Category: Reports

24 Jan 2016 – Barrow 6 (LRRL)

After last weekend’s snow caused the cancellation of the Markfield 10k, this Sunday saw the start of this year’s Leicestershire Road Running League (“LRRL”) winter league.  With illness and injury depriving the club of a number of runners, on an unseasonably warm morning there were 13 Stilton Striders toeing the start line.

Jason Barton was first Strider home, covering the 6 mile course in an impressive 34.51 for 16th place overall. Next to finish, taking over 4 minutes off last year’s time, was Luke Eggleston in 38.20.  Matt Gayton (39.21), Darren Glover (40.23) and Clive Kent (42.04) all finished in the top third of the record breaking 730 strong field.

Andy Nicholls, Katie Hateley and Michael Cooke crossed the line in quick succession (44.12, 44.13 and 44.20), followed by Wayne Hackett (45.29) and, making her debut for the club, Harriette Wright (51.42).  Steph Barlow, Tam Nicol and Jenny Kent completed the set, finishing together in 60.27.

The next race in the winter league series is our very own Stilton 7, which takes place from The Stute at Asfordby Hill on Sunday 28th February.  We’ll be publicising full details and put out a volunteer request shortly, so please hold the date in your diary.

3 Jan 2016 – Huncote Hash

Certainly the most intense (and most fun in my mind) short XC in Leicestershire, the 6.68 mile measured Huncote Hash is a wet, muddy and somewhat hilly feast during the winter months for fans of cheap sport (A mere £4.00 entry!)The sold out 400 entrants have on hand an impressive Strider turnout (Sue and Greg Pettingill, Rob Beers, Tony Allen, Simon Bottrill, Lou Houghton, Kaye Mead, Andy Nicholls, Matt Chalmers, Steve Dewick, Sarah Lawrence, John Hudson) plus a good contingent from Melton Running Club as well as support from Race photographers Jon and Debs Wilson.

Pretty much perfect conditions, wet` cold `raining` muddy as finally some of the Striders are prised out of Huncote Pavillion leisure centre for the race start. Some of the team are doing it as post New year’s training run and generally only the top 30 are going hard at it, usually it’s a post festive period bit of fun.

A fast start which despite a good 400m + to stream the field out still leads to us taking our time at the first stile due to the amount of runners who have gone out on a positive split. More or less neck and neck with Greg the first mile before his cunning experience pays off greatly, whilst about five runners are slowly climbing the banking in front he just runs up the side of them and off like a darting Hare! Greg is in particularly fine form today and you can sense he`s loving it, when this guy is feeling the love of running he`s damn hard to catch. Its mud, mud, mud all the way with plenty of running in ankle deep water and this is before the climb up Huncote Hill which is many steep steps followed by a very slippy brow of the hill.

This is followed by Croft Hill and I think possibly my last chance of the race to get near Greg, the rain is belting down; the winds are blowing like anything and I’m loving it! Greg`s well in front so try and set my sights on trying to beat Roadhoggs Nick Cobley who puts a good shift in the last mile, dosent quite happen but I’m eight minutes faster than last year.

As the team comes in after Leicestershires hardest short XC race thankfully they are all full of smiles having me talked them into it, “I loved it” is heard by every single one. It was a hell of a day out really enjoyable for all 16 of us plus official race photographers Malc Riley and Jon/Deborah Wilson, really hope we can get even more of us over to this next year.

Results : Greg Pettingill ( 51:36, 24th) Rob Beers (52:11, 29th) Simon Bottrill (61:49, 109th) Andy Nicholls (64:13, 137th) Tony Allen (69:18, 178th) Steve Dewick (70:49, 192nd) Lou Houghton (72:58, 207th) Sarah Lawrence (81:02, 255th) Sue Pettingill (81:58, 266th) Matt Chalmers (85:37, 284th) Kaye Mead (88:05, 291st)

[Rob]

30 Dec 2015 – 401 Challenge

For those of you who don’t know, Ben Smith is running 401 consecutive Marathons to raise funds and awareness for anti-bullying charities. Please do have a look at his website, like the Facebook page, buy the T-shirt/long sleeve, send a donation etc.

http://www.the401challenge.co.uk/

Invited by Barrow Runners, we Stilton Striders (Rob Beers and Kaye Mead, and later Katie Hateley) joined by Sileby Running Club and Poplar Running Club members to join Ben on Marathon day 121, the Loughborough leg.

