Richard Burton 10k - 28th March

Looking at the website for this race you expect the course to be fairly flat or downhill as part of the description reads ‘The course is designed for runners of all abilities, and is intended to create the maximum opportunity for fast times.’  So you might expect something like the Cardiff 10k, fairly flat with some sharp corners maybe but nothing to slow you down too much.  I wasn’t planning on entering but Andrew Russell pulled out and I take the opportunity presented on the forum.  As raceday approaches I ask a few people who’ve run the race before what the course is like and there’s talk of a steep hill near the end but mostly fast and flat.  I should be used to being wound up by now (after coming to many club nights and training sessions!) but combined with the website description I take them at their word.  I check out the course map and enter it onto gmap-pedometer.com, the elevation is revealed, 1-3k fairly flat, 3-5k – uphill (a climb of about 80m from the end of the 3rd to halfway through the 5th), 6-8k another similarly long climb!  All of this on roads that wind their way up and along the side of a valley, ‘maximum opportunity for fast times’ – I don’t think so!  

URL of  saved route (distance is not 100% accurate):

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3579888 
 

All part of the challenge though and a week after a good run for me at Atlantic College on a similarly undulating course, although not as winding or as steep. On raceday, championship points were looking good for me with the fastest guys in the club at the San Domenico 20, in Berlin, or otherwise engaged.  Mick Mcgeoch and Lyndon Tudor-Maisey were my closest competitors from Les Croupiers, and Lyndon had dropped out because he was ill – no foul play on my part!  I’m running about the same pace as Mick this spring so I stay with Mick for the first 3k, as I did at Atlantic College  I started to pull away from him after 5k, and by the 9th k I was looking to see if he was on my shoulder anymore.  Mick has said that hills don’t suit him, even downhill, and I can believe this as I got in front of him on Atlantic College too, we’ll see what happens on the flat later this year!  The 9th k though is great for me, all downhill and I make up some time lost on the uphill sections. I catch up with the fourth place lady and my pace is looking good for a sub 38min finish which was my goal. The last k is fairly flat, I am getting tired but holding my ground and I see what looks like a finish line a couple of hundred metres away so I change up a gear for a fast finish (not exactly a sprint though, I am too tired for that).  Unfortunately it’s not the finish line it’s a line of bunting where the course turns off the main road and round into the finishing straight.  I’m strong enough to hold my position though and as I am about to run across the finish line I see 37:36 on the race clock.  I am well pleased with this and the usual post-race swapping of times takes place in it’s usual sporting way.  The other Les Croups have performed well, Mick, shortly after me, and Scott Hemmens beating 40 mins, John Davies and Gary John also reportedly had a good race.  The publishing of the results for this race is often slow so I’ve been told, but I do have a file of the results e-mailed to me by Scott Hemmens who e-mailed one of the organisers.   These results will be available via this report or on the Results pages of this website at some point in time. 

For a small race there was a large prize fund (about £2400 in total, £500 first male, £100 first vet, £300 first lady etc) and this drew a competitive field. There were 211 finishers, the top ten were all under 34 mins, and on a course like this where you can add a minute onto your current form that is very fast. To give you an idea look at the top twenty in the results which should appear soon.  

Overall I had a good experience of the race. As I was approaching Port Talbot on the M4 I was glad that the course is in Cwmafan a couple of miles north of all the industry, and the air quality at the race certainly seemed good.  While the course was challenging the uphill didn’t slow me down too much (all those Monday night hill sessions!) and there were some fast sections.  Directions to parking were clearly sign-posted and the route was well marshalled.  A complimentary cake was a surprise after the race and the goodie-bag was well stocked.  Credit must go to the organisers for their efforts.

