Elvet Striders, a Durham Running Club

Snods 6, Snods Edge, 16th May

6M

Hopefully someone will be along to write a race report soon! In the meantime here's the photographer's report...

...Mike Elliot

Great turn out at Snods, runners, spectators and the dog. Looked as though some good times were recorded by the faster lads and lasses. 'Middle' pack were going at quite pace and chatting all the way, and the 'slower' pack enjoying the cool fresh air whilst saving themselves for the P2P on sunday. A good performance all round, especially those first timers.

Guess you were racking your brains out trying to work out which the Strider was in front of you at the first cross roads and then at the left turn in the housing complex. 'How the hell did he get in front of me?' Then all you see is a person jumping out pressing the camera shutter and saying, 'Caught on camera, have a good run'. A comment was, 'I saw you behind that lamp post' to which the camera man replied, 'In that case I must be too fat.'

I hesitate to pick out individuals but well done to Phil Todd who is making a come back after a very long absence.

The last comment of the evening must go to my most favourite girl, Holly the dog, 'Doesn't my Master have a great to have a good sense of humour? '

Results (soon):
Photos:
Alister's
Mike's
Route
Last year

Calderdale Relay, Halifax, 13th May

50M

Jan Young

Captain David misinterprets the instructions and carries a small baguette instead of a baton.

Thanks to all runners and supporters for great weekend of good company, slept like a log Sunday night.

Thanks to ...

John and Lyn for bed/ breakfast
Dave for organising
John for bravely stepping in to run last leg. Hope the legs are recovering!
Angela and Paul for driving.
Will for his encouragement and getting me round Leg 4. One day I'll jog that last hill.
[Nigel, for photo captioning. Ed.]

I have a lot to thank good mates for - specially putting up with me! (Snoring and wittering on, Paul - you'll be suprised, Will chatted more than me, but then he was never challenging his lungs!) Here's to 2013!

Bowderdale Wild Race, nr Kirkby Stephen, 13th May

10.5M 1736'

Aaron Gourley

The second race in the Wild Race series and by far the best of them in what is a 10.5 mile, 1736ft of ascent slog around one of the finest valleys in the Howgills area a few miles from Kirkby Stephen.

Elevation Picking up a flyer for this and checking the date I was disappointed to see the 13th of May was the date set which clashed with the Sunderland’s final home game of the season against Manchester United. So missing this race for the football I was even more distraught when a family christening was booked for this day meaning I would miss both the race and the football. So giving my ticket to an unfortunate Man Utd supporting work colleague I was resigned to a day of singing hymns in church. Then on the Saturday, said christening is called off due to a bout of chickenpox. So with no christening and no ticket for the match, the only thing to do was to get my kit together and run Bowderdale.

Bowderdale really does live up to its Wild Race tag. Pulling into the farm a there was a small but perfectly formed field of slightly mental runners. The weather was clear and dry but bitterly cold with a fierce wind blowing down from the fell tops.

Setting off up the farm track the route then takes a sharp uphill onto to narrow path that contours the valley along Bowderdale Beck. This continues for about three and a half miles before the long steep uphill onto the top of the fell. This hill is tough enough without a fierce wind blowing down straight into your face and taking your breath away and is comparable to the Drag on the Allendale Challenge, only shorter but no less demoralising.

Once at the top of the fell the friendly farmer awaits with a refreshing tank of water. Grabbing a drink and catching a breath it’s off for a fantastic run along the top of the fell back to the start, this time with the wind pushing on our backs.

Aaron's feet The run back was spent trading places on the down hills and up hills with a guy from Teesdale AC, me passing on the down, him on the ups. The final two miles are a long grassy sweep down to the finish where speed is gained but attention to your footing is essential. With Mr Teesdale in my sights I took it easy coming down the fell and decided to make my move on the farm track on the final half a mile where it would be easier and less hazardous to pass.

With the attack point was set, I decided to make my move and overtake when I tripped and stumbled for a few metres before deciding there was no way I was staying on my feet leading to a rather impressive forward roll, ending up on my backside facing the opposite direction. Feeling rather stupid, I got up and staggered the final few hundred metres to the finish. Mr Teesdale greeted me in with “Blimey, did you get lost? I thought you would have passed me on that final bit.”

Oh how he laughed when I told him I fell over.

SABIC Riverside Run & ASDA Fun Run, Middlesbrough, 13th May

Jo Richardson

This Sunday signified for me my second visit to a football stadium in the space of one week. Last weekend it was the Stadium of Light for the Sunderland marathon and on this occasion the venue was the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough for the Sabic 5K Riverside Run and the ASDA 2K Fun Run. I arrived relatively early with my daughter, Erin, in order to secure a decent parking space close to the location of Pizza Hut for after race comfort food and to try and meet up with my friend, Louise Trainor, from Quakers who was going to serve as my mascot for the day. Whilst I was frantically looking around the various family entertainment attractions and the swelling crowd of runners, I was able to spot two familiar purple vests at the registration desk. To my relief, I was to be joined on my 5K quest by two fellow Striders, Alister and Jacqui Robson.

I have to admit that I was rather anxious at the prospect of doing a 5K race. My only previous experience of running a 5K is at the Durham Parkrun on a Saturday morning with Erin. As Erin has never made the Saturday morning run an easy experience for me, I was just a little concerned that I would have to face the embarrassment of not being able to maintain her pace, if left to my own devices. Louise soon arrived and she, Alister and Jacqui were able to give me some positive words of encouragement before we moved to the start.