The course which is certainly not flat and uses the same course as the `Honesty Marathon`(Please do check out the link for `the Honesty Marathon `as a worthy cause and a great training course)

http://www.barrowrunners.co.uk/training/runner-bean.aspx

For someone who doesn’t see themselves as a great runner and must have some fatigue Ben is a truly humble and affable guy, happy to answer any questions, promoting his cause in a positive not pushy way , meets and greets everyone and gives them a token of thanks, and more than happy to have selfies and photos taken with him. He does have a great touring vehicle but no support: so no medics, no physios, no camera crew, it `s pretty much all Ben and the various bits of kindness he gets from local clubs.

Today is very grey overhead, the odd spot of rain in the air and it’s very blustery in fact gale force winds, we start the event at 9:30 with the group running into a massive headwind towards Woodhouse village. Absolutely no onus on pace or anything its one big friendly group, Old Woodhouse leads us to Woodhouse Eaves and the climb up Maplewell Road. The pace was below 10 min mile and a couple had dropped back thinking we`d be closer to 11m/m and I decided to stay with Kaye although we weren’t far behind. I thought the course would have us going towards Swithland but we just kept ascending up Maplewell Road getting higher and higher ascent until we got to Hunts Hill car park.

Team Stilton called it a day at 5 miles, the group were running all kinds of distances but they gave us a good friendly send off and we took photos of them running off towards Newtown Linford. Have to say a massive thank you to Barrow Runners for inviting us and the other clubs to be part of the event, they were very inclusive in making everyone welcome. So 5 miles back going the same way would’ve been boring so went the Rob route, have to say a massive well done to Kaye who ran all the way to the top of Old John in Bradgate Park without stopping, naturally a selfie was took at the summit.

Nice easy run back through Bradgate and Woodhouse Golf course back to the Manor Pub (Which wasn’t open!), very pleased to have represented Striders(in kit!) and made new friends being part of the 401 challenge (Which with today has now topped 2,000 people running with Ben). Special mention to Katie Hateley who joined the Marathon en route and I’m guessing ran the second leg from Barrow?

The Good news for all those who have Marathon training or a plethora of excuses is that Ben is returning to Loughborough in April!(Sadly its Tuesday April 12th) We would love to see more Stilton Striders joining us as it’s totally optional and without pressure how far you run.  [Rob]

26 Dec 2015 – Barrow Boxing Day Handicap

This Xmas cracker has been going since something like 1982 and I’ve done this every year since I’ve been involved with running. Boxing day every year, run a course approximately 6.17 miles on road in which a good 60-70% are doing it in fancy dress and probably the same number are doing it with hangovers.

The idea of the event is that all runners finish together, so really there is no winner of the race so to speak; every runner is given a handicap and sets off at minute intervals according to speed (or pleasure!) thus the slowest runners set off at 10:50 and so on all the way down to 11:30.

Bit of a political niggle here is how the course has been changed over the years due to local councils thus why the current Barrow 6 course is now exactly the same as this. Similarly I was informed Barrow Runners were made to pay for hire per room from the school, given what local running clubs do for the community, sports participation levels, local prestige etc it’s a rather bad trend we are seeing in running and about time it went the other way, don’t you think ?

So as the race begins at 10:50 we are treated to a compendium of costumes Spiderman, Village People, Xmas Tree`s, Bavarians, American Football players, even Jesus! I`m the only Stilton Strider today although John Hudson is wearing neutral colours and Kaye Mead is here supporting, I had taken the safe option handicap wise until I realized I was being supported! Oh Dear means I have to try a bit harder.

