Chichester 10K Sunday 4th February 2024:
I haven’t done the Chichester 10K since the days when it was organised by the local Rotary Club and took place on the open roads around the town.
I had read previous reports of how the new course caused traffic issues, which ruined an otherwise good event for the competitors and also annoyed local residents. Nonetheless, I was after an opportunity to test my ageing legs and lungs, and it’s relatively local, so Mrs Carter and I were both up for giving it a try.
First impressions and amenities
From the off, registering online was a simple process and the communication that followed was clear and concise so come the day of the race, I knew exactly how to get there and where to park.
Being me, we arrived early and got ourselves turned around, had a pre race banana and Caffeine Bullet (a chewy sweet) before heading across the main road and through the main entrance to the quite famous old race track. This is quite a busy road with no natural crossing points which became a bit more problematic as the time passed and traffic built up.
There are plenty of toilets and opportunities for spectators but no baggage drop so once you have parked your vehicle, you need to keep warm. A bin bag could be a good idea unless you have supporters to hold your coat.
There was a good atmosphere with some serious elite club runners in attendance but every age and ability besides so I felt at home and found one of the many pacers to stand next to after I’d had a team photo taken with Declan, Mrs C and a 545 original, Adam Mundell who was like an excitable puppy looking forward to racing for the first time in a long while.
Chichester 10k race route
During the race
The race starts in the Home Straight and it’s all race track for the first 3K before we headed out onto the open (but closed to traffic) road. Mildly undulating is the term used in the promotional gumf and that’s exactly what it was.
Pleasant scenery if you’re not in too much pain until just over 8K when we were directed back onto the track for the home run to where the race started. When we hit 9K, there was a stiff breeze behind us that gave me the impetus to have one final push for a Sub 50 minute run.
The two 50 minute pacers were about a minute in front so I thought I had blown it but managed to talk myself into making sure I finished strongly and stopped my watch at 49 minutes and 56 seconds which for me, was my fastest 10K time since my 43 minutes of 2013. Declan had long since finished and was very happy with his time, Adam came home well inside the target he had set himself whilst Mrs Carter knocked 4 whole minutes from her previous 10K at Stubbington in January!
If there was one gripe, it would be that the marshalls towards the back of the field were a little disrespectful to the slower runners, some of whom had to ask for directions. Come on, guys…really?
Final Thoughts
Would I do it again? Yes. I am going back next year for another crack, as it means that the Ryde 10 miler won’t tempt me! Having consulted Mrs C, I would give the Chichester 10K 3.5 stars out of 5.
