Neil Adams admitted he was taken by surprise as he powered down the home straight to take victory at the Breckland 10K – Race 5 in the Sportlink Grand Prix Series.
The experienced North Norfolk Beach Runners athlete crossed the line in a time quicker than expected, 32:44, only realising his pace in the closing stages.
“I was more surprised looking at the clock,” he told Sportlink TV.
“I hadn’t looked at my watch at all. I saw the clock with about 150m to go and thought it would say 33-something – and it was 32-something.
“So I put a little sprint on… it might be close to a PB, maybe by a second, so I’m really happy with that.”
Adams, whose previous PB was the Brighton 10K last year in 32:46, held off strong challenges from Hugh Tawell (33:55) and Jacob Griffin (34:19) to secure the win.
Mind games and motivation
Despite his experience, Adams admitted the mental battle never goes away.
“There’s still the voices in the head – every race,” he said.
“Even trying to get to the start line, it hurts. It hurts so much.
“But I guess we do it for this – the finish, when it’s done. You go home, enjoy the feeling… and then a few days later it’s forgotten and you’re on to the next one.”
A regular on the Sportlink Grand Prix circuit, Adams says the series itself plays a big role in keeping him motivated.
“I guess I need the points,” he added. “But I just enjoy it – the community side of things.
“When we turned at about 6K and had runners coming back the other way, the amount of encouragement was amazing. That’s why we do it.”
Franklin shines on 10K debut
In the women’s race, Lara Franklin delivered a standout performance to take victory in 39:29 – an impressive debut over the distance.
Having previously raced 5Ks and half marathons, the 10K presented a new challenge.
“It was my first ever 10K,” she said. “I was hoping for sub-40, so 39:30 was good.
“It was a bit of a learning curve – especially with the undulating course, getting the pacing right was tough – but I think I enjoyed it.”
Franklin led home a strong field, with Stacey Mockford second in 42:23 and Memphis Symonds third in 42:51.
Watch the highlights
Highlights from the race, organised by Thetford AC, will be available soon on Sportlink TV.
Make sure you keep an eye out for the video dropping -there will be the chance to win a pair of OOFOS in the highlights.
Series rolls on
The Sportlink Grand Prix Series continues this weekend with the Aylsham 10K, before moving on to the Fighter 5K the following week.
Both events are currently sold out, with waiting lists open.
The next 10K opportunity comes at the Holt 10K on May 24, before the series heads to the Humpty Dumpty 10K – where places are still available.
Article supplied by Mark Armstrong Media.
