The Bugatti 10k

Last week, my husband and I took part in the Bugatti 10k – a 10k race in Gloucestershire. It is an evening race hosted by local club, Almost Athletes, which starts at the Bugatti Owners’ Club at Prescott Hill Climb, near Cheltenham.. It is part of our club’s road race series and also the Gloucestershire county road race series. With just over 200 participants, it attracts runners from all the local running clubs, including some very fast runners.

I’d been warned that the run is quite steep, especially at the end. I hadn’t run many 10ks until this year and was always a bit nervous about how to pace them. But, after coming first in my age category at Cirencester 10k, I felt like I’d got 10ks sussed. As someone who is used to running half marathons, a 10k feels very short. It feels like nothing can go wrong, because it’s over in the blink of an eye (sort of).

But I was a bit nervous about the hills.

We arrived at Prescott and picked up our numbers. The finish line and timing clock were already set up. The toilets were just the public toilets for the Hill Climb, which were sufficient, with only short queues.

The briefing before the race warned us about keeping to the right, as the country lanes were largely open, apart from a brief closure for the start of the race. It also reminded us of the steep climb in the last kilometre and the need to conserve energy. We’d read that we were allowed to use bone conducting headphones, then the race director told us we needed to get special permission. That basically entailed going back to the table where they were handing out the numbers and having a mark on our numbers with highlighter!

At 6:50pm, we all walked down the hill to the start line on a narrow country lane. I had trouble connecting my headphones, but eventually got them sorted. We were quite near the back of the crowd, which shouldn’t really matter as the race was chip timed. But we moved a bit further forward,

The race started at 7pm on the dot. We knew it started with a downhill and had discussed whether to take it easy to conserve energy or to use it to get up some momentum and a good start. We both opted to make the most of the downhill.

I was running alongside a lady from our club who often trains at the same session as us on a Thursday evening. I stayed alongside her for about a kilometre, then pulled ahead.

The first third of the race is mainly downhill – some of it steep and some of it quite gradual. The kilometre markers were coming thick and fast. I’d got myself a nice playlist, consisting largely of Yungblud, with a couple of other punk tracks to keep me motivated and moving fast.

I was overtaking people one by one – both men and women.

There was water in paper cups at 3km and I tried to take a few sips. It wasn’t a warm evening, but I thought it was important to try to hydrate a bit. On a half marathon, I carry Lucozade with me and might stop for a few seconds for water in a cup, but I don’t think there’s time to waste on that in a 10k!

I had a feeling I might be first in my age category. It was always my dream to be first in my age category in a race. Then I surprised myself by getting it at Dymock half marathon and again at Cirencester 10k. This time, I was kind of expecting it. I knew I would be the fastest in my age category from our club, but obviously didn’t know who would be there from other clubs. What I have realised recently is there aren’t many women of my age who run competitively. There are lots who run and enjoy running. They enter races, but they either can’t run fast or choose not to. Which is absolutely fine. Any sort of running is great exercise and good for your mental health. But it does mean that I have a good chance of winning my age category!

After 6km, it felt like the kilometre markers were coming a bit less frequently. The race was a very gradual climb at this point. At around 7km I could see my husband in the distance round the corner. I timed how long it took me to get to that point – he was a minute and a half ahead of me. There was another water stop at around this point and I again managed a few sips.

Going round the corner, we had to move from the right side of road to the left. The climbing continued. The kilometre markers were coming more slowly… At around 7km, my pace was about at PB pace, but I knew to expect that hill. I’d guessed I would run Bugatti 10k about two minutes slower than my PB.

At about 9km, that killer climb started. And it felt like it went on and on. There was a very brief downhill and the climb started again. I could see we were getting closer to the Hill Climb and the finish line, but it was tough. My legs felt very tired, but I kept going as best I could. Then I was back onto the Hill Climb grounds and racing for the finish line.

I finished the race in 48:09 and gulped down three cups of water from a resuable plastic cup and had the timing chip removed from my shoe. There was no waste at the Bugatti 10k!

We got our times printed off on little labels. I didn’t have my glasses on, but thought it said I’d come first in my age category. I had to ask a younger runner to read it for me.

“You’re not 50!”

I am 50 and I’d won my age category. There were lots of prizes – first three men and women, then first in each age category for every five years for men and women from 35 to 80. There were also prizes for the first male and female teams (first club with three athletes in club vests over the line). There was no louder round of applause than for the man who won the 80+ prize – in 50:18!

I enjoyed Bugatti 10k and will no doubt be back next year.