As we positioned ourselves, the gun was fired and Alister and Jacqui sprang forward. Alister was soon a blur of purple in the distance and Jacqui, as quick as a gazelle, sprinted after him. I knew almost immediately that this would be a race that I would be running on my own as I could not maintain pace with Jacqui for longer than the first km. She was just too quick! As we circled the course under the Transporter Bridge, I saw Jacqui on the opposite side of the road and I knew I would soon be on the return. I approached the entrance to the stadium on the final stretch, my throat was on fire and my legs felt like jelly. Jacquie, Alister, Jo and Erin at the Riverside I noticed Erin and Louise cheering me on from the sidelines which gave me the final burst of energy. As I entered the stadium and approached the finish line I had ‘Chariots of Fire’ ringing in my ears. I couldn’t believe the time! I crossed the line with a fantastic new PB (for me) of 25.31. It was definitely a good day for PBs as Jacqui, too, improved on her best 5K time. I am sure that I would never have achieved this without the support of Erin, Louise and my fellow club members. However, I am equally convinced that I will never be able to do it again...!

And that wasn’t the end of it...!

I still had the ASDA 2K Fun Run to complete which was a totally different experience altogether. Most of the Fun Run was pretty uneventful until Erin and I came to manoeuvre around the cones on the approach to the stadium. The boy in front of Erin suddenly stopped abruptly in his tracks causing Erin to run into the back of him. I attempted to dodge them both and went over on my ankle. I danced rather comically on the spot for a while and waved Erin on because I knew the compulsion of the finish line (and the goody bag) would be too great for her. I sprinted after her but to no avail. She galloped home without me, just catching a fairy at the finish!

Results (pdf)

Edinburgh parkrun, Cramond, 12th May

5K

Emma Detchon

Out in the wilds ... Another weekend away and I didn't want to miss a park run. I'm on target to share my 50th run with Durham parkrun so hoping for a celebration. Edinburgh was the destination this time, the parkrun was north of the city at Cramond Village. The course was along the promenade out and back or as described in the first timers' briefing like a lollipop, up the stick round the sweet bit and back down the stick. I arrived early so got parked easily, free to park, there's a little walk to the start but there were plenty of people around. It was a beautiful place, the sun was out and they had a boom box playing music so lots of atmosphere.

The Edinburgh (and Glasgow) park runs start at 9.30am due the sun rising a lot later in the depths of December (almost an hour later than London) and the café doesn’t open until 10am. I set off really well but held back as it was my first run after the Sunderland marathon (I should've definitely done something inbetween but didn't get time!) so my first mile was the fastest. Someone passed me with a Marathon of the North t-shirt which was nice to see. It would be a great one for a pb but there is a bit of a head wind on the way back. I was 150th out of a field of 221 - they normally get good numbers and get a lot of visiting parkrunners.

Results

Ripon 10, 13th May

10M

Melanie Hudson

We arrived in Ripon and reported to race HQ to get our numbers. There was homemade cake, yummy :), nothing like pre race cake with the excuse that its needed for fuel. Me and Dave decided to run together as usual, I like running with him, he is very good at pacing me, otherwise I get carried away, go off too fast, get tired quickly and end up not enjoying the race. Ripon, Dave informed me, is a lovely scenic route so I really wanted to enjoy this one.

All bright and chirpy before the start. We made our way over to the start and bumped into Ian Spencer so we had a quick chat and got a Striders photo. Then we were off. Not far from the beginning we went through a wood where the floor was covered with bluebells and wild garlic, it was lovely. We came out of the woods and crossed five stone bridges in quick sucession as the path meandered over a stream. I had mixed feelings on the next section which took us through a deer park. As we entered the park I was struck with a great view of the path rising through the park and upwards to a church in the distance, however I was also feeling a bit of dread knowing that church was a mile away and all up hill! However I was feeling strong and was amazed at how easily we got to the top. We then ran along the road and past Fountains Abbey, I couldn't see the abbey as it was hidden behind a big wall, however this lack of view was only temporary as we were about it be greeted by another big hill. This one was much steeper but also a mile long, thankfully there were a few short flat bits that gave a little recovery before hitting the next steep section. The view from the top was worth the climb though as at this point you could look back and see the Abbey. The last two miles were pretty fast and easy as it was all downhill from then on. I was still feeling strong by the end and broke away from Dave to do a sprint finish. All three of us striders finished in a similar time. We had a quick chat about the race before going back to race HQ for more cake :)

I really enjoyed this run, it was scenic and I was feeling stronger then I had in a long time. Ripon 10m on the top of my list of races I will do again.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Jack Simpson	Unattached	M	1	0:57:35
21	Emma Yates	York Knavesmire Harriers	FV45	1	1:07:32
150	Melanie Hudson		FV30		1:30:55
154	Ian Spencer		MV50		1:31:28
155	Dave Robson		MV60		1:31:29

221 finishers.

Sunderland Marathon, 6th May

Dougie Nisbet ...

Today was a good day to be a Strider. I'd just like to say well-done and thank you to everyone who was out today for the companionship and support, for the 10K and the marathon, and all the Strider support around the course. It really was something.

