Tag: half marathon

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.

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]

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]

13 Mar 2016 – Silverstone Half Marathon

It was fantastic race conditions at the silverstone race circuit as Jason Barton and Luke Eggleston both went to the Silverstone half marathon on a cold but sunny morning.
Jason was in super form as always and posted a fantastic 1:18:50 just missing out on a top 10 finish (14th place).  Luke, who was also in brilliant race form, posted a 1:28:08 taking more than 4 minutes of his previous PB time for a half marathon.  [Luke]

27 Feb 2016 – Belvoir Challenge

A week of mostly pleasant weather sees a lot of the course a lot drier than the week previous when we reccied part of it and was very boggy. Fixture pile up sees this year’s challenge which usually gets a huge Striders contingent battle against the National XC championships at Donington Park and Stilton’s own race the `Stilton 7` on the Sunday.

As usual a sold out Belvoir Challenge, it’s around 3 degrees and it seems I’m the only person running in a vest. This year the start is from the Village hall field which I’m not sure is an improvement but the pre-race music is the best I’ve heard at any race.

The opening 10k sees the traditional climb out of the Vale of Belvoir, this year we head through Goadby Marwood and to the first checkpoint at Scalford. Aware of the friendly rivalry with Greg Pettingill keeping with him throughout is in my thoughts as not wearing a watch also, whilst it may be drier underfoot this year the undulation is certainly more I think this year.

The route follows towards Waltham and Bescaby then to the halfway stage at Croxton Kerrial, surprisingly this is the last I see of Greg who had a few issues on the day and I’m sure will be back pushing me next time. The legs actually felt slower by 15 miles but I just sat at it on the way to Harston, a child who at 18 miles at Woolsthorpe by Belvoir tells me I’ve only six miles to go, I wish!

It’s a long slog up to Belvoir, I’m not sure if I’m running or just moving my arms but the sight of Stathern woods ahead I feel a little better after a few dark miles. Upon entering Stathern woods I take a cheeky 50 yard walk, I am tired, I actually felt delirious at the Wood Lane check point; although unlike last year the whole Stathern woods section did go a lot quicker despite the feeling I’ve been passed by every man and his dog. The last few miles do not feel pretty at all I’m just intent on finishing and pretty sure a slower start and a GPS watch would have made my overall time a lot better. The legs are shot with sharp pain into my hamstring at every uphill, without a doubt a very undulating course this year, not dry underfoot but certainly still a fair share of mud (those mud divots at the rear of Bescaby were killer), come in to a superb Stilton welcome at the finish and I believe a new Striders course record! Big well done to all who ran, a lot of Striders people running this event for the first time (including a Marathon debut!) very nice day out. For all.

15 mile results – Clive Kent (65th, 2:17:27) Katie Hateley (97th, 2:26:37) Brian Walkling (170th, 2:46:50) John Houghton (182nd, 2:49:30) Lou Houghton (257th, 3:07:14) Kaye Mead (283rd, 3:12:29) Jenny Kent (366th, 3:36:46) Susan Pettingill (370th, 3:37:19) .

26.2 mile results – Rob Beers (40th, 3:56:02) Dan Valencia (69th, 4:15:44) Simon Bottrill (78th, 4:23:08) Richard Gray (119th, 4:51:05) Greg Pettingill (150th, 5:09:51) Helen Metcalfe (202nd, 6:26:25).

[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).

18 Nov 2015 – Newark Festival of Running

It doesn’t feel good to have to give a negative review given the effort when people put on running events,   I have since found out the usually very good `How hard can it be events` put this on under their name for someone else.So the initial festival of running, I’d signed up for the Marathon distance but both 10k and Half Marathon were also there. Things didn’t start good in the week or so preceding knowing the course was a double loop how actually monotonous the course was I didn’t find out until the day.  The strangest thing of all was that at 5k we weren’t allowed to run due to an issue with the council, thus had a 200 metre strip every runner had to walk or face being disqualified! Yeah Running in a Marathon, who’d have thought it!

Race day and its very cold with the wind chill really crippling, very icy down near the River Trent where race HQ is and sadly no real cover from the elements, that I actually ran in my Striders jacket the first 7.5 miles tells you how much the cold bit in. The first of two sold out days of the Festival of running begins with the 10k setting off 15 mins late and the half/full 10 mins late, really very glad to get underway however the path markings start with a mix up just after the first mile. Just starting to warm up and then we get to the 5k section where we have to walk, was it some major junction or busy street? Not at all, something on par with perhaps Elmhurst Avenue or Oxford Drive, oh well I walked it, better carry on.

