Martyn Bath made it three wins in this year’s Sportlink Grand Prix Series as he claimed victory at the Humpty Dumpty 10K.
The Norwich Road Runners athlete crossed the line in 33:31 to win Race 9 of the series, which also incorporated the Norfolk County Championships, hosted by Great Yarmouth & District AC.
Bath finished just ahead of Neil Adams of North Norfolk Road Runners, who was second in 33:40, while Oliver Boyce of Norwich Road Runners took third in 34:17.
But despite completing a hat-trick of Sportlink GP victories, Bath admitted this was far from straightforward.
“That was really, really hard today,” he said.
“I was hoping to go out and just do a nice controlled effort, not to make it too hard for myself, but it was really, really hard.
“I just kept looking back to make sure Neil (Adams) wasn’t going to catch me, because I didn’t really fancy my chances today while he was hunting me down.”
Marathon fatigue catches up
Bath has been one of the standout performers in the Sportlink Grand Prix Series this year, having already taken victories at the Reedham Ten and Wymondham 20 before adding the Humpty Dumpty 10K title.
However, he admitted the effort of recent months – including racing the London Marathon – has caught up with him.
“Since I did the marathon, and then a good effort at Yarmouth in the five miler, I’ve just sort of been in a bin,” he said.
“I think the fatigue from the marathon has caught me up.
“That race just pushed it all out of the system, and it’s been a real struggle since then.
“I basically took the whole of last week off to try and freshen up for today, but I think I’ve still got a way to go yet.”
Clubmate Boyce continues to impress
There was also a strong Norwich Road Runners presence on the podium, with young clubmate Oliver Boyce taking third place.
Bath was full of praise for Boyce’s progress.
“It’s brilliant, isn’t it?” he said.
“He’s going really well.
“We’ve just got to try and keep hold of him now, the way he’s going, because he’s flying.
“He’ll soon go past me. I’m getting older and older – I’d probably give it two years and he’ll be well ahead of me winning all these series.”
Watch the highlights
Highlights from the Humpty Dumpty 10K will be available soon on Sportlink TV.
There will also be the chance to win a pair of Karhu running shoes in the highlights package, so make sure you subscribe to the channel and keep an eye out for the video dropping soon.
Sportlink
The Sportlink Grand Prix Series is supported by Sportlink, a specialist running shop in Norwich run by runners for runners, known for expert gait analysis, specialist running shoes and trusted advice for runners across Norfolk.
Article supplied by Mark Armstrong Media.