The Friday before the Oxfordshire XC Champs last weekend I got an email saying they were cancelled – not that surprising considering the amount of rain we’d been having, rain now resulting in severe flooding in Oxford and elsewhere.

I’d been rather looking forward to a race though so entered the Goring, Woodcote and Dist Lions 10k which I’ve done a few times before instead. This race is always fun, usually cold, and mainly consists of running on country lanes down a big hill then through Goring and then up a big hill back to Woodcote.

The forecast offered a window in the rains for the morning of the race and while cold it didn’t seem too cold for shorts. I arrived early to ensure I got a parking space and to enter on the line, it seemed a long 30 minutes waiting in the car for start time but a bit cold for standing around.

Gun to chip – we gathered for the start which was a couple of minutes early causing some surprise. Along the flat bit through Woodcote then over a slight rise and right at crossroads to go down and down. I would be disappointed to be slower than 55 minutes and was aware that the 2nd 5k would be taking several minutes longer than the first due to the hill.

The first 3 miles just under 8 minute miles allowing me to build up a bit of time. I grabbed a cup of water at the halfway station, as much because everyone was running past making them look unwanted as that I needed a drink. Then gently over the first rise watching a couple of runners attacking it then giving up and taking a walk, perhaps they thought this was the big hill already! A bit of pleasant downhill – there was a bit of flooding round here somewhere which we all avoided by running on the grass verge though when I asked the marshal didn’t reckon it that deep.

Then immediately right at the bottom to climb non-stop the last mile and a half. I was pleased to just hold my pace saving just enough to retake most that tried to pass me and then gain a couple more places before crossing the welcome finish line. 53:31 134th of 252 runners, a minute slower than last year but a good bit quicker than I would have been last summer so great to be improving be it rather slowly.

Another local race entered for later in January, the new Oxford Charity 10k from Cutteslowe Park which I suspect will resemble last years Wrap Up and Run.