Ashford and District 10k now live

The Photo gallery for the Ashford and District 10k is now live and online here for you:
http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=lifzgf2

Full event details can be found on the race website here: http://www.ashfordanddistrict10k.co.uk/

Just a cheeky quick last call for entries for the Deal Half Marathon next weekend for all you Kent based runners - ideal base training with friends for london. Previously the Dover Half marathon, but rescheduling, re-routing and relocating means the new name is more accurate !
The Deal Half website is here: http://www.dealtri.co.uk/captains/running/dover-mercury-half-marathon

Compared to Bookham yesterday where it was a bit brighter (ISO800, F4, 1/800th), Ashford in Kent was a bit darker (ISO1250, F4, 1/800th) by about 2/3rds of a stop (that's almost half as dark). The light levels were about EV10 if you're wondering - and here's a handy guide. I'm not so sure about the wind - both courses were along hedge cut lanes for large parts of the routes - so probably similar conditions across the south - strong and gusty !

The Ashford and District 10k is organised and administered by Nice Work http://www.nice-work.org.uk/  who organise race and running tours (i.e. trips to overseas marathons) throughout the year.
Please visit their site and see what other races they are organising, and why not try a few others if you enjoyed it this time !

So with the lack of rain, everyone was sorted out and ready at the start line, for what was a very quick start ! A very high turnout meant that the race was at it's entry limits with 759 finishers on the day.

~759 ready and willing at the start

[Runner] Can we go now ?[Chief Marshal]We're ready [Race Director]are you ready ? [stopwatch]Yep

GO !!! Fast movers off the line over the mats

A Fast moving train developed along the roads early on

Helena Penfold established herself near the front early

Michael Coleman (644) and Phil Anthony(661) toughed it out from the start

Apart from the shady bit under the trees with a little bit of mud remained or had washed onto it the course is fast and undulating along open and hedged country roads.

Michael Coleman eventually won the battle to come in at 31:31

Helena at the end winning in 37:57

Rona Loubser came second in just 12 seconds behind Helena in 38:08

Chris Valdus was the first A&D RRC home in 35:00 and 8th overall

Kevin Williams Mens V50 winner from Ashford AC in 36:48

The size of the kebab lunch Steven was going to have later

It's a universal truth - you can't take a photo of yourself when running, or of your friends over your shoulder

'Phoning for a Taxi before the finish can be considered "bad form"

So here's the race gallery - http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=lifzgf2
Don't forget to check through the "000" race numbers in case we couldn't see them.

See you all at The Deal Half next weekend then ! - the website is here: http://www.dealtri.co.uk/captains/running/dover-mercury-half-marathon

Until later in the week, train safe and don't get blown over by this gusty wind if you're going about on your bike..
Anthony


Click here for our race finding link page on the blog

Race Finding links
Who ?	Just click on the Logo
Fetch Everyone: Race finder
The Sussex Race Planner	Sussex Races
Active Network
Run 247
Runners World
Running Diary

Bookham 10k and Fun Run gallery now live

The Bookham 10k Race and Fun Run gallery is now live here: http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=2xuzgfg

More information and results can be found here: http://www.eventstolive.co.uk/

The Ashford and District 10k gallery is still work in progress - eta monday lunchtime.
And if you're googling - no - for reasons beyond our control we didn't cover Great Bentley Half Marathon this year.

The weather at Bookham whilst windy, wasn't as wet, nor as dark as it had been on Saturday over at Pippingford park where I'd been covering a Human Race event. Which was generally "a good thing" all round. I was warm, dry and had nice dry bits of ground to sit on and kneel in that wern't mud.

The Main 10k Race went off on time and very fast through the first kilometer. Here's the first four finishers.

The 3k Fun Run went very well with some great performances

Kids eh ? far too fast for their own good...

For some time now I've been looking for the opportunity to create a visual guide to race number pinning. To many of you - this will be common sense, four pins, each corner, on the front. However, with other sports also using numbers, but on the back, I've had some interesting conversations with a famous DJ explaining - "this is not football", as I gently removed his number from his back and stabbed him in the chest with the safety pins on the front. Oh how we laughed !
Obviously for me, I need to see your race number, as do the finish line timekeeper/position recorders. If it's not pinned to your front with four pins, it's likely I'll say something to you. Most of the time - if you choose to listen to me - it will slow you down a bit - here's what we see:

The two pin mistake

The two pin mistake: because you put a pin top and bottom - it flapped together - so I asked you to unflap your number - result - you slow down, and I get a shot of you holding your number. Not your best pose, not your worst, but potential to be a bit better.

The took top off which had the number

The top-and-back: you started off with too many layers, but at least your number is visible from the back. If I'm quick I can get a shot of that - which helps with the cataloguing. But again - it's not your best look (most of the time).

If you're trying to make it particularly tricky - then you can do the two-pin flappy number on your back like this:

the two pin, top off, on back technique

This leaves me with a serious problem in terms of indexing the images - because how in hells chance have I got of getting this one right ?. Depending on how near the finish I am I might have a chance from looking at the results if they are done.

Get the number out ! Two pin flappy inside the top.

After that, then you might also go for the two pin, flappy number on the front, but under the tracksuit top. This results in quite a bit of verbal engagement where I request you to show me something under your top. Hopefully you hear me clearly and don't have any earphones in and still have a sense of humour...

Correct numbering technique

If this all goes to plan - then it should look something like the picture above - good numbering and a good race, plus a catalogue of pictures to look at easily !
Also - if it's manual race number recording, then it's not just for the galleries benefit - it's your race results too - if the timekeepers don't get your number - then it's not just your race position that gets affected - it's others too !

vibrams finger shoes - you actually just hover all the way round

So, if you remember all that about your race number, then the next thing to remember is your shoes...and whatever you do don't mention tri-belts to me.

Well done everyone on a great days running around at Bookham up and around the Surrey Hills in near perfect conditions. I really must get myself out there...some of you looked like you enjoyed it far too much.

up the last slope to the finish in another 1k

So, pictures here: The Bookham 10k Race and Fun Run gallery is now live here: http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=2xuzgfg 

and my recent foray into popular journalism is here (if 4500 blog readers isn't enough !) http://www.run247.com/columns/sussexsportphotography.html

 Right, off to bed now, the Superbowl half time score is 21-10 to GreenBay and the Black Eyed Peas wern't that good, and it's an early start to get the kids to school.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention I lost two days last week getting the facebook "like" button to work on the gallery - it really does work this time, with direct linking back to the photo you like from your facebook feed. It should make it extremely easy to show people what you were up to at the weekend. Give it a go and let me know what you think !

Until sometime soon,
Anthony


Click here for our race finding link page on the blog

Race Finding links
Who ?	Just click on the Logo
Fetch Everyone: Race finder
The Sussex Race Planner	Sussex Races
Active Network
Run 247
Runners World
Running Diary