Elvet Striders

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Castle to Castle Relay, 20th, and, 21st June

Thanks to all...

Well done to the organisers this year's charity run and to everyone who ran the Castle to Castle Relay. A few people's thoughts are below but more reports and snippets are welcome. If you want to send a few words about how your leg went then drop me an email at the usual website adddress or contact me via the website contact form selecting "Charity relay" from the drop-down menu.

Graham Daglish

Day 1

On Saturday morning at 6:45 I arrived at Dave Shipman's and warmed up by helping push his camper van (here after known as The Mother Ship) out of the drive so he could get the jump leads on it to my Berlingo. We made it to Carlisle after a breif stop at Wall to pick up Dave Robson and I decided I would join in the first leg with Geoff Watson, Ed K (who ran the whole 42 mile of day one) and Dave Robson. We had hardly done half a mile and our path was blocked by fences. We had to lift them and limbo under. The route out of Carlisle was a mixture of path and trails with few climbs. Geoff Watson did an excellent job of navigation. Anyway I had a great time doing legs 1 to 3 the first day and got a good soaking on miles 7 and 8 but dried out later. Dave Shipman was there with The Mother Ship at every change over point to supply endless bottles of water and energy giving snacks. When we got to Steel Rigg I saw a wonderful view of the was undulating into the distance and wished I had saved myself for this leg. I need to come back sometime and run it. Spent the rest of the day car and camper van shuffling. Barry Bird did an excellent job over the two days ferrying people back to the start of their leg and to where their cars were parked.

We managed to get the tents up before the rain started but some of us got soaked on the way to the pub. The beer and the meal were tip top. George Nicholson and I could not help having a laugh at the menu and it's Roman / Gallic Slant. What is the difference between Cod Hadrian and fish and chips George asked. Also for dessert do they have Walls Ice Cream? I had Chicken Rob Roy which was chicken breast stuffed with haggis. All washed down with a few pints of Farmers Half. Delicious.

Day 2

After a good nights sleep it was off into bright sunshine on day 2. I was down to do legs 2 and 4 but decided I would just keep going straight through for another 15 mile day. I particularly enjoyed leg 4 through the woods to Ebchester which I ran with Dave Shipman. Dave Shipman and the mother ship were there again at each changeover point. As we got nearer to Durham more and more Striders joined in the on the route. At the leg coming into Langley Park there were at least a dozen Striders at the changeover point. Anyone that was able to run joined in at the Pot and Glass for the final mile of the relay along to Durham Castle. It was a fantastic weekend which I enjoy very much. Again a big thank you to Dave and Geoff for organising such a brilliant event.

Nigel Heppell

Day 1: legs 4, 5 & 6

I've never been to this part of The Wall before, it's beyond the more obvious touristy bits and the access point for Banks is tucked away down a tiny lane. Dave S and myself kitted up and waited until the group of slightly soggy early runners arrived up the hill flushed with success/relief/effort. Graham D took over driving DS's camper van while Geoff W, Edd K, Dave R and Jan opted for further running. Edd refuelled with a few kilos of pasta and we set off alongside a relatively level stretch of Wall to Birdoswald. From there the track drops steeply down to cross the River Irthing on a bouncy bridge at Willowford - extensive remnants of Wall in an attractive, isolated setting - and trundles along to the 3?-pub village of Gilsland, where we lost Jan and gained Nina and Gary. Leaving Gilsland the path takes you on a trip round the borders of someone's vegetable patch! A nice stretch of level Vallum running leads to Thirlwell castle and a long, steep climb to Walltown Quarry. Geoff W stayed here to rest his legs but George N and Barry E joined in on what became a very repetitive hilly, twisty section of path to Steel Rigg. In between showers we had fine views all around, at one point spotting the hills of Dumfries and Galloway in the distance behind. Eventually passing the trig' point at the highest spot of day 1, we had a steady (cramp permitting) downhill trot to the changeover and I was glad to get back to normality, if sleeping next to the goal posts on a village green counts as normality!

