Sublime Winter 10k – more like a Spring 10k

When you think a winter 10k, you think of frosty cold morning but today the sun was shining and hardly a cloud in the sky. It felt more like a morning in April than a morning in February.

Registration was from 8am until 9.30pm at the Discovery Den with the race starting at 10am for the masses, 9.45am start for anyone whose finish time was 80 minutes or longer. Plenty of parking available with runners asked to park in the overflow in Oak meadows and a code provided for a discounted price £2. Bag drop was also provided at the Discovery Den

The Start and finish was by the Roman barn, where parkrun finishes. 757 runners were allocated into pens based on their finish time they put when entering but the start was not staggered. Once the gun went runners were funnelled through a narrow start, which helped reduced the congestion on the narrow paths of the course.

As you would expect in Ferry Meadows the course was scenic and relatively flat, with a few ups and downs. Those who has run Peterborough parkrun would be familiar with the start as we head towards the little bridge to turn right in between Lynch Lake and Gunwade Lake. We continued towards the water sports café where we followed the path round to take us along the railway. Although the funnelled start helped reduce congestion at the start, along the railway is quite narrow and was congested, making it not easy to keep a steady pace. The course then took a climb up Mill Lane, Loves Hill and down Ferry Hill where it continued towards and through Bluebell Woods, past the golf course and over the bouncy bridge. We were took along the path towards and around Overton lake, towards the café, with the finish just to your right but you had to turn left down Ham lane and then right to follow the path round a field and past the water sports café again. With the finish close the course continued up past Gunwade lake and right to past Lynch Lake and up the last little hill to the finish.

At the finish you were presented with a medal, technical t-shirt, water and a goody bag of cheesy puffs, chocolate bar, carton of juice and banana plus some leaflets and £5 voucher for Advance performance.

Results were processed quickly and pinned up outside the cafe by the time you had walked back to bag drop.

Overall it was very well organised and a lovely local run.