Newport runners warm to challenge

- if any race is hard enough without extreme temperatures thrown in, this is it. In fact, this race used to have a 2pm start time, and the June date made for punishing conditions when the sun came out. Even now, with a 10:30am start, the race isn’t for the faint-hearted.

Despite the name, the race isn’t actually 10k. Any runner who takes part unaware of this faces a further 1.2km of running after the point they think their experience will end.

As if that wasn’t enough, the terrain is punishing and the hills keep coming back - runners cross open fields, narrow bridleways, canal towpaths and even the boardwalk over the marsh that separates Gnosall from Gnosall Heath.

Despite knowing all of this, Newport were well-represented at the 2023 edition and Alex Millington was the first NDRC runner to cross the finish line, taking fifth position overall in a time of 45 minutes, 36 seconds. Richard Bennett was next in 18th, and winning his category, in 51:53, whilst David Brown was 27th in 53:15.

Mandy Purves was the first Novaportan female back, taking 51st place, as well as first in category, with her time of 56:59.

Charles Fear ran 57:11 for 53rd place, while Kay Wilkinson-Smith finished 104th in 1:04:53, just ahead of John Metzger, who was one place and two seconds back. Philip Hardy was 112th in 1:05:27, Rik Skingsley 126th in 1:06:31 and Helen Mason 140th in 1:08:49.

Ralph Humphries ran a time of 1:09:53 to secure 148th spot, ahead of his son Matthew, who was 204th in 1:17:50. Simon Taylor was next, 207th in 1:18:03, while Helen Holdroyd (227th, 1:22:13) and Anne Strowger (228th, 1:22:16) finished together, with Strowger taking the win in her category.