George Nicholson

Day 1: Leg 6 or Veni, Vidi, Fugi.*

Thankfully the heavy showers had passed over when the group of runners from Gilsland came charging up the hill to Walltown Car park near the Roman Museum, just after 1.00 pm Nigel, Barry Evans, Nina, Gary, and of course the ever present Edd, were all going to continue on for this next leg. I felt a bit apprehensive when Geoff decided he would not run on, " as this leg is a bit hilly"!! - For goodness sake Geoff you had only run 20+ miles in the last 4 hours! (What did he know that I didn't?) Obviously a lot as it turned out. The route took us up the first of several hills (and I mean several) .Geoff had given this as 9.4 km - wonder how far it was if the contours on the map could have been stretched flat? Wonderful route though with classic views. It took us past King Arthur's Well, Great Chester's Fort, several Turrets & Milecastles (which thankfully are not 1 mile apart), and off course well preserved sections of the Wall itself. Edd, Barry & Nina picked up the pace well towards the end. Nigel & Gary were very patient and kept back with my pace. Jan came back along the route from Steel Rigg to cheer us all on and take some photos. Big relief to see Steel Rigg come into view at last, and then to allow the next group set away. Nigel & Lesley kindly gave me a lift back in the famous camper van back to my start point at Walltown, where I then , in true Roman style, gave thanks to the pagan gods and sacrificed a chicken sandwich.

* I came, I saw, I ran. Most likely not the correct Latin, but you get the gist.

Some videos from George...

Colin Blackburn

Day 1: Legs 8 & 9.

Once Geoff had announced where the campsite was to be I had planned to cycle to the 17 miles to the campsite and take part in legs on both days. So, on a pretty rainy Saturday at one-ish I loaded up the bike and started the ride from my place to Wall. It's mostly downhill but with a huge climb out of Blanchland after 3 miles, a fully laden touring bike and cold legs, I was walking before I knew it. After that the cycling was a wet breeze, even Hexham town centre. Between Hexham and Wall I found a wonderfully pretty back-road that I think must have been the old A69 which has the highest speed hump I have ever seen.

Arriving at Wall I pitched my tent, leisurely changed from cycling kit to running kit (I'm no triathlete) and set out to meet the incoming runners. I wasn't sure exactly where they would be but in the end I met them at Brocolitia Fort, not too far from the start of leg 8. I then had a very pleasant run back to Wall with about 10 Striders and a dog. I was amazing to run alongside something that was built all those years ago...they'd never get planning permission for it now. The evening at Wall was excellent: good beer, good food and good company. I then did my best to keep everyone else awake with my snoring, though the phenomenal morning chorus at 3:30 played its part.

Day 2: Leg 1.

The second day turned out to be much brighter the the first and looked set for being a scorcher. Luckily I was out on the first leg of the day with Johns E & S. As ever there was tremendous support at ever road crossing with water and cheers being handed out in good measure. The running was a mix of open fields and shaded woodlands with a lot of stiles and gates! We reached the Errington Arms in good time with John E carrying on with Graham for the next leg. After a breather I turned around and ran back to Wall passing the morning ramblers as they started to filter along the path. When I got back to Wall, much to my relief, my bike, my tent and all my possessions were still there. After another change I saddled up and cycled down to Hexham. Luckily Elfie was collecting me and some shopping, I'm not sure my legs would have enjoyed the 12 mile climb to home.

Another big thank you from me to the organisers, recce-ers, runners and everyone who made it a great weekend.

Anna Pethybridge

Day 2: Legs 8 & 9.

I wasn't really feeling up to running on the Sunday, I have to admit. I never am on a Sunday! But the sun was out and I'm pretty good at talking myself into things. As I walked / jogged along to Malton from Langley park I began to feel a bit more positive, and when I reached Malton Picnic Area and was welcomed by a big group of Striders I couldn't wait to get started! We set off at a nice, chatty pace and it felt like no time at all before we were in Durham, waiting to regroup before our last bit to the Castle. It was a fabulous day of well organised running, in lovely weather, with good company and for an excellent cause. Sign me up for next year!

The hard sell...

Just a quick reminder, the charity we are raising money for is the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. Although we have reached our target you can still make a difference by making a donation. Just follow the Donate! link below.

Newton Aycliffe 10K, 21st June

First...Alister Robson

Whilst most Striders were running the Castle to Castle a few of us ran Newton Aycliffe 10K. Although Saturday's weather was awful with near persistent rain, the sun shone beautifully on Sunday morning and we knew we were in for a warm one. Newton Aycliffe is a funny 10K with one small loop and two large ones around some housing estates although you do pass briefly Bluebell woods where the fun run is staged.

It is very much a road race. I met up with Andy Jordan, who looked quite guilty as his first child is due imminently and had managed to sneak out for this one. My boss from work, (and future Strider?), Michael Coxon was also there. He produced the first real laugh of the day. Jamie Steel unfortunately had to pull out and Michael managed to pass his number onto another runner who was going to enter on the day. Suffice to say the official results may be a little skewed by that one. Fiona Shenton was also there to support her son and although she looked gutted to be missing it herself, she encouraged Andy and I on. My wife, much to her displeasure, was lumbered with photography duties although she took some lovely shots, have a look at the link below. Dave Robson found some other photos, link below, and if you look closely you'll spot Jamie's number 22 in picture number 158.