Matt Hurford

Selected results:

POS	NAME	AGE	CLUB	TIME
1	MATT BOWSER	SM	LINCOLN WELLINGTON	30:38:00
2	MARC HOBBS	SM	SWANSEA HARRIERS	31:23:00
3	CRAIG HOPKINS	SM	SWANSEA HARRIERS	31:25:00
6	AUSTIN D DAVIES	V40	BRECON	32:49:00
13	EMILY PIDGEON	SW	STROUD A/C	34:40:00
18	ALAN DAVIES	V50		35:44:00
20	REBECCA RANDALL	SW	BRISTOL AND WEST	36:15:00
24	ANDREA WHITCOMBE	V35	SWANSEA HARRIERS	36:56:00
30	MATT HURFORD	SM	LES CROUPIERS	37:37:00
33	MICH MCGEOCH	V50	LES CROUPIERS	37:55:00
53	SCOTT HEMMENS	SM	LES CROUPIERS	39:54:00
54	JOHN DAVIES	V50	LES CROUPIERS	40:13:00
124	GARETH JOHN	V50	LES CROUPIERS	49:21:00

Comments

[Mick]

Thanks, Matt - I enjoyed that. Richard Burton is a tough race, compared to most 10 km events. It's probably worth an additional minute for most people. You may know that the original race was scheduled for 10 January, but the snow and ice put paid to that. I think the race is a bit of a throwback - it's got a bit of a Nos Galan feel to it, switchback streets and the local community standing at their doorsteps watching the athletes speed by. As Matt has mentioned, there is some pretty serious prize money, which does attract some pretty serious athletic talent - the running gravevine is very effective.
I enjoyed the later date - nice early spring weather which made for a good sharpener for marathon runners, and good stamina training for those about to embark on a track season. For those who've been around a few years, the following list of past winners might be of interest.

Cwmafan (Richard Burton Memorial) 10 km
Cwmafan WAL
Web Site: www.richardburton10k.squarespace.com
Race Winners (27 runnings)
11 Jan 2009 31:30 Simon Lawson (WAL) 37:58 Melanie Ellis (WAL)
06 Jan 2008 30:42 Simon Jones (WAL) 35:11 Andrea Whitcombe (ENG)
14 Jan 2007 31:02 Richard Gardiner (WAL) 34:12 Andrea Whitcombe (ENG)
08 Jan 2006 31:00 Simon Jones (WAL) 37:02 Annmarie Hutchison (WAL)
09 Jan 2005 31:27 Simon Jones (WAL) 38:07 Emily Crowley (WAL)
11 Jan 2004 32:29 Martin Rees (WAL) 38:01 Ruth Pickvance (ENG)
12 Jan 2003 31:24 Martin Rees (WAL) 35:48 Annmarie Hutchison (WAL)
13 Jan 2002 31:27 Martin Rees (WAL) 36:14 Ruth Pickvance (ENG)
21 Jan 2001 30:52 Mark Morgan (WAL) 35:41 Ruth Pickvance (ENG)
16 Jan 2000 31:16 Shaun Tobin (WAL) 36:42 Frances Gill (WAL)
10 Jan 1999 30:58 Andres Jones (WAL) 36:26 Frances Gill (WAL)
11 Jan 1998 30:35 Andres Jones (WAL) 35:24 Frances Gill (WAL)
12 Jan 1997 30:51 Mark Hudspith (ENG) 36:14 Frances Gill (WAL)
14 Jan 1996 30:16 Steve Brace (WAL) 35:21 Wendy Ore (WAL)
08 Jan 1995 30:45 Shaun Tobin (WAL) 38:03 Lisa Carthew (WAL)
09 Jan 1994 30:03 Steve Brace (WAL) 37:26 Lisa Carthew (WAL)
10 Jan 1993 31:39 Steve Brace (WAL) 35:04 Jo Thompson (ENG)
12 Jan 1992 29:23 Ian Hamer (WAL) 38:16 Viv Coneely (IRL)
13 Jan 1991 29:58 Steve Brace (WAL) ntt Frances Gill (WAL)
14 Jan 1990 31:02 Greg Newhams (WAL) ntt Debbie Chick (WAL)
15 Jan 1989 30:32 Steve Brace (WAL) ntt Frances Gill (WAL)
10 Jan 1988 Steve Jones (WAL)
11 Jan 1987 30:43 Anthony O’ Kell (ENG) ntt Liz Francis (WAL)
12 Jan 1986 John Theophilus (WAL)
13 Jan 1985 Alun Cole (WAL)
15 Jan 1984 Alun Roper (WAL)
Alun Roper (WAL)
Notes: 1983 was the inaugural year.