Blyth Links 10k, 26th August 2025
The last Tuesday in August has become an important fixture in the calendar for some Claremont Road Runners. It heralds the opening event of the North Shields Poly Grand Prix, a series of handicap races that primarily take place on the first Tuesday of every month from October to March, running approximately 5.5km through the wintry darkness at Whitley Bay. Points are accrued and handicaps adjusted each month based on performance, with the former contributing to both individual and team standings.
However, the series always kicks off somewhat incongruously with an opening 10k at Blyth Links, piggybacking on a Blyth Running Club event. This year we have entered three 8-person teams, with 19 of that cohort making it to the start line tonight. This was my 5th year running in the event, and every time it has unfailingly delivered a lovely sunny evening (temperatures and wind have varied!).
One thing that was very much changed this year was the familiar route, formerly an out-and-back that started from the Mermaid Car Park, wound through the undulating dunes up to Seaton Sluice, out round a nice traily bit of headland by Collywell Bay, past the Delaval Arms, before retracing our steps all the way back through the dunes, ending with a dash along the promenade and rounding the bandstand to the finish line.
Not so this year. Limited information was available prior to the race, but we gleaned that the start would now be somewhere on the prom, that it would be ‘laps’ and that the furthest point would be at the playpark by Seaton Sluice Beach, mimicking the turning point for April’s Port Of Blyth race, and only halfway to the furthest point on the old route. At time of writing, it’s not clear what has prompted these changes. Not wanting to send marshals out quite so far? Decided it was too much hassle managing the crossing of road junctions in Seaton Sluice? Whatever the reason, the route is still an easy and fairly picturesque one, especially in the summery evening glow, just perhaps a little less varied.
As it transpired, we started down at the south end of the prom, running out and around the Dave Stephens Centre, heading south into the dunes for a little under a mile, before turning on to the road and running back north. Once we reached the entrance to the dunes again, we repeated that stretch, only this time we eschewed the original turn, and ran as far as the promised playpark, before again turning back north onto the road, running all the way down past the car park, around the top of the bandstand area, to leg it down the prom (in the opposite direction to which we’ve become accustomed!) and finish back at the start.
Route admin done. This was my first proper 10k race since the same event a year ago, a mere few days before I was hit by lengthy injury hell, so I had what I thought was a realistic, if slightly conservative target time, based on how the 5k’s had been going. As per, the initial stages were a little faster than target pace, but I persisted, running with Anton until roughly halfway, at which point he clearly felt I was holding him back, and proceeded to steadily disappear into the distance. A south-westerly wind gave us a bit of pushback on the way out, but I’ve definitely battled a lot worse running through those dunes.
The second 5k was naturally a little slower than the first, but I was happy with how I maintained, despite my old friend abdominal stitch nagging at me throughout that second half, and was rewarded with a time a good couple of minutes faster than what I’d predicted I’d be capable of (and surprisingly when I removed my socks later, one bloody toe).
I’ve personally found this race (and the series as a whole) tends to bring out good performances, and Harry Mawdsley reinforced this idea, smashing his PB by around 40 seconds, and finishing a brilliant 4th.
Unfortunately, the story of the day was Peter Noble. Making his debut in the event, having joined the club at the start of the year, Pete has been running fantastically. He’s already put in stellar performances in club colours, and seen various PB’s tumble impressively. So it was he lined up at the start, his eye on another PB, the scene set for a strong run, and on his birthday no less. Sadly, a recurring achilles niggle become more persistent as the race went on, to the point Pete sensibly decided to stop pushing, a little before halfway.
Not to be deterred, he admirably stuck at it, and finished the course walking, applauded over the line by his waiting clubmates and officials. A birthday pint at the Delaval Arms possibly took the edge off the self-proclaimed “worst birthday ever”. All of us wish Pete a speedy recovery, and to see him back running as soon as possible!
Thanks to Julie for coming out, despite gashed knees forcing her out of tonight’s race, to take a plethora of photos, and Gill and the O’Brien’s for forming a formidable cheerleading squad.
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 4 | Harry Mawdsley | 34:29 |
| 30 | Luke O’Neill | 39:07 |
| 33 | Anton Mirafsari | 39:26 |
| 44 | Laurie Johnson | 41:13 |
| 52 | Tom Tinsley | 41:59 |
| 79 | Dave Roberts | 44:32 |
| 87 | Nicki O’Brien | 45:42 |
| 122 | Holly Porter | 49:13 |
| 129 | Cate Walker | 49:42 |
| 131 | Dean O’Brien | 49:51 |
| 134 | Anna Round | 50:06 |
| 141 | Nina Jensen | 50:50 |
| 148 | Tara Hipwood | 51:15 |
| 155 | Lena Lou | 52:18 |
| 159 | Aaron Mansell | 53:03 |
| 160 | Alex Harding | 53:04 |
| 196 | Janet Palmer | 58:53 |
| 201 | Rose Hawkswood | 59:42 |
| 229 | Peter Noble | 79:58 |
