Coastbuster 10 Mile & 10k
** Race Report by Pete Heath **
Coastbuster 2024
The Coastal Striders “Coastbuster” race has been running for a few years now and up until this year it has always clashed with a leg of the cross Country season. This year it didn’t, and as the race passes in front of my house twice, it felt like an ideal opportunity to race on my local training route. I hadn’t done any road races all year due to a troublesome knee. The race offers a 10k and 10 mile option. Only a complete imbecile would choose the 10 mile option in those circumstances!!
So to Sunday morning then, a walk down to the start with the dog to collect my 10 mile race number. The HQ was already teeming with activity at 8.30. It looked like it was going to be a busy morning.
The start line is pretty much exactly 1k from my front door, ideal warm up length, so having deposited the dog I clambered into my running gear, dusted off the sadly underused Nike race shoes and ambled back down to the start, race ready(ish).
There were a number of traccies in attendance, including Hannah Mills, who travelled back down from Manchester to compete. There were a number of other familiar (and some unfamiliar) TRAC faces in the crowd. The race brief was brief, and we were off on time back down the esplanade into the mercifully light wind and past my house for the first time, before turning down the Chine to the lower prom. The race course is probably the closest you can get to the sea without getting sand in your shoes. It hugs the very edge of the prom, round Ramsgate harbour and along the pathway to the far end, where we were faced with the days first challenge, Nero’s hill. Any TRAC Wednesday hill fan will know how energy sapping that can be.
At the top of the hill there was an option to bail out of the 10 mile by turning left to take the 10k course. I of course, seeing the error of my ways should have taken that option.
So off I went right and onto the 10 mile only section of the course, through King Georges park, and along the esplanade into Broadstairs before dropping back down on to the sea wall for the return journey. This meant of course that we were running back up at Dumpton Gap, the hill that makes Nero’s hill seem as flat as a pancake.
The field was pretty spread out through this section, marshals were great but it got a bit lonely out there until we rejoined the 10k route back at the top of Nero’s.
There was one last hill to climb, Harbour Hill, which is a long drag on tired legs.
Finally you reach the start/finish line, but also the 9 mile sign! So another run down the esplanade, where Charlotte Barton breezed past me!! No respect for OAP’s these young things. Then it was past my house for the second time and back down to the lookout to finish.
I’d had a reasonable run considering. The finish area was well manned, with water and a copious supply of biscuits and a pretty decent looking medal. The weather was kind and it wasn’t too bad standing around at the end catching up with fellow finishers.
The prize giving ceremony started not long after I had got back, and what TRAC lacked in quantity of runners we made up for it in quality.
We won both races, Alex Dugard taking the 10 mile, with Adam Foster (5th) and Matt McCarthy (7th) both featuring in the top 10.
Olly Regan triumphed in the 10k as a junior. Massive well done there, keeping fellow traccie Jay Bailey at bay. Dan Grech came 4th there, and massive well done also to Aasma Hatim who was first female home.
Well done to Coastal for another well organised race, and hopefully we’ll see lots of familiar faces over on Palm Bay on the first for the TRAC 5/10 mile race.
Results:
10 mile –
Alex Dugard – 59:11 (winner)
Adam Foster – 1:03:10 (5th overall)
Matt McCarthy – 1:04:13 (1st male V45 and 7th overall)
Georgia Hughes – 1:22:47
Mark Baker-Milner – 1:23:24
Charlotte Barton – 1:23:57
Tim Kerr – 1:49:23
Pete Heath – 1:24:24 (1st male V65)
10k –
Olly Regan – 36:54 (winner)
Jay Bailey – 37:56 (2nd overall)
Dan Grech – 40:09 (4th overall)
Asmaa Hatim – 44:24 (1st senior lady and 10th overall)
Elliott Cobb-Webb – 44:39
Amy Clayton – 48:19
Hannah Mills – 52:41
Graham Scott – 54:52
Adam Sanderson – 56:02
Janet Morgan – 58:08 (1st V65)
Matt Stanley – 57:59
Emma Dugard – 58:07
Sarah Bailey – 59:12 (1st V55)
Cathy Beddoes – 1:04:10
Pam Philpott – 1:09:48
A great TRAC turn out and trophies galore across all age categories. Well done everyone!!!