The race itself? Well I think I beat my time last year which was my main objective and Andy looked happy with his as was Michael.

and then...Andy Jordan

I woke up on Sunday morning to clear blue skies and decided to head down to Newton Aycliffe to do the 10k as an 'on the day' entry. The race is two and a half laps of the same course around the town and it is well organised and supported with about 400 runners taking part. As most of the rest of the club were out running across the country it was down to Alister and I to represent the Striders on the roads, although Fiona was there supporting her son and gave us both a cheer as we went round. It was quite a warm morning and I couldn't quite manage the pace I wanted (I am trying to do one of these events in 45 minutes) but I did shave another 30 seconds off my PB, coming in at just under 46 minutes. Alister was not far behind and seemed to have had a good run as well.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	SER-OD, Bat-ochir	Morpeth Harriers	M		31:45
16	SUMMERSGILL, Carolyn	Middlesbrough & Cleveland H	F		36:23
110	COXON, Michael	Unattached Strider!	M		44:03
112	JENKINS, Adrian		MV		44:17
144	JORDAN, Andrew		M		45:53
180	ROBSON, Alister		M		47:38
324	PORTER, Joanne		FV		58:21
331	JENKINS, Dorothy		FV		58:44

374 finishers.

Newburn River Run, 6.5 miles, 17th June

Andy Jordan

A typical British summer's day with lots of rain and cloud nearly put me off travelling to Newburn for this race. However, my wife persuaded me to get out of the house and I was so glad that I made the effort as at 7pm the sun started to shine and it made for a wonderful evening run. This event will now become a regular in my race calendar; it is a predominantly flat course with a few undulations on a glorious stretch of the River Tyne with fantastic views, particularly on the south bank of the river just down from Wylam station. There were 3 Striders in total and Mike led us home in style with Jo and I not too far behind. Great race, thoroughly recommended.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	R Stephenson	Gateshead	M		34.44
9	M Wilkinson	Bingley	F		37.53
56	Mike Bennett		M55		43.30
132	Andy Jordan				48.21
173	Jo Heron		F		50.53

285 finishers.

Swaledale Marathon, Reeth, 13th June

Pam Kirkup

On a beautiful, bright Saturday morning quite a large contingent of Striders assembled for this year's Swaledale Marathon; except that is for Paul and I. We managed to forget that the start was no longer virtually on the doorstep of our hotel - The Bridge at Grinton. So, when we headed out at 9.26, there was no-one to be seen. Paul went hurtling off in pursuit of the invisible pack while I followed, hoping I might at least catch up with a few walkers. We were both in luck! I soon found the back of the walkers and on Fremington Edge fell into step with a couple from Beverley. The guy had done Swaledale 9 times and was hoping to make this his tenth; his partner, Sue, was new to the race and feeling a bit apprehensive to say the least. He was very keen to verify the precise distance of each leg and was carrying a State of the Art SatNav so by the time we reached the first check-point at Stang Bridge he was able to tell me we'd done 5.55mles! Having planned to drop out here and walk back along the riverside path, I parted company with Mr SatNav.

I got back to Reeth just in time to watch the first runners come in. Race winner was Lewis Banton of Clowne Road Runners (and Dark Peak Fell club) who finished in a stunning 3.16, followed by our very own Paul Evans in 3.24 who looked like he'd been for a stroll in the park. Next Strider was Shaun Roberts in 4.34 and hot on his heels came Peter Fahey in 4.37 (you see, David, he doesn't just turn out for Calderdale!). Then came Graham Daglish in 4.52 followed by ex-Strider Stewart Gardner and Paul (in spite of our traumas at the start) in 4.56. Phil Owen was next in 5.00 followed by Striders' first lady, Jan Young who came cruising in at 5.01. Andrew Thompson finished in 5.02 and then came Jean Bradley our 2nd lady in 5.24. Nina Mason and Wendy Rowell came in together at 5.26 followed by Amanda Hunter (5.32), ex Strider Charlotte Roberts (5.35), Jean Gillespie (5.36), Christine Farnsworth (6.10) and Maggie Thompson (6.20). The last of our runners was Dave Robson who, on his first Swaledale outing, was pacing a friend from Fetcheveryone and so finished in 6.50. Walkers Phil and Bob Layton finished in 6.52 & 6.57 respectively.

