Corking Dorking Tens
Dorking Tens enjoyed warm sunshine and sunny smiles...
The 37th Dorking Ten, organised by Dorking and Mole Valley Athletics Club, featured the Surrey Ten Mile Road Race Championships for some added spice and was among runABC South's featured events on Sunday 4 June.
These events don't just happen. They are made to happen by helpers and we counted nearly 100 marshall and other volunteer roles on the hard-working Race Director's spreadsheet. All those helpers, like the ready-for-action water station volunteer above, were rewarded with blue skies, warm sunshine, and sunny smiles as 521 streamed across the finish line at Dorking Rugby Football Club in either the traditional 10-miler or the supporting Cockerel 10K.
It was just the Dorking Ten that carried the Surrey Ten Mile Road Race Championships title and this race had the biggest entry with 408 finishers in 2:09:15. The 2023 Surrey gold medal winners are M40 master Gary Laybourne (South London Harriers, 52:58) and W35 Lisa Rooney (Collingwood AC, 1:03:22).
With both first places going to veterans, the new senior champions are the runners-up Tom Foster (Guildford & Godalming AC, 53:55) and Sophie Gunning (Herne Hill Harriers, 1:03:56).
In the open race, Laybourne won from 10-mile debutant Elias Ahmed (Ealing, Southall & Middlesex AC, 53:26) with Foster third. Rooney and Gunning led the women's race from Surrey third-placer Jilly Raw (Datchet Dashers, 1:05:00).
The Cockerel 10K saw 113 runners home in 1:46:00 and the winners were Euan Willis (Reigate Priory AC, 35:46) from his clubmate Samuel Stapley (35:51). W40 Susannah Evans (unattached, 42:02) and Dorking and Mole Valley's W35 Drilona Madhi (43:17) from Italy led the way in the women's race.
Dorking & Mole Valley AC is a family-friendly running club based in Dorking, taking full advantage of the running opportunities the Surrey Hills AONB can offer. For full details of future events and other club activities visit the club website here.
Dorking Tens results are at runABC South race listing here.
Image: Drink station volunteer via Dorking & Mole Valley AC on Facebook