Before the off ... And a special congratulations has to go to all the first-time marathon runners. Today was not an easy course, physically or psychologically. Lots of dog-legs and switch-backs and a surprising number of nippy hills. In a particularly cruel twist the organisers decided to parallel run the finishing straight with the 18-19 mile mark - a point where many are hitting the wall. All Striders finished despite the hideous temptation of passing the finish with 7 miles to go! Well done, especially the first-time marathoners! I hit the proverbial at 22.35 miles and if this had happened around 18 miles, I'm pretty certain I would have bailed.

... and the winner in the 'Most Disorienting Marathon of the Year' Category is ... Sunderland!

... Greta Jones ...

It was an early start for my very first marathon. Mike Elliott kindly offered to be the driver for the day and picked up myself and my friend Denise who had trained and stretched in anticipation of cheering loudly. We met with John G, John H, Sue Jennings and Emma Detchon at Angela's house and headed off in convoy to the Stadium of Light.

On arrival several striders were already present and collectively we were a very impressive sea of purple. Many of those doing the 10K starting at 10am also joined us and we managed a very impressive team photo. The mood was very upbeat and supportive, especially for those of us doing our first marathon, which included myself, Jacquie, Emma, Jo Richardson, and John G. George Nick a veteran of many runs gave us all a hug and encouragement, he was planning on running his own race with Sarah Kelly to support her round the course in aid of St Oswald's Hospice.

The original idea was to run the race at 10.5 minute miles, the aim, to finish around 4 hours 35 minutes. We called this the 4.35 bus; however as bus is a dirty word in Sunderland it then became the 4.35 train. What an experience that was. We started really well and were consistent, thanks to Alister's impressive pacing. If you have never joined a pacing group I can highly recommend it. The team held together really well and offered support not only to each other but also to those we passed and the locals who came out to cheer us on. We were joined for many miles by a chap called Scott who was running for a cancer charity and who's aim was to run 12 marathons in 12 months, thanks to him I managed to work out how to open those sachets of water.

Due to the nature of the course which looped back on itself at many points we were able to cheer on other Striders as they passed us heading for the finish. We managed to see Paul, James and Matt quite early on as they lead the field of striders. Then came our first female Fiona, followed by John Hutch who we managed to cheer, at a couple of locations, then came Dougie, who was closely followed by the lovely Anna, whose partner Flip was not running in the marathon but was found lounging about on a park bench taking photos as we passed. Barrie Evans and Jan and Tony Young also turned out to show their support at the Barnes park area.

Angela was having a cracking run and had left the train at around mile 15. The remaining train finally splintered at around mile 16. I felt really comfortable at the 18 mile mark, but was at this time running with Dave Robson. Going past the stadium where several striders who had run the 10k and my family made loads of noise and gave such incredible support which gave me a boost. However by mile 19 I began to wonder why I was doing this and why I had bothered to make a polite enquiry. My lower spine ached but at least I could not feel any blisters on my feet. By mile 20 Sue Jennings had caught me up and the pair of us decided to run/walk for a while. If it had not been for Sue I am sure the next 4 miles would have been harder than they were.

Sue got the smell of home in her nostrils and I was unable to keep up with her but managed to continue the run/walk plan. By mile 25 if anyone mentioned another marathon I would have happily tripped them up if I had had the energy. Just as I was flagging I heard the cry of 'Jonsey get running as we are heading for sub 5 hours,' from Alister and Jacquie Robson as they were gaining on me. This gave me some incentive to push on. At mile 26 I was joined by the lovely Dave Whitmore fellow park runner and Sunderland Harrier who was marshalling at this point, and could see my struggle so ran with me up the final hill and lead me to a sea of cheering purple which included Denise, Jane Ives, Yusuf, Victoria, Louise, Mel and Rob closely followed by Jo Porter and Ethan as well as Mike Elliott chasing every photo opportunity. That is just what you need at the finish of a marathon and it gave me such a feeling of euphoria when I crossed the line in the official time of 4 hours 50 minutes and 34 Seconds.

"Never again, but then again ..."

... Alister Robson ...

It hasn't been a great month or so for provincial marathons as a friend of mine remarked the other day. Hull was plagued with organisational issues and doubts remain over the distance, meaning that the official results have been scrubbed from the record books. Promised road closures didn't materialise and there was a distinct lack of marshals. Milton Keynes and the Shakespeare Marathon at Stratford had torrential rain, the latter being cut to half distance. Manchester had torrential rain and baggage issues with some shivering for almost an hour at the finish for their warm clothes to arrive.

I was a little bit apprehensive then about the inaugural Marathon of the North at Sunderland, but I needn't have worried. The wet cold weather that had been around all week started to clear towards Saturday evening and it became clear, bright and still. Perfect conditions for marathon running in fact. We arrived at the Stadium of Light nice and early and it was immediately remarkable how nice a morning it was and how many people we knew. I grabbed a quick coffee in the Aquatic Centre and as we came round the corner past the start line we were welcomed by a sea of purple - those hoodies really do stand out a mile don't they? Before long I'd been volunteered to be on the radio (thanks Jane Ives, I think!) and it was time to assemble at 8.45 for the group photo. A whopping 24 Striders assembled for the group shot (+1 guest Durham Tri) and we still didn't manage to get everyone in.

Report continues here...

