Thanks to Liam for this week’s big run report:
On a warm and sunny Easter Sunday, Runners-next-the-Sea had a great turnout of 16 runners on the start line for the popular annual Active Fakenham 5km race.
The course was five laps of Fakenham Town Centre with closed roads for the running race and the later bike races. A tricky course with runners starting near the cinema, turning right to benefit from the downhill of Bridge Street then sweeping around Oliver Way before negotiating the long drag up Whitehorse, which runners feel gets longer and steep each of the five laps. At the tops of the hill runners had a brief respite as they turned right onto the cobbles of Norwich Street followed by runners weaving through town centre thronged with supporters cheering on their runners.
The first runners back for the Wells and Fakenham based club were Ant Cude in just over 19 minutes which was his best time this year, so a promising summer ahead. Kyle Hasting (19.39) and Liam Dawson (20.15) followed him in for the club’s top three male runners.
First female was Tara Betts on 21.30 followed by Michelle Finnegan (29.35) and Vanessa Green (34.44) to make up the top three female runners.
These times were all the more impressive as most of the club had been in the town since early morning helping to set up the course. The club was also delighted to have once again been asked to provide all the course marshals for the race. Paul Woodhouse, who had organised the marshals said, ‘this is is a great local race which we are keen to support each year to showcase our sport and our club. It was great to see so many runners come to Fakenham especially with the feedback on how friendly and supportive the marshals were’.
The full list of finishers for Runners-next-the-Sea were:
22 – Anthony Cude – 19:09.4
26 – Kyle Hastings – 19:32.6
32 – Liam Dawson – 20:15.0
41 – Andrew Sutton – 21:16.9
42 – Tara Betts – 21:30.8
47 – Stuart Gollands – 22:08.9
48 – Darren Smith – 22:11.3
60 – Paul Woodhouse – 23:25.6
78 – William Ayley-Dodd – 24:31.1
90 – Roland Bewick – 26:03.3
98 – Chris Lubbock – 27:16.3
117 – Michelle Finnegan – 29:25.7 – PB
136 – Vanessa Green – 34:44.3
140 – Gillian Bewick – 37:54.0
144 – Laura Shaw – 38:38.6
145 – Jennifer Simmons-Brack – 40:07.2
There were 148 finishers.
And a slightly shorter report from Vanessa:
‘The bump was kicking away. It says what the heck was going on like being on a bouncy castle in here 
xx’
