Thousands make Mansfield 10K race day a roaring success

The winner of the 10K race, Kristian Watson, of Heanor Running Club.

An event that has become a staple in the town’s sporting calendar was hailed a roaring success by the organisers, the Nottingham-based sports marketing organisation, Perfect Motion.

Race director Nik Emmonds said: “They were great races this year, with the highest number of entrants to date. Because the Notts AAA Championships were part of the event, a high-class field took part, and that was reflected in the finishing times.

“The people of Mansfield came out in force to support the runners once again, which made for a great spectacle.”

The first three home in the 10K, Kristian Watson (centre), Paul Wright (left) and Stuart King.

The two races followed a unique, compact course on traffic-free streets in the town centre, starting and finishing on Market Place.

The 10K, which began at 9 am, boasted 647 finishers, while the 5K, which started at 10.30 am, boasted 186 finishers.

Some runners even tackled both races, including the remarkable Stuart King, of Notts AC, who was third in the 10K, having won it in 2017 and been runner-up last year, and then went on to win the 5K in a time of 16.32 minutes.

This year’s 10K winner was Kristian Watson, of Heanor Running Club, who clocked 32.37, ahead of Paul Wright, of Mansfield Harriers, in 33.43, and King in 33.59.

Natalie Yates, of Mansfield Harriers, the winner of the ladies 10K race.

The first lady to finish was Natalie Yates, of Mansfield Harriers, who recorded 37.48 in 18th spot, while the first male veterans were David Cass (over-45s), of Sutton Harriers, who was eighth, and Jonny Lowe (over-55s), of Mansfield Harriers, who was 12th.