Normally, I might be able to wax lyrical (or otherwise!) about the course and its potential for disaster but, since I'd only done 1 leg, I thought I'd ask a selection of Strider finishers for their impressions ... with varied success:

• I spoke to Paul Evans shortly after he finished - "It's bloody brilliant, a really nice race! But I won't even be walking next week."
• At this point we were joined by Alan Rowell. Alan hadn't entered the race but had been running round the course to support Wendy. "I must have done about 21 miles," he said, congratulated Paul on his great performance and then tried shamelessly to recruit him to Durham City Harriers!
• Shaun Roberts said of his run: "Don't do the Edinburgh Marathon 2 weeks before! I found the going hard and would have been dead without the caffeine gels ... but I can't recommend them as suppositories" I should think not!
• Then Phil Owen mused: "... too much sex last night, totally shagged out so I won't be doing that again! Too much wine also. Seriously though, it's a lovely run." No comment!
• Jan said, "I'll be back next year, determined to get under 5 hours ... mind you, if I hadn't gone behind the barn I'd have clipped a minute off and got under the 5 hours ..." What can she mean?
• Jean Bradley, who was bleeding copiously from her injuries, added: "I fell down ... twice! Jan says I need stitches!" Luckily, she didn't. After treatment by the first aiders, and several pints, she was right as rain.
• Linda McDermott, who dropped out at Gunnerside, mentioned the weather: "Fabulous! Fabulous day. If anything the weather was too nice, no respite from the sun ... felt a bit wobbly." And she was not the only one judging by the state of some distinctly unsteady finishers.

Finally, Paul's impression of the race? "Well, it's always hard isn't it?"

He added later that the path at Great Punchard Head has become quite narrow and eroded - not the easiest part of the course at the best of times. The finishers and supporters whiled away the afternoon on the terrace outside the Buck Inn cheering our runners and walkers in and enjoying the sunshine. It was a fantastic day with some great performances from Striders.

Later on Paul and I ventured out into Reeth and there in the Black Bull were Mr SatNav and his partner Sue, who I met on Fremington Edge. They did eventually finish in 8.45 and Sue's impression? "Never ever, ever again, no way, it was horrendous." Mr SatNav (also called Paul) got his gold badge for doing it 10 times. He reckoned, in time, Sue just might change her mind ... and then Jean & Brad arrived. Jean's enthusiasm was infectious - I wouldn't be surprised if she'd signed Sue up for next year's Harrier League!

So another Swaledale is over. It's a challenging but amazing event and usually a great weekend. If you've never done it, why not join the ever-growing band of regulars for next year's race?

Many thanks, too, to Wendy, Amanda and Jan for organising an excellent cottage! Quote of the weekend from Roz Layton: "I like the showers at Maiden Castle - I just enjoy the crack." Wendy spotted that one 0.2 seconds before me. Shaun.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Lewis Banton	Clowne Road Runners	M		03:15
2	Paul Evans		M		03:24
25	Pippa Weir	Totley AC	F40	1	04:00
78	Shaun Roberts		M50		04:35
82	Peter Fahey		M50		04:37
120	Graham Daglish		M50		04:52
139	Paul Foster		M50		04:56
143	Phil Owen		M40		05:00
145	Jan Young		F40		05:01
???	Andrew Thompson		M		05:02
192	Jean Bradley		F40		05:24
201	Nina Mason		F30		05:26
202	Wendy Rowell		F50		05:26
210	Amanda Hunter		F40		05:33
216	Jean Gillespie		F50		05:36
267	Christine Farnsworth		F50		06:10
286	Margaret Thompson		F50		06:20
299	Gary Davies		M		06:27
326	Dave Robson		M50		06:50
334	Phil Layton		M		06:52
344	Bob Layton		M50		06:57
450	Carole McGinn		F		08:36
451	Janet Wyngard		F		08:36

469 finishers.
Elvet men: 8th team overall.
Elvet women: 5th women's team, 19th team overall.
25 teams finished overall, 10 women's teams finished.

• 
• Full results
• Phil's Photos
• Tony Young's Photos
• Pam's Photos
• Last Year

Roman Wall Show Race, Steel Rigg, 13th June

Nigel Heppell

This annual sheep show seemed to attract a lot of the more serious running types, no doubt due to its inclusion in the 2009 NECAA championship series. Will Horsley (NFR vest) was there with a mission to win and he and I had a good chat about race tactics (his, not mine); the best line to take away from the start; how best to negotiate the stiles; could he hold off Phil Sanderson, etc, etc; - and then Morgan Donelly turned up! Everyone knew then who the winner would be and where the cash prize would go.

