Night of the PB's Part 4 (May 2017)
The first race of the day was the Men’s E Race
Lawrence Avery, a V35, from Kent AC, won in a personal best of 31:57.8. His previous best was 32:57. The second and third runners, out of the 25 starters, also did personal bests, to set things alight for the rest of the day and, to confirm the ideas of Ben Pochee’s as ‘The Night of the 10k Personal Bests’ where ever possible, was the express aim for most.
In 2nd place was Rowan Preece, an Under 23; from Taunton in 31:59.8 and 3rd Nick Buckle of Belgrave was next In 32:15.6.
Lawrence Avery His plans for the race “Just to stick in the main group... Try and keep in the group, stay back and keep an even pace.’
‘I knew in training I had run faster than that so, I knew I was capable of running faster than my PB’
‘I first started running four years ago. I did the Paris marathon, when I did just under 3 hours.
‘I did 2:29.53 in the London in 2016. I trained 90 miles a week for that one. Ken Pike is my coach at Kent AC. It is a great group to train with. That has made me improve, joining Kent AC really. I joined them in 2014.’
‘To-day I did not think I was going to win but come second. It was in the last 200m”,
The Men’s D race
James Turner won in a PB, Brighton & Hove AC “It was my second 10k on the track doing 31: 53.49 so, I was really happy as, it was not long after the London, when I did 2:27.55. Last week I did a 5k in about 15:56’
‘I started running five years ago in the Army. I have been running properly for about 2 or 3 years now. My training group, The 'AB training group' they have improved me a lot. It’s a great club. The Carter’s are down there, Richard and Chris and, my coach is Allison Benton.’
‘James Turner regarding the race “I stayed behind the group because it is a long way, then, suddenly people, started peeling off. I went with 3k to go as I felt strong really”
The next two runners in the race were Fergal Smithwick of Highgate Harries (31:51.70) and Richard Gregory ((31:59.74) a v35 from Ranelagh Harriers and, like the winner set a PB.
Fergal Smithwick “I was following Elliot Hind (who was 5th in 32:11.98. Hind had moved up a grade, as last year, he won the first race in 33:17.87)- He was helping me out. He kept on moving around guys and I kept following him, keeping on the back of that guy as, I knew he was a strong runner. I, kept trying to pick off another guy. it was ‘77’ laps and I wanted to do ‘78’s to begin with but the pace was good, I was feeling OK and Ben Pochee, my coach told me I should attack the last 10 laps and I did not move till then and just went through.”
31:57.70 was a great improvement for him from 32:52.
The Men’s C race
Ben Johnson of Southport Waterloo ran a 30:40.21, which was a PB and that was something the next seven behind him did. In 2nd place was Robert Warner of Blackburn (30:46.13) and 3rd Japanese runner, Akiharu Kiyagawa, from Nottingham University, who ran round in 30:51.62.
In some of the earlier stages Jonathan Cornicsh of Hercules Wimbledon was in the lead and although he ended up 14th he ran a PB of 31:23.27
30 finished.
Ben Johnson 28, “It was a great group working together for the first 6k to 7k. I stayed in the group before making my move, till about a mile to go maybe’
“I did the London this year in 2:21.46. I was really happy with that because it was a big PB (From 2:26.35 in 2016).”