So set off with a group of runners I knew very well but within the first hundred metres I kick on, soon catching the next group ahead within the first mile. Due to the nature of the course which by the way I absolutely hate, you always wonder about going off to hard , I thankfully don’t have much trouble with that long hill on the way out of Barrow.

The overtaking of runners is coming thick and fast especially along the 2-3 mile flat stretch, earlier on I had bet John Hudson I`d catch up with his 8 min handicap at mile 4, but reeled him in at 3.88 ! I must’ve been going some as the legs were feeling it a bit a 4.5 miles and slalom-ing past the slower runners at certain points of the course did become a grind at some sections. Made it back in without any runner passing me in 40.11

It is a very laid back and thoroughly well organised event whether you want a bit of fun or wish to whip round at full pelt, darest I say it`s far more enjoyable many times over in my opinion doing it boxing day than a few weeks later as a league race! `If` you can drag yourself to running on Boxing day then this is a very enjoyable option and thoroughly deserves its positive reputation.  [Rob]

19 Dec 2015 – Gaddesby Gallop

This loveable pre-Xmas event returns, sadly a large price increase this year with less in the way of goodies to show for it – however it remains one of the best XC jaunts in Leicestershire and rightly so!

Ever the opportunists the Stilton Crew mobbed the Melton Times cameraman for a bit of extra marketing! Five Stilton Striders today, a bit envious of the numbers Wreake and Roadhoggs always put out at this one, going to give a cheeky mention to the ladies of Melton Running Club giving this a go!

11:00 marks the race start, for those who know it tis a fast downhill one followed by a few uphill fields in which you can’t wait for the stiles to come as you’ve set off like a scorched cat and blowing a bit. Those who have done this and remember the Dew pond, well it’s still wet I can tell you and it’s still a bit stinky. I don’t seem to be doing that bad when my lung recuperation kick in and surprisingly not too far away from Roadhoggs impressive Nick Cobley and Barrow`s Alex Toll which may mean I’ve gone off too fast or perhaps not when I’m still within reach at three miles. Although those two kick on greatly out of my reach my main goal is fending off a former coaching partner and impressive runner Nick Hando of Wymeswold which I successfully do, although my falling face first in the stream wasn’t the most dignified part of the race I can tell you.

The last field with all its bumps and ups and downs never feels good to me, some fly across it looking like Usain Bolt certainly feels better on the watching side.

Special mention to Poplar Runners who had many going round en masse in gentle style hurling mud at each other and rubbing it on each other, hilarious!

Overall results; Rob Beers (40:33, 17th place), Mike Brighty-impressive finish from Mike who had done Melton Parkrun before the race! (48:58, 56th place), Lou Houghton (54:28, 81st place), Steve Dewick (55:03, 82nd place) and debutant in a Strider vest Kaye Mead (1:08:23, 124th).  [Rob]

13 Dec 2015 – Keyworth Turkey Trot HM

As Christmas comes into sight, so does the annual Turkey Trot half marathon.  With a number of Striders entering the fast to sell out event a few months ago, illness and injuries meant many places were being transferred to willing and able participants.

In the end, seven Striders made their way to the start line and produced some great runs over the hilly 13.1 miles of South Notts.  Matt Gayton was first home (1.32.21 PB), shortly followed by Jenni Wisher (1.37.31 PB), Wayne Hackett (1.42.39), Jon Wilson (1.45.40 PB), Lou Houghton (1.47.39), Debs Wilson (2.04.59) and Stuart Gregory (2.24.20).

16 Dec 2015 – Derby Midweek Races

In the first race of the night, Stuart Gregory was the only Stilton Striders to take part in the mile and finished 8th Senior Male and 52nd overall in a time of 8.25.  In the second and final race of the evening, Stuart produced a steadily paced run after a good result in the mile to complete the 5k course in 30.15.  [Stuart]