Wednesday night saw the annual running of the Silverstone 10K hosetd by Silson Joggers. This is the first race of the East Midlands Grand Prix Series that spread from Milton Keynes to Market Harborough with 5 mile, 6 mile and 10K races over the next eight mid-weeks and conclude with Milton Keynes 10K on Tuesday 5^th July.

The Silverstone race is a unique opportunity to complete two laps of the grand prix circuit on what can be a very fast course. If it is a reasonably still day the fast, slight downhill start gets everyone going at a good pace straight away and teh combination of a very smooth surface and gentle corners gives runners every opportunity for a good time. On a windy day, the exposed nature of the site means that it can be very difficult.

This time around there was a slight breeze across the circuit but did not really affect anyone, but the most slight of people. Of the five LBAC members who went up to the Northamptonshire venue, only Gail fitted into this category!

First home on the night was Tom Inchley, who's official time of 37.59 was a pretty good effort for someone who often struggles to find his trainers from one week to the next! His negative split, with the second half being 30 seconds faster than the first was probably a great surprsie to him too. Especially so after coming second in the Thornborough 10 on Monday afternoon, where he ran 64.11.

Tom ran the first lap very close to Gail Duckworth who had her sites set on beating her own club record set in Hampshire a couple of months ago. Having Tom as a target may have helped because although Gail slowed very slightly on the sceond lap, she still managed to complete the distance in 38.40 and set the fourth fastest time ever for a British F55. Many congratulations to our president for a superb acheivement once again.

There was also another club record set on Wednesday by the old boys of the club. At Flitwick a few weeks ago, Pat Neilan set the V65 record at just over 50 minutes and so Richard Inchley had plans to duck under that and get his name on the list. Like his youngest son, Richard also managed a negative split by 30 seconds and ran a cracking race to come home in 49.16, the problem was that he had also encouraged Pat to come along too!

Over the last few years we have rarely seen Pat at any races as he enjoys his retirement with diving and motorbiking the world, but in recent weeks he has become flushed with success on the roads. His club record race at Flitwick was followed by runner-up in the Langmay Trophy on Easter Monday and at Silverstone he smashed his own club record by four minutes as he ran a very well paced race to complete the 10K in 46.18 and deny Richard his place in the record books.

The final LBAC member was Helen Crossland, who is just getting back into her running by entering the odd race and trying to slowly build her fitness. On this occasion she struggled a little on the circuit and was a couple of minutes slower on the second lap, but managed to complete the race okay and now has her sites on the round MK relay at the end of the month.