With all important points still to play for, the penultimate race of the Dorset Road League season saw the Bournemouth AC men and ladies make the short journey over to Wimborne for a familiar but always testing ten miler. After Debbie Lennon was the only club member present at the Weymouth 10, the yellow and blues still needed something from the remaining two races to make their path to promotion secure.

In fact, the Bournemouth AC men had been taken to the wire by Wimborne AC who had capitalised every time the south coasters hadn’t been able to field a full strength team. That saw the two neck and neck with five wins each going into the final two races. Realistically, the BAC men needed to win both to take the league title so at the Wimborne 10, the pressure was on.

For the BAC ladies, one more good result would probably be enough to see them through to gain promotion back to the top flight. They’d already won five races in the season so far. Ideally they wanted to get the job done at Wimborne though and with Katie Gunn, Sophie Read and Debbie Lennon there they had the capability to do it.

After finishing first and second at the Round the Lakes 10k and the New Forest 10, Abdinassier Mohamoud Elhmi and Joe Arundel were back in action again at Wimborne and that gave the Bournemouth AC men a huge advantage.

They were joined by Stu Nicholas who had taken 6th place in the New Forest 10 and had been putting in some very impressive performances of late including a win at the Studland Stampede which crowned a victorious Purbeck Trail Series campaign.

Running well in recent Wessex League and Hampshire League Cross Country races, Matt Brown was very much in-form again and able to generate the sort of speed that he would want in competition.

Although he wasn’t overly pleased with his performance at the Round the Lakes 10k, it was still a sub 36 minute time for Adam Corbin so he’s always quick in comparison to most.

The ten mile distance was probably slightly out of Dan Trickett‘s comfort zone. He’s usually more of a 10k specialist as he doesn’t really do many longer distance runs in training. It would be interesting to see what he could produce on a route that was a little further than what he’s used to.

With it being a home race for them, Wimborne AC had brought a reasonably strong side to the table, with Mark Savage, Louis Verdi and Scott Blakeway in situ. They also had Damian Huntingford who was now showing signs of coming back into some good form. He picked up a hamstring injury in the Valencia Marathon and missed the first three months of the year as a consequence. Hence it took him a while to build up his fitness again.

A win at the Weymouth 10 had brought Egdon Heath Harriers to within touching distance of a Men’s First Division title. One more victory would be enough to get them over the line. Poole AC needed to win both the last two fixtures to take the title. The Boscombe 10k probably favours Poole AC as its closer to home for them. Therefore, the Wimborne 10 race was absolutely crucial and could effectively be the title decider.

Egdon Heath Harriers had Christopher Peck, Jonathan Churchill, Matt Underhill, Daniel Hull and Adam Davies in their side. The Poole AC team included Jamie Grose, Dom Willmore and Luke Terry. On paper, it had the makings of a fantastic grudge match.

As well as being an intriguing race from a Dorset League perspective, the Wimborne 10 had an added element of excitement, which was the £250 that was on the line for anyone who could beat the course record. Hercules Wimbledon man Jonathan Cornish, who has now signed for Poole AC, set that course record of 50 minutes and 34 seconds at last year’s event and he was back to try and do it again.

This time Somalian sensation Abdinassier Mohamoud Elhmi was going for it as well though and he was very confident about getting under 50 minutes. His two Hampshire Cross Country League winning performances had demonstrated the level he is operating at and with his 49:01 time in the New Forest 10, he’d already proved he is capable of a sub 50. That was on a course that was virtually all off-road as well. Hence it was quite possible the Wimborne 10 course record would be sent tumbling for the second year running.

In keeping with tradition, the Wimborne 10 always starts with the town crier firing his guns to set the runners off with a bang. Never had it been more appropriate either than on this edition, as Abdi shot off like a bullet. It looked as if he was sprinting but he wasn’t. That’s just how fast he runs.

With the Wimborne 10 course, you run down the hill on the first mile and that’s the same slope you have to come up on the last mile, making for a gruelling finish. For one section on the way down Abdi was going at 3:45 pace and he ended up going through the first mile in 4:31. After that its flattish for the next two miles.

