WHAT A RACE!
PODIUM 5K
There may have been one or two big names and regular faces missing but this was surely the highest quality 5K in the short history of the Podium races, if not to rival recent roadraces elsewhere in the country. Won in a rapid time of 14:27 by Liverpool's John Ashcroft, they came in thick and fast behind him as the top fifteen all finished inside fifteen minutes. A further twenty-seven crossed the line inside sixteen minutes, twenty-two inside seventeen minutes and beyond those, eleven 'stragglers' of which a respectable 17:52 brought up the very rear of seventy-six runners. All that quality, yet still a relatively low key affair upon a dimly lit cycle track down a pitch-black lane in a little known East Lancashire outpost. It was an honour to take part.
In the national interest, former British track athlete Colin McCourt travelled from Glasgow to see out a bet that he could come back and run a sub-16 minute 5K this year after totally losing shape since retiring from the sport in 2012. Sure enough, after shifting the weight, the pedigree of a pair of fast legs returned. He smashed it with a 15:38 to win him £100 apiece from seventeen guys to whom he would forfeit having their names tattooed upon him if he didn't succeed. Of more local interest, it was a night of personal bests amongst which progressive Blackburn Harrier Tim Raynes dipped under fifteen minutes for the first time in a superb 14:51. Fellow Blackburner Ben Costello continued his rapid rise through the time barriers in recent months with a brilliant 16:05, made all the more miraculous after doubling this up with his best cross country race to date only four hours earlier when third in the Red Rose fixture at Bolton. From my former club then, to my new club and Nick 'blow a gasket' Gaskell. What can be said about the Gaskell? Like a maturing whisky in a barrel of ancient oak. Nick has been around the running block a long time now and at the age of 47 he thumped home a sensational all time 5K best of 16:21. He certainly inspires the rest of us older boys to believe.
Conditions on this Saturday evening were perfect - a bit chilly but not raw, very little breeze whatsoever and the surface was dry. Just how many personal best's were notched that night would be interesting to know. The preceding 'B' race also had it's fair share too.
No PB for myself, but the fastest I have run in my forties and for seven or eight years I think! Driving over the darkness of Pendle Hill after work to the race, I was thinking I ought to achieve a course best at the very least for my fourth attempt on the Barrowford circuit. Interval sessions have thinned a little lately, but training has been solid and last week's outing at Dunnerdale was a useful reminder of race pain. Mileage reduction in recent times has kept my legs fresh. The fear factor I have experienced in previous Podium races -  certainly the last two - had been replaced by a quiet confidence. The grim target of mere damage limitation had been replaced by an excited air of expectation, although I didn't quite know exactly what to expect.
Even at the back end of a ferociously paced race like this it is difficult not to go out a little bit too quick. I didn't have my fancy watch on to delve in to the retrospective of split times, but I'm fairly sure I ran the first kilometre above my station. Fear of thinking I may be in last place was the driving force. But I settled down to a rhythm the next two laps and found myself in the thick of the ladies race at one point. I recognised Rebecca Robinson and Hannah England, these two surged in to lap three and there was no way I could risk trying to go with those two fasties. Another lass gave me a good elbowing on the inside before a bend, then cut in front and I couldn't help but nearly trip her - the Mary Decker Slaney and Zola Budd incident sprang to mind. Fortunately she stayed upright, but then also drifted further ahead as the race went on. I was still happy with things going in to lap four though and whilst the Lancaster & Morecambe girl who I had been in close proximity with all the way had now also gained a bit of yardage, I decided just to carry on trying to maintain pace and not get too excited as I could feel my stride just starting to tighten a little. The bell for the final kilometre or so was the cue to really start hurting myself properly though. I hung on to the L&M girl Scarlet Dale's shadow and finally managed to get past her with about 200 metres to go. Catching up on the next runner ahead, I can't help thinking now that if I'd started kicking a little earlier I might have snatched another place back, but at the time I was pretty pleased indeed to see 17:05 on the clock as I crossed the line. A sub-17 run is definitely still on here if I can go in to it with more recent speed sessions banked. As Nick Gaskell proves, age need not be a barrier.

Saturday 18th November 2017
PODIUM 5K 'A' Race   Steven Burke Cycle & Sports Hub, Barrowford. Lancs.
1st Man - John Ashcroft (Liverpool Harriers) 14:27
1st Lady - Rebecca Robinson (Kendal AC) 16:39
My Stats - 17:05   67/76