About 90 runners set off from the show field in a brief shower of rain leaving behind the biggest collection of odd-looking sheep I've ever seen - no doubt they thought the same about us too - and plunged briefly downhill before joining the Roman Wall Path and undulating our way along for a mile or so, passing Robin Hood(Mel Gibson)'s lonely sycamore, before starting a steady climb that steepened progressively and affording good views of a stile part-way up, beyond which everyone seemed to be walking. I considered Will's advice to put on a spurt ahead of the stile to avoid being caught up in the crush but quickly decided this wasn't a day for spurting. At only 4-5miles long, this is a short race for me and, coupled with the down hill start, I'd gone off a bit too fast and climbing the stile broke whatever rythm I had; clearly I was not alone in this as I had plenty of company. Over the top and a few more ups and downs and we crossed the Wall at the Pennine Way. The route headed North for a few hundred metres, losing a lot of height down a dip and back up again before turning due West and giving a clear view of the showground in the distance. From there it was a straightforward run back mainly on a slight incline but with a valley crossing leaving a sharp hill climb to the finish.

Will came in 3rd. Sarah Lister was 2nd lady. I came in after 2 V60's! and not very far ahead of Eric Whittaker.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Morgan Donnelly	Borrowdale	M		27:25 *
3	Will Horsley		M		29:03
54	Nigel Heppell		MV50		39:14

89 finishers.

* new course record.

• 
• Full Results
• Another report with photos

Summer Handicap, Round 3, 10th June

Colin Blackburn

Thanks to everyone who ran in June's handicap, 26 runners finished and . A very big thank you to Peter, Paul and,...er, David for starting people and stopping people.

First across the line was Lynn who'll now have a harder time next month! Geoff W was the fastest male runner, Melanie the fastest woman. Fifty people have taken part in total so far this year, it'd be nice to get all 50 of you out for the next round. Those runners who've done a few races are now starting to bunch nicely about 20:00. The runners who failed to beat their handicaps this week were mainly the faster men, although a few people were suffering with post-Blaydon legs.

Once again thanks to everyone for taking part. The fourth round will be on Wednesday July 8th, the week before the Court Inn Clamber, an ideal last training run over the Clamber course. The new start times are available from the link below.

Results

Pos	Name	Start	Finish	Time	New HC
1	Lynne Bargwell	19:04:25	19:52:52	48:27	49:10
2	Cheralynn Stott	19:04:25	19:53:30	49:05	49:44
3	Barrie Evans	19:04:25	19:54:01	49:36	50:12
4	Joanne Potter	19:09:15	19:54:01	44:46	45:21
5	Melanie Hudson	19:17:30	19:55:27	37:57	38:24
6	Kirsty Dykes	19:14:05	19:56:05	42:00	42:23
7	Angela Procter	19:11:45	19:56:32	44:47	45:07
8	Zoe Tomlins	19:15:05	19:57:07	42:02	42:19
9	Geoff Davis	19:22:50	19:57:40	34:50	35:04
10	Anna Pethybridge	19:20:10	19:58:47	38:37	38:44
11	Andrew Thompson	19:20:10	19:58:53	38:43	38:50
12	John Hutchison	19:22:00	19:58:57	36:57	37:03
13	Stef Barlow	19:20:45	19:59:22	38:37	38:41
14	Denise Mason	19:17:55	19:59:28	41:33	41:36
15	Grahame Arrowsmith	19:22:20	19:59:53	37:33	37:33
16	Susan Davis	19:21:40	19:59:53	38:13	38:13
17	Louise Bilcliffe	19:16:20	19:59:57	43:37	43:37
18	Alan Smith	19:19:05	19:59:59	40:54	40:56
19	Geoff Watson	19:28:40	20:00:05	31:25	31:19
20	Tom Reeves	19:24:35	20:00:25	35:50	35:24
21	Jamie Steel	19:27:25	20:00:41	33:16	32:43
22	Mike Hall	19:04:25	20:01:01	56:36	56:36
23	Mike Bennett	19:27:25	20:01:20	33:55	32:34
24	Colin Blackburn	19:25:10	20:01:44	36:34	34:52
25	Jenny Crilly	19:11:50	20:01:59	50:09	50:09
26	Phil Owen	19:21:20	20:03:30	42:10	38:41

• 
• Last month
• Round 4 Start Times (pdf)

Blaydon Race 5.9M, 9th June

Colin & Shaun



Provisional results below ... if you ran and you're not in the table or if you didn't run and your name is let me know. Also, if you fancy doing a proper report on this one, feel free ...

Meanwhile, from the organisers' website:

"You wouldn't believe Boyzone would come along and clash with our event, would you? Well, they have and it has given us a headache. They expect 5000 concertgoers to arrive between 6.30 and 7.30 and most of them will come into the city by road. We will have road closures in place for the race which passes very close to the Arena just before the first mile point. So we have 5000 Boyzone fans and up to 4000 Blaydon runners converging on Railway Street at about the same time."

