear you ask …… I was asking myself the same question mid race!

Alex Stuckey and Anita Grainger ventured across to Battersea Park to participate in the annual JPM Chase Corporate Challenge. Companies across London swap their business attire for running gear with a multitude of team coloured shirts over the course of 2 evenings. Imagine commuting home with 15,000 runners trying to get to Battersea Park from Waterloo Station. The crowd of runners trying to exit at Queenstown Road was busy with slow progress to say the least!

The 5.6km race commenced at 6.45pm and loops round the edges of the park on the first lap past the lakes with a beautifully sunny stretch along Chelsea Embankment (well beautiful for a summer stroll not to race along in scorchio conditions!) followed by a slightly smaller inside lap with a teaser straight past the finish line around the 5km mark. As Alex and Anita have both run the route before they knew what to expect. What neither of them anticipated was the heat nearing 30 degrees, far too hot to race in, well attempt to. Anita’s JP Morgan Team t-shirt was black, who races in black kit in the heat and not even vest tops! Hopefully Alex’s Nord LB shirt was a more summer friendly colour. As expected both posted slower times than usual with Alex finishing in 25.33 and Anita just missing the 30 minute mark in 30.01.

Back in Essex Dave Campbell took on the new track 10k Essex Champs race over at Braintree at the slightly later time of 7.30pm while Alex and Anita were rehydrating and trying to cool down post race in Battersea. Dave finished 14th in 39.22 again slightly down on the speed he runs in non ovenheat conditions. I hear he lapped quite a few people on his dizzy 25 lap escapade. The question is did he cool (warm) down going the other way to unwind?!

Well done all, good to see the temperature is now dropping a little to more agreeable running conditions.