British Masters National championships for 10,000 Track runs and walks plus Pentathlons Sunday 5th J

Notts AC report on British Masters National championships for 10,000 Track runs and walks plus Pentathlons Sunday 5^th June 2011, Horspath Stadium Oxford

With Laurie Dunn not fit to perform in the pentathlon, it was left to David Oxland, who is normally a 800 metres to 5,000 metres track runner, to represent Notts ACs in the 10,000 metres track run in blustery and damp but not wholly unfavourable conditions.

David has recently turned 60 and competition for him in that age group was negligible. However, fortunately for him a timetable switch meant that his race was run with the 50-54 age group and he found himself running with his friend and rival (in local races) Robert Fox of Long Eaton Road Runners club. They ran together for part of the race, and even when Rob put some distance between them, David managed to remain in close contact which enabled him to achieve a lifetime PB in 35 minutes 53 seconds. This is understood to be the fastest time at this distance on the track achieved by an over 60 runner since the late 1990s and also, as this championship doubled up as a Midlands Championship, subject to verification, it was a Midlands record by over 2 ½ minutes.

David won Gold in both the Midlands and British championships but these were formalities given the lack of competition in his own age group.

Rob Fox won a silver in the more competitive 50-54 category in 35 minutes 37 seconds.