Did anyone see any of that lot??

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Ian Hudspith	Morpeth			27:44
25	Justina Heslop	Clapham	L	1	31:46
195	Michael Bennett		V55	2	37:52
204	Jamie Steel		M		38:02
321	Fiona Shenton		L50	1	39:42
330	Graham Daglish		V55	10	39:47
617	Andrew Jordan		M		42:56
707	Phil Owen		V40		43:40
798	Alister Robson		M		44:25
999	Emma Thompson		L		45:56
1000	Alan Smith		V60		45:56
1050	Anna Pethybridge		L50		46:24
1051	Andrew Thompson		M		46:24
1069	John Hutchinson		V50		46:29
1092	Dougie Nisbet		V45		46:40
1105	Jean Bradley		L45		46:44
1292	Julie Mitchelson		L40		47:55
1818	Jennifer Copley		L35		51:36
2390	Mike Elliott		V60		55:43
2402	Greta Jones		L40		55:48
2623	Stan White		V50		57:28
2805	Jackie Smith		L70		59:02
3016	Margaret Thompson		L55		1:01:24
3182	Dave Robson		V55		1:04:26

3426 finishers

• 
• Results (PDF file)
• Dougie's photos
• Last year

Kielder Reservoir Relay, 7th June

Paul Evans

This was not done strictly as a Striders team, what with two NFR runners and Will Horsley's joint allegiances, but is a rather nice, scenic, low-key run around the Kielder lakeside path. In total the run comes to about 26 miles, with the third leg being slightly longer than the rest and all being fairly undulating, with the basic idea being to keep the reservoir on your right-hand side at all times as you weave through the trees.

Our makeshift team were one of only ten competing and we felt reasonably confident at the start, particularly as Gary, our first-leg man, set off like a rocket into the drizzle. 40 minutes later Gary emerged with a comfortable lead, which our next runner, Lee, then built on, crossing the half-mile stretch of the dam to the handover point with no-one in sight. Even so, aware that Heaton had the alarmingly-quick James Buis running legs 3 and 4, I went off into the trees a little too quickly, working on the basis that if he couldn't see me he wouldn't be able to chase me down. For the entire 8 miles of this leg I didn't see another runner and was able to run at a slightly uncomfortable pace whilst still admiring the scenery. However, approaching the last handover point I saw another runner descend from the road ahead of me, forcing his team-mate to scramble out of his car (he'd not expected to have to run for another 20 minutes and was listening to the radio) and making Will think that he now had a race on his hands: as it happened, the Carlisle runner had accidentally chopped off the entire Bull Crag peninsula by making one wrong turn and was rather embarrassed.

We managed to get to the finish, at Kielder Castle, in time to see Will lead the Carlisle runner in by 20 seconds, with Heaton following about ten minutes later. Tea and cake followed before the three of us left (Gary had headed off to Kirk Yetholm after his leg, as he wanted to do the fell race that afternoon), with the organisers expressing their concern that the race was currently making a loss due to the low numbers—to rectify this, they are considering offering it as both relay and individual marathon next year. Hopefully this will be successful and I could definitely see this as a race for Striders to enter a few teams in next year...thoughts?

• 
• Event website

Garburn Challenge, Staveley, 6th June

Zoe Tomlins



They say there is a first time for everything, and I managed 3 this weekend. 1) Going to the Lake District. 2) Camping - the proper, "not in the back garden" variety. 3) Trail Running (in the rain, with a backpack on too!). Me, a southern softie? No chance! So as Kirsty, Jen and I made our way along the A66 towards Cumbria in the driving rain on friday afternoon, armed with tents, sleeping bags, clean new trail shoes just begging to get muddy, and a bottle of wine or two, it was the start of a mini adventure.

Being relatively new to this off-road running lark, we had been told by our trusty fellow club members (cheers Dave!) that the Puma Lakeland Trails are a brilliant introduction to trail running; lots of hills, streams to splash through and breathtaking Lake District scenery. The Garburn Trail Race and Challenge has a reputation for being one of the most scenic races in the UK: 24km of multi terrain trails, starting and finishing in the village of Stavelely.

