North Tyneside 10K race, 17th October 2021
Richard reports on a lovely race.
On Easter Sunday 2020 (Easter Sunday being the traditional date for this race), I cycled the race route on deserted roads with a grey and cold sky above for company. We were in the reality of Covid lockdown with the Good Friday relays also cancelled. The rest is history with cancelled and postponed races galore – indeed enough to fill up most calendars once races were allowed to resume!
And so fittingly under a milky sky with glimpses of sun and warm rays and a rainbow, an old favourite, The North Tyneside 10k returned in October 2021 held-over from Easter 2020.
As usual a merry group of sky blue Claremonters assembled with the other runners at the Parks Sports Centre in North Shields for a 10am start. It’s a glorious race route from North Shields to St Mary’s Island (arguably not as glorious as the Pier to Pier from South Shields to Roker but that is biased by my new locale!!).
With a sound of the race horn off we set. First an easy 1km along the main road from the Sports Centre to the downhill stretch on Borough Road. There after the route takes you along the North Shields Fish Quay and around the breakwater with lovely views across the bay to the rise up to Collingwood Monument – there cheered on by Bill. A gentle down followed by a decent push up to the Gibraltar Rock pub. From there the route is all along the coast to the car park on the way to St Mary’s Island passing through Cullercoats and Whitley Bay. For those familiar with either Whitley Bay parkrun or the Poly Grand Prix the route has elements of both, but fortunately not the driving wind and rain of the most recent Grand Prix outing!
Well marshalled throughout with drinks at 5km. A nice T shirt at the finish although this year it is sky blue so not easy to spot the other Claremont finishers! Then bus back to the start was provided to make it an easy to plan this linear run (no I was not running back to start!).
Some good performances all round but shout to Sarah (8th female overall and 2nd in age group and for Mungai 2nd in age category).
Position | Runner | Time |
84 | Sarah Kerr | 40:31 |
92 | Paul Robinson | 41:01 |
175 | David Lydall | 44:30 |
222 | Nicki O’Brien | 45:46 |
223 | Mungai Wairia | 45:50 |
231 | Isabel Neatrour | 46:11 |
357 | Richard Slack | 49:08 |
643 | Marie Slack | 55:17 |
645 | Tara Hipwood | 55:20 |
834 | Janet Palmer | 59:11 |
838 | Cath Robson | 59:49 |
1017 | Alice Vialard | 63:48 |
Full results are here.