Race Reports, May 2012
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? '
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. 
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!
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.
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.
Calderdale Relay, Halifax, 13th May
50M
Jan Young
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.]
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.
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.
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.
Edinburgh parkrun, Cramond, 12th May
5K
Emma Detchon
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.
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.
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.
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.
... 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.
It was only two weeks after the London Marathon for me and so I didn't want to try running it at full speed (although I knew quite a few who did!) and I also knew that there were a load of first timers, including my wife, Jacquie, who were aiming at 4.30ish pace. With that I volunteered to pace them as far round as possible at 10.30 minute miles pace. It was brilliant! I think a lot of the gang were surprised by how slow 10.30 feels like when you're fit and raring to go, and I very often had to pull them back a bit. I gave them the benefit of my huge marathon experience (two previous VLM's) and I'm sure after a while they got sick of hearing "Heads up for the photographers", "Steady going up this hill", "Thanks Marshal!" etc.
However it seemed to work and going through half way we were all a merry lot, all still sticking together and all still feeling relatively fresh. We'd gathered in a few extra runners into the little group over the course. Some nice ladies from Quakers, a friend of Emma's Hazel, a guy called Scott who's doing 12 marathons in 12 weeks (this was his 4th) for Cancer Research, all were welcome aboard the 4.35 train, the more the merrier. At about 16 miles we started to hit the buffers. I tripped over a gatepost going into Barnes Park, and Jacquie's shoulder started to cramp up, probably from carrying her water bottle. Hazel and Angela started to pull away at the front, looking very comfortable and Jacquie and I fell back a bit as I could tell that she was starting to suffer. It was great to see Jan and Phil and Barrie out on the course and indeed the spectators and marshals (including our own Jo & Ethan and Anita) were brilliant. It was great for them that the weather was so good, and so much better for the runners out on the course.
At about 17 miles I had to stop for an unscheduled 'comfort break' and after heading back through town and over the bridge, it was back to the Stadium. Dougie's report said he found that demoralising which is interesting as I found the opposite. I loved being able to cheer James ,Fiona and Matt and some others home and it gave me a boost as we headed out on the last loop out towards the coast. Jacquie had an undeniably tough time from about 21 miles to about 24 but we kept going forward (if walking) and once through Roker Park I think we ran all the rest of it back. We caught Greta and hopefully inspired her home and at the last corner back at the Stadium were the marshals from Sunderland parkrun, Jane, David and Katie and most of the Striders 10k runners.
From here it was just a few hundred meters to the finish line where the rest of the fantastic Striders support was ready to cheer us in and we could collect our medals and goodie bags. All in all the organisation was pretty good, not quite up to London's standards but a great first effort. It wasn't perfect, the first corner was far too tight causing the whole field to bunch up just after we'd set off running properly, the secure baggage area wasn't.
I had no problem in making off with Jacquie's bag without her number and the finish line was a little bit out of the way tucked around the corner - it would have been better to finish in the stadium itself, but they also did a lot of things very right. Starting at the Stadium with all its toilets etc was a masterstroke, there were loads of great marshals and the water and isotonic drink stops were frequent and well placed. It was reasonably priced and had a tech tee in the goodie bag. Maybe Steve can have a word with Brendan?
... 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!
The atmosphere was great, with lots of support as we looped the stadium and headed out across the Wearmouth Bridge, with Alister reminding us to slow down every time we got carried away ('Oi, Jonesy, get back here!'), and lots of smiles for the cameras and banter with the marshals as we passed. The first 5k (the first 'parkrun' of just over 8!) was out of the way in no time and the first drinks station was upon us before we really needed it, but Coach Al insisted we all take some just in case. The water was supplied in weird little plastic pouches and the next mile was spent discussing how best to get the liquid out of them. Some were handed over already opened, some needed opening, and, even when open, it seemed you had to squeeze them very hard to get the water out. Sue and I both found the water had a tendency to suddenly jet out of the pack causing us to cough and splutter, and a few people managed to drench themselves or those around them! Still, the frequent drinks stations were welcome in the bright sunshine. I was glad I'd made the last minute change to a t-shirt but regretted not digging out the Factor 30!
