Jacob Taylor (purple t-shirt) was on the grid for the Running GP 10k at Goodwood Motor Circuit
His engine was revved and he was waiting for the lights to change from red to green. Then it was go for Jacob Taylor in the Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit.
He was competing in the 10k race there at a unique event put on by RunThrough which enabled runners to experience what it’s like to race on a circuit designed for fast cars and high speed competition.
It was three weeks on from Jacob’s sub 38 minute 10k at the Bournemouth Coastal 10 where he was faced with awful conditions, having to navigate his way along the coast in forceful winds and driving rain.
Unfortunately for Jacob, the conditions were again not great at Good Motor Circuit on the day of the Running GP and once again, he was facing wind and rain.
The previous day Jacob had finished second in Bournemouth parkrun, recording a time of 18:26, so he wasn’t allowing himself much recovery time before the Running GP 10k. Being under 17 though, his muscles probably don’t need too much time before they’re ready for the next hard exertion.
Jacob battling it out with Dan Griffiths at the front of the race
Starting off with a 6:06 for his first mile, Jacob then followed it up with a 6:00 and a 6:01. He then came on to the second lap, where he upped the pace to 5:54 on his fourth mile. He then clocked a 6:06 for his fifth mile before going full throttle on that final mile to register a 5:48.
He’d really demonstrated a tremendous acceleration and it had got him to the finish line in a very quick time of 37:11. It was a time that only one man on the course could better. That was Dan Griffiths who took first place in 37:03, so he was only 8 seconds ahead of Jacob.
Lennie McStay took third in 37:13, so it had been a close battle for that runner up spot but Jacob had just edged it. They were the only three runners to finish in under 38 minutes.
Clare Kellar was first female in 42:07, which put her 20th overall. Victoria Mercer was second female in 43:29 which put her in 31st place overall. Harriet Ackers was third female in 44:13.
Jacob comes in to take the runners up spot in 37:11
There were 332 finishers in total for the 10k race. There were other distances on at the event, with a 5k, Half Marathon, 20 Mile, Marathon and 50k also in the offering. James Baker of Chichester Runners won the Marathon in 2:36:26.
Only 29 athletes entered the 50k but Rob Payne of Cleethorpes AC won it in a terrific time of 2:59:08, with Daniel Rothwell taking second place in 3:02:46. Sarah Webster was third and first female in 3:25:12.
It was a fine run from Jacob and the fact that he was able to find another gear on the second lap to produce a negative split showed a maturity beyond his years. He’d come away with an average pace of 5:58, which was an excellent result and he was of course, first Under 17.
Jacob has since gone on to produce a parkrun PB of 17:17 at Poole on Christmas Day, so he’s clearly progressing very well and in a great place with his running at the moment. No doubt there will be exciting things to come from him in 2026 as he gains further experience in road races.