Watch out for Paul on the Switchback

I've managed to squeeze in a couple of sessions on the website today to feature the Western 10.

When I first started the website it was largely to publish databases but after building them with all the results of the Parish Walk, the Syd Quirk Half Marathon, the Peel to Douglas Run and Walk, TT40 etc (every known result) I vowed not to start any more until I had other things under control. I always intended to compile the same information for the Western 10 from Gordie Brew's records.

Thankfully, someone at Western AC undertook this task two or three years ago and it is really helpful to have all the results available.

I've used them to start building my own database and I have started with all the times under 1 hour. The stats I published in the early part of the afternoon really do illustrate how much higher standards were in the 1980s.

I returned to the task a little while ago to make a few corrections (do let me know if you spot any others) and to add the bit about Alan Postlethewaite.

I am very aware of how well Alan has run throughout his veteran years, particularly on the Western 10 course. My friends are tipping me to run a lot faster than I have confidence to do tomorrow and I don't expect to come close to Alan's best over 50 time, even if the wind falls a bit.

I have been quite edgy throughout the day as it is the first race that I have prepared anything like reasonably well for since the London Marathon. I've only trained over 5 miles once in the last five weeks but the short stuff that I have done has gone well.

I heard this afternoon that my good friend Paul Curphey is turning out. You will see from the stats that he has one of the most consistent records in the history of the event. His two best times were recorded before I started training with him in 1992 but we prepared for this in 1993 and then 1997 and regularly thereafter. Paul has beaten me in four of the six times we have been "head to head" but on at least three of them I have been ahead of him on the big climb but he has powered past me on the switchback.

The photo shows the two of us in 2002 (with Peter Hughes close behind) and that was one such occasion when he beat by by 24 seconds.