News!
JULY 26th 2010
Not content with running the race very fast indeed, Mark Kelly - ably assisted by Clare behind the camera - has produced a great video of Sunday's Moonraker 10K that you can watch now on YouTube. I wouldn't be surprised if Mark is also playing all the instruments on the soundtrack...
Yet another RRR milestone...today we passed the 30,000th visitor to this website, having reached 20,000 barely six months ago! The day after the Royton Trail, mainly due to people looking at Brian Moore's race results, we had 325 hits, which I'm sure is a record for a single day. Thanks to everyone for your support - and for providing material that people want to read...
JULY 25th 2010
We may have been missing a few of the 'big guns' - including Stuart Carroll, Bernie Cassidy, Colin Green, Bryan Lawton & Des Thorpe - but that didn't prevent some excellent individual & team performances at the Middleton Moonraker 10K today. The leading ladies team (Carole Madden, Debbie Shaw, Debbie Fiddling) came a close second to a very strong team from Accrington Road Runners, whilst the men (Mark Kelly, Bernie Goodwin, David Emanuel) finished third behind East Cheshire/Tameside & Accrington. It's an indication of our impressive strength-in-depth that we had seven of the top 15 men's teams (including Bill Balmer, Richard Fiddling & Paul McHugh in fifth place), whilst the second ladies team (Val Kilburn, Liz Phillips, Kay Fitton) also finished fifth - Accrington was the only other team to feature more than once in either competition. From the 34 RRR entrants there were also yet more top age-related placings - Debbie Shaw (1st FV45), Carole Madden (1st FV50), Dave Phillips (1st V65), Eileen Ingham (1st FV60), Rose Rowson (2nd FV50), John Higgins (2nd V55), Chris Eavers (3rd V55), George Meynell (3rd V65), Val Kilburn (3rd FV40), Debbie Fiddling (3rd FV45) & Teresa Hollins (3rd FV55). However, it was Mark Kelly who was again the main topic of conversation after the race (mainly people suggesting that he should be drug tested) - although he could improve on last year's time by 'only' seven minutes, his 39:31 was good enough to beat everyone from RRR except Owen Flage. Full results can be found on the 'Season's Results' page.
JULY 24th 2010
Congratulations from all at RRR to Helen Knight & husband Geoff, who are expecting a second child (another future club member), due early next year.
JULY 22nd 2010
For those not running the Sale 10, Sky Ride Manchester takes place on 1st August! Looking at the website, it looks like it would be a really good day out for anyone who likes cycling [Colin Green, look away now - Ed]. There are two entertainment villages at Sports City & Castlefield Arena & a marked route with entertainment between the two, especially around the town hall/centre area. The city centre is traffic-free on that day & the route opens at 10am. As it's not far down to Manchester for most people at the club & no big hills in the way, it should be no problem even for the occasional cyclist! I understand there should be lots to interest children as well. [Shiela Waite]
Once the initial laughter had died down, there seemed to be a fair amount of interest in the 1st UK Backward Running Championships in Heaton Park on 22nd August - so I've taken the plunge & submitted my entry! I'll be most disappointed if I end up being the only RRR making a fool of myself on the day...so please don't delay any longer, the website says the closing date is Friday 23rd July. It's easy to enter on-line from here. [David Emanuel]
Following the huge success that was the Royton Trail, here's yet another landmark for the club - for the first time ever, we have 100 current members! A presentation is planned for a few weeks time to mark this momentous event - we'll keep you posted.
I rarely report on races that aren't in the Club Championship...but this occasion really justifies it! 11 Royton Road Runners took part in the Ian Terry Memorial 5K in Littleborough on Tuesday, but Mark Kelly put us all in the shade with a stunning performance. Having recently knocked 10 minutes off his Rochdale 10K & Royton Trail times from 2009, he could 'only' run about two minutes quicker than at the Vera Hirst 5K in March - but Mark's time of 18:40 was good enough for 8th place in the race & by my calculations would have beaten every RRR runner apart from Stuart Carroll in the Vera Hirst. If he carries on improving at this rate, watch out Stuart! Other RRR finishers were Bryan Lawton (no doubt inspired to be running for GMP to record 19:48), David Emanuel (19:58), Matt Oldham (20:06), Bruce Whittam (20:25), Dave Phillips (21:41), Elliott Stone (22:11), David Freer (23:28), Tony Kane (24:29), George Meynell (24:42) & Neil Barker (30:07).
JULY 21st 2010
If Heaton Park is just too far to travel on a Saturday morning, you may be interested to know that Mark Kelly has been assisting with the set-up of a new Oldham parkrun, which kicks-off this Saturday 24th July at Alexandra Park. There don't yet seem to be full details on the parkrun website, but Mark has posted provisional route details on YouTube.
