Three Tewkesbury AC members braved the annual “Round the Lakes” 20 mile race in Rhayader, Wales. On a fine spring day, bathed in warm sunshine under clear blue skies, the three intrepid athletes set out on this undulating trek around the Elan valley. The race is one of the most picturesque events on the calendar, but it’s not for the faint of heart - with almost 2000 ft of ascent and descent, this scenic event provides a testing environment for any runner to pit their wits. The notorious 800 ft steady climb between miles 4 and 6, into a strong and steady headwind, did its best to sap both energy and will, but this presented little challenge to the battle hardened combatants. The wind refused to be quieted and continued to buffet the runners for the majority of the remaining miles around the lakes. Heavy cloud cover and light drizzle greeted many of the entrants before the Elan valley was finished with them.
First club member home was Angie Sadler with a masterly display of hill running in a time of 2:25:17, showing no ill effects from her recent marathon and ultra-marathon exploits. Her time was sufficient to take 2nd place Lady and first LV45. Next in for the club was Barry O’Driscoll, who successfully completed the course in 2:41:32 as another of his hard training runs in preparation for the FLM. Third member home was the evergreen Philip Howells in 2:57:07, just 4 weeks ahead of his 60th birthday and with plenty of ultra-training in his legst. With races like this under their belts, and marathons in London and Tresco to look forward to on 22 April, the Tewkesbury contingent can take great heart from their individual performances.
Positions
48th Anglie Sadler 2:25:17 2nd Lady, 1st LV45
139th Barry O’Driscoll 2:41:32
228th Phillip Howells 2:57:07
410 finishers – winning time, a remarkable 2:00:44.