Street 5k - A Farewell Race

Not only was this the 138th race in the 23 year history of the Street 5k winter series, it was also the last race which we had the pleasure of running with Mike and Di..........for a while at least.

Firstly knowing my passion for meaningless statistics as you do, I must tell you that this was the 37th Street 5k that Martin and I have run since our first outing there in January 2005, or in other words we have run the 1k loop of the town centre 185 times - each. This was also the first race I did after I broke my hip - recording a tear inducing 28.05 in November 2005 when I finished about three from last. If I only hadn't stopped on the fourth lap and burst into tears I could have gone sub 28! It's also the only race where I have managed to fall over and sprain my ankle....before the start!

The point I'm trying to make (slowly) is that Street is a race that is dear to our hearts and it was entirely fitting that we had a chance to share it with Mike and Di before they temporarily escape the clutches of Maiden Newton Runners. It was a night when I was proud to be part of the Maiden Newton team - not only Martin and I, Mike and Di, but also Charlie, Richard and Lesley, Dave Carnell and Dave Butt with Jane giving welcome vocal support.

To the race, finally. Having got out of my sick bed the previous evening to droop around at Mike and Di's leaving party, I was in slightly better form 24 hours later. As usual Martin headed off into the distance but the surprise element was Dave Butt charging off after him and opening up a useful lead on me. Dave Carnell was obviously having some difficulty adjusting back to the tarmac from the slippy stuff after his outing at Butleigh on Sunday and I passed him on the first lap but the other Dave stayed stubbornly ahead and it took me until lap four to finally haul him in and pass him. My next target was the leading lady and although I managed to catch her I left it a bit too late and could only sprint across the line on her shoulder recording a time of 19.17, one second slower than her.

The rest of the team finished one by one and the times will all be posted on the results page of the web site but I have to make a special mention of Charlie - last time I lapped her and then ran her last lap with her after I had finished. This time I barely had time to get back down the High Street to run in with her and she finished very strongly knocking 44 seconds off her previous time, absolutely fantastic and boding very well for a good run in London next month.

Off to the presentations where Maiden Newton runners managed to pick up a thing or two and then to the pub for post race festivities. Luckily I have five witnesses to Charlie's rash statement that she intends to run the Grizzly next year...and she hadn't even had a drink!

It was a fantastic evening and the only sad part was having to say fare well to Mike and Di at the end of it. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to have them as club mates and friends and I know that I speak for us all when I say that they will be very much missed. We all wish them the very best of luck and happiness in their new life.

And don't think moving to Wiltshire is going to stop us from tracking you down one of these fine summer evenings....we know where you're going!!