JULY 16th 2010
FOUND: a small blue short-sleeved 'View From' running top, left on a chair at the bar in the Tandle Hill Tavern after the Royton Trail. Anyone who got home after a few beers & found that they were missing an item of clothing, please contact one of the RRR committee.
JULY 15th 2010
There was thunder & lightning in the distance as the runners assembled on the start line, but the worst of the weather just about held off for yesterday's Royton Trail. As we all hoped, this was a record-breaking day - 186 runners completed the course, including 56 members of Royton Road Runners (30% of the field), and although on a slightly different (but still tough) course I think we can all consider the winning time of 29mins 34secs a genuine 'new course record'. In achieving this time, Ian Grime of Newham & Essex Beagles finished almost two minutes ahead of the field & registered his third successive Royton Trail victory (there's no truth in the rumour that he gets to keep the Tandle Hill Tavern as a result). Alison Sedman (Belle Vue Racers) also defended her ladies title in a time of 37:10, although Royton's own Carole Madden (second lady in 37:51) will be working hard to challenge for that prize in 2011. Middleton Harriers, with three runners in the first 10 to finish, were deserved winners of the first-ever Royton Trail team prize, whilst it was a 'home win' for the ladies team from Royton Road Runners (Carole Madden, Debbie Shaw & Debbie Fiddling). In the RRR club championship it was business as usual for newly-crowned club champion Stuart Carroll, 11th place overall in 34:03 giving him maximum points for the 10th race in a row. Elsewhere Mark Kelly continued his excellent form & clinched promotion from Group 2, his time of 36:09 an incredible 10 minutes faster than in 2009 - that improvement certainly has nothing to do with the course changes! Eamonn Nolan also produced a fantastic run in 36:44, beating five fellow club members who had finished ahead of him at the Rochdale 10K just a week earlier. RRR picked up another impressive haul of age-related prizes: Alan Bodell (1st V45), Carole Madden (1st FV50), Dave Phillips (1st V65), Teresa Hollins (1st FV55), Val Kilburn (1st FV40), Debbie Shaw (2nd FV45), Makelia Walton (2nd FV35), June Allingan (2nd FV60), John Higgins (3rd V55), Jeff Cordwell (3rd V60) & George Meynell (3rd V65) - but there were also a number of great first-time performances from newer club members. All in all another great success - thanks & congratulations to Bryan Lawton & his team, all the race marshalls & everyone who took part in the race. Full results can be found on the 'Season Results' page & there's some great photos (taken by John 'David Bailey' Sweeney) in the Gallery.
Our friends at Mountainfeet (Rhodes Bank, Oldham) are considering investing in Walsh's fell shoes. Before committing to the financial outlay to stock these shoes, they would really appreciate some feedback from club members - do you wear, or know other runners who wear, Walsh's fell shoes? Would you consider buying them from Mountainfeet? You can provide feedback by e-mailing Jane Gleeson (a Royton Trail runner this week!) at Mountainfeet - or of course you could visit the shop in person!
Jane has also drawn our attention to the UK Running Backwards Championships, which are taking place in Heaton Park on Sunday 22nd August - the first ever official backward running race held in the UK, and it's on our doorstep! This event involves running backwards for one mile (sounds tough, but it appears that there was a backwards half marathon in Italy last year!). I know that running forwards is usually hard enough, but if you fancy giving this a try - or just going along to watch the action (apparently serious backward runners wear customised hats fitted with rear-view mirrors) - click here for more details & an entry form.
JULY 13th 2010
A raffle will be held at the Tandle Hill Tavern after the Royton Trail. Prizes would be appreciated -sorry for the short notice. [Ray Shaw]
A 5K road race will take place from the Falcon Inn, Littleborough on Tuesday 20th July to commemorate the life & service to Rochdale Division of GMP of PC Ian Terry. Click here for full details & an entry form.
Andy O'Sullivan has been busy putting together his calendar of races for 2011, including next year's Ian Terry 5K & several others that are likely to form part of the RRR Club Championship. Click here for details to add to your 2011 calendar (that you probably haven't bought yet).
JULY 7th 2010
There may have been a World Cup semi-final on the TV, but that didn't stop 33 Royton Road Runners (14% of the field) taking part in Tuesday night's Rochdale 10K (it would have been 34 if Colin Green hadn't suffered a pretty awful bike crash at the weekend - gory pictures showing the effect of hitting tarmac at speed can be seen on Facebook if you're not squeamish; get well soon, Colin). As is now becoming the norm, there were many impressive performances in different age categories - Dave Phillips 1st V65 in 44:37, Teresa Hollins 1st FV55 (50:14), Brian Hurst 1st V70 (89:54), Debbie Shaw 2nd FV45 (45:11), John Higgins 3rd V55 (42:20), Debbie Fiddling 3rd FV45 (45:32), George Meynell 3rd V65 (50:28) & Rose Rowson 3rd FV50 (50:42). Mark Kelly recorded yet another PB - his time of 41:09 was an incredible 10 minutes faster than he achieved in last year's race. But pride of place must go to Stuart Carroll, comfortably the first Royton runner home & 8th overall in 37:14 (precisely six minute mile pace). Most important of all, however, this was Stuart's ninth victory in the nine Club Championship races this season, giving him an unassailable lead & guaranteeing that we will have a new Club Champion in 2010!