Once out of Newark centre we head around a few more offroad bits, the organisers has told everyone that Road Shoes would be fine, I’ve gone for trail shoes but to be honest given the course it would’ve easily been run better in X-Talons, some old boy has racing flats on! The Nature reserve is the best bit of the course, however a good dozen of the field have gone wrong somewhere due to poor signage, and it’s not great with you coming back on yourself a little too much. The offroad sections were ok but the course wasn’t great with many repeats and would have been better called the River Trent Marathon as we were along the towpaths almost constantly, got attacked by a Dog also-certainly not my day!

Head back towards Newark and 10.5 miles again were at that place and forced to walk 200m, so do I have to do this twice more running a Marathon? Absolutely preposterous!

I decide by this time forget the expense I’ve had enough, I call time at Half Marathon and had to signal like Maximus in Gladiator to say I’d finished the race/gone over the line with another minute spent writing down my time. I`m then given a rather awesome medal (which the company always do) and that’s it no word of thanks, no hot drink, no goodie bag which given the entry cost would’ve been nice. Y`know some things were out of the organisers hands and some were not a pretty awful event for many reasons, my worst experience ever of a running event.

So an easy 1:41 for my Half Marathon (Clocked at 1:42 due to organiser faffing) , 3rd place in the half Marathon, if I’d had carried on would easily have been a Marathon PB and on an offroad course was running well, and chatting away so gutted on one level but very happy about current form.  [Rob]

15 Nov 2015 – Beacon Hill Trail Half Marathon

12 Striders joined a field of around 300 for the 2nd Beacon Hill half marathon on a very windy but mainly dry day. A two lap course around the country park, with over 1500 feet of ascent, this was no small challenge – particular for those making their Striders debut over the distance.

Dan Valencia crossed the line as first Strider home and 10th MV40 with a time of 1.42.41, next back and 1st junior was Luke Eggleston in 1.47.02, closely followed by Mike Bryan 1.48.52 and Simon Bottrill 1.50.27.  Next back, first female Strider and 7th Vet 40 was Louise Houghton in 1.59.44, Shane Sharkey followed closely behind in 2.00.55 along with John Houghton 2.01.07, Jon Wilson 2.07.21, Deb Wilson 2.17.50, Matt Chalmers 2.27.14 and Stuart Gregory in 2.36.35 completed the finishers.  Hopefully Vicki will recover soon from injuring her leg during the race.

25 Oct 2015 – Leicester Marathon and Half

Great Strider turnout and some excellent running achievements in perfect conditions on Sunday.

Marathon results: men led by Matthew Gayton 3.20:57 PB, Dan Valencia 3.31:52 PB, Simon Bottrill 3.47:25 (after riding 75 miles on bike the day before), John Houghton 3.47:39 and Jon Wilson in his first marathon 4.04:28.  Ladies: Vicki Lowe 3.49.07 (6th female vet and 12th lady) buddied by Helen widdowson 3.49:08 PB. We achieved our respective goals of good for age London time for Vicki and pb for Helen.  Also Sarah Lawrence in her debut marathon 4.49.

Half marathon: led by Jason Barton 1.16.29 (6th SM and 8th overall), Jim Hatherley 1.24.18, Darren Glover 1.28.42, Luke Eggleston 1.32.44 PB, Nicholas Smith 1.39.38, James Ridealgh 1.53.24. Leading the ladies team was Louise Houghton 1.45.10 (15th female vet), Celina Silver 2.00.10, Deborah Wilson 2.02.44, Kaye Mead 2.14.43 and Laura Pickard 2.15.03 PB.  [Vicki]

25 Oct 2015 – Worksop Half Marathon

On a cool but very sunny morning Stuart Gregory made his way to north Nottinghamshire as the only Strider in attendance for the annual Worksop Halloween half marathon and joined 1984 other runners at the start line all hoping for a good performance. After the normal slow march to the official start line Stuart got into his pace very quickly and having learned the lessons of the previous year took the first few miles at a steady pace before extending his legs as mile five approached. There an old saying what doesn’t hurt you won’t kill you and by mile nine having attached him self to the remains of the main group Stuart slowed the pace slightly as the final long hill approached and with the final three miles being mostly down hill a speedy finish was on the cards and this proved to be the case as Stuart pulled away from the Group in the final mile to finish the race in 2hr 15m 59s, 8m 51s faster than the year before. [Stuart]