On Friday we were supporting the Nailsea Beer & Banger 10k organised by Nailsea Running Club. This is the second race of two that Nailsea RC organised in the year. It is a chip-timed 10k race along country lanes. Every finisher is rewarded with a well-deserved sausage in a bun and a refreshing pint (hence the name Beer & Banger). Kinisi Run Hub were proud to be back for the second year running!
The race HQ is on home turf for Nailsea RC at the Nailsea and Backwell Rugby Club which offers an ideal HQ location with plenty of space for registration and the post-run celebrations. The start and finish are on the rugby fields which also offer a great space for warming up and cooling down though with the hot weather not too much was needed!
The conditions were very warm but thankfully far more pleasant than the heatwave we had experienced earlier in the week. There was a question of whether the race would go ahead due to the high temperatures after other races had been cancelled earlier in the week but the temperature dropped on Friday to around mid-20s which was still very hot to race in but a lot more bearable than mid-30s. The race takes places on rolling country lanes many of which had shade on either side to offer some much needed relief for sections of the course.
It is a (mostly) road race on a two-lap undulating yet fast rural course around Nailsea's country lanes. There is a hill just over halfway around the lap which is especially tough on the second lap but it does have the benefit of the water station being at the top. The route is well signed and the roads are open during the race but there are plenty of marshals out to ensure oncoming traffic is well aware of the race taking place.
This race always sells out and this year was no exception with 300 runners entering but understandably due to the heat there were some no-shows on the day. Despite this is was still a strong turnout with athletes from many local clubs showing up to race. Quite a few clubs use this event as part of their club championships. The race starts on the rugby field with a lap around the field before heading out onto the roads. It was a fairly controlled start with no-one wanting to go out to hard due to the heat.
Once we left the rugby fields I found myself at the front and it quickly became evident that no-one was coming with me and it was going to be a solo time trial. I have been doing a lot of racing recently and it was a very hot day so I was conscious to make it a controlled effort and ensured I was going a sensible pace. The first lap was relatively uneventful and the kilometres ticked by.
On the second lap I started to lap some runners which does help keep things moving as you have targets to aim for however I was starting to feel the heat. At about the 7km point the hill starts for the second time and by the time I reached the 8km mark I was feeling the effects of the warm weather and the last 2km was a case of getting your head down and getting to the finish in one piece. I managed to maintain a good rhythm and my last mile was actually the quickest of my race which was very satisfying.
I managed to take the win in 33:12 followed by Callum Moore (Great Western Runners) in 35:05 and Tim Batchelor (Chepstow Harriers) in 35:37. The women's race was won by Hannah Large (Westbury Harriers AC) in 38:59 with Katy Sutcliffe (Great Western Runners) taking second in 40:52 and Kelly Dicks (Great Western Runners) third in 41:24. In total there were 239 finishers. Full results of the Beer & Banger 10k 2026 here.
Well done to everyone who raced and thank you Nailsea Running Club for hosting a great event!
