NWFPAC ‘Michael Page’ Championship 2026 – Race 5: Tatton 10k

Tatton 10k was the fifth race in the Championship series and we had a good turnout of twelve on a slightly breezy morning competing for points around the Tatton Park Estate.

It was quite an early start time of 8.45 which nearly caught me out. In my haste, I went for technical trail shoes, assuming muddy, twisty trails for what is, essentially, a road race. Note to self. Read Dave’s pre-race emails that helpfully cover such points!

It’s a well organised event with ample parking in the fields and portaloos a plenty. A group of us gathered beforehand to share the usual pre-race disclosures around lack of training, injuries, the late night before etc. The start was strangely low key with no countdown or gun. People were simply chatting away, then suddenly we were off. I’d promised myself I’d take it easy to protect a dodgy Achilles. Surrounded by people much faster than me though I made the mistake of going off too quick and, as I’d also managed to steal some time on Dave, the competitive instincts kicked in. Adrian came flying past me very soon in, slaloming through my group, suggesting he’d been caught out at the start too.

Conditions were ideal to begin. No rain, not hot, and a helpful tailwind. You never seem to realise when the wind is behind you, so I was tricked into feeling strong. The course is described as ‘fast’ and ‘undulating’. I’ve spent a fair amount of time plodding up mountains this year, so I was quietly hoping for some goat-like strength to emerge when we hit the ups. It transpires that walking with poles doesn’t automatically translate to powering through gentle inclines when running. Each bump resulted in runners gliding past me. In hindsight, I probably didn’t need the extra weight of an ultra vest packed with supplies (including a bivvy bag) for this one…

The first 5k felt ok. We then had the first extended drag up. Dave, who had been stealthily lurking behind, surged past me at this point with a sprint worthy of any finish line. My Achilles had tightened by now and the second half of the race was tougher across the board. There are some out-and-back sections on the course which are good. It was great to see other runners on the other side of the path, admiring the speed merchants at the pointy end, and encouraging those behind. We got to see the tussle between Stephen Grice and Mike Ginn who were neck and neck for much of the race, with Stephen pulling away in the latter stages. High fives from Adrian were also appreciated here.

Around 8k in we turned into a long straight, with a combination of a gradual incline and a headwind to dent the sprits. Fortunately, the finish is not far here so it’s just case of grinding through. The final kilometre is flat. It’s well worth pushing hard off the incline section to pick people off, as some do slow down to recover here. There’s a left turn at the end into a decent finishing straight where you can gradually wind up and nick a few places if you’ve got legs. The finish line brought all the goodies - medal, cake, water, and carby snacks.

All in all, it’s a cracking and scenic 10k. It would certainly be a fast one on a calmer day without the wind. As for the Championship, congratulations to Stephen who bagged the maximum 20 points coming 7^th overall, with Mike following with 19 (8^th overall). A good day for Team Rantander. Bring on the next one – the West Cheshire 10 mile on 26^th July.