5 Striders were taking part in the Garburn Challenge; myself, Jen Copley, Kirsty Dykes, Dave Robson and Phil Owen. There were also a large number of "Fetchies" (from the online running forum - Fetch Everyone), so the atmosphere at the Windermere Camping and Caravan Club was a jolly one! The run got off to a slightly confusing start this year, thanks to the great British weather - snow at 800m. This meant that the biggest climb of the race, the formidable Garburn Pass, had to be cut from the race, making it more like 18km in the end. I may have made some whingeing noises about this before the race started, but after the first 3 gruelling hills I began to feel quite relieved! Especially with the extra weight of a backpack carrying the waterproof gear we were all advised to take with us! But when you're helped along the way by free chocolate-covered Kendal mint cake, and given a free hot lunch at the end, who's complaining?

Kirsty and Phil battled it out to be first Strider through the finish line and both managed to finish in exactly 2:04:48, followed by Jen, then me and Dave bringing up the rear. He let me beat him by 1 second, what a gentleman! The camaraderie between the competitors was fantastic, with a lot of cheering and shrieking as we sloshed through the mud past the confused looking sheep. By the time we were dry and warm in the Whistling Pig with a nice glass of wine and even more hot food, we all agreed that the pain was worth it (is trail running like childbirth?), and would be returning in 2010 to tackle the Garburn Pass once and for all!

Results

Name	Cat	Time
COPLEY, Jennifer	F	2:12:10
DYKES, Kirsty	F	2:04:48
OWEN, Phil	M40	2:04:48
ROBSON, Dave	M50	2:18:36
TOMLINS, Zoe	F	2:18:35

200+ finishers.

• 
• Results
• Dave's photos
• Last year

Edinburgh Marathon, 31st May

Shaun Roberts

Getting to the start line for this one has been surprisingly difficult. Paul Evans and Graham Daglish pulled out early on, and with a week to go Jean Gillespie had to do the same having picked up an injury. Very sadly, Phil Owen, too, had to give it a miss due to the death of his cousin. Two friends of mine also had to cancel - bad back and Piriformis Syndrome (ache in the bum: see Debs for details). So only Dave, Dougie, Steph and I were left to have a go - and Dave wasn't in great shape either, having bruised his chest in a fall at the Windermere Marathon a fortnight earlier. But Dave isn't in the habit of pulling out of races...



Well, my training had gone well, I hadn't picked up an injury either, so what could go wrong? Well, only the one thing I really didn't fancy - the day turned out to be one of the hottest of the year ... doh! I looked out the window at six in the morning - not a cloud in the sky. And just one magpie to be seen. I hate omens. Off to the start, where I'd managed to wangle a place in the front pen, normally behind elite Kenyans and the like - but here it was behind a very noisy group of Spaniards who the commentator goaded into shouting, singing and dancing like maniacs for an hour before the start - they must have been knackered before running a yard!


We got underway, onto a broadly-downhill six-mile stretch down to the coast, and I was a bit disconcerted to find myself sweating profusely within a mile! Nice easy going, though, and by the time we got to the coast I was three minutes ahead of the 7.5-minute miling pace I was aiming for overall. I'd been hoping that the coast would bring some form of breeze - but there was hardly a sniff - though luckily it did pick up a bit later on. I thought I was definitely going to blow up in the heat, as I've done a few times before, unless I did something about it. I remembered the Great North Run from a few years back when it was *really* hot - fatally so, sadly - and I got round then by going over the top on drenching myself in water at every opportunity. So at every water stop, I drank lots, and then all the rest went over the head and down the back.

And it worked. Went through 10K in 42:42, halfway in 1:35 and 20 miles in 2:29. Waited for the grief to start - but it just didn't happen, and I finished in a shade over 3:17, nine minutes better than last time! To say that I was well-chuffed with that result in the conditions would be a huge understatement. Pleased, and relieved to actually get round.

Saw Dougie on the return leg, looking cool in his new Scottish Buff and shades - think he was well-pleased with the time, as he was over half an hour faster than last year. Steph fell on a discarded water bottle at 15 miles and had a few grazes but came in a great time for her first marathon, which she was very chuffed with. Dave was pacing another runner, and was pleased to get round ok - he managed to sort his chest out by wearing an extra base layer, though that was the last thing you needed in the circumstances.

This was a day when everyone was pleased to get to the finish line. A lot of people were upset that a number of water stations - at 3m and more seriously 15m to 20m - ran out of water. The organisers did manage to get water out there eventually but not until after lots of runners had gone through that stretch. Ten runners ended up in hospital - thankfully, no one died.

Sheikh ma Bahookie adds ...



The day before the race found me (rather disbelievingly) reading texts from Shaun who advised me that what I needed in the hot weather was something called a 'buff'. After checking that he'd not misunderstood my question I hot-footed it to the nearest buff-store and got myself a natty little number. Thinking I'd thought of everything I stood at the start and switched on my Garmin to discover the batteries were flat. This was serious. No watch, no pace band, I would have to run Alone.

