Bright blue skies with a winters chill greeted 21 Boston runners for the ever popular Skegness 10K race which had a new route for the first time this year and centred on Butlins just off the sea front. A superbly organised event by the Skegness Coasters saw this sell out race with 700 runners take place in near perfect conditions. Dan Clark was out again running very strongly to finish over a minute faster than last year in 15th place overall in 38.00. He was followed home by Rob Cross 40.37, Jake Fountain 43.33 and John Burton 44.19. Oliver Tunnard had a super run finishing in 47.34 and only one minute later Carolyn Whiley 48.30 and Bret Bretton 48.39 crossed the line within seconds of each other. Dan Simpson ran 49.48 and Kimberley Pittam was elated to break last weeks PB time again and get under the 50 minute mark in 49.52. Tanya Knight shook off a cold to grab a new PB of 50.03 and Rachel Conway gained her PB with a time of 50.37.
The personal best times continued for the Boston Runners as Paul Maddison 51.32 and Frances Mills 51.38 both beat their best times recorded only last week! Less than a minute later Gary Beck-Sykes 52.15 and Sarah Clarke 52.25 both set themselves new PB times. Sarah Burton was just outside her best time but delighted to cross the line in 58.29 with Samantha Cross just over the hour in 1.00.10 which still gave her a new PB and a target of getting under the hour next year. Husband and wife Graham English 1.06.33 and Sharon English 1.06.33 were competing for the first time and loved the event. Along with Claire Tunnard 1.06.43 also running for the first time at this distance the three have set themselves targets for next year.
The morning was rounded off by the club winning an award for the first unaffiliated team prize. The prize was collected by Graham and Sharon English. As the event drew to a close and all the runners departed there was just time to head into Skegness itself for fish & chips and a warm cuppa.