... and Jacquie Robson:

I was nervous. Very nervous. REALLY nervous. Even the day before the race. And I was cross with myself for even thinking I could do something as daft as a marathon after vowing I'd never even dream of entering. But I have to admit it was nice to arrive at the start at the Stadium of Light to see a sea of purple, and I would have felt a bit like I was missing out if I hadn't entered what turned out to be a fantastic Striders event. There really were Striders everywhere you looked, and friends from Sunderland and Durham parkrun everywhere else! The Striders 10k runners arrived on time to wish us all well, and we all assembled in surprisingly pleasant sunny weather for a photo of the Striders and friends before the start. After a last minute kit change from my cold weather long fleecy sleeved top to a t-shirt, it seemed like no time at all until we heard the hooter and we were away. James, Paul, Fiona and Matt shot out of sight with the front runners, and Dougie and John Hutchinson bounded off, smiles on their faces and a spring in their step. Anna went on ahead, too, despite claiming she was only going to run-walk at first and would probably drop out after 15k. We didn't believe you, Ms Seeley!

Our 'running train' was made up of many of the Sunday morning crew (myself, Greta, Sue, Angela, John G and Dave R) and some welcome guests, including the tri club's Vicky Mattless, Emma's friend Hazel and a few others we'd picked up at the start, with train-driver Alister leading the way and keeping us steady at a gentle pace. Jo and Emma hung back a bit, wanting to set off a bit slower, and George stayed back to run with lady from the BBC. It all seemed a bit surreal during the first mile when I had to remind myself I was actually running a marathon. A BLOOMIN' MARATHON, for heaven's sake!

Report continues here...

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Paul Wilson	Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers	M	1	2:43:32
32	Paul Evans		M	21	3:04:17
77	James Garland		M	43	3:20:09
95	Susanne Hunter	Blyth Running Club	F	1	3:24:51
120	Matthew Claydon		M	53	3:28:23
123	Fiona Shenton		FV50	1	3:28:43
319	John Hutchinson		MV50	25	3:52:02
532	Dougie Nisbet		MV40	176	4:12:22
614	Anna Seeley		M	65	4:20:02
749	Angela Proctor		F	91	4:33:33
781	Dave Robson		MV60	12	4:36:56
860	Susan Jennings		FV40	77	4:48:08
876	Greta Jones		FV40	79	4:50:34
881	Alister Robson		MV40	264	4:51:02
882	Jacquie Robson		F	111	4:51:02
979	Joanne Richardson		F	130	5:08:01
980	Emma Detchon		F	131	5:08:21
981	John Greathead		M	344	5:08:31
1049	George Nicholson		MV60	17	5:37:50

1085 finishers.

Sunderland 10K, 6th May

Louise Miller

After setting a new pb at the North Tyneside 10k (despite feeling a bit under the weather), I was determined to set another (hopefully with a sub 54 min) on what I thought would be a flat course at the Sunderland 10k.

It was an early start to get down and see the start of the marathon. I travelled down with Victoria and Yusuf and joined the sea of purple. Both myself and Victoria were very excited about watching the start of the marathon and we weren’t disappointed – the atmosphere was fab and once they were off we had just under an hour to spare before the start of the 10k

After taking the opportunity to tease my other half by getting a photo with the Sunderland mascot (I may be divorced before I even make it down the aisle!) myself, Victoria, Melanie and Yusuf decided to see what the VIP area had to offer. We’d left it a bit late to take advantage of the tea and coffee on offer, but it was nice to have a seat and somewhere warm with nicer toilets!

Report continues here...

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Yared Hagos	Wallsend Harriers	M	1	0:30:46
18	Aly Dixon	Chester le Street	F	1	0:37:05
275	Jane Ives		FV40	7	0:49:03
441	Melanie Hudson		F	54	0:51:20
467	Yusuf Kuruner		M	251	0:51:44
478	Denise Mason		F	58	0:52:47
675	Louise Miller		F	92	0:55:10
730	Victoria Tindale		F	108	0:55:58
1182	Bethan Kelly		F	231	1:01:52
1189	Robert Clark		M	498	1:01:28
1523	Philippa Coffer		F	369	1:08:23

1820 finishers.

Results

Roseberry Romp, North Yorks Moors, 10th May

5M / 1050'

Phil Owen

Jan's e-mail alerted me to this race and at first I thought It was a new race in the Esk valley summer series that had not made it to the list. However that wasn’t the case as it is in fact a fund raiser for the National Trust.

After taking young Yusuf along to his first fell just last week, he was eager for more and at Monday night run he asked if I was going. He then asked how my legs were, saying with a big broad smile 'I hope they are still tired because I going to beat you'! After a full night and day of heavy rain I was glad to see the rain stop a couple of hours before this race but I expected a mud fest. Picked Yusuf up and headed to the Cleveland hills. For those that know it, the race HQ is the same car park as the one for newton under Roseberry which as the name suggest is directly below Roseberry Topping, an iconic hill on the Cleveland way.

Very small field and we were off up the very muddy track. We turned right into 100 Aker wood and slipped our way through the mud gradually gaining height. Leaving the wood, a marshal guided us to the left and up a steeper climb to what looks like an old quarry climb. From her we wound round some more woods and up on a rear path to the Roseberry summit and another marshal.

