Newport Carnival 10K

One of the major events of the Carnival last Saturday was the 10K race organised by Newport and District Running Club and almost 170 athletes from around the local area and the Midlands congregated on Longford Hall.The weather was glorious, but not all the athletes appreciated it once the race got under way.Starting in the grounds of Longford Hall it did not take long for the field to start to spread out and the leading bunch of Chris Bagshaw(Telford), Daniel Lewis (Newport) and Andrzej Swatowski (Rugeley) were already starting to pull away as they progressed along the Longford Road towards the town.The runners received great support as they ran up the High Street and turned into the Wellington Road and by then the heat had started to effect some of the runners and positions began to change with Adams GS teacher Robin Sedman Smith beginning to close the gap on the leaders.Special mention must go to the Three Amigos of Paul Harrison, Stephen Whiles and Paul Dain who for the second year in a row, dressed as Mexicans in ponchos and sombreros and should raise several hundred pounds in sponsorship for a local hospice.By the finish, Chris Bagshaw had pulled away to finish in 33m 54s, 15seconds ahead of Robin Sedman Smith. Andrzej Swatowski was third in35m08s. Claire Martin had an excellent run to overcome the heat of the day to finish 4th overall and first lady in 35m 39s.Thanks must go to all the race sponsors and all those who helped set up,record, marshal and clear up and ensure that everything ran smoothly on the day.