JULY 4th 2010
The annual RRR 'handicap' competition will be held at the Royton Trail on 14th July. For those who've not been involved before...statistical genius Brian Moore will be comparing times in this year's race to our best time from the 2008 or 2009 races. The person showing the greatest improvement wins the handicap. For anyone who hasn't competed in the Royton Trail, he'll do some complicated calculation based on your best 10K time over the same period. If you've recently joined the club we may not have a 10K time for you - so to take part, please could you send me an email with your best 10K time since 2008.
We're also delighted to announce that, thanks to a very generous donation from a club member, there will be male & female team prizes on offer at this year's Royton Trail, awarded to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd teams to finish.
JUNE 30th 2010
After three years in the role, Ray Shaw has announced his intention to stand down as RRR Treasurer at the next AGM. On behalf of everyone at the club we'd like to thank Ray for his hard work, enthusiasm & contribution to getting us to where we are today - a thriving club with record membership levels. We're now seeking a volunteer to work alongside Ray & George Meynell to 'learn the ropes' before Ray formally steps down - if you are interested, please speak to Ray, George or any other member of the Committee.
JUNE 25th 2010
Sunday 20th June saw five brave/foolish 'athletes' take to the water, bike & tracks to compete in the first Cowm Clash Triathlon. This event was over the Olympic distance, with a 1.4K open water swim in Cowm Reservoir, 42K scenic/undulating bike ride (as in Royton Trail undulations) & 9.2K trail run based around Cowm Reservoir. For ease of reference the two RRR teams will be referred to as Team Lawton (swim: George Meynell, bike: Bryan Lawton, run: Dave Kershaw) & Team Green (swim: John Williamson, bike & run: Colin Green). This was my first dip into the tri-world & as my swimming still looks like a man in distress I requested John Williamson's assistance, which he ably provided along with George for Team Lawton. John completed the swim in a swift 21:08 followed by George in 24:36. Both Bryan & I looked on in admiration as they braved the cold waters - we tend to splutter our way through swimming lessons in the 'beginners' lane. I managed a transition of 1m 21s compared to Bryan's sluggish 1:23, which opened up a lead of 3:30 for Team Green going into the 42K bike ride. Would this be enough to fend off Bryan's advances bike-wise on his new set of go-faster wheels? I thoroughly enjoyed the bike course, which included some hard climbing & fast, technical descents at speeds reaching 42mph, & completed the course in 1:32:08. I had managed to fend off Bryan during the ride, which he completed in 1:35:34, but I was unsure of our lead as I entered Transition 2...I feel that this was where I was really introduced to the fun of triathlon, as I parked my bike & changed from cycling to running shoes. I felt wobbly on my legs but knew that as a reasonable runner [please note Mr Green's modesty - Ed] the run would see me overtaking some of my fellow competitors, & I knew I must have a fair lead on Team Lawton by now. However, I had not bargained on an encounter with a steep grassy bank & a rejuvenated, rested Dave Kershaw on the run. I set off confidently from the transition area & was directed down the very steep grass bank. My legs still felt like they were cycling when I reached the bottom of the hill & I went head-over-heels over the dried-up sheep droppings. I had to hurriedly pick myself up to continue on the first of three laps around Cowm Reservoir's neighbouring hills & tracks. I was always nervous that Dave K of Team Lawton would catch me with his fresh legs & so it was (almost) to be. I completed the hard 9.2K course in 46:46 while Dave gained over four minutes on Team Green to finish in 42:32. I am pleased (& surprised) to report that Team Green emerged the winners of a close RRR race in an overall time of 2:42:51 (21st out of 65), ahead of Team Lawton in 2:45:20 (25th). This was an excellent event & must be praised for great organisation, support & marshaling - a credit to the organisers, Rochdale Trialthlon Club. Hopefully it will become an annual event...see you next year for all three events! [Colin Green]
JUNE 20th 2010
A small but perfectly-formed group of seven from RRR took part in today's Freckleton Half Marathon, officially the oldest half marathon in the UK. High temperatures made life difficult for everybody (except, it would seem, a certain Ben Fish from Blackburn Harriers, who won the race in 68 minutes & beat the field by nearly seven minutes). Stuart Carroll recorded his eighth successive club race win in 1:22:10, while Carole Madden was first FV50 home in 1:33:37. Other RRR finishers: David Emanuel, Bernie Goodwin, Mark Kelly, Rob Kellett & Dave Smith. Full results can be found on the 'Seasons Results' page.
