Stratford AC quartet get in the festive spirit at Evesham 10k

ATHLETICS

FOUR Stratford AC athletes did not let the appalling conditions deter them from taking part in the Evesham Festive 10k, with the group picking up a number of prizes along the way.

The scenic off-road route started from Evesham United FC’s ground and headed out across the fields, around the Vale’s lanes and orchards before finishing back at the Jubilee Stadium.

For Kate Wright this was her first competitive 10k race for 12 months, when she competed in the same race last December.

Last year she finished as second woman, but this year she went one better by being first woman to cross the finishing line in a time of 46:14, beating her closest rival by 40 seconds and coming 11th overall.

James Coy finished in 32nd place with a time of 50.52.

Next it was a brace of Stratford’s finest, with Rebecca Pridham and Hannah Osborne crossing the line together in a time of 1:03.43.

Pridham said: “It was a ridiculously muddy and wet course, you either ran through mud or water or both.

"The start was in pouring rain and chilly wind which made many of us wonder why on earth we were standing in the middle of a field on the outskirts of Evesham on a Sunday morning.

“Hannah and I ran together, singing We Wish You A Merry Christmas as we crossed the finishing line, followed by Kate Sergent with a massive smile on her face.

"It was a brilliant event, as we received medals and mulled wine with a selection of cakes, including bread pudding, chocolate cake, Victoria sponge and mince pies.”

Sergent completed the course in 1:09.12, coming first in her age category and beating her closest rival by a massive eight minutes.

She was also only 45 seconds slower than her time last year.