Thursday evening saw the first of four races in the Leicester 5k summer series. Having tasted success, both team and individual, in the winter series, three Striders made their way to the start with high hopes.
Jason Barton was first back, finishing in 6th place (5th Senior Male) in a great 17.51, with Shane Sharkey (21.11) and Stuart Gregory (27.41) also putting in solid performances.
Two striders headed to Market Bosworth to take on the best that Leicestershire and Rutland has to offer in the Bosworth Half Marathon, which incorporates the Leicestershire and Rutland ACA championships. Nearly 600 runners lined up at Market Bosworth Water Trust on a warm and mostly sunny day, with just a touch a breeze to provide some relief.
The course follows the undulating roads that wind through the villages and countryside around Market Bosworth, passing by, as the organisers point out in some detail, many sites of historical interest linked to the recently re-interred King Richard III. With two tough climbs towards the end of the race, this course offers little in the way of PB potential. First there is the 120ft climb along Fenn lane into Sutton Cheney at mile eight, closely followed by the 115ft climb into the town of Market Bosworth at mile ten. However, both Striders rose to the challenge on the day.
First Strider home was Mark Stoneley in a time of 1.33.31 (58th), followed by Iain Howe in 1.48.18 (219th). Iain Howe’s performance was particularly impressive given his recent comeback from injury. [Mark]
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241 runners took to a sunny undulating out-and-back course at the annual Wymeswold Waddle 5 mile road race. Only 3 Striders made the very short journey to this local and very well supported event with everyone receiving a technical tee. All Striders put in good times, Jason Barton was the first Strider back finishing in 5th place (2nd place senior) in a time of 28.57. Next home was Mike Brighty finishing strongly in 75th in a time of 37.23, and finishing the trio of Striders was Tam Nicol in 208th in a time of 49.10, who was running with Stephanie Barlow who finished well in a time of 49.09 in 207th position. A quick mention to the Wilson family from Melton, Joshua finished 29th – 33.15, David finished 98th – 39.34 and Jane finished 102nd – 39.40. (Jay)
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This race on the doorstep is a cheery favourite amongst many in the club, with the appeal been building for quite a few months there is a significant Stilton Striders contingent running today. Only fatigue to Andrew Bentley and injury to Simon Bottrill keep them from joining the mass of blue and white, there is a strong contingent of Striders out in support though.
With a much more appealing run through the village rather than hitting the stile in the first 400m the race is greatly improved, Mike Bryan goes off like a scolded cat throughout the village just to prove he can stay ahead for at least a while of eventual race winner Tim Hartley. The initial climb up to Bluebell woods doesn’t get any easier, three of us had run a fell race the previous day and it did show a bit in the legs of the young and ever improving Luke Egglestone, I’m trying to keep Greg Pettingill in my sights that’s my sort of plan. Thought Michael Atton had gone off too quick as he`s breathing hard on the uphill, nope he had an awesome paced race, kicked on superbly through the wood section and then began troubling Greg for the rest of the race.
I spent most of the race either looking at Greg in front or wondering how far away the Stilton legend Mick Stevens is behind me, that I passed him in the last 1k and seemed to be cruising only to see him go past me in the last 40m of the race, darn. Have to admit the finish is way better with the straight route to the finish instead of doing that silly loop.Great event, we all seemed very cheery after (Could’ve been the beer) and throughout, special mention to John Houghton`s number which apparently is being framed.
See you next year! [Rob]
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Mike Bryan – 45.56;
Greg Pettingill – 47.44;
Michael Atton – 48.03;
Mick Stevens – 49.05;
Rob Beers – 49.06;
Luke Eggleston – 49.31;
Dan Valencia – 50.58;
Andy Nicholls – 52.24;
John Houghton – 53.37;
Nicholas Smith (representing first claim club, Stamford Striders) – 54.02;
Danny Casey – 55.49;
Tony Allen – 57.13;
Louise Houghton – 57.32;
Ben Pickard – 57.33;
Lloyd Willett – 59.09;
Celina Silver (representing first claim club, Stamford Striders) – 1.06.15;
A special mention must also go to Nicholas and Celina for bringing over a huge number of runners from their first claim club, Stamford Striders.
