Pask is part of world record-beating RAF team

Grantham Running Club’s Andrew Pask was one of 100 runners from the RAF to have been selected to attempt a new 100x10km relay world record.

The event, one of many to mark the RAF centenary year, took place at the RAF Cosford athletics track, near Wolverhampton.

The previous record of 69hr 6min 52sec was set three years ago by an American team at the Shepard High School track in Palos Heights, Illinois. This meant the RAF team would need to average 10km times of 41:28 or quicker to break the record.

With the team running a continuous relay for nearly three days, Andrew was handed a difficult 4:20am time slot, having been ready to run from midnight. Guinness rules stipulated that all runners had to run their legs solo, carrying a relay baton which made the 25 laps of the athletics track all the more difficult.

Andrew, the 25th runner to go, made an impressive start, going through halfway in 19:45 and was pushing to run a sub-40min time. Fortunate to have constant time updates from the official timekeepers, he left himself with 1:20 to complete his final lap.

Unable to kick-on, Andrew completed his 10km leg with a time of 40:13, which was still well inside the world record average.

The incredibly strong team was bolstered by the likes of Ben Livesy, a 2:17 marathon runner, and head organiser Mike Kallenberg, a 2:20 man. Kallenberg, who already this year has clocked 30:40, ran the final celebratory leg in 33:22 at 5am last Thursday (May 24) to take a superb 4hr 30min off the record, setting a new world record of 64:36:22.

The RAF has a fine history of distance running with long-time British Marathon record holder Steve Jones once within their ranks, although they didn’t need the Welshman’s 10,000m PB of 27:39 this time.