Sheffield TenTenTen 10km – 13th October 2024

Way back in 1983, in the days of the old Queen, an overweight teenaged University of Sheffield student took up running. That student was me and 41 years later I am still running. As a student I used to love running in Endcliffe and Bingham parks. When I moved back to Sheffield with my work in 2015, I lived fairly close to these parks for a few weeks, it was nice to run down memory lane.

In 2021 I ran the summer Round Sheffield Run for the first and last time. I ran on the Saturday and then volunteered on the Sunday. As a volunteer I got a free entry to the RSR or any other event organised by the RSR team. One of these events was the Sheffield TenTenTen, a multi terrain 10km in Endcliffe and Bingham parks. As anyone who has seen me trying to run cross-country will know I am not a good off-road runner, especially going downhill. An event like the TenTenTen wouldn’t really be my cup of tea. However, a free race entry is not to be sniffed at. So, for the last 4 years I have run the TenTenTen, a nice social race in the running parks of my youth.

This year I volunteered at both the winter and summer RSR events, so I got two free entries. Therefore my wife Shelley and I both got free entries to the TenTenTen.

Off we went to the running parks of my youth, it had poured down the day before but it was cool and dry on race day. On with my striders vest and my trail shoes, 800m easy to warm up before the inevitable Steel City Striders team photo.

Off we went, slow on the grass in Endcliffe Park, speeded up on the road and started to work my way through. Into Bingham Park and “The Hill”, most people dread this but it is my favourite part of the course. Slogged away up the slope, hard work but I ran all the way to the top. Then my problems begin, into the forest and a narrow downhill path with stones and tree-roots, lots of runners came past. I was very glad to emerge out the other side and onto the nice smooth path of Bingham Park, speeded up and passed a few. Into Endcliffe Park and end of lap 1. I didn’t get lapped, now for lap 2.

Feeling pretty tired by now, I ran up “The Hill” but I was very tired at the top, it was a bit of a struggle going downhill through the forest. Very glad to get to Bingham Park, in the past I have passed loads of runners from this part of the course to the finish. This year I passed precisely three runners, and three others passed me. It was really tough going in Endcliffe Park at the end but I managed to get under 1 hour.

Very tired on finishing, glad to get round in the worst time ever on this course, lack of fitness showing after I pulled my hamstring in August 🙁 Over to the baggage tent to get my bag and got some warm clothes on. Then I waited for Shelley to finish, she eventually finished with her usual strong sprint finish but she had muddy knees.

Shelley had fallen twice on lap 1. However, she got up twice and finished with a few cuts and bruises. We went to the first aid tent where she got cleaned up, then we went home. On our way out of the park we bumped into a bunch of University of Sheffield students, I wonder how many of them will run this race in 40 years time?

When we got home we saw that, in spite of falling, Shelley had won her agegroup! Apparently there was a prize, so today, after we had both been knocked out of the parkrun cup in round 1 we went to the excellent myRaceKit store where Shelley got some new trail shoes as a prize 🙂 Not bad for a race where she didn’t have to pay an entry fee.

I know that there are faster Steel City Striders ladies in Shelley’s agegroup but they didn’t run. I wonder how many will run next year if they know they have a chance of a new pair of shoes? 🙂