Lichfield 10k 2011: Race report

The 16th Lichfield 10k race and fun run saw nearly 800 competitors take on the lumpy Staffordshire course in near-ideal running conditions.

In one of the best 10k road races in the region (in my opinion) the race was won by Birchfield Harrier James Trollope in 31minutes 41 seconds.

Marton Whitehouse, of Notts AC, was second in 32:59 and Orlando Corea, of Bournville Harriers, was third in 34:48.

The first woman was Mandy Vernon, of Trentham AC, in 38:18.

Full results can be found here and a summary of category winners can be found here.

A minute's silence was held in memory of the 9/11 victims on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy before the race was started.

The first mile was gently downhill and gave the field a chance to spread out along the Tamworth Road before peeling off along the Whittington Common Road towards Whittington.

There was no chance of a bottleneck and there was plenty of room for runners to hit their stride.

The conditions on the day were close to perfect, with only an occasional strong breeze proving a hinderance.

At 2.5 miles and 3.5 miles there were climbs of around 70 feet over a 500m distance that kept everyone interested in the mentally challenging middle parts of the race.

Once again, there was plenty of support out on the course and the marshalling was excellent.

But runners who were taking on the course for the first time may have been in for a bit of a shock as the final mile was a steady uphill run.

Winding up the pace for a fast finish was not one for the faint hearted.

The support, on the final 100m stretch was fantastic as runners were welcomed across the line by an announcer on a loud speaker plus friends and other runners who had stayed behind to cheer on the fellow competitors.

At the finish line there was bottled water and bananas plus a box of marmite nutritional bars.

The goody bag seemed lighter this year but there it did contain an energy and an energy bar.

And of course there was the wick-away running t-shirt for every competitor.

The Lichfield 10k continues to thrive and attract hundreds of runners.
Much of this is down to the excellent organisation before, during and after the race.
Chips on the running numbers which were pinned to each persons top was a new feature this year.

Results were online within 24 hours.

The price (£15 on race day, a few quid cheaper if you paid in advance and were a member of club) was reasonable and good value for money.

Verdict: 4 stars
Would I run it again: Yes, without a doubt
First man: James Trollope 31:41
First woman: Mandy Vernon 38:18
Last finisher: 1:22:23