Getting through those in 4:41 and 4:48, Abdi had gone through the first 5k in a blistering 14:33. It was then onto the climb that goes on for the majority of the fourth mile. Going through that in 5:06, it was then time for Abdi to head back down the slope on his fifth mile. That saw him get back to 4:47 pace. The course flattens out a bit after that.

Registering a 4:51 for his sixth mile, Abdi went through 10k in 29:48. At this point, he was on course for something truly special. He then went through his seventh mile in 5:02. It was on about 7.4 miles that he started to feel a pain in his abdomen. From that point on he had to slow down. Not by a lot but by enough to make for a significant drop in pace.

He clocked a 5:08 for his eighth mile before going on to record a 5:16 for mile nine. Hitting the hill back up to Pamphill Village Green on his tenth mile, he completed that at 5:18 pace, finishing very quickly once he reached the top of the hill.

Some of the Bournemouth AC men had come out to watch and they were waiting near the finish hoping to witness Abdi breaking the course record. The tension built as the clock ticked down before they saw Abdi appear on the finishing straight. It was clear that he had enough time left to make it to the line well under the current course record time.

Going over the chip matt in 49:25, Abdi had bettered the course record by over the minute. That was despite the abdomen issue that perhaps might have cost him the best part of a minute. It was a truly outstanding display from Abdi and another run where he had delivered something so special it was hard to even put it into context. His average pace of 4:56 had been dragged down a fair bit over those last three miles.

Even Jonathan Cornish, who is ranked 150 in the UK couldn’t get anywhere near Abdi. He was quite close to his time from last year but just missed out in the end, going over the line in 50:41.

Joe Arundel had another excellent run to register an even faster time than he did at the New Forest 10. Reaching the finish in 51:08, Joe had taken a terrific third place.

Jamie Grose was next the next man to arrive on the home straight. He’d been going from strength to strength and delivered another fine performance to finish in 51:58. That was 1 minute 44 seconds quicker than his time from the New Forest 10 so another brilliant PB for him. His average pace was 5:11.

There was quite a gap after that before Christopher Peck arrived to take 5th place in 54:08. That was a seventh race of the season for him which confirmed him as individual men’s champion for the second year running.

Dom Willmore was the next man over the line, getting round a time of 55:44. Even though Jonathan Cornish wasn’t a scorer for them on this occasion, it was looking good for Poole AC with two men in the top six. They now only needed three more to complete their scoring team.

Occasionally you have days where everything just falls into place and you feel really strong throughout. That happened to Stu Nicholas in this race. In fact, he likened it to his incredible Great South Run display from last year when he got round in 54:46. Of course, this wasn’t as quick as that but you wouldn’t expect it be on such a hilly course.

The only thing that could have interrupted his flow was when a tractor with a combine harvester attached was blocking the while road, forcing Stu onto the grass verge. Fortunately he didn’t hit the deck this time like he did in The Beast and got round unscathed, completing the race in an impressive time of 56:30. That put him seventh in the overall standings and that was an admirable display. His average pace for the run was 5:38.

Luke McKenzie of Poole Runners was the next man in, crossing the line in 56:48 which put him in eighth place. Adam Colbert was Poole AC’s third finisher and he took ninth position in 56:53 which put him seven seconds ahead of Jonathan Churchill who was tenth. That was three finishers in from Poole AC and two from Egdon Heath Harriers.

Jez Bragg finished 11th in 57:17 and that was his sixth race of the season, meaning if he does the Boscombe 10k he could finish quite high up in the individual standings. He’s currently in fifth place, just behind Stu who is fourth and also needs to do the Boscombe 10k to get to the magic seven.

Jonathan Churchill was in the same boat as well, having done six races so far and he is currently sitting third in the individual standings. Already having done seven races, Dave Hicks of Poole AC is currently second in the individual table.

Luke Terry was Poole AC’s fourth finisher at the Wimborne 10 when he reached the line in 57:27 and that put him in 12th place. All they needed now was one more man in to confirm what could turn out to be a very valuable victory.

Another excellent run from Matt Brown saw him get round in 57:31 which put him in 13th place. Matt usually gets stronger in the latter stages of races, even longer distance ones like marathons and half marathons. That’s probably a good way to be in the Wimborne 10 as it is so tough on the last mile. His average pace for the run was 5:44 and he was happy with the performance he gave.

Since they only needed four to score in the Second Division, Bournemouth AC had won the fixture before any other Second Division club runner had even finished. That would set them up nicely to seal the win on the final day of the season in the Boscombe 10k, which is a bit like a home race as it starts and finishes at Kings Park.

Egdon Heath Harriers kept the race for top spot in the First Division alive when Matt Underhill and Oliver Edwards arrived to take 14th and 15th places in 58:07 and 58:09. They and Poole AC were both now on four finishers each.

Making a very fast start with a 5:33, followed by a 5:39, it looked possible that Adam Corbin may have set off too quickly. It turned out he hadn’t really though and he was able to stay strong throughout the remainder of the race.

Crossing the line in 58:34, Adam came 16th and he was well pleased with that. Adam can be his own harshest critic at times and he knows the levels he expects from himself. If he dips below that, he’s not afraid to call himself out. That wasn’t the case this time though and he went home satisfied with a decent display. His average pace for the run was 5:50.

The fifth man over the line for Poole AC was Gareth Hale who came in just after Adam in 17th place recording a time of 58:40. That was a huge win for Poole AC and that probably swung things in their favour in the title race. They just needed one more big performance at Boscombe.

Managing to pull a PB of 59:13 out of the bag, Vicki Ingham won her seventh race of the season to seal the women’s individual title for the second consecutive year. She’d once again proved to be head and shoulders above any of the other Dorset women. At the Wimborne 10, she finished 24th overall.

Finishing second to Bournemouth AC in the Men’s Second Division, Wimborne AC had Mark Savage who was 33rd in 59:32, Louis Verdi who was 38th in 1:00:01, Damian Huntingford who was 43rd in 1:00:56 and Scott Blakeway who was 48th in 1:01:29.

Former Bournemouth AC pair Sam and Luke Jackson were running as well and Sam got round in 1:01:10 which put him in 45th place. Luke followed in shortly after in 49th position recording a time of 1:01:31.

Julian Critchlow of Purbeck Runners was the first over 60 to reach the finish line and he posted a time of 1:00:53 which put him 42nd overall.

Isabel Davis of Purbeck Runners was 2nd female in 1:01:41 which put her in 51st place. If she does the Boscombe 10k that should secure the runner up spot for her in the women’s individual standings. Gill Pearson of Yeovil Town RRC was the next lady to finish in 1:02:31 and that put her in 55th place overall.

Dan Trickett was running pretty well up until about 11k. It was at that point where the wheels came loose a bit for him. Without much endurance to call upon his pace began to drop, which was what he was expecting to happen anyway. He still made it round in 1:03:03 which was a creditable time and that put him 56th overall.

Former Bournemouth AC member Helen O’Neile gave Poole Runners their second female finisher, crossing the line in 1:04:05 which put her in 65th place overall.

The first mile of the Wimborne 10 is usually the quickest, since it’s mostly downhill. Katie Gunn tempered her pace well on that though, clocking a 6:22 for her first split. All the rest of her splits except for the fourth mile were between 6:25 and 6:35. The fourth mile is mostly uphill and Katie managed that in 6:39.

It was a very strong and consistently paced effort from her and despite the tough hill at the end, she still managed a 6:33 for her final mile. That saw her make it to the chip matt in exactly 1 hour 5 minutes which put her 5th female and 72nd overall. Her target was under 1 hour 6 minutes so she was happy with that.

Louise Fox of Dorchester RIOT was 6th female in 1:05:24, with Caroline Wilkins arriving 10 seconds later to take 79th place and 7th female. She was Poole Runners’ third scorer.

Also delivering a decent sub 1 hour 6 minute time, Leon Louis got to the line in 81st place in 1:05:54. His average pace for the run was 6:35 minutes per mile.

Dawn Andrews of Poole AC was 8th female in 1:07:05 which put her 98th overall before Gemma Bragg arrived exactly a minute later to take 9th female spot. She completed the scoring team of four for the already confirmed First Division champions Poole Runners who registered their eighth win of the season.

That was Gemma’s seventh race of the season and she was third in the overall standings for the women’s individual, just ahead of Hannah Martyn of Egdon Heath Harries who was 10th female at Wimborne in 1:08:14.

Completing the course in 1:09:29, Tom Ralph finished 127th overall. He thought it was an awesome race which was made all the better by the fabulous array of cakes that were given out to runners afterwards for free. He’ll definitely be keen to do it again next year.

If you had told Sophie Read when she first started training with Bournemouth AC that she’d be running the Wimborne 10 in under 70 minutes, she would have probably laughed at you. But with the hard work and endeavour she’s put in, that was now a realistic target.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend Jaymee Domoney as a pacer, Sophie set off on her way. Jaymee finished 2nd in the Run Bournemouth Half Marathon and is one of the top runners in the south. His job in this one though was really just to keep Sophie churning out those sub seven minute miles.

She managed it well and the only times she really went over seven was on the miles with the hills in them. It was a sublime performance in the end from Sophie and she made it to the line in 1:09:41 which made her 14th female. She was second scorer for Bournemouth AC and finished 131st overall. Her average pace came in at 6:56 in the end.

Pacing his run pretty well, Neil Smith was the next Bournemouth AC member over the line. He completed the course in 1:14:42 which put him 183rd in the overall standings.

After he brilliant 1:14 time at the Weymouth 10, Debbie Lennon wasn’t able to follow it up with another top performance at the Wimborne 10. She didn’t feel as fresh as she did at Weymouth and she was also struggling with a bit of planta fasciitis in her foot. Hence she lost the over 60 age category battle to Heather Khoshnevis who clocked a time of 1:14:43.

That put Heather 26th out of the women in the race and 186th overall. Debbie completed the course in 1:17:21 which put her 36th lady and 210th overall. She was Bournemouth AC‘s third scorer for the women’s team though and that was enough to give them their sixth win of the season. That meant they’d won the Second Division and confirmed their promotion back to the top flight for next season with one race to spare.

Katie Gunn’s boyfriend Luke Bentley is also a Bournemouth AC member although he refuses to use his club affiliation or where a club vest until he feels he can help the team more and do it justice. He’s not been running much recently so he’d thrown himself in the deep end a bit by entering the Wimborne 10. He coped well though and managed to get round in 1:16:59 which put him one place ahead of Debbie in the overall standings.

The last Bournemouth AC member to make it to the line that day, but by no means the least, was Jud Kirk. He registered a time of 1:18:05 which put him in 220th place overall. That put him 6th in the over 65 category. Stephen Hogarth of Poole AC was the top man in that category, finishing in 1:07:19, with Graham Moyse of Poole Runners coming 2nd in 1:09:54.

Picking up their seventh win of the season in the Men’s Third Division, Dorset Doddlers’ promotion to the Second Division had already been sealed.

The fight for top spot in the Ladies’ Third Division is proving to be an interesting one. It was Westbourne who got the win at the Wimborne 10, with Bournemouth Joggers in 2nd and that meant Westbourne moved into pole position for that much coveted promotion place to the Second Division.

They were both on level points so it was effectively winner takes all at the Boscombe 10k. The only problem was the Bournemouth Joggers were organising that race and they usually need all their members helping out, meaning there wouldn’t be anyone left to run the race.

With the Bournemouth AC men needing the win to confirm their top position in the Second Division and promotion back to top flight, they will be bringing the cavalry to the Boscombe 10k. That includes Abdi, Joe and Stu Nicholas. Newly adorned father Rob McTaggart will be there as well and with that line up they looked nailed on to get the result they need.

The good work at Wimborne meant the pressure was off for the BAC ladies as their promotion was already secure. They would still want to give a good showing though on home turf to end the season on a high.