Korschenbroich 10k (Germany)

A very warm and humid night in the city which is great for the spectators, some have set up camp around the course with gazebos drinking beer and flipping burgers waiting for the 10k race and the end of the night. For the runners it's not ideal but I always think that it's the same for everyone so shouldn't really make a lot of difference. We are given a Bank in the city to use toilets, changing rooms and the big reception area to warm up if we like (as it's a bit cooler lots of the runners take up this option). I ran for 15minutes with Matt while the other races were going on and then did some drills in the Bank before getting called to the start line just outside.

At the start line I looked around at the small field of 30 runners and hoped there were some slower guys there as It would be horrible to come out of the pack with such big crowds (bit of fear is never a bad thing) so as the count down goes off I am expecting a rapid start but to be honest it goes of hard but not stupid fast. Within 100m the first left hand bend and there's some pushing going on and I'm just hoping someone doesn't clip my heels then a couple of hundred meters before another left hander where the brakes are on and then 30 runners bursting out of the corner. On the next straight everyone gets there place and I am probably in the middle somewhere with Jon Wills right behind me and Matt right at the front.

A third left hand bend and the smell of burgers in the air we hit a patch of cobbles before a 4^th left back on the home straight, there's a lot of noise and it picks up a bit and brakes into two groups with me and Jon in the second pack. After another lap we then do 6 bigger laps taking in an extra loop just before the finish. 3 laps in and with the burning sun I play it safe and take a group of 3 while Jon goes ahead with 2 other runners a few seconds. Matt is a good 20seconds up the front battle the eastern Europeans. With a few laps left my group crumbles and I am all alone, I try to catch the group ahead but with the 3 of them working well together I just cant get back on terms.

With the bell going on the last lap Matt is coming back pretty fast as Jon's group spits him out having just caught him and is now cranking it up with a kilometre to. Meanwhile having past a few runners who have hit the 'wall' I'm focusing on every corner and trying not to think of the heat suffocating me. The last straight and couldn't get to Matt but was happy to cross the line and just under 31 to make it look half respectable.

I enjoyed the race but was never in it, with a winning time of 29.30 I should have been further up but at the moment and just not quite fit enough.

Well done to Jon though who ran a smart race.

Simx