All this time I had Yusuf in my sights as he bounced and bounded along like Tigger but he was too fast for me in the early stages. It did get me thinking if he is Tigger, who am I? Unfortunately only Pooh bear came to mind. Must be my round and stout exercises! Still in I knew we should have plenty of very muddy downhill to come and Pooh bears are built for rolling down hills. Up to the top of little Roseberry and then down a small track I’ve never noticed before. This is where Tigger was in trouble as tiggers are made for climbing not falling, stoutness out I simply rolled past him through the mud the couple of miles to the finish. Excellent new race, only ££4.00 to enter, on some trails I didn’t know existed. With it being fully marked marshalled it’s particularly brilliant race for the newbie fell or trail runners but tough enough for the experienced to get a good workout and enjoy. A Durham Uni student and friend of Yusuf ‘s need lift have won the race( he’s keen to do more but need lifts. I’ve invited him to join our FB group as I’m sure some of us can help out there ) with Hardmoors 110 ladies winner Shelly Gordon wining the ladies. Hillary, RD at Saltwell Park Parkrun after her clubs fell running was chuffed to bit to win her age category! The national trust has another of these although a quick Google search doesn’t reveal much information I managed to pick up a few flyers. Details: Bransdale Fell Race 7.5 mile 1400ft ascent, Thursday 9th August 2012 , Entries £4 ,Registration at Bransdale Mill, Postcode YO627JL , well marked route, all Profits to local National Trust.

Yusuf adds:

Yesterday's race was fantastic. One of top crazy things I have ever done in my life. There was so much mud. Almost whole race. I wanted to race with Flip but he is so damn good at running hill down with that mud. He already had experienced a lot of crazyiness but I know I ve got a long life to live :)))) I really scared that I might tradigacelly break some parts of my body when I go down. It was even hard to stand or walk but bloody Flip is fearless. But it is a fantastic memory.Wonderful race.

My next challenge is to run YOMP 23 mile. Hope I can survive that.

Tees Barrage 10K, Stockton, 7th May

Melanie Hudson

It was my fault Dave ended up doing the Tees Barrage 10K. I completed an entry form for us both but he said he was doing the Sunderland marathon the day before so it probably wasnt a good idea. I forgot to take the letter out of the post pile, put it in the box with the sudden realisation that I wasn't supposed to do that, woops :0! I guess he could have still decided to not do it but you know Dave.

It was a bright and dry day making the Tees look very nice. Forecast had not been great and very relieved they got it wrong as memories of the wind and rain at the Neptune relays are still too fresh in my mind.

We saw Will and Ian Spencer at the start but we didnt see them at the finish. We did get a glimpse of Ian at the 8k point and he seemd to be going very strongly.

My legs were pretty tired from Saturday's parkrun and Sunday's Sunderland 10k. I have never ran three days in a row in the past never mind the fact I'm still trying to regain my full fitness after illness (although I think this has made me more determined or maybe Dave's craziness is catching).

I decided to run with Dave thinking I was in for an easy ride. We set off at a lovely slow pace, plodding along and stuck behind people. Ahh this was going to be such a relaxed run. However after one mile Dave started to speed up! How could he maintain that after yesterday, surely he will blow up and we can go back to the nice trott we had going at the beginning, hmm nope, we did slow down a little from half way but not really by much.

It's a pretty flat course and lovely running along the Tees and across a couple of bridges, I would do this one again.

Carlton Challenge, North Yorks Moors, 2nd May

5M / 1,181'

Danny Lim

I spent my Wednesday evening crashing through the North York Moors at a much faster pace than I was accustomed to. I'm a fell walker, not a fell-runner! What am I doing here?

It was my first ever fell race. Also present were fellow Striders Jan Young, Will Horsley, Phil Owen, Mike Bennett and Yusuf Kuruner. As I queued to register, I looked to the top of the moor - it was frankly, intimidating. This wasn't anything like Parkrun. Yet, I foolishly set off at parkrun pace, dashing through muddy paths, dodging branches and sliding on wet grass. After 10 minutes of this mad pace, I could heard a voice ,"steady now Danny, the next part is all uphill". No, I wasn't on drugs, it was Phil behind me. And he was right, the uphill bit soon came and it seemed to go on and on and on. I was now paying the price and walking up. I waved to Jan and Yusuf as they passed by.

Before the off ... At the top were splendid views of the surrounding countryside. Such beauty. But I couldn't spare more than a split second admiring the view, lest I trip or even worst get left behind on the moor. Every now and then a grouse would fly out of the heather, spooked by our presence. The descent was just as mad as the start. I stupidly followed somebody down. You know you're not on the official path when you have to scale a fence or two! Somehow, I was improvising and making my own path. Everybody else slalomed down at break-neck speed but I was pretty slow, afraid of slipping. Finally it was over. A bloodied Phil (see photos) shook my hand. For Yusuf, it was also his first fell race and he loved it.

To be honest, I was hating so much of it during the race. But 2 days later, I have regained the feelings in my legs. I can't wait for the next race in the series!

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Jim Bulman	New Marske Harriers	MV40	1	33.52
7	Will Horsley	NFR	M	5	37.20
25	Kay Neesam	New Marske Harriers	FV45	1	42.41
44	Mike Bennett		MV55	5	45.31
85	Phil Owen		MV45	11	52.25
89	Jan Young		FV55	2	54.08
90	Yusuf Kuruner		M	23	54.10
95	Danny Lim		MV40	14	56.16

107 finishers.

Frimley Lodge parkrun, Farnborough, 28th April

5K

Emma Detchon

In January I decided 2012 was the year to get my 50 park run tshirt so when a work meeting down south was arranged for a Friday, I said I could pop into my sister’s (Andrea) for the weekend (work would pay for the train ticket) but she’s have to take me to park run as I couldn’t miss out. She was happy to agree and offered to join in, I was really pleased a parkrun recruit. She’s run a Santa run two years ago but Yoga is her favourite thing. She text me a week before to say Frimley Lodge would be the best one to do (Reading was closer but expensive to park) she said she hadn’t done much training and was a bit worried about getting round. I emailed Frimley Lodge park run and asked if they had a tail runner just incase she needed encouragement, they didn’t have a tail runner but the lady who replied promised everyone was very friendly and she’d be fine – felt a bit silly for asking as I should’ve known park runs are friendly.