Another Andy O'Sullivan race for your diary - the Emily Hughes Healey Reservoir Dash takes place on Tuesday 27th July & is described as a "very scenic course of approximately 5K". Click here for an entry form.
JUNE 15th 2010
My fun Sundays keep getting better! If you've not heard of the Prestwich Challenge Race before, let me introduce you to racing with a twist. Each year, Prestwich AC host a race on Prestwich Clough, 8 miles of beautiful scenery, undulating & full of challenge. As a member of a team of four (my nutter colleagues from Prestwich said it was going to be fun), we were handed one large tyre & one small tyre. The race starts - after a loop of about half a mile you can thankfully drop the large tyre! You're then sent into a stream for about a mile, until you reach the tunnel (not for claustrophobics!). Still lugging the tyre, you exit the tunnel & carry on until you reach a pile of logs - all four team members then have to carry a log around 80 metres. Back into the stream again & now it's getting deeper & super muddy, the tyre is passed around the team & after miles of streams, running up & down hills & through more tunnels you reach the lake. Drop the tyre, take your shoes off, don lifejackets & do a lap of the lake in a dinghy - needless to say we were in danger of sinking & went in circles more than once! Scraping half of Prestwich Clough out of your shoes you pick up the tyre & carry on. As you wind your way to the highest part of the course you have more challenges, like dropping down from a bridge back into the river & traversing up & down very steep hills, all still with the tyre. There is a cargo net to climb up & down (the tyre is sitting waiting for us on the other side), you then run for around a mile until you get a tyre each -all runners are now sharing the same grimace as the tyre digs into your shoulder for another mile. Finally you ditch the tyres...and as a team roll atractor tyre around a course! You then scramble under a cargo net & run around to a body of water with a log you have to swim under. Your body hates you right now (and hates tyres even more). Getting to the end of the deep pond, you exit & are greeted by the cheers of supporters as you enter...the obstacle course. Tyres to run through, a cargo container to climb over, a tyre to climb through, up a scaffiold frame, shimmy across the scaffold poles & drag yourself through SEVEN more tyres that have been stuck together to make a tunnel. Finally you clamber over a tower of hay bales & jump into a skip of soapy water (I took the opportunity to wash my hair!) & do a 100m dash towards... more tyres, which you run through military-style (ish). The last part of the course involves two planks of wood with rope handles, so you have to walk in unison, which takes great co-ordination (something if you recall from our lake boating challenge we struggled with). Regardless, looking like four men spooning each other, we planked over the line & finished 3rd team out of 50! In around 1hr 41mins we had gone through eight miles of mud, water, tunnels & TYRE HELL! Asked would I do it again next year...in a shot, hell yes, bring it on! [Mark Kelly]
JUNE 10th 2010
Congratulations to Dave Phillips on scooping yet another V65 trophy at last weekend's Buxton Half Marathon! Dave finished in 1:48:13 to take first prize by some distance. Funnily enough, at the end of the race Dave said, "Don't ever suggest doing that again!" or words to that effect - I think the hill at seven miles had something to do with it. Anyway, the following day I got an email from him saying that he had stayed for the presentation, received a handsome trophy & couldn't wait to do it again next year! I was a little disappointed to have got slower again for the second year running, but did improve my position to 40th (5th in V50) finishing in 1:38:20. Time I gave up football & did a bit more winter running, I think. [Dave Hall]
Second Tri in the bag & I'm startin to feel like Tim Don...or is it Chrissie Wellington? Last Sunday saw me swap the leafy lanes of Cheshire for the misty Lancashire hills as I took on the Rossendale sprint distance triathlon (not a dead badger to be seen). The race was over the usual sprint distances of a 400 metre swim, 13 mile cycle & 5K run, with a full entry of 250. As I am still in the 'special needs' swimming category, I set off for an early start of 0847 - I can't wait to be a decent swimmer, then I can have a lie-in! I was meant to be up against other swimmers of my ability, but once again had some half-wit in my lane who had obviously lied on his estimated time to get an early start. After he had lapped me a couple of times we had an accidental clash of arms as we passed for the third time, oops! The swim was a bit of a chore, although I managed to knock a minute off my last effort, climbing out of the water on 11 minutes (226th position thus far), which I was fairly happy with. Then it was off to the bike racks & for me a fairly quick transition. I only had one thing in mind, to catch & beat the guy who had just done me big-style in the pool - imagine my elation when after about half a mile there he was limping along with gear trouble...there is a god! The bike leg went really well & no-one overtook me from this point on to the end of the race. It was a tough course which followed the old Rossendale Half Marathon route (I actually ran the last one in 1997) & on the hill tops it was very misty. On the big descent I beat my bike speed record, with my speedo hitting 38.5mph - I'm just glad that I didn't come off, as that would have hurt dressed only in a pair of tri shorts. I was back at transition in 51mins (103rd place) & quickly into the run, although I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of the wobbly-leg syndrome which hits you as you jump off the bike. The run course was mainly off-road, consisting of three hilly laps, where I overtook loads of other competitors to finish in 22.51 (35th) & a combined time of 1hr 25mins 10secs & 101st overall. Once again I thoroughly enjoyed the event - there's something about having a number drawn onto your arms & legs & cycling in wet shorts that I can't quite put my finger on! [Bryan Lawton]