I passed Steph around the half-way point and was grateful to see a familiar face. I was still very comfortable and had a good rhythm going. At mile 15 I heard my name shouted and glanced up to see Shaun at mile 20. I knew I was running well and Shaun was 5 miles in front of me so he was clearly on for a flyer. At mile 16 my legs began to hurt. At mile 18 they really began to hurt. But my rhythm and breathing were good so I ploughed on. Expected to blow around 21 mark in line with training runs, and pretty much did so but not as severe as I thought it would be, especially with it being a hot hot day. For the last 10 miles I ran with my head rather than my heart as it was scarily hot. Every time I eased on the throttle I felt lots of warning signs and eased back as I didn't want to end up like the many who had, literally, fallen by the wayside.

Funnily enough, I was pretty much exactly on what I thought I'd be at the finish based on a few rough calculations on the glimpses of timing clocks that I'd got on the way round. It'd be easy to be tough on myself and think I could've sub-foured (is that a verb? [No, Ed.]) but I think I pretty much raced it about right. Maybe I could've squeezed another minute or two at great expense, but that elusive sub-4, which doesn't feel too far away, will have to wait for another day.

The race was let down by a few inexcusable schoolboy errors on the part of the organisers. The water had ran out at the first drinks station, and I only later realised how lucky I was to get to the later ones before it ran out there too. 'Race-Side' at the finish was a muddle with little indication on how to escape, and then into a claustrophobic bottleneck before spilling into the street. The Shuttle-Bus tickets may have been beautifully printed in full colour but the return after race buses to the city were a shambles. We hobbled to chaotic queues for non-existent buses before being directed back to where we'd come from to stand in long slow-moving queues with sore legs and short tempers.

The organisers got a couple of things right. I bumped into Steph at the finish next to the beer table where we were happy to accept a glass of cold lager. Nice touch. Steph had grazes to her face arm and hand after a fall on a discarded water bottle but seemed in remarkably good spirits. This was probably because she'd finished in 4.21 for her first ever marathon and it would take more than a mouthful of tarmac to dampen her spirits.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Martin Williams	Dudley	M		2:18:24
28	Holly Rush	Bradford Upon Avon	F		2:41:38
377	Shaun Roberts		MV50	26	3:17:12
3065	Dougie Nisbet		MV40	723	4:08:21
4035	Stephanie Barlow		FV35	337	4:21:26
7151	Dave Robson		MV50	461	5:20:21

8258 finishers.

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• Full Results
• Dougie's photos
• Grief
• More grief
• Last year

Raby Castle 10K & 5K, 24th May

Andy Jordan



What a fantastic event. It was a beautiful day for a run and I can think of nowhere better than the grounds of Raby Castle. There was a great turnout from the Striders and everyone seemed to have a good run on what was an undulating course on the hottest day of the year so far (or so it seemed). There was loads of support and it was great to be cheered home on the final straight. Highly recommended unless you want to run a PB!

Jan Young

12 reasons to run Raby (this year)


1. to see a 'Sea of Purple', supported by parents, partners and grandbairns.
2. choice of runs; all ages, all abilities, one lap 5k or longer 2 lap 10k
3. good venue for new runners, with 400+ in 10k you feel like you're in a 'big' race
4. lots of spectator support on laps
5. undulating, scenic route on estate roads, through woods
6. picnics in the park, coffee shop, gift shop, gardens with packed, perennial borders and curvaceous, clipped yew hedge
7. magnificent medieval castle, deer herds, ancient trees
8. free entry to grounds for pre- entered runners and families, reduced entry to castle with runners number
9. well organised race
10. t shirt for runners
11. sunshine
12. [er, that's 11. Ed.]

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Terry Wall	Morpeth	M38		33.58
5	Sarah Tunstall	Kendal AC	F23	1	35.54
58	Mike Bennett		M55		42.38
123	Adrian Jenkins		M43		46.49
131	Andrew Jordan		M34		47.04
166	Melanie Hudson		F31		48.52
177	Alister Robson		M37		49.25
189	Nina Mason		F35		49.54
202	Phil Owen		M45		50.34
212	Andrew Thompson		M28		51.12
236	Jan Young		F56		52.42
246	Gary Davies		M35		53.06
260	Kirsty Dykes		F27		54.06
281	Zoe Tomlins		F25		55.02
284	Denise Mason		F28		55.11
294	David Shipman		M52		55.47
374	Alan Purvis		M71		62.05
422	Margaret Thompson		F59		91.00

422 finishers.

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• Full Results
• Photos from Dave
• from George
• from Alister's wife
• Last Year