I didn’t expect much response to….“Fancy warming up for the Clawson 10k with a fell race in the Peaks beforehand?” However, previous reports of sun, dry rock, low fees, beer and chips had obviously permeated into the psyche of small group of Striders who needed to satisfy their new desire for suffering while enjoying a great view.
And so it was that four homogrippyshoe and a fell virgin (homoroadshoe) found themselves, mugged by a race marshal, parking ¾ mile and 500 feet below the event centre – ensuring that we had a good warm up for the event that was the warm up for the most important 10k in the Strider calendar!
One hour, £7 lighter and a little jog latter, No’s 4,5,6,7,&8 lined up, under a black threatening skywith a hundred kindred spirits to enjoy 10.5km of road, rock and mud masquerading as fun.
Oh gentle reader, do not be fooled by talk of fell races being all up and down, for this one, unusually, started at the top of the hill necessitating a cruel 1 mile, 500 foot ascent to the finish.
Fortunately (the free) beer and nationally acclaimed chips, in Stoney Middleton, revitalized most of us sufficiently to race again.
First Strider back was Greg 22nd (8th MV 50) 55:50; followed by Rob Beers 29th 57:25; Luke Eggleston 37th 58:27; Simon Bottrill 40th 59:16; Andrew Bentley 48th 1:01:02.
Due to an English Fell running counter-event in Shropshire, 80% of the field were veteran runners! [Greg]
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Cressbrook situated near Monsal Dale, for the annual Cressbrook Crawl race which is around 6.7 miles in length, we get five Striders out today. The day begins by introducing Fell debutant Luke to the delights of Uriah Heep, well delightful for me and Greg anyway!
11:00 start from outside the Pub (more on this later), first maybe quarter of a mile is road and uphill before veering downhill onto farm track downhill. Soon after a lady behind me falls very heavily, it sounded awful, one of those days when you don’t even want to think about wet limestone rock and such. I think Andy was hanging back because of those Inov-8 shorts, the type of apparel that should be saved for wedding nights.By the top of the main climb I’m second strider although I should’ve taken it slower (It’s all run-able!) , would’ve run it all if I had. Get going at the top again and start kicking back a bit, however on the real descent it’s a windy slippy path with plenty of wet rock, lovely, just the stuff that slows me to going downlike Professor-X on a bad day. It’s here that Simon catches and passes me, he`s struggling with his ankle, and all the blazing colours of his kit choice aren’t going to be a great help.
Back onto the flat it’s the three trails of High Dale, Monsal Dale and Millers dale to finish, I know this wasn’t for every Fell Runner but was able to knock out some serious speed along here: Get past Simon again, one runner even complimented me on my downhill’s (yeah as if!). The good news is I can see Greg probably 40 seconds in front, y`know you sort of feel better when that happens. The finish is uphill (rare)and just under a mile of steep road, Greg has flown up here while I’m more erm …cautious (read slow), it’s very decent and I’m happy probably a minute or so behind Greg and second Strider.
Greg Pettingill 1st Strider 22nd overall and get this 8th in V50! That we found most hilarious. Rob Beers 2nd Strider (about a minute behind the Gregmeister). Luke Eggleston 3rd. Simon Bottrill 4th Strider and Andrew Bentley 5th(where’s your Stilton top!).
Free beer with your race number, whether that is a pint or a bottle or what they were happy to give you whatever, big thanks to Mountain Man Haydn Williams of Barrow Runners who gave me his number also(Yay!) then off to Stoney Middleton for the best chips in the Peak, yep truly living the dream-superb day out. [Rob]
100 miles along the Thames Path is the goal. 28 hours time limit. Start in Richmond, finish in Oxford. A well marked trail that rarely leaves the riverside and obscenely well stocked checked points staffed by incredibly supportive volunteers mean that all the runners have to focus on is putting one foot in front of the other. And again. And again….