If you're not entered for the Freckleton Half Marathon, and looking for some excitement on Sunday 20th June, why not go along to see some fellow Royton Road Runners at the Cowm Clash Olympic distance triathlon (starting at 8am - 1500m open water swim in Cowm reservoir, 25-mile bike leg taking in Bacup, Todmorden & five big climbs, 10K run leg)? We have at least two teams taking part - one of George Meynell (swim), Bryan Lawton (bike) & Dave Kershaw (run), another with John Williamson (swim) & Colin Green (bike/run). Which is the stronger team? Can Colin take on two legs & still emerge victorious? How cold is Cowm reservoir early on a Sunday morning? Be there to find out...
Radcliffe Athletics Club has introduced a new '3-Day Challenge' into the race calendar, taking place from 8th-10th July. The race consists of a 5.5m fell race, a 5m cross-country & 5m trail race. The big selling point is apparently that "you can race our three-day challenge or any combination of the races & still see England in the final stages of the World Cup if they get there, as all three races are on days that England can not play". Click here for an entry form containing more race details.
JUNE 2nd 2010
Would you like to assist Mark Kelly with his first 'Run in England' group? Mark is looking for volunteers to help with this beginners group over 10 weeks from 14th June. Mark will create a rota & he says, "All you have to do is run...slow for one mile, I will do the rest!" Mark has also produced a poster advertising the programme - if you know someone who will display it, please click here to print a copy.
Mark has also added to the collection of Royton Road Runners on YouTube. Click here to watch his video from the Edinburgh Marathon.
MAY 31st 2010
Please do all you can to support your own club race, the Royton Trail - 7.30pm on Wednesday 14th July. As usual the race HQ will be the Tandle Hill Tavern, where free food will be available after the race. We had 45 RRR members in the recent Ian Casey 5K, let's see if we can beat that & set a new club record. If you are injured/can't run then please consider helping out as a marshall - let me or Ray Shaw know if you can assist. Although you can register on the night, it would be a great help if you could enter beforehand - click here for an entry form. A small number of members put a lot of effort into organising this race, so please give it your full support if you can! [Bryan Lawton]
Provisional results from last weekend's Chester Marathon - Steve Shaw (3:44), Barry Greaves (3:53) & Paul Walters (4:12). Well done to all - hopefully more details to folow in due course.
Until a shock discovery last week, I thought I was the club's first & only Scouser, but no, Ronnie Quinn beat me to it. Perhaps coming second will be my lifetime best. What I can be certain of is that I was the first & only Royton Road Runner in the weekend's Mersey Tunnel 10K. The route loops out of the city centre before going under the river to the Wirral. From behind me down the tunnel, which is surprisingly fume-free & like the rest of the route free of traffic, the sounds of "Oggy oggy oggy" & other chants bounced off the walls. This happens every year, but the Welsh contingent did appear a little larger than usual. Or perhaps I just noticed vests more than I have done before, this being the first time I've run it in club colours. Anyway, the submarine novelty of running the tunnel has not worn off since this became my first ever race in 2007. There is a tough climb out of the tunnel & on the other side the course does another loop before it runs alongside the Mersey for a couple of miles to the finish at New Brighton. The sea air & sunshine on the river were marvellous, but the wind was a challenge. There were 2,000 finishers, the first man home timed at 32.27, the first woman at 36.16. I beat Middleton Harriers' only tunnel runner comfortably, but Rochdale's sole representative crossed the line well ahead of me. My own time was a little off my official target & well adrift of my private fantasy performance, but at 48th I did manage the top 50 performance I predicated & I consoled myself with the realisation that 39.13 is my best time yet in this event. The race has a great atmosphere & the organisation was really good, which has been my experience at all events arranged by the good folk at L1310K. If the council gives them the go-ahead, it seems they could be running a Mersey Marathon in October 2011, so fingers crossed...but the really good news is that they've run out of the cranberry sauce that they've been putting in the goody bags since the bygone days of the Santa Dash. [Bill Balmer]
MAY 30th 2010
Brian Moore has kindly produced a first set of 'Marathon Tables' - you can now view both the current Marathon Championship standings (on the 'Season Results' page) & a full set of all results achieved so far this year (on the 'Marathons in 2010' page). Apart from Stuart's fantastic new club record, it's worth noting that - thanks in large part to the trip to the Gloucester Marathon in January, in tribute to Ian Casey - we've already collectively run 32 marathons this year, compared to 40 for the whole of 2009.
