Category: 2016 reports

10 Apr 2016 – Belvoir Half Marathon

A bright spring morning greeted the runners for this year’s Belvoir Half Marathon, drawing out almost as many Striders to support as to race.  The flat 13.1 mile course from Hose in the Vale of Belvoir is a regular for those looking to test themselves ahead of a spring marathon, or as a target in its own right.

Strider results:  Darren Glover 1.30.31, Dan Valencia 1.36.36, Mark Stoneley 1.38.56, John and Louise Houghton crossing the line together in 1.45.30, Sarah Procter 1.50.06, Brian Walkling in his debut over the distance 1.54.23 and Sarah Lawrence 1.54.32.  Well done all!

Well done also to Dan Howley (1.51.27) and Liz Parkinson (2.14.30) who will be joining  for the new season.

2 Apr 2016 – Go Tri Grantham

Andy and Luke Nicholls took part in this aquathlon event at Grantham Meres organised by Belvoir Tri Club. We started with a 200m swim followed by a quick transition into a 2K run (Luke) and 3K run (Andy) around the athletics stadium. With 3 more events there over the rest of the season and similar events elsewhere, there’s plenty of opportunity for anyone thinking about trying triathlon. [Andy]

27 Mar 2016 – East Leake Tri

With Stathern being a good warm-up for 2 of the 3 disciplines, Andy Nicholls completed the East Leake sprint triathlon after wife, Kristy, selflessly fell off her bike and got injured to make her place available! This was a good course for relative beginners like me – only a 400m swim, 20k bike and 5k run with the bike and run sections being fairly flat. I’m not convinced the course measurements were quite accurate as I managed a 5K PB (by one second) at the end of this! [Andy]

20 Mar 2016 – Stathern Duathlon

10 Striders made the short trip to Stathern. The sunshine made it an enjoyable day for competitors and supporters alike, even on the dreaded Stathern hill.

In his first duathlon, Jason Barton came 7th, followed by Darren Glover 19th, Simon Bottrill, Clive Kent 28th (another strong result for his first time), Matt Taylor 33rd, Andy Nicholls 45th, Tony Allen 86th, Brian Walkling 87th (on a MTB), John “Houghton” Houghton 89th (as his name appears in the results!), Louise Houghton first lady in 106th. [Andy]

3 Apr 2016 – Reading Half Marathon

Luke Eggleston, Matt Gayton and Harriette Wright headed down to the Reading half marathon 2016 on a sunny Sunday morning. 

They were all in great form and looking to hit fast times on one of England’s fastest half marathons. Luke who has the Manchester marathon in a weeks time posted a 1:26:48 (PB) Matt posted a time of 1:28:40 which was also a PB by more then 4 minutes, before Harriette conpleted the set in 1:53:27. [Luke]

27 Mar 2016 – Desford 6 (LRRL)

Four Striders made it to Desford for the last race in the LRRL winter league. With Luke Eggleston and Matt Gayton both having Reading half marathon to look forward to next week this was a good warm up. Luke Eggleston posted a brilliant time in 38:09, Matt Gayton was only a few seconds behind in a very good time of 38:49.
Next home for the Striders was Clive Kent who put in a very strong time of 41:46. Jenny Kent was still running strong when she crossed the finish line in 58:45 taking more then 2 minutes off

 her PB time for the 6 miles distance. [Luke]

20 Mar 2016 – Ashby 20

The ever popular `warm up for a Marathon` or `I like Hoodies` event sold out in record time this year, despite a promising grey start the day being the first day of spring certainly did shine like it.

With the heroics of the previous day at Charnwood thankfully not hurting that much I go to task with trying to pace Dan Valencia to 3:30 and help `Lucky` Luke Egglestone to his longest distance yet in preparation for Manchester Marathon by not letting him go off like a scolded cat.

I have to admit despite the `dancing feet` I worry about how my legs will feel later on, I’m glad that they are fine on the long climb up to Swepstone and can only pray they stay like that come the second lap. Luke is running well, Dan is a little more cautious, we make it to Heather without any hitches and pretty much soon enough back in Packington for the second lap.

Very aware of my energy levels I take a gel at 8, 12 and 16 miles, Dan has fallen slightly behind and I almost need reins on Luke. He second climb upto Swepstone feels a lot more harder, at 13 miles I let Luke cut loose where he`s following Barrow Runner Ian Robinson, thankfully he`s ran within himself after going off and this looks very promising for his first Marathon.

My last three miles were not pretty and I spent far too long at the last drinks station at Packington so as not wearing a watch I was very happily surprised I crossed the line in 2:31: 45.

