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Hendy Pacers at Eastleigh 10K 2021

Memorable performances at Hendy Eastleigh 10K

Runners were first to offer life-saving aid to one of their own as a medical emergency overshadows all other results

The 36th Hendy Eastleigh 10K was rather too eventful on Sunday (1 August) as 1,400 runners took part after an extended postponement that eventually ran to 498 days. 

The winner was the youngest in the event's history but the race will live long in the memory of competitors, spectators, and organisers due to a major medical emergency at the finish line. 

A competitor (Charlotte) collapsed after suffering an epileptic seizure and, in a lesson for us all, had recorded details of her medical condition on the reverse of her number. Several runners stopped to administer life-saving resuscitation and the air ambulance was rapidly on the scene. 

Charlotte was later recovering in the Neurological ICU at Southampton General Hospital and her family expressed their appreciation for the quick thinking of runners who came to her aid. Running Mania race organisers are in touch with the family to monitor the situation.

The response to the emergency situation was exemplary as you might expect from such an experienced team. Hendy Pacers and Tail Runners, organised by Dave Hawkins of Eastleigh RC, kept things moving on time and there were 1,391 finishers in 1:48:16.

At the head of Hampshire's largest 10K was 16-year-old Ben Brown (Southampton AC, 30:45 PB) who became the youngest ever winner and the first to do the 'double', having also been a recent winner of the supporting Hendy Eastleigh Fun Run.

The runners-up in the men's race were Jacob O'Hara (City of Portsmouth, 31:01 PB) and Kurt Taylor (31:11) as an impressive 127 athletes ran 40 minutes or faster. 

Among those sub-40-minute finishers were 15 women, led by Naomi Mitchell (Reading AC, 33:36 PB), Lesley Locks (W40 Aldershot, 35:23 PB) and Cassie Thorp (City of Portsmouth, 36:06).

Hendy Eastleigh 10K styles itself as 'the home of the PB' with some justification as the results are always littered with lifetime bests or at least the season's best performances. But perhaps the performance of the day was the terrific response when one of our own needed urgent assistance on the finish line.

Results available at runABC South race listing here 

Image: Courtesy Eastleigh 10K on Facebook

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