18 March 2025

Smugglers 10k and 5k

Blustery conditions didn’t stop Team TRAC coming home with a hatful of trophies!!

Well done everyone and thanks to Lee, Dan and Jay for their race day experiences.

From Lee Hardie:

Smugglers 10k 2025

The race I always do well in. Two wins (2019 and 2023) and three second places (2020,2022 and 2024), as well as some good training this year meant I was confident going in.

Was looking to PB and try to get another sub-35 so the time I did do it, didn’t look like a one-off fluke! Anyhoo, turns out its bloody windy so after stepping outside my motor and nearly getting blown to France, I decide to just see how it goes. Bump into James Mackenzie from Dover RR and after exchanging pleasantries we decide to work together. I’m aware he is the faster of the two of us, so the plan is to stick with him as long as I can.

At 10am some pirate who’s docked his ship at Minnis Bay fires a cannon and we are off!

Two young lads set off about 5:10 minute pace and me and James sit just behind. No time for heroes one minute into the race! I’m pretty sure they are doing the 5k, so let the pair of them duke it out.

Sure enough at the 5k halfway point they turn, and we are now ahead in first and second. Pretty much neck and neck up till the 5k turn and feeling strong, we hit it in 16:55!!

I’m aware that the wind will ruin the party on the return and sure enough it does. We work together up to 6k before James starts to create a gap. I try but can’t stick with him so try to knock out 6-minute miles. 5:55 at mile 4, but this wind is ruthless and watching the gap get slightly bigger between 1st and 2nd, I know I’m losing seconds and a 6:07 and 6:13 at miles 5 and 6 confirm this.

I try to push for the last .22, but by then the wind has won. My second 5k split is 19:06!

The frustrating thing about the wind is I felt very little advantage from it on the way out. However, on the way back I could not find no respite from it! But that’s the chance you take when racing coastal.

On a good day, I’m confident I would have annihilated the PB.

Anyway, after what felt like an eternity freezing my b*****ks off waiting for the prize giving, I warmed down with Dan Grech, both of us trying to get the miles in for our marathon training and finish the day happy.

2nd overall and 1st V40 exactly the same as last year, isn’t bad for an old fart who likes a pint of Guinness and never does strength training!

Also, a shout out to Jay Bailey getting on the podium and Mark Croucher running a solid time in 4th. Three TRAC in the top 5, shows how much we compete as a club at races. Long may it continue!

From Dan Grech:

Smugglers 10km: A Race of Two Directions

This race aligned perfectly with my marathon training, providing an opportunity to run at pace in the middle of a long run.

After a 14km warm-up from Ramsgate to Birchington, I was grateful—for the first time in years—that the race wasn’t wet and cold. Unfortunately, due to the picturesque coastal route, it was windy.

The tailwind on the way to Reculver was beautiful, and I went quicker than planned—intentionally—because as soon as we turned, we were met with a relentless wall of wind for the entire 5km run home.

Personally, I was happy to average marathon pace over the distance. To be only one minute off my time from last year—which was a PB at the time—is fantastic, especially considering this race was part of a 21-mile long run.

From Jay Bailey:

It was nice to be back @ The Smuggler’s 10k after missing it last year as it clashed with another race that I actually ended up winning (Canterbury Riverside 10k).

After having the wind behind us on the way out it was really noticeable as me, James McKenzie & Lee Hardie went through the first two miles dead on 11 minutes which I know is much quicker than my 10k pace & that’s where James & Lee slowly started to pull away from me.

I got to the halfway point (5k) in 17:20 which is a lot quicker than my average parkrun time but on the way back it was really tough with the head wind. I saw that I was a good 250 yards ahead of the chasing pack but my legs were also starting to suffer, although my pace wasn’t too bad on the way back despite all that.

I knew that the guys behind me were probably running a bit quicker than me & with about a mile to go I had a cheeky little look back on one of the bends & could see them approaching but I knew they were running out of time & I knew I just needed to try & hold it together.

Despite being almost two minutes behind the winner James & 89 seconds behind Lee I managed to hold on to third place, 23 seconds ahead of Mark Croucher who’s improving so quickly. It was great to see TRAC finish 2nd, 3rd & 4th 😁👍🏼