John Fraser Ten
The John Fraser 10 mile race is generally the final race of the Leicestershire Road Race League and is the longest race in the series.
The race is organised by the Wigston Phoenix Club and has a dedicated web site.
The route is all on road through rural areas, so expect a few fans.
Stay Healthy. Keep Safe.
There is a challenge when you run a route that you have previously raced in. The challenge is this, unlike race day there are no marshalls, no warning signs and no drink stations. You are the only person responsible for you.
The biggest hazards on this route are the very tight bends outside Willoughby Waterleys village, the general speed of traffic on the road between Ashby Magna and Peatling Parva. The drop into Peatling Parva is fairly steep and the pavements are often parked on.
Oh, and the movement of cattle between the fields and milking sheds in Ashby Magna. Fifty plus cows are herded along the road for about 200 yards or so, at least once each day.
Facilities
Loos / water. None.
Rubbish bins. Car park in playing fields.
The run starts and finishes at Willoughby Road Playing Fields in Countesthorpe.
The start is just outside the gate, on the road. The finish takes in nearly a full lap on grass around the playing fields to make ten miles.
The route is undulating and most of the uphills and downhills are reasonably forgiving. The drop into Peatling Parva village is a bit on the steep side.
The run in detail
Park in the playing fields, go out through the gate and turn left, up (undulating, generally means uphill!) towards Willoughby Waterleys.
There’s a fairly straight, steady climb into the village of Willoughby Waterleys
There’s a fair amount of pavement through the village, which in most cases is fairly level.
At teh top of Willoughby Waterleys Village there’s a very tight, blind right hand bend,
Followed a few hundred yards later by a similar tight, left hand bend as you head up (up, again, undulating) towards Ashby Magna.
At Ashby Magna village, take the first left hand sign, towards Peatling Parva and Bruntingthorpe.
This is a very tight, twisting road. The local boy racers seem to treat this one as their personal roller coaster, especially in the afternoon rush hour.
It’s in this area that the cattle are often herded along the road. When this happens, do not try to run amongst them.
Keep running up (that word again) towards Peatling Parva village where you drop quite quickly through the village
Take the left fork at the tree and head towards Peatling Magna.
Just before you get to Peatling Magna there’s a cross roads where you turn left back towards
Willoughby and Ashby Magna.
Run along (it’s actually up!) the road towards Willoughby Waterleys,
At the end of the road, turn righ back down (it was worth the wait) through the village towards Countesthorpe.
Run down to the playing fields, which will be on your right. To make the run exactly ten miles, go around the outside of the playing fields in anti-clockwise direction
The ten mile mark is fairly close to this small fence at the opposite corner of the field.
Variations on the route
The route can easily be reduced to a 6 mile(ish) route by starting and finishing at the defibrillator / phone box in Willoughby Waterleys. That would be the one with the mixed messages.
In addition, the ‘old’ John Fraser route could be run, which includes Peatling Magna village and a mystery building.