The course was two laps along the canal and past a miniature railway track which all sounds lovely until Andrea told me someone had fallen in the canal a few weeks ago. Surely enough at the first timers briefing the course description included the warning all first timers stick to the right so as to not risk going in the canal! The weather was awful - grey, cold and raining but I was pleased Andrea was still up for and just hoped she wouldn’t give in to the temptation to stop after 1 lap, they did say someone would be there to time the one lap but obviously it doesn’t count as a parkrun.

Emma. This was Frimley Lodge’s 116th run, they have a posh permanent sign and sure enough there were lots of red 50 and white 100 tshirts. I was explaining to Andrea that’s what I was working towards when she pointed out someone in a black tshirt with shiny gold writing on the back – 250 park runs!! I would’ve taken a photo but had to leave my phone in the car out of the rain.

We set off and as usual an instant pain in my side reminded me why I should get up and eat breakfast earlier! The first km along the canal was so muddy it was more of a jump over all the muddy puddles than a run and there were a lot of runners so a bit congested. The second km was through the woods and was more like ice skating slipping around in the mud. One of the volunteers shouted out ‘An hour from now you’ll be on your sofa enjoying a hot cup of tea’ – lovely thought to keep me going in the rain. I knew what to expect on the second lap so pushed on and I think it must be the first time ever that my first mile has been my slowest.

At the end I ran back out to meet Andrea and make sure she was ok, the fast runners were all doing a third lap and picking up the cones/signs etc. The volunteer mentioned above had decided to run in with Andrea so I met them for the last bit. She was the last one to finish in 40 minutes but luckily really enjoyed it and was very glad to have achieved her first park run. I was really pleased she’d enjoyed the experience and said everyone was friendly and encouraging as they went past. At the end a number of ladies came over to say hello and say they were normally last and much further behind where she was so they really hoped she’d come back. The slowest runner at Reading was in 50 minutes but Andrea didn’t mind and said she’d be happy to go back. Again how bad do I feel for doubting that anyone wouldn’t enjoy a park run, they’re the friendliest most inclusive activity around. I will keep encouraging people to join in and hope they continue to grow. I’m looking forward to trying some new park runs too, it’s a great addition to a weekend away.

Results

Neptune Relays, Sedgefield, 25th April

4x1.7m

Jacquie Robson

I'd heard fantastic things about this team relay event, and I remember Alister saying that the 2011 event was a very friendly affair bathed in sunshine. So when Will Horsley emailed around to organise teams, I was keen to pull on the Striders vest and have a go. Alister was less sure this year, however, as he knew he was likely to have wonky legs after the London Marathon the Sunday before. As it turns out, however, he was fresh as a daisy, so we got signed up and arranged to share lifts.

Huddlin'. Wednesday morning dawned grey and wet and cold. No sign of last year's sunshine. As the day pressed on it got wetter and wetter, and it looked ominously like we'd be running in the torrential rain and splodgy mud we'd encountered at the club handicap the week before. Ah, well, at least we knew what we were letting ourselves in for and had trained for the conditions! As last year, there were a number of Striders turning out to represent the club for the first time, so there were no thoughts of pulling out of the event, just a general foreboding as the clouds darkened and the rain got heavier as I drove Alister, Anna and Adam (also now known as Smiley-Dan) down to Sedgefield. It's a good job Will had emailed the teams around beforehand - I think there'd have been a lot of no shows (me included!) if he hadn't organised us all so efficiently!

The car park was full on arrival - of both cars and water - and we sploshed across towards the cafe to find Will, our teams and our numbers. I was teamed with Greta, Anna and new member Alex Probert, but didn't manage to find Greta and our numbers at first. To be honest, I was struggling to see anyone as the rain really was pelting down. Alister, Anna and Adam headed off to the start and I tried to find Alex and Pippa who had turned up on my recommendation, and was so caught up with feeling guilty that I'd dragged them out in the rain that I lost track of time and realised there was no-one left at the cafe and that the start was in a couple of minutes time. I splashed over to a soggy-looking marshal and got directions to the start, and ran towards the large monument that was to give us a bit of shelter. I barely had time to find Greta and realise that I was the first leg runner before I heard the final call for the start. I struggled to pin my number on and wrestled myself out of my now-drenched hoody to get to the start line just in time. I saw James Garland making his way towards the front of the pack and I joined Claire Readey and Louise Miller in a huddle further back, and joined in the pre-race discussion about what the hell we were thinking of to be out in this rain without waterproofs, umbrellas, wellingtons and/or wetsuits.