This year’s race broadly split into 2 halves – the first 51 miles to Henley, run on mainly well maintained paths, during a warm spring day with the promise of a cup of tea and hot meal at that checkpoint (just over 10 hours in) – before night time brought the rain and attempts to grind out the miles on increasingly rural paths. A brief detour through Reading town centre just as the beer festival was kicking out was perhaps the least scenic section, but at least there was only 40 miles to go!
Approaching the 71 mile checkpoint just before 2am, sole Strider Rich Gray was on course to beat last year’s 24:46 and feeling (relatively) good. However, a brief stop for tea and hot food became an hour’s stop that nearly finished the race there and then. Eventually getting going again around 3am (by which point the leaders had finished – only 29 miles ahead!), with renewed energy, the focus was on moving forward – little running, but every step getting closer to Oxford.
However, the stretch through to 85 miles proved too much, with no food going in and the pace completely slowed, he had to call it a day (it nearly was by then…). Around 180 finishers from the field of 260 (plus over 100 volunteers, and support from runners’ friends and family), this really is a great event that grows more popular (and sells out quicker!) each year. [Rich]
Five Stilton Striders (Rob, Simon, Dan, Michael, Stuart) and three soon to be Stilton Striders made it to the annual Woodhouse Mayday Challenge. This 13.5 mile multi-terrain event is put on effortlessly each year by the village and is one of the friendliest, most enjoyable, scenic and laid back races on the running calendar.
The race started by Charnwood’s legendary Town Crier, it’s a large field of runners but for those who know the course it’s better to reel yourself in at the start and sit back as the first climb comes in the first mile up Deans Lane (highest road in Leicestershire?). From there it’s to Beacon Hill and a long descent before even more descent through lower Broombriggs and back into Woodhouse Eaves.
Up next is the much despised Golf course (Boo, hiss) which thankfully goes away quickly and the pull which is cardiac hill. Sharp stitch stops me at mile six, thankfully get going again for the descent down to Newtown Linford gates in Bradgate Park and a long tarmac section through the park to Swithland gates. Taking it steadier through Bradgate was a good idea as the last few miles can be very tiring but I manage to kick on quite nicely through Swithland and past Rabbit Bridge, last two miles feel laboured but i`m back and it’s a course PB and first Strider (“you run excellently when you’re not messing about!”) Actually we all did well some excellent results, special mention to Stuart Gregory who knocked something like 30 mins off last year’s time.
Hopefully get even more Striders over to the 2016 event
Stuart was the only Strider to make the trip to Chesterfield for race five in the series, having gone backwards regularly since race two, Stuart turned up to the event not knowing what his time would be, and with the events of the previous day fresh in his mind, Stuart needed to let of some steam, and with the race quickly splitting in two Groups Stuart headed up the second Group of runners for three of the four laps and was ahead of his PB on lap two by nearly 30 seconds, this came down markedly on lap three, before a faster paced final lap saw Stuart regain some time to finish in 73rd out of 98 in a PB time of 26.29 14 seconds faster than his previous best for the distance. [Stuart]
Stuart Gregory was the only strider to make the short trip down to Croft hill for the 4.5 mile hill race, in a much smaller field than normal, Stuart started out pacing with the main field, before falling back just before the first accent of Croft hill, but managed to keep the main field in sight, before losing them just before the second accent of the main croft hill, Stuart went on to finish last with a new PB in a time of 42.21 7 minutes 30 seconds faster than 2014. [Stuart]
Being only 30 minutes from the office, I couldn’t miss this super little, AS 7Km 340m , evening fell race.
Not expecting 130 runners, the organisers struggled to process everyone as they attempted to trial some new chip timing kit. As a result the start was delayed until 7:15.
This was a classic, brutal up-down fell race. The 340m ascent, through the woods and fields, to the summit of Masson hill only eased only occasionally.
A short field section on the summit preceded an insanely fast descent from above the Heights of Abraham back down to the A6.
1st Strider Greg (5th MV 50), 51st, 38:28; Steve Dewick 119th, 50:26. [Greg]