Before we knew it, we were past 10k and all jogging along happily. Conversation still flowed pretty freely and the pace felt comfortable. The miles ticked by. There were some sections along a dual carriageway where we could see the front runners running the other way on the opposite side of the road, and we had fun cheering them along, going bananas when we saw fellow Striders Paul, Fiona, Matt and James pass by. A long section along the coast near 10 miles saw some of our 'train' stop for a toilet break and they then had to push the pace to catch us back up. Others were just starting to feel the first aches in their legs. Either way, the first struggles began for some of us around 10 or 11 miles. Gels and sweets and drinks were taken on board (Coach Al reminded us every time they were due), but it was at this point where I really started to notice that this was not a flat course. At all! Some of the downhill sections were quite nice on the legs, but the uphills were starting to feel a bit like hard work (although Coach Al kept reminding us to take it easy up the hills - easy for him as he bounded up them like a mountain goat, varying his pace with infuriating ease to switch to the other side of the running pack to cheer for people and chat to the marshals). I seem to remember that we saw the welcome sight of Anita somewhere near here, shouting her encouragement to us whilst simultaneously fending off some feral creatures from the nearby habitats, and it was a real boost to see a friendly face so far away from the stadium - thanks, Anita. Passing halfway I began to enjoy myself again and kept the pace up with ease. But it was not to last long! I could feel the heat beating down and was getting quite thirsty despite taking water and gel sweets on board, and towards 15 miles I began to feel a bit sick. But we all managed to stay together. We'd picked up (well, Alister had) some fellow passengers as we'd run around the course, including Scott, the Chairman of Wombwell AC who was doing one of his 12 planned marathons in an impressive fundraising effort. He seemed to enjoy our company! I really began to flag as we headed past 16 miles, and Vicky was struggling too. She dropped her pace a little and, tempted as I was to go with her, I hung on in there on the 'train' a bit longer. It was another fantastic boost to see Barrie Evans just after 15 miles, shouting us all on and giving us lots of encouragement. Thanks, Barrie! Shortly after this, we entered one of a number of picturesque parks (every one of which had Alister start planning a new parkrun!) and saw Flip Owen, reclining on a park bench and snapping photos of us, looking incredibly relaxed in the sunshine. Another boost for us as the hard slog was beginning. I realised that I was going to have to let the rest of the 'train' go on without me at this point - just after 16 miles - because Angela and Hazel, both seasoned marathoners, had picked up the pace a little, and Greta, Sue and Dave Robson looked comfortable so I felt quite depressed to have to let them go but I knew I was starting to struggle. Alister dropped back to stay with me which, before the race, I was convinced I didn't want him to (I didn't want to get divorced before mile 25!) but I was very glad of his chivalry and company. Plus he knows me well enough to realise that the set of my jaw and the look on my face meant he should just jog alongside me and not say much!!! I shovelled some more gel sweets and some more liquid into my mouth and tried to enjoy the pretty park. Luckily, there was another big boost for us in the form of Jan, who shouted and cheered and gave us great encouragement. Thanks, Jan - you've no idea how much you helped me through a really tough mile! As we popped out of the park at about 17 miles, we saw Flip again, who skipped along with us and took photos (I actually look very happy on the photos - I wasn't!) and gave us some shouts.
At 17.5 miles I found my stride again and, although my pace was slowing, I felt quite comfortable. As we reached the Stadium of Light at 19 miles, we saw the wonderful Sea of Purple out to support us, having completed their 10k runs in many cases, but shouting loud encouragement. I also got to shout James Garland in to the finishing straight, which was nice. It was wonderful to also see David Whitmore and Jane Niven from Sunderland parkrun, shouting their support, as well as Blackhill Bounder parkrun friends Sara Sarginson and Murphy-the-Beagle, and Katherine Preston. By mile 20, however, it was getting tough. Really tough. I remember saying to Alister at just over 20 miles that I was finding it really hard, and he told me I was doing really well and he was really proud of me. This brought a lump to my throat - quite unlike me - and quite telling of what was to come. At the 21 mile marker, I didn't feel all there and began having a rather surreal almost out-of-body experience. I looked down to find that my legs had stopped running and I was walking. I didn't seem to remember taking any conscious decision to do this, but it happened. I put more sugar in my body and marched along, trying to run, but I began to feel extremely peculiar and a little unsteady. As we came around onto the seafront, running towards Roker, I saw all the people coming back towards me on the opposite side of the road, up an enormous hill. Psychologically, I think that broke me and my world caved in just a little bit. Alister clearly sensed that I was really struggling and again gave me some gentle encouragement and, much to my surprise, my reponse was a strange wailing, crying, hiccupping noise accompanied by floods of tears. It carried on much like that to about 24 miles - those two to three miles felt like the most difficult thing I've ever done in my life. Thank goodness Alister was there with me or I honestly think I'd have ended up sitting on the floor at the 23 mile marker, refusing to move until a car was sent for me! And thank goodness he resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tell me to sort myself out! He just smiled alongside me, making encouraging noises and making sure I was drinking and eating enough.