Over the last few months I've been sending out a weekly e-mail to club members, detailing the latest updates to the website & other news. This seems to have been pretty well-received...if you're not on the distribution list, it's because I don't have a current e-mail address for you! If you'd like to join in the fun, please click here to send me your e-mail address. [David Emanuel]
MAY 25th 2010
Sunday's Edinburgh Marathon started in cloud, cool enough for an uncool Macmillan bin bag! The first half was a doddle & I was on good form, then the sun came out & it started to get tough. I spotted Ian Grime as he was on the return leg & managed to blurt out something like "Well done Ian". Hitting the wall at 20-21 miles, for some reason I decided to walk - twas instant hamstring lockup! Fortunately there was a picnic bench right in front of me & I managed to stretch it back out. A kind lady offered a cool glass of water which I was glad to take & then make my way on. Going down the finishing straight every muscle was screaming, but still managed something resembling a sprint & my time was 3hrs 32mins 13secs. [Mark Kelly] [Official results show Mark finished 905th of 9459 finishers; Ian Grime finished 5th in 2:32:12]
Analysis of the final results confirm that the new RRR record turn-out at the Ian Casey 5K was actually 45 runners, not 44!
MAY 23rd 2010
There's no stopping Colin Green! Not satisfied with the London Marathon & Chester Half podcasts, or our new Twitter presence (see below), we now have 'vodcasts' on YouTube showing race action & post-race interviews from the Ian Casey Memorial 5K. Click here to access all six videos - you can also subscribe to be notified whenever future vodcasts are posted!
And there's more! We also now have a Facebook page - not much information there yet, but hopefully it will start to grow. If you're a Facebook user, make sure you join up as a member!
MAY 21st 2010
Royton Road Runners are on Twitter! Thanks to Colin Green, not only an ace interviewer but social networking expert too, we now have a Twitter account (and, if I understand correctly how these things work, two followers!). If you're already a Twitter user, I'm advised that you should add '@roytonrunner' to your friends. If like me you've not used Twitter before, then click here to sign up!
A new RRR record at the Ian Casey Memorial race! By my calculations we had 44 runners taking part (out of 108 finishers), as well as various supporters around the course (yes, for those who'd forgotten what he looks like, that really was reigning marathon champion Dave Kershaw). Congratulations & thanks to everyone who took part - including first lady finisher Carole Madden. Full results can be found at the 'Season Results' page.
Next Thursday's 'away night' from the Tandle Hill Tavern will involve a 'test run' of the slightly-amended Royton Trail race route. Go to the 'Thursday Away Nights' page for more details.
MAY 18th 2010
We've had reports from Chester & Windermere - now here's the third report on a race last Sunday, from Club President Dave Phillips: "Liz & I chose a more gentle option, joining 36,000 runners in the Great Manchester Run. Despite the numbers the race is very well-organised & apart from the first 1K there is plenty of room to run a comfortable race. I managed to knock half a minute off last year's time, finishing in 43.40 & first out of 85 V65s, so I was well pleased with that. Liz was a bit disappointed with her time of 61mins (she did 58mins last year), but given the fact that she raised £100s of pounds for The Christie, I think she should be very proud of her performance. The people of Manchester gave fantastic support to the runners, creating a great atmosphere in the city centre. A visit to Weatherspoons & a tapas restaurant after the race was a fitting finale to a memorable day."
