Countdown to one of Gainsborough's biggest sporting events of the year

There is little more than a week to go until the annual Gainsborough and Morton 10k race and associated junior fun run, now in their sixth year.

The event has grown so quickly in popularity that it was ranked last year as the fifth best 10k in the country by the people who know best -- the athletes who compete. Indeed entries for this year’s race sold out in record time, with the final place snapped up almost three months before the starter’s gun will sound.

The race, on Sunday, March 19, will follow its usual route, starting by Field Lane in Morton before turning into Laughton Road and then on to Carr Lane. Runners reach the halfway mark just before East Stockwith, where they turn towards, and through, Walkerith for the final two-kilometre dash, or stagger, to the finish line in Field Lane.

As in previous years, there will be road closures on the morning of the race. The race organiser, Kevin Housham, said: “Leaflets have been sent out to the households likely to be affected by the closures, and we really appreciate the co-operation of all the local residents.”

Housham, who has managed to combine the organisation of the event with his punishing training schedule for next month’s London Marathon, added: “The course is one of the flattest in the country, so there is great potential for runners to achieve a personal best time on it.”

The course records are 30.53 minutes for male runners and 34.07 minutes for female runners, both set in 2015. Housham has expectations that one, or both, could be broken this year if the weather conditions are kind to the racers. By way of comparison, the fastest 10k road times in the UK in 2016 were 28.28 and 32.30 respectively.

More than 70 members of the Gainsborough and Morton Striders club have entered this year’s contest, and many of them will be racing this distance for the first time. They will be supported by about 30 club members who will be volunteering at the event. Without their efforts, races like this could not take place. Spectators will also be very welcome to cheer the runners along the route. The race starts at 10 am.

There was no racing last weekend when many Striders took the opportunity to clock up the training kilometres in preparation for forthcoming races. Nine of them ran more than 50km during the week, with Mark Rodgers achieving an impressive 82km.

The club’s regular weekly training sessions are continuing, with the juniors meeting on Tuesdays at 5.30 pm at the Gainsborough Academy. The Thursday senior sessions start at 6.30 pm from Queen Elizabeth’s High School, while their next Tuesday evening senior session will begin from DW Sports in Marshall’s Yard at 7.15 pm.

High-visibility clothing is still a requirement for both adult sessions. New runners and potential new members of the club will be made more than welcome because these sessions cater for all abilities.