Great as usual race, superbly organised as ever and a lovely Purple hoodie!  [Rob]

Striders Results:

Luke Egglestone (2:28:50)

Rob Beers (2:31:45)

Dan Valencia (2:34:12)

Jenni Wisher (Time TBC)

Vicki Lowe (2:47:47)

Abigail Arnott (2:55:32)

Michelle Farlow (2:55:32)

Theresa Clyde Coltman (2:55:32)

Sarah Lawrence (3:17:30)

Jon Wilson (3:34:32)

Deborah Wilson (3:34:32)

Helen Metcalfe (Time TBC)

19 Mar 2016 – Charnwood Marathon

It’s the twentieth Charnwood Marathon and my personal favourite race in Leicestershire, this Charnwood stunner at a mere £10.00 entry for the 16.4 mile or 27 mile version with every penny going to charity!

Sadly with Ashby 20 and the Stathern Duathlon amongst the many events happening this weekend this great event does suffer somewhat and for me at least its a better course than the ultra-popular Charnwood Hills race in local vicinity.

Today its Rob Beers, Greg Pettingill, John Hudson (in Barrow colours) doing the shorter route, Rich Gray doing the 27 and Sue Pettingill walking the 15 miler. The challenge begins at Rawlins College Quorn before heading out of the village on a slow uphill towards Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves before turning up Upper Broombriggs. Today was meant to be very much a training run but Greg went flying off at the start and I felt honoured to join him and sort of kept it up although I did hang back a bit at sections of the course. From Upper Broombriggs it’s the long climb up Beacon Hill followed by a long descent off the top down Deans Lane before cutting round the Beacon plantation. From there the course goes up Windmill hill, back into Woodhouse Eaves and into that (Bloody) golf course, I always wonder going through here about flying golf balls and which way they will come!

Up Cardiac Hill before the slight incline into Bradgate Park and looming ahead the climb up Old John which I might be in a minority but strangely enjoy. An orienteer over Bradgate Park towards Swithland gates before entering Swithland woods which somehow I found easier to navigate in eight inches of snow doing this event a few years ago than in early spring. Into Swithland village and I hope the fatigue in my legs is enough to keep my away from my nearest rival some 30 seconds back. Turning left at the Telephone box and getting the right path (Something race leader Wreake Runner Bruno Nikoloff surprisingly got wrong!) towards old Woodhouse. It now became a re-trace of the route we took outwards and I up the speed on the way back to Quorn although the last road before the high street seemed to go on forever. I spot John Hudson whose race was curtailed due to injury early on and tells me I’m currently in fourth place! Turning the corner I enter Rawlings college but this is the hardest navigation bit on the course and I can’t remember which way I came in! Anyway I make it in and yes very happy with fourth place for a quick training run!

I can’t say enough good about this event I really can’t , the only downsides slightly being the races it clashes with over the weekend and if you don’t know the area the first time can be very hard to read the map.  [Rob]

16m results: Rob Beers (4th, 2:09:58), Greg Pettingill (9th, 2:16:46), Sue Pettingill (73rd, 4:52:19)

27m results: Rich Gray (51st, 5:20:56)

13 Mar 2016 – Newton Fraction Half Marathon

3 Striders turned up for the Newton Fraction half marathon on a cold but bright sunny morning. With various other races including the Silverstone half on the same day it was encouraging to see so many runners entered – in fact I think the race had been a sell out prior to the day itself.

Other than 2 pretty horrendous hills I can’t praise this race enough!!! It started and finished at South Kesteven sports stadium in Grantham…..there was plenty of free parking, no queues to get race numbers, plenty of water stations (and jelly baby handouts) en route and a pretty decent goodie bag at the end (including a race t shirt). The route took in a few roads around the stadium to begin with and then straight onto the Nottingham canal path for a few miles…..which was pretty nice going for a sunny Sunday morning!

Mile 5 brought us into Woolsthorpe and this is where we hit the first of the steep hills – once recovered we had some miles on the road  before hitting the brutal Casthorpe hill at mile 10……. I had been warned about this and although including plenty of hill training in my pre race runs it still got the better of me…..and a lot of other runners too.

Onwards and upwards quite literally we came back into Barrowby for the last few miles back to Grantham – this is where it really hurt and thankfully the time that all 3 strider runners seemed to meet up and give some words of encouragement to each other. We had a stadium finish – with one lap round before the finish line. A really good race and one I’d definitely recommend a go at!!  Results – Mike Brighty 1:51:14, Sarah Procter 1:52:46 (pb), Louise Houghton 1:52:51 and John Hudson (representing first claim club, Barrow) 2:03:14.  [Sarah]

12 Mar 2016 – Queniborough Fun Run

This race is like the Huncote Hash, only shorter and wetter with 6 deep stream crossings on each lap.  On what seemed like the first day of Spring, a select bunch of Striders and their children braved the mud and water.

For the children, Emily Walkling came 33rd in the Year 3/4 race, William Walkling came a superb 14th in the Year 5/6 race, followed by Luke Nicholls 40th and Zoe Nicholls 42nd, James Walkling 24th in the tough Year 7 to Age 17 race.
For the adults, Andy Nicholls came 4th and Brian Walkling 11th after having already done parkrun the same day.

Next in the series is the Frisby Fun Run on Saturday 16th April – hope to see some of you there!  [Andy]