Just outside of Southampton lies Wyvern College, near Fairoak. The HQ for this out and back race organised by Hedge End Running Club.
Warm air and blue skies prevailed at this small but impeccably organised event. An athletes village, complete with charity stalls, BBQ and beer tent buzzed with excitement as our Steve Hunt lined up with his son George, 14, who was running his first ever race.
This slightly undulating course took the pair from the college grounds downhill on narrow Country lanes toward Horton Heath and then further out along Burnett Lane before a sharp u-turn brought them back the same way they had come culminating in a track finish.
“We ran together at a steady pace because of the heat for the first 5k. There were locals on the course giving us some welcome relief with hoses to cool us down. As we turned at 5k, George realised he had plenty in his legs as I was feeling the heat so at 7k I told him he didn’t have to humour his old man any more and to push on. The last 2k were tough. I ran past a lot of people feeling the effects of the heat”
George smashed his first race in 56.28 with Steve beating his target of under the hour and clocking 59 minutes exact, despite the soaring temperatures making conditions difficult.
Well run fellas, we may have a Roadrunner of the future there in young George.
