Elvet Striders — Race Reports Archive

East Hull 20, 24th March

287 finishers

Coniston 14, 24th March

1359 finishers

25th Tees Valley Half Marathon, Redcar, 18th March

1114 finishers

Harrier League, Prudhoe, 17th March

Senior Women

Fast pack (f) times minus 2.20
42 finishers.

Senior Men

Medium pack (m) times minus 2.30
205 finishers.

National XC Championships, Herrington, 10th March

Herrington Country Park was the venue for these Championships after the dress rehearsal which was the North Eastern Championships in December 2006. Conditions were "good to soft" underfoot, with much less mud than at the North Easterns but with a strong, cold wind.

The organisation of the meeting went very well with the races on time, the PA system audible throughout the site, and the movement of cars into and out of of the car parks without any snags except at the end of the day when everybody wanted to go home at the same time.

There were runners from every part of England, lines of coaches, and a sea of club tents as well as marquees for changing in. The winner was from Wells City Harriers in the West Country, others were from EasT Anglia with the Norfolk Gazelles, from the South Coast with Winchester & District AC and from the North with Alnwick Harriers. There were even two Scottish clubs, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers and Fife AC who evidently accept English runners as members!

Among other clubs were Coventry Godiva Harriers whose female runners save a bit on vests and shorts, Rolls-Royce Harriers who glide noiselessly past and Barrow Runners who do very well despite their heavy burdens! Woodford Green AC With Essex Ladies cut quite a figure with their platinum blond hair and white high heels! Nestle Rowntree AC had enjoyed too much of their sponsors products and came in just in front of The Stragglers!

The number of entrants was down from previous years with 916 Senior Men and 297 Senior Women lining up at the start.

Striders were represented by the four men who had run the Northerns at Manchester and by three women.

Men's results, 12k

Women's results, 8k

Dentdale 14M, 10th March

448 finishers

Haweswater Half Marathon, 4th March

John Hutchinson

Alan Smith and I drove over there on the morning and met Barrie and Christine, who had stayed overnight in Bampton, and Kathryn Banks, who was staying at Penrith. Also met former Striders Andy and Rebecca Adams. Rebecca wasn't running and Andy said he wasn't expecting to do a great time, but don't you just know when someone says that, that they're going to beat you.

Weather at first wasn't as bad as the horrendous weather forecast had predicted. It was overcast but no signs of heavy rainclouds, just a bitter cold wind. So cold that I was daft enough to put on a long sleeved Tshirt under my running vest. Once we got into the narrow valley along the reservoir though, we were sheltered from the wind and I was seriously overheating. But then as we approached the turnaround point at the head of the reservoir, the wind changed direction and the rain started. The wind was whipping up white-crested waves on the lake and the previosly dry road was awash with streams flowing off the hillside. I was slowed down with an extra five pounds weight of soggy wet t-shirt and squelchy waterlogged socks and shoes.

Met up with Alan and Kathryn in the village hall at the end, grateful for the free cup of hot tea in out race mugs. I'm afraid though that we didn't hang around to cheer in Barrie and Christine. Alan and I went back to the car to get our dry clothes, but as we passed the first car park field there was a tractor pulling cars out of the mud. When we got to our car park there were cars bogged down everywhere and people pushing them out of the mud.(Harried Leaguers would have loved the conditions!) We decided not to get changed first, but to get the car off the field first just in case we had to get out again in the rain and mud to push. Having got inside the dry car, however, neither of us wanted to get out again! We just headed for home with the heater turned up full and the blower on full speed. Was a bit like being in a tumble dryer, or, more like being a pudding steamed in a cloth bag.

Grey's Pike, 4th March

53 finishers, possibly!

Harrier League, Chester-le-Street, 3rd March

Senior Women

Fast pack (f) times minus 2.20
71 finishers.

Senior Men

Medium pack (m) times minus 2.30
239 finishers.

Durham 5K, 3rd March

Dave Robson

A disappoingtly smaller field this year, probably about 300, but it had been scheduled for the same day as a Harrier League event, so the drop in numbers was not surprising. Lovely sunny day and almost the same course as last year, the start moved a short distance (route below refers to last year's route but the change was minor). Very flat course on grass with very little mud. Lots of students, many in fancy dress and one carrying a canoe !