The 38th Stubbington 10K, hosted by Stubbington Green Runners ('The Stubbies') on Sunday 7 January 2024, was another sold-out race with 1,779 finishers in just over two hours on the loop course from Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington.

The attractive route passes Lee-On-The-Solent Golf Club and Alver Valley Country Park before sweeping along the coast road to Hill Head Beach and back. Although fast times are regularly recorded there are some undulations en route amounting to a total climb of 43 metres.

Everyone appreciated the improved weather conditions after so much wind and rain recently – although it was pretty chilly at 5C – and there was a general determination to get the year off to a good start.

Race winner, Aiden Lennan (Southampton AC, 30:54) put the afterburners on during the second half as he ran a huge negative split of 16:00/14:54 to duck under 31 minutes. The men's podium was completed by Ryde Harriers team mates Daniel Eckersley (31:25) and Christopher Newnham (32:13). Eckersley is the European Masters M35 3000m Steeplechase champion and Newnham was rewarded with a PB by 76 seconds.

The top three women were the defending champion W35 Cassie Thorp (City of Portsmouth AC, 34:41) – who deployed almost perfect even pace to achieve her victory – followed by W45 Lesley Locks (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC, 36:40) and W40 Vicky Gill (Winchester & District AC, 36:59) who passed the leading Stubbies athlete and last year's runner-up Rebecca Lord (37:15) in the second half.

More than 230 runners maintained a 4:00 minutes per kilometre pace throughout and there were some fine performances among the higher age groups with M65 Stephen Dunlop (Stubbington Green, 39:34) among the sub-40:00 finishers.

Pre-race and post-race massage was available by BodiWorks for a donation to the nominated charities which this year were Waypoint Foodbank; Dinky Doris and the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust. Last year's race helped to raise £3,500 each for Sophie's Legacy and Autism Hampshire.

Full results are available via runABC South's comprehensive race listing here.

Image courtesy Stubbington Green Runners on Facebook