MAY 17th 2010
By my calculations, 16 Royton Road Runners took part in the Chester Half Marathon on Sunday - an excellent turnout given how long ago they stopped taking entries & the other races taking place on the same day (Windermere Marathon, Manchester 10K). Full results can be found via the link on the 'Season Results' page - but for a far better summary, Colin recorded some more post-race interviews (including a rendition of the 'Chester Half Theme Tune' which, unless I'm much mistaken, sounds remarkably similar to the London one). Just click the links below to hear some of our (breathless) race finishers:
Podcast 1
Podcast 2
Podcast 3
Whilst those 16 runners took the 'easy' option at Chester, five intrepid RRR members were tackling the challenging lake circuit that is the Windermere Marathon - with support & encouragement provided by Bryan Lawton (aboard his tandem, accompanied by Mrs Lawton) & the injured Matt Oldham. This marathon seems to provoke quite different reactions - whilst I keep going back every year (and was rewarded this time with a PB of 3hrs 11mins 17secs - still only good enough for 5th V45), Des Thorpe seemed to be quite certain he wouldn't be returning! Although given that Des was racing again just three weeks after taking part in the London Marathon, and suffered severe leg pains in the latter part of the race, his time of 3:39:55 was pretty impressive. Bernie Cassidy was also returning for a second attempt at the race, but he suffered even more injury problems, eventually crossing the line in 3:52:22. Neil Barker & Vicky Bramley did admit that they enjoyed the course & the spectacular scenery, as they finished in 5:40:00 & 5:40:01 respectively. You may want to get the views of some of the others...but if you're looking for a well-organised, tough but picturesque marathon for next year, you can't do much better than Windermere! [David Emanuel]
MAY 15th 2010
Due to the continued increase in membership & race participation, the current points allocation in the RRR Club Championship is struggling to cope! At last month's Steve Rothwell 4 mile race, six runners in the Championship Group & five in the over-40s were awarded a single point - and this situation is likely to affect even more people at popular forthcoming races such as the Ian Casey Memorial 5K & the Royton Trail. It's clearly unfair that someone can beat four or five other runners in a race yet only receive the same number of points...so the Committee has decided to double the number of points given to the winner of each group to 18 (with 17 points for 2nd place, 16 for 3rd, etc) with immediate effect & backdated to the start of this season. This doesn't change the 'points system' itself, and will not make any difference to most of us - who will just be awarded an extra nine points for each race we've completed - except to benefit the multiple 'one-pointers'. Revised Group Tables reflecting this change will be produced after the Ian Casey 5K race on 20th May (or depending on result availability, after the Chester Half on Sunday).
MAY 11th 2010
As the alarm sounded at 0545hrs, I had an OMG moment - had my ongoing mid-life crisis now driven me to the verge of my first Tri? Yes it had...so after waking Mrs L (my swimming goggles, bike & shoe mechanic) & downing a large bowl of porridge, we headed off for the affluent town of Wilmslow & its rather functional leisure centre. My swim was set to start at 0810hrs, as I am not the quickest swimmer, so I registered with great haste, was issued with my ankle chip (yes, you even swim with a chip!) & scurried off to the gents for the usual pre-race sit-down. Then it was back to the car to collect my bike & kit & attempt to get it all to the transition area in one trip. Running is a doddle compared to this, normally I just have to remember my nipple plasters & trainers! And so the big moment approached. I set off the last of four swimmers in my lane, my race strategy at this point was to complete my 16 lengths without drowning. One of my fellow lane swimmers almost got punched after lapping me for a second time & making me give way to him (they have weird rules in Tri) & I also lost my ankle chip at one point & had to stop to re-attach it. After a very hard 11-and-a-bit minutes I hauled myself out of the pool & set off into transition to find my bike. At this point I was blowing a little as a result of the swim & spent the next 2 mins changing into my Bradley Wiggins gear before setting off on the 15-mile cycle tour of Cheshire's leafy lanes - I've never seen so many dead badgers! The bike section went quite well, I was by no means the quickest but I really enjoyed overtaking at least a dozen other racers who had just battered me in the pool. All the time I was thinking, "Bring on the run!" As I got back to transition & jumped off the bike I had a rather worrying 'where have my legs gone' moment. I dumped my bike, slid into my elastically-laced trainers & did an impression of that old Italian marathon bloke with the wobbly legs. Fortunately after a couple of minutes I got into a bit of a rhythym & my legs started to recall how to run. Over the 4.2 mile course I overtook in the region of 20 other runners, with no-one overtaking me - more revenge on my more able swimming competitors. I finished the run in just over 26 minutes, which I was very happy with - if only I could swim & get dressed quickly. Sorry, but I've now got the Tri bug, it's awesome & you can buy loads of kit! Bring on the next race! [Bryan Lawton]
MAY 9th 2010
Andy O'Sullivan yet again holds a great 5K race using the Cown reservoir course! Five Royton Road Runners braved a slightly damp evening to take part in the Norman Pool Cowm 5K on Wednesday with some top-class athletes, a course record under threat no less. For John Lambe & myself this was an opportunity to see the course prior to the upcoming Ian Casey Memorial Race, which hopefully will see a huge turnout, especially from Royton. The course has a tricky running surface & the hill at the start/finish plays a big part! Two laps of the reservoir are flat with narrow paths & tight gates, sharp corners & a wooden bridge, all 'interesting' to navigate. Brian Moore did a great job marshalling along with his daughter & a couple of other last-minute volunteers (the story of my Saturday mornings at parkrun)! Club results: Mark Kelly (25th in 19:14), Bruce Whittam (30th, 20:00), Chris Eavers (appearing in the results as a Rossendale Harrier, 34th 20:41), John Lambe (49th, 23:09) & Lou Gilchrist (80th, 27:18). Photos can be found in the Gallery. [Mark Kelly]
First it was podcasts from London - now we have a Royton Road Runner on YouTube! Admittedly not running...but click here to see our very own Chris Eavers performing his world-famous 'Manchester Rap' with Ransom at Cheadle Rugby Club last month. Please watch it & spread the word! I've told Chris that between us I'm sure we can get his total viewings up to the level of Lady GaGa & Susan Boyle...
