Tamzin Petersen and Louise Price at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

Tamzin Petersen (left) and Louise Price (right) were featuring at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

A busy weekend of racing saw some members of the Bournemouth AC squad heading up to Alton for the scheduled 10 mile Hampshire Road League race. Others were away running 10k races in other towns or cities and some club members were in Mallorca for the Ironman 70.3. Despite that though, the club still had representation at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k, with Tamzin Petersen and Louise Price present to tackle the scenic trail race along the sea wall.

New recruits James Phillips and Laura Rothwell were there as well, although their memberships may not have had officially gone through when this race took place. James and Laura have been regularly attending the Tuesday night training sessions and will be tremendous new additions to the team. They’ve already integrated really well with the existing squad and there will no doubt be big things to come from them in the coming months.

Tamzin and Louise had initially entered the race to support a friend who is just getting back into running and recently moved to Lymington. Unfortunately their friend broke her toe a couple of days before the race so was unable to do it. Of course, Tamzin and Louise decided to do the race anyway and it turned out to be well worth it as they both enjoyed it.

The RNLI mascot prepares to start the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

The RNLI mascot prepares to get the Lymington Lifeboat 10k underway

The Lymington Lifeboat 10k hadn’t staged for quite a few years so it was great to have it back on the calendar. Organised by Lymington RNLI and their volunteers, the event raises money for the RNLI, going towards essential lifesaving kit and crew training. The sponsors, the Yacht Haven Group cover the overheads meaning all the proceeds generated from the entry fees, individual sponsorship and donations go directly to the RNLI.

The competitors await the start of the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

The competitors ready themselves on the start line

The route for the 10k race starts and finishes at Woodside, heading out of the park and down Keyhaven before returning along the sea wall past Oxey Barn and back to Woodside. Then it’s a sprint finish next to Woodside Pavilion.

The Lymington Lifeboat 10k gets underway

The race begins and the runners head off on their 10k adventure

Still nursing a niggle from the London Marathon last month, Tamzin didn’t want to go all out so she ran it with Louise. That worked well for Lou as it ended pushing her to go faster in order to keep up.

Completing the course in 54:04 and 54:05, Tamzin and Lou finished 210th and 211th overall out of 520 runners. Out of the 253 women in the race, they came 60th and 61st. Tamzin was 28th out of 76 in the Senior Female category and Lou was 7th out of 71 in the F50 category. Considering it was a trail race, Lou was pretty happy with that time.

Tamzin Petersen and Louise Price after the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

Tamzin and Lou ran the entire race together, finishing in just over 54 minutes

At the front of the field though, James Phillips was ripping his way through the course at record speed. Reaching the line in an outrageously quick time of 32:34, James executed an impressive victory and indeed, a new course record.

Southampton AC man Jon Pepin ran well as well to clock a time of 32:56 but he had to be content with 2nd place on this occasion. No one was going to stop James in that sort of form.

The top two were quite a way ahead of anyone else, with Ross Wilkes of Isle of Wight Road Runners coming in in 3rd place in a time of 34:28.

James Phillips picks up 1st prize in the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

James Phillips picks up his trophy for winning the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

Alastair Pickburn of Newforest Runners was 6th in 36:40 and youngster Sean Harnett, who impressed in the Boscombe Winter 5k Series took 7th place in 37:08.

Laura Rothwell wasn’t to be outdone though and she made sure she’d be taking home a trophy of her own. Completing the course in 41:15, she finished as 3rd female and was 29th in the overall standings. She was also 1st in the Senior Female category.

Hannah Turner of Dacorum was 1st female, getting round in 39:38 which put her in 20th place and Sophie Bubb was 2nd female in a time of 40:30. They were both in the F40 category.

Laura Rothwell picks up her 3rd female prize at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

Laura Rothwell is awarded her trophy for finishing as 3rd female

It was great to see James and Laura performing so well and picking up trophies and it will hopefully be one of many they will go on to collect once they pull on the yellow and blue vest.

The course record James secured gave a good inclination of the kind of pedigree he has. He regularly emerges victorious in off-road races, often ones around the New Forest area. He’s been looking super sharp and speedy in the interval sessions as well, usually right at the front of the group with fellow newbie Bryn Smith. With those two spearheading the attack the club will be a force to be reckoned with in future league races.

James Phillips collects his 1st prize at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

James set a new course record in the process of winning the race

Laura is already looking like a very valuable signing as well, bolstering the women’s team along with another fellow newbie Laura Daly. They will hopefully be able to help the Bournemouth AC ladies battle it out in future competition.

When Harriet Slade was forced to give up her entry to the May 5 due to injury, it was Laura Rothwell who would step in to take her place which meant there would be an early opportunity to see her in league action after her transfer to the club was confirmed.

She would part of a strong outfit that the club had brought over to Canford Heath, looking to get their spluttering Dorset Road Race League season going. Both the men’s and women’s teams are struggling to keep their heads above water at the moment with the threat of sinking to the depths below looking a realistic prospect. They might well need the likes of James and Laura to jump in and help them float back up towards the surface again.