Gallery: Runners tackle Town and Gown 10k and junior 3k as part of Cambridge Festival of Running
About 1,000 runners took to the city’s streets for the Town and Gown 10k, forming part of the weekend’s Cambridge Festival of Running - and our photographer was there to capture the action.
The run on Saturday (October 16) was part of a series organised by Muscular Dystrophy UK, and headed off from Midsummer Common, following a junior 3k run.
The route took participants along closed streets, past landmarks, University of Cambridge colleges, into Jesus Green and beside the River Cam, before heading into Stourbridge Common and back on to the roads.
It was the 10th year that MDUK had organised the run in Cambridge and it attracted runners of all abilities.
Thousands of pounds will have been raised by runners for the charity, which helps fight muscle-wasting conditions by funding essential research.
So far, the 10k runs, which also take place in Oxford and Leicester, have raised more than £2million for the cause.
Among those taking part for the first time was IT solution architect John Busby, who has tackled dozens of half and full marathons, but was taking on his first run since the pandemic began.
He ran it in memory of his girlfriend Katharine’s brother Andrew, who died at 15 in 2001.
John, who said beforehand that he was “looking forward to feeling the nerves and excitement of a race day again”, explained: “Andrew was diagnosed aged three with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He is well remembered for his wide range of interests. His family thoroughly enjoyed getting involved with the local MDUK branch, over several years, in St Ives.
“He really liked computers, playing video games, watching Frasier, and nature programmes. He loved reading, especially science fiction and he also enjoyed painting.”
Julie Norris tackled the race with her daughter, Joely.
Julie is a mental health support worker for Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust, while Joely works for Peterborough City Council as a civil engineer.
They ran for two-year-old Charlie - Julie’s grandson and Joely’s nephew.
He was diagnosed at eight months when, owing to being a ‘floppy baby’, he struggled to meet his physical milestones. He has been diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy, but it could be Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Julie said: “Charlie is a cheeky little boy, who we all love dearly. He has a lovely supportive family: his dad (my son) Zak and his mum Sammie and his two brothers Oscar and Logan.”
More than 70,000 people in the UK live with these often life-limiting conditions.
First home in the 10k in the impressive time of 31:17 was Ian Williamson, of Birchfield Harriers, followed by Ryan Prout, of Thrift Green Trotters, in 33:29 and Euan Cunningham, of Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club, in 33:39.
Hannah Lord, of St Neots Riverside Runners, was the first woman home in 36:36, with Katie King, of St Edmunds Pacers, second in 36:58, while Stephanie Pope was the third woman home in 38:37.
Meanwhile, in the 3k run, the first runner home was George Christmas, in the boys’ 14-15 age group, from Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club, in just 9:48, while Haverhill Running Club’s Charlie Minnette, from the same category, finished second in 9:51, while Conor McBrien, also in the boys’ 14-15 group, came in third in 10:47.
Not far behind George was Jasmine Christmas, who finished fourth and was the first girl home. Jasmine, who was in the 12-13 age group, completed the 3k in just 11:12. Kate Russell, in the same category, was the second girl home in 11:29, while Cerys McBrien, in the 9-11 age group, was the third girl home in 13:26.
The Cambridge Festival of Running continued on Sunday with the Cambridge Half Marathon - we have a separate gallery from it. It was the first time the two events have come together over a weekend.
Among those tackling both was University of Cambridge paleontologist Dr Alex Liu, who tackled the back-to-back races in an inflatable T-rex costume, helping to raise funds for family resources at the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences.
We will have special souvenir photographic supplement featuring the Town and Gown and the Cambridge Half Marathon in this week’s Cambridge Independent - out from Wednesday (October 20).
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See our photo galleries from the events back to 2017
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101 pictures from Cambridge Half Marathon 2017
Gallery: 2019 Newton Town and Gown 10k
40 pictures from the Cambridge Town and Gown 10k 2018