Once underway, the going underfoot wasn't as appalling as I'd expected. The route is very similar to one lap of the Sedgefield parkrun course that shares the venue and, had I been able to see anything past the enormous raindrops that were pelting me from all angles, I would have enjoyed the view of the beautiful Hardwick Hall and the ornamental grounds and lake. As it was, I squinted and blinked through the wall of water that was attacking me just enough to follow the route and avoid a number of duck-hazards and other varieties of waterfowl who were busy setting up home in the fresh puddles. The grass sections were squelchy but less muddy than I'd expected, but there was a good smattering of swamp-like mud on the path on the way back to the finish. I caught sight of Dave Shipman and Carolyn Bray up ahead of me, and decided to have a go at catching Dave but he must have sensed me coming and broke me on the slippery slope up to the finishing area. I slid about and bounced off the potholes and molehills, while Dave skipped up like a mountain goat and I lost him on the final corner. 'Sometimes I just cannot for the life of me see the point.'. Still, I was buoyed by the loud support from the third and fourth leg team runners huddling for warmth in the monument above the route and managed a sprint finish to hand over to Greta, who set off at an impressive pace. It was only a 3k leg, but I was pretty pleased with it (although I might have gone faster had I not spent so much time zig-zagging around the puddles and mud!).

As the second leg runners sped off, I reclaimed my hoody and joined the cheering crew. It must have been bitterly cold for those standing waiting for third and fourth legs, and, although I was a bit miffed to see the rain easing off as the third leg runners heading out, I think I got the best of it with a first leg run and was less cold than some of the others. It was fantastic to see such a huge number of Striders and great to feel a part of the teams as everyone cheered for everyone else. Particular well-dones for new member Sarah Tulip who only joined us for the first time time on club handicap night (in the rain), and must have wondered what on earth she was doing turning out in torrential rain for the second time in two weeks, and to Alex Probert and Pippa who pulled on the purple and green for their first team event. Congratulations also to Victoria Stott who came along in case we were short of runners and still decided to have a run artound, despite the weather, accompanying Sue Jennings on her leg.

It was a good event to be a part of. But can someone book the sunshine for next year, please?

A Spectator's Report

London Marathon Spectating, 22nd April

Jacquie Robson

For the second time in two years I found myself in the supporting role at the Virgin London Marathon. As a rather long(!) point-to-point race with tens of thousands of runners and many more supporters crowding the streets of London, being a spectator at the right point at the right time to cheer on your runner is a sport in itself.

Last year, I deposited a rather nervous Alister at the Blue start, having escorted him to Blackheath station (on the south of the river Thames) via the very efficient Transport for London train/tube system and up onto the Common. I was then lucky enough to have a friend escort me around London to ensure I didn't get lost. We legged it back to Blackheath station and made our way to Shadwell tube station. A short walk from here, you can watch the runners go past at 13 miles. It's just past Tower Bridge for the runners (and they see you on their right), then, once you've spotted your targets, you can run/walk/push past the spectators to the underpass to get on the other side of the dual carriageway and wave, shout and cheer again at 20 miles (again on the runners' right). I made my way to the Acorns' charity cheering post last year and stayed with them so Alister could spot me (although the Striders hoody is great for that purpose), but I found myself waiting for well over two hours. I then had a mad rush to try to get to the finish. I chose Westminster tube station and found myself on the wrong side of the marathon route. This meant me and about 5000 other people were all trying to cross the race at a designated crossing point and it took AGES. I missed any chance I had of seeing Alister run along the finishing straight, managing to make my way to the well-marked meeting area along Horseguards Parade well after he'd finished to find him slumped on a kerb, grinning like a mad man and halfway down his first can of London Pride. Good lad!

Report continues here...

Balmoral 10K, Deeside, 28th April

George Nicholson

I have been promising my Daughter, Amanda, for several years to take part in the Balmoral Races, and run the Race with the Hill.

It has been voted by Runners World as the most scenic race in the country (one of a few I’ve done now !!) To be fair though, I would say it probably does deserve such a title. It lived up to expectations with wonderful views of some beautiful Highland Scenery. The snow capped peak of Lochnagar was not far away. The event itself takes place within the grounds of Balmoral Castle, the summer home of the Royal Family. As 2012 is Diamond Jubilee year, this seemed as good a time as any to do it.

'George Nicholson, Super Vet' ... looking good so far. We were staying with our daughter at Monymusk, about 40 miles from Balmoral. My race was 2.00pm, but we needed an early start, as Grandkids Oscar & Jasper had their 1.5k race mid morning. We obviously were very lucky with the weather. Frosty initially, but dry and sunny, no wind. The temperature increased as the day progressed. Ideal running conditions.

All races are contained within the Estate Grounds, The shorter races follow a route in front of the Castle itself and set off in bands according to Primary school years. Both boys did well, especially Oscar ( Primary 5 ) who had a good time of 6 mins 55s for the 1.5 k. All runners are chipped, with a method I have not seen before. i.e. Tag must be positioned correctly with Green side uppermost…. Green means GO, red means NO !. Yet for some reason the published finish positions show gun time, not run time! [Positions are positions, George! Chip times don't come into it ... Ed.]

An hour later we watched the 5k race, and the winning time of 14 mins 57 secs was a good indicator of the quality of runners who were participating that day.

I had hoped my son-in-law, David, would run round with me, but his injury meant an enforced withdrawal, which was a shame. My race started on the tarmac estate road adjacent to the River Dee, gorgeous views and in bright sunshine. After about a mile this gave way to Land Rover Track, and throughout this time I’d been trying not to think of THE HILL. After about 20 mins of running my worst fears are confirmed. A 90 degree turn to the left off the road and on to a steep incline farm track leading up into the forest. The large yellow sign that states THE HILL hardly seems necessary. Other signs saying walkers to the left, runners to the right only increased a feeling of impending doom. Prince Charles apparently likes to walk this hill in Garmaddie Woods, but I was determined to run it, and I did.

