Well, May rolls around and suddenly all the big races come thick and fast.  And few are bigger than the Sydney10.  I was short on the bets on this race but the one I had was a fairly big one; $50 head to head with young Jack Maxwell.  Now Jack is a bit of a cheeky lad and has been talking for while about how the HuRT Squad is ripe for a changing of the guard to allow the talented youngsters to come through.  So there was some added heat to this battle.  On top of that, along with City to Surf and JPMorgan CC this race attracts more members from the squad than any other so there is always someone to chase or stay ahead of.

I was up at 5am for the new race routine of having a bit of breakfast early on then got ready for Ben Streckeisen and Sammy Agnew picking me up at 6am for the ride from God’s Own to the mean streets of Homebush.  Poor Sammy got a bit upset about some of the dilapidated suburbs we had to travel through but all was well when we arrived nice and early and set off on a 4km warm up to work out the new course.  There was a bit of concern about the new start – would it be as quick as previous years?  I’ve long believed a fast 10km needs a fast first km to set up expectations for the 9km that follow.  It’s very hard to accelerate into a PB over this distance.  Loads of hellos to all the squad and friends and rivals from outside and then we line up.  CT comes and stands right in front of me.  Barts leaves it customarily late.  But I’m right beside Jack Maxwell, Jack Green and Mikey Litchwark who I figure will be rivals at some point of this race.  Somehow, when the gun goes I’m three rows back and have to fight to stay upright amongst all the bumping and barging.  The start isn’t wide enough and makes for a pretty hairy first 500m until we reach Olympic Boulevard.

We’re travelling quickly at this point but I have no idea on pace.  I deliberately decided not to wear a watch.  I haven’t run under 34 minutes for 10km since September 2016 but knew I’d need to be significantly under that to compete with the blokes I wanted to compete against.  I figured that if I wore a watch the pace would likely scare me and make me think too much, so decided just to race it on feel.

As we head down Olympic Boulevard I see Barts a long way in front.  Holy cow.  I figure we’re travelling close to 3min per km pace and he’s almost 50m ahead at the 1km marker (turns out he ran a 2:52 first km).  Nick Roberts is also just ahead along with Pete Costello.  Pete is my main rival in the Over 45 category and beat me by a minute at Novice 10km three weeks ago so I’m keen to be more competitive today.  As we turn at 1km Jack M, Mikey and I form a group and start working together.  Then Jack jumps ahead to catch Pete, but by 3km Jack M, Mikey and I have regrouped and pulled ahead of Pete.  At this point, Matthew Ho (Michael’s older brother) has joined us.  We head up the long drag of Olympic Boulevard from 3km to 4km and I’m telling myself just to hold on.  Don’t get detached here.  I hold on until the hairpin turn before 5km and hear footsteps behind me; hope that’s not Pete.  But no, it’s Jack Green!  What are you doing here I’m thinking?!  I thought you were about 200m up the road?  But is this good news?  Does that mean we’re actually going really quickly?  I’ve got no idea but just carry on.  And frankly, your brain is haywire at this point in the race and things don’t quite compute so you just try to keep holding on.  But down Olympic Boulevard between 5km and 6km Jack G is now really injecting some pace and I’m hanging on by a thread.  Don’t be a pussy Tom, just one more km.  Nope, you’re a pussy Tom; the thread has broken.  I’m in no man’s land while Two Jacks, Mikey and Hoey Snr power ahead.  Well, that’s $50 gone.  And I’m going to have to live with Jack M’s bragging rights.  But I don’t care, the legs hurt too much.  I just want this all over and done with.

Above, at 4.5km.

Then two blokes come past and I latch on to them to drag me along for a bit.  That’s the beauty of this race.  In a stacked field, there’s always somewhere there to keep you honest.  When you get detached from a pack and lose heart, you realise how much time you lose by how quickly the pack manages to create big gaps.  Not when there’s someone else there to keep you honest.  And then suddenly up ahead Jack M has been detached and is coming back to us!  Maybe $50 is not lost!  The kids may eat tonight after all!  At the hairpin at 7.5km I see Barts well ahead and Nick Roberts not far behind him having a storming run.  Mikey, Jack and Hoey Snr are now in a bigger group all looking good.  I have to latch on to Jack M so put in a big effort to get there.  It’s all a bit of a blur at this stage but I see CT going well on the double back and get a shout from Lauren Reid and Jamie Stewart but other than that it’s head down in the hurt locker time.  I catch Jack and say let’s go (meaning, let me go, you’re cooked son) but he obviously misinterprets my comment and sticks to me.  He then asks what pace we’re on for.  I tell him I’ve no effing idea.  He mustn’t be wearing a watch like me. But if he’s more worried about the time than beating me, that’s a good thing right? I’m clinging on to any positive news at this stage.  We start the final drag up Olympic Boulevard and Jack still doggedly sticks to me.  Seriously Jack, please just stop.  You’re making this really difficult. Then two blokes come past looking fresh as a daisies and this is my chance.  Follow in their wake.  But it’s hurting so much.  But finally I get the gap on Jack.  We round the bend at the top at 9km and I what is this that I can see other than the luscious locks of Mikey up ahead!  He must have had a tough 8km to 9km but I’m too spent to get closer.  Just want to get into the Stadium now.  Get to the final bend before the Stadium and hear footsteps behind me.  Please God no, don’t be Jack or Pete.  But no, it’s Russ Dessaix Chin (winner back in 2010) and he can go.  On to the track and it’s familiar territory.  Get to 200m to go, look at the clock which is just ticking over 32 mins and Mikey is getting closer.  Surely not.  Oh hell, after all this I’m going to have to sprint finish.  Mikey stumbles on the metal railing with 100m to go and is clearly hurting.  I start a sprint and can already hear the booming voice of Barts at the finish line telling me to go for it.  Reach Mikey with 20m to go and think, all he has to do is make a tiny effort to respond and I’m gone.  But he doesn’t.  Thank God.  Cross the line in 32:29 and I’m absolutely stoked.

There were some many great results out there it’s hard to pinpoint anyone specifically.  Really disappointed to hear of Elle and Andy having to pull out with injuries.  I was there last year and know how much it sucks.  But runs of the day for me in the Men’s were Nick Roberts with a big PB of 31:47, a seriously impressive time.  And in the women Erika with a 30s PB to run 37:10.  She’s been improving steadily all year and finally reaping the awards.

Great chats after with all the squad.  A fantastic morning.

Tom