We spotted Sue and Greta coming back towards us on the opposite side of the road and I remember them telling us that they were beginning to struggle a bit, too, but to me they still looked fresh as a daisy! After a long walk up the nasty drag up to 24 miles I began to get the feeling I was making progress when the route cruelly turned off the main road to force us around a mile long loop of yet another park. This was again enough to reduce me to sobbing, but I did hear Yusef shouting encouragement just as we entered the park (although I couldn't quite work out how he'd got to that point - turns out 10k is not long enough for him any more, so he'd done an extra 7-8 miles. Like you do!). I jogged quite a bit around the park with some determined marching in between and began to feel a little more human. As we left the park, I pulled myself together and realised that the quickest way to get this over and done with was to run. So I did. Slowly. But sure enough, we passed the 40k marker and, knowing there was only 2k to go, I felt a bit better. We sighted Greta up ahead, still struggling a bit, but she jogged along with us until the wonderful sight of the stadium up ahead and the lovely David Whitmore who shouted us along and then joined Greta to run her in, leaving Alister to accompany me. To huge cheering by the Striders, we made our way down the final stretch to the finish, Alister and I crossing the line together.
The relief to have finished was enormous, but, upon stopping and leaning on the barrier, I was puzzled as to why the pain hadn't stopped. I stood up straight, doubled over again and then rested on the barrier for a while in all manner of strange agony! Mike very kindly captured this moment on video - my pain is clear to see! I managed to stagger over to Greta and Sue to congratulate them, but I have no recollection of this and only know I did it because of the video! Walking through the stadium to collect my goody bag, t-shirt and medal was equally painful and the ramp up and out of to the main concourse was nothing short of torture! It wasn't until I got my trainers off and started cheering others in that the agony faded and elation started to set in. I'd done it! We'd done it! I've done a marathon!!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!! I said I'd never do one. Then I said I'd only do one. Hmmmm. When's the next one??
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!
We went down to the start and whilst Yusuf warmed up by running back and forth and doing star jumps (love his enthusiasm so much!) me, Victoria and Melanie stood at the start chatting, think Melanie was worried about the sun and all the layers she’d had on! As I glanced ahead and past the start line I saw a very worrying site – a rather large hill!! As I said before I was sure Sunderland was flat?!
The gun goes and we were off – there wasn’t thousands and we weren’t that far back but we certainly weren’t moving anywhere fast. The women over the loudspeaker then started saying something about mind the car? There was a car parked in the middle of the route just past the start line! So cue the start of the weaving as we attempt to get round that.
Mine and Victoria’s tactic was as always – start together and keep together and only part if one is looking much stronger than the other. Victoria was also up for going for a sub 54 min so we knew we had to be going at about 8.30 min miles. The first few miles were quite congested (cue more weaving!) and I knew we were going too fast – as we came back across the bridge I was already starting to feel tired!
We slowed a bit and over the next few miles I started to feel quite comfortable. There was a few ups which slowed us down and hurt a bit (probably more down to the fact they were so unexpected) but I was confident that we were still on track, as even though we had slowed the fast start should even things out.
I was hoping to see the marathon runners on their route at some point but it never happened (the official report said we crossed at Sunniside?!). Coupled with the heat and the fast start just after 5 mile I really started to flag. I focused over the last mile by pushing myself to pick people off. I got past some and charged up the final hill, then down the other side to where the crowds were. This give me a boost and I powered round the (biggest I’ve ever seen) corner to the finish line. When I looked up and saw the huge clock on over 56 mins I could have sat down and cried!
I crossed the finish line, stopped my watch and saw a time of 55:11. I was totally devastated – I was sure I’d put in a good effort but it seemed like the fast start, weaving around people, the heat and unexpected hills had beat me. I usually always feel great when I finish but the high just never came. Victoria finished not long after and we went for our goody bags, both feeling slightly disappointed with our times, but looking forward to getting back to the marathon watching!
* We’ve since found out the distance was apparently a little bit over 10k, so I was probably quite close to my pb!
We met up with Melanie and Yusuf after the 10k (both did great times) – I had suggested jumping in the car (Challenge Anneka style!) and driving up to Roker to see the marathon runners at the 35km mark but we were worried we wouldn’t get parked, so instead we walked to the 30km mark and cheered on from there. I felt sorry for the guys having to run past the finish when they still had another 7 mile to go but they were all looking strong! My disappointment at my 10k time was fast disappearing, I was cheering at everyone who passed and it was great seeing everyone in such high spirits even though they still had a way to go.
We then moved to cheer everyone down the finishing straight (we’d already missed some of the faster Striders). I’ll happily admit that every year I lie on the settee watching the London Marathon and feel very emotional as the runners cross the line – actually being at the end of a marathon was even more poignant and I was almost in tears when we saw the lady who had cried at the 30km pass us on her way to the finish – I actually nearly gave her a hug when I saw her sign on her back with ‘Miss You Mum’
Seeing the Striders coming in one by one was amazing – I hadn’t done any of the Sunday runs with them but still felt like I’d shared their journey from hearing how their training was going on a Monday night – an amazing achievement and they should all be very proud of themselves! I had that weird little urge at one point thinking should I?!! But I thoroughly enjoyed the spectator side of it so will stick to being sensible and will be there at the next one - but as Victoria pointed out I need something else to shout at the strangers as shouting Woo Hoo at random men didn’t quite seem right!
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.
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.
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.
