Oliver Boyce produced a perfectly-timed late move to claim victory at the Aylsham 10K – Race 6 in the Sportlink Grand Prix Series.
Representing Norwich Road Runners, Boyce crossed the line in 33:57 after pulling clear in the closing stages of a tightly-contested race.
George Howard finished second in 34:23, with Adam Young taking third in 35:03.
Patience pays off
Boyce admitted the Aylsham Road Runners race did not entirely unfold as expected, but he stayed composed in a competitive lead group before making his decisive move late on.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he said when asked by Sportlink TV if the race had gone to plan.
“It wasn’t exactly the plan, but obviously it all worked out in the end.”
A pack of four or five runners remained together through much of the race before the field gradually started to thin out.
“It was a pack of four or five of us for at least half the race,” he explained.
“After that, it was kind of one dropping every half K or 2K.
“Then with about one and a half K left to go, I decided to start pushing it and just see what I had left.
“It was a good sprint to the end.”
Testing conditions around Aylsham
The Aylsham 10K once again provided runners with a challenging and undulating route through the Norfolk countryside.
Boyce admitted the hills made themselves known during the race – although the downhill stretches offered some reward too.
“There were definitely a lot of uphills,” he said.
“But in the end it was fine.
“I think there were enough downhills to counteract it as well.”
Busy race schedule ahead
Boyce now faces a packed schedule over the coming weeks as his season continues to gather momentum.
Next up is the Great Yarmouth 5 Mile Series before the Fighter 5K, with the Manchester 10K at the end of the month.
“I’ve got Great Yarmouth 5 Mile on Wednesday and then Fighter 5K on Sunday,” he said.
“So that’ll be fun over the next week.
“Then in three weeks’ time I’ve got Manchester, so hopefully I can go there and maybe compete for a win.”
Watch the highlights
Highlights from the Aylsham 10K will soon be available on Sportlink TV.
The highlights package will also include the chance to win a pair of Brooks trainers, so make sure you subscribe to the channel and keep an eye on Sportlink’s socials for the video dropping later this week.
Series continues
The Sportlink Grand Prix Series now rolls on to the sold out Fighter 5K (waiting list) before returning to 10K action later this month at the Holt 10K. The Humpty Dumpty 10K takes place on June 7.