Challenging conditions for Boston runners

On a rather wet and cold Mother’s Day over 1,330 runners took to the roads around Stamford and Burghley, joined by 14 runners from Boston Community Runners. Despite the very wet conditions from the start, BCR were raring to go and unfazed by the puddles and mud.

The 7-mile mixed terrain route started off in the beautiful grounds of Burghley House estate on the driveway heading towards the Tudor gatehouse of Bottle Lodges. Runners then headed out onto the rare traffic-free Georgian streets of Stamford. They then looped through woodland, the deer park and rolling fields up some challenging hills, before heading back into the private area of the estate where the runners were treated to a downhill finish in front of the magnificent Burghley House.

Many of the black and yellow stripes beat their previous course times despite the conditions and it was Steve Roberts who led the club runners home in a time of 45.27. Not far behind was Steven Bates who smashed last years time by clocking 49.17. Nick Turner crossed the line next in 52.30 with Jill Coleman getting a 2nd in her age category with a 54.55 finish. Sam Hewson stopped the clock at 55.54 and Elektra Roberts also grabbed a sub hour in 58.46. Just over the hour came Sarah Lea in 1.00.25 followed closely by Karen Hindle in 1.01.12 and Neil Goodwin in 1.01.24. Sharon Houghton stopped the clock in 1.03.41 seconds ahead of Tracie Charles in 1.03.45. Kevin Hindle had a fine run in 1.10.05 with Lesley Buswell not far back in 1.12.22 and Mary Turner getting quicker with every run finishing in 1.15.38

Also on that cold wet Sunday Clare Teesdale took part in the Oundle 20-mile race, alongside over 380 other runners. The race takes place over an undulating course and sends runners through pretty Northamptonshire villages and round country lanes and is another event used for those training for their spring marathons. Despite the bad weather once again, Clare was only 15 seconds off her course PB and was very pleased with her run. The weather seemed to be the same all over the country as it was the same wet and grey clouds that greeted around 1,500 runners who gathered in the Market Square in Nottingham to take part in the Run for All Nottingham 10k.

The event returned with a new city centre route which started in the Old Market Square and wound its way round the city before passing by the Motorpoint Arena and the Park Estate before finishing inside Nottingham Castle’s ancient walls. Clare Jenning was the sole BCR representative and again, despite the conditions she ran her second quickest 10k finishing in 54.08

Boston Community Runners are a running club for all abilities and distances. They also offer a RunWalkRun group and a Walking with Purpose group. They meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at about 6.50pm for a 7pm start from Peter Paine on Rosebery Avenue. You'll find many at Saturday parkruns and members also arrange weekend social runs. For further information about the club and it's activities visit www.bostoncommunityrunners.co.uk or search Boston Community Runners on Facebook.