PWR 10K - Report From The Rec

Hello blog mates.

Today was my clubs annual 10k! This year I am back on the rec in Team CoachHels!  I love being in the rec team, you get to see the start, the finish and all the bits in between!  NaggyNeighbour and her boy picked me up and we  went to the rec together to get our orders for the day.  I knew what my duties were for the day it was to help with out our sponsor Sinclair Hammelton. Both me and ZippySherry were to help set up the table and just help as much as was needed and then after we were on water duties.  So before that we had a walk around the rec so that all of Hels team were aware of where everything is, there were people busy putting up gazebos, the bbq's were up and ready, with the smell of bacon coming from our very own bbq, just for PWR volunteers.  The public had their own bacon stall, with tea coffee and cakes to be sampled.  All proceed from the cakes going to  our sponsored charities St. Christopher's, The Maypole project and the National Trust. So until our sponsor turned up I busied myself supplying teas, coffees and bacon sandwiches to those marshals already at their posts, baggage team, the Crossways entrance team and the Towncourt entrance team.

Here, these are a few pictures of the 'calm before the storm'

Registration team

St. Christopher's Team

Baggage Team!

A quick selfie

Katherine Sinclair and her team arrived and I went straight over to the table, ZippySherry and baby Gorilla was already there and we got stuck straight in to blowing up balloons!  Fortunately there was a huge helium canister there!  Made it a lot easier to do! 

Me with Katherine Sinclair!

It was busy, the people were coming in to pick up their numbers, their families staying around to cheer them on, it was such a perfect sunny morning!  It was positively summer like!  The bacon was smelling so good, the cakes on the tables next to us looked fantastic, some of them were baked by our very own PWR's and donated to raise funds for our charities.  We do have some master bakers in house!

Emma was doing the warm ups with the runners which meant that the start was pretty near.

Emma and baby gorilla!

I cant believe how quickly those two hours had gone!  I quickly went over to the start line to try and get a picture of those at the front, I managed to capture this chap, he is really fast!

The Start.
Alex, in the Orpington shirt

His name is Alex and he runs for Orpington runners!  He has been at track sometimes when I have been there.  So back to my duties with the balloons for half an hour more and then I was on water duty.  That's all it took for the first runner to come back.  He did it in 34:09, incredible!  We had to use a slightly altered route this year, because the rail people have still to put back the bridge they took out an age ago, so you can say that is a course record.  And if the rail people don't pull their finger out then people can quite possible try for a PB next year!

As soon as the last pen had started the race the whole rec team worked like magic to the get the kids race organised, the tables ready for the water and the bananas and also samosas, once again supplied by our favourite local curry house, the Raj Doot in Petts Wood.

It all went like clock work!  Team PWR work like clock work in the rec.  The people that were in the rec to support their friends and family were having a great time, the glorious weather helped with that.  The Sinclair Hammelton balloons were bobbing around the rec, the laughter and chatter happening on the green, the music and the commentary from our Paul coming over the loud speakers was smile inducing.  The races for the children was well under way, just the one lap around the green.  I remember once, in 2013, that very wet 10k, I decided that I would kind of run behind the kids, just to encourage them!  Well, they know no pacing, they just take off at lightening speed as if they have just been let loose in Hamleys to grab as many toys as they want for nothing! Paul was doing a great job of commentating on those races! If the kids needed to get rid of anymore steam then they could bounce away on the bouncy castle! The whole atmosphere in the rec was like one huge big picnic with a run added for extra fun!

There were bananas and samosas to hand out as well as the water, so from just after Alex came in......oh did I tell you, it was Alex that came in first, I managed to snap him at the beginning, but I couldn't get a picture of him crossing the line as I was a bit busy!  There was a steady stream of people coming in after that, including for the first time this year some PWR's as well!  Just 7 of them, we had 7 places to give away to our members, there were certain criteria that had to be met, but as it happened I think only 7 people applied anyway, so they all got the places anyway!  The first PWR back was our youngest member Matthew Pond!  He is a zippy fellow, one to watch out for in the future!  Once Fred and Wilma crossed the line we knew that all runners were back in the rec receiving a new design of our PWR's medal.

Fred And Wilma Fl

So almost all done, just a walk around the rec to collect as much rubbish as I could and that was it for another year!  You will notice that I haven't mentioned One Inn The Wood yet, well mainly because I was steering clear of them this year!  I have the wedding in two weeks and as I am busing trying to lose weight and keep it off avoiding the deliciousness of the brown beer had to be done!  But I know that One Inn The Wood is most definitely a much loved attraction at our 10k now!

Another great even put on by the most friendliest running clubs around! Can't wait until next year!