From Barrie Roberts: I have just started my track middle-distance season! I participated in one of a series of 1 Mile Races held in Nottingham last Thursday Evening. Following a very congested two and a half hour drive from Birmingham, with my wife Katie navigating, I arrived at Notts AC too late to participate in the 7pm 1 Mile Race which I had been allocated. (Allocations were graded according to PBs). However, David Oxland ( a world class M65 athlete on his day, and a personal friend of mine via BMAF) from Notts AC spotted me,and negotiated a place for me in Race 3 (Sub-6min Mile) which took place at 7:30pm. Incidently,David`s firm were sponsoring all the races.
I was relieved to be allowed to run and was grateful to the organisers Notts AC. However, the long drive and lack of a proper pre-Race warm up left me trailing the rest of the field from the Start.(see Notts AC You Tube!) — there is no hiding place in track running!
Quite clearly another FWRA! My time for completing the 1 Mile was 7.02.2 The elite Race ie. TheTim Wealthall Mile, was won by Jake Wightman in a time of 3:59.4 (He has gone much quicker in the Diamond League!)
You can say that again Lesley! If I had run in the race I should have been in,I probably would have been 10-15 seconds faster,and finished in the first third of the field (but that`s water under the bridge now). My fellow competitors in the sub 6 Minute Mile Race Cat. were very polite and waited to clap me over the Finishing Line. They hadn`t all gone home and switched the lights off!
Well done. Barrie – really pleased that you were able to run and the time sounds good – you were just in a very very competitive field!
Well done Barrie! That sounds very respectable especially given the circumstances. Glad you were able to run and it wasn’t a wasted journey.
Well done for sticking with it, Barrie, despite the horrendous drive. A lesser man would have turned round at Tamworth!
Good report Barrie and well done!