It’s uphill for almost a mile, but it seemed a lot longer. The number of walkers increased, but I knew I was near the top when I could hear the welcome sound of Bagpipes. Not a solitary Piper either, two of them in fact, and I have to confess for an Englishman, quite an uplifting and welcoming sound, possibly because it signified the TOP of the HILL. 5k done and the rest was now downhill all the way back to the finish. Land Rover Track, then Tarmac. It didn’t seem to be too long before the Historic Castle came into view, a quick loop round the Queen’s front Lawn and then a short sprint to the line. ;-)

I felt quite satisfied with the time on such a hard course. It was good to be listed as a Super Vet, although I suspect that was a reference to my age category, rather than a reflection of my ability! Nice medal and classy Technical T Shirt. So although it was never going to be a PB course, it was certainly one to remember.

George manages to get on Her Majesty's nips. Possibly the only disappointment was the non appearance of Wills and Kate, who were due at Balmoral this weekend to celebrate their first Wedding Anniversary.Well, they certainly did not turn up for the 10k; mebbes the Hill had spooked them as well. ?

Hawkshead Trail Challenge, 28th April

17K

Denise Mason...

Denise and Zoe I'd convinced Zoe to join me for this one on the promise that we could camp in wonderful weather and have a good old drink afterwards in Hawkshead. So I was pretty disappointed with the torrential ran in the days leading up to the event. Never the less by Friday night we decided we were tough enough to brave the elements (I did make some 'soft southerner' comment which seemed to sway the decision). Thankfully by Saturday morning the weather had improved and we had our tent pitched on lovely dry ground by 11am. We walked down to the race ground to collect our numbers and met up with Dave & Mel who were staying in a local B&B.

We set off at a steady pace due to the narrow roads before joining the trail. It didn't take long to reach the first incline (of which there were many). Zoe, Mel and Dave seemed to cope a lot better than me on the first climb and I watched them run off in to the distance. The first photographer was cruelly positioned at the top of the incline forcing you to try and run for the picture! Thankfully the steep inclines were rewarded with steep descents and I managed to catch up with Zoe (who in fairness was probably struggling to run down rocks with road shoes on!). I spent the whole race losing her on the inclines and desperately trying to catch her up on the descents. The course had fantastic views but a lot of the time was spent looking at the ground trying to scramble up a hill or avoid breaking your neck on the way down.

The last real climb was the 'coffin trail' and the organisers had tried to make it more fun by erecting coffins, playing music and suspending the odd skeleton from branches! It was brutal and really took it out of my legs which felt like Jelly! The Kendal mint cake at the water station perked me up a little but sadly not enough to beat Zoe in a pathetic attempt at a sprint finish.

Afterwards we managed to secure a small table in a packed Hawkshead pub for the four of us and spent the rest of the evening refuelling with Cider and sticky toffee pudding. Amazingly it didn't rain once when we were camping although it was pretty cold when I woke up sober at 4am!

...and Dave Robson

Melanie and Dave Five Striders turned up for this lovely scenic trail race - Melanie, Zoe, Denise, me and Maggie (less than a week after the London marathon !). Jackie came over to support. The weather seemed a little cool initially, but it turned out to be warmer as the afternoon went on and I certainly had one too many layers on.

The course has three hills. The first one seems to go on for ever, the second is easier and the third one is the infamous coffin trail, which was decorated with skeletons and skulls to encourage us. I was expecting lots of mud on the course given the recent wet weather, but it seems the Lakes have had much less rain than the North East recently so it was pretty dry.

Melanie and I stayed in a B and B after the race. Zoe and Denise took the brave choice of camping and the four of us were able to spend an enjoyable evening in the pub eating and drinking.

Fox and Hounds Fell Race, North Yorks Moors, 29th April

9m / 1,500'

Shaun Roberts

Drizzle turning to rain, strong winds on the return from Danby High Moor, and distinctly awkward underfoot ... doesn't sound like a recipe for a good race ... and yet, and yet, I really enjoyed this one. I'd been warned there was a lot of running on very narrow tracks, and so it turned out, especially in the first half of the race. Yet this just meant you had to run a bit within yourself most of the time, and so when it opened up a bit two-thirds of the way round, you had plenty left in the tank and could put your foot down ... so I did. Good fast finish, which was just as well, as the wind and rain really started to come in later on, and legging it was a good way to keep warm. Good to get back in the (very nice) pub in the end, where there seemed to be a good bit of shivering going on, with steaming bodies huddling in front of the fire.

Shaun leads the field up the first hill ... oh, alright, half the field.

David Aspin

This was the last race of the Winter Series, in which I was beaten into second place (MV55s) by a good runner. Jan came third in the FV55s, and Nina placed a very good fourth in the Womens' Open. The prize-giving from organiser Dave Parry was a classic. There was a mug to each competitor to celebrate the 25th running of this race, then endless bottles of wine to race winners and leaders, followed by "You know the form ... if you haven't had a prize yet, help yourself to a bottle of wine". So I did. Then more mugs as prizes to all the series age group winners, seconds and thirds. All for £6! I really don't know how he does it, as well as supporting various charities along the way ...

That's it for winter fell running on the North Yorks Moors ... time for the midweek Summer Series, imminent at the Carlton Challenge. Pity they're all on a Wednesday, but nonetheless some will definitely be worth heading down for.

A Comedy of Errors