MAY 6th 2010
Five Royton Road Runners decided to take on the'Bluebell Trail' 10-miler in Stainland on Sunday 2nd May. If anyone has run this race in the past they will know about Trooper Lane - is it a hill or a stairway to the skies, whatever, it's bloody steep. Anyone with a pointed chin, big nose or suffers from vertigo, don't enter! We are as daft as all you other runners, because it was so enjoyable & challenging that we'll be there again next year. No prizes, apart from three in the raffle - is this a club record? - but we all finished. Dave/Bruce Whittam was our first runner home in a time of 1-25-19, followed by Budgie Barry Greaves (1-27-13), George Meynell (1-43-27), Julie Greenwood (2-03-21 as a first-timer) & Tony Hunking, who was hoping Julie would trip & fall in the river so that he could overtake her, but managed to catch her up anyway on the run-in to finish with the same time. Afterwards the red-hot shower, ice-cold beer & bacon-cum-sausage sarni made it all worthwhile. [George Meynell]
MAY 3rd 2010
This Wednesday (5th May) Andy O'Sullivan is staging the Norman Poole 5K race at Cowm Reservoir. Andy says that "Norman has dedicated his life to coaching young athletes & bringing them to international prominence. Michael Rimmer & Tom Lancashire are turning out - these two Beijing Olympians have done us proud at international level. This will be a one-off occasion for club runners to turn out with such stars".
Many thanks to everyone who supported my run of the 84-mile Hadrian's Wall Path over the weekend, in aid of Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton. The fact that I'm writing this shows that I made it back unscathed! It was quite an experience, and (hopefully) great preparation for the Windermere Marathon in two weeks...as Colin Green suggested, "Windermere will seem like a sprint after this." I'm afraid that the hamper offered by the Co-op to whoever guessed closest to my total running time didn't go to a Royton Road Runner - I think you all have too high expectations of my abilities! You can read all the gory details on my blog if you have a few minutes to spare... [David Emanuel]
APRIL 28th 2010
Andy O'Sullivan is introducing another new race this year...the Ian Terry Memorial 5K in Littleborough is being held in memory of PC Ian Terry, a firearms officer who died in tragic circumstances in 2008. The race takes place on Tuesday 20th July (the week after the Royton Trail), with all proceeds going to the 'Care of Police Survivors' charity. Entry form avaialble from the UK Results website.
APRIL 26th 2010
Just when you thought it was safe to come back to the website...click here for a final podcast from Colin Green & Team RRR at the London Marathon. Hear them awaiting their Sunday evening curry, and enjoy another (slightly more muted) performance from the RRR Male Voice Choir. Thanks again to Colin & the rest for keeping us entertained over the weekend; I know that at least one person has been listening, as Bill Balmer emailed to say "Great stuff with the podcasts." It's certainly made me even more determined to qualify for next year's race & join in the fun!
Bill Balmer has also finally had confirmation of what we all expected to hear: "Unfortunately it has not been possible to put in place the necessary arrangements to hold the Oldham Half Marathon on 2nd May. The event, therefore, has been cancelled for this year. Thank you very much for your interest & I apologise for any inconvenience which may have been caused to you." [Councillor Jim McArdle - Mayor, Oldham Council]. Many thanks to Bill for keeping us informed throughout - let's hope the race returns in 2011.
APRIL 25th 2010
We now have the final instalments of what will surely become Colin Green's award-winning series of London Marathon podcasts. I hope everyone is able to access these (if your computer asks you how you want to open them, I'd suggest choosing Windows Media Player). I'll let you listen to find out everyone's times - but suffice to say that there were some really great performances today, including several PBs and a new club marathon record! Congratulations to everyone who took part in the race & contributed to these podcasts, and a special thanks to Colin for providing them - truly a work of genius. Last I heard they were all about to get ready to go out for a curry - although apparently Bryan Lawton had already returned to his room for a Pot Noodle...
Click here for for an early marathon day update.
Click here for a (nervous) report from the start.
Click here to hear some euphoric post-race runners.
Click here for more post-race interviews, including some bizarre questions to Helen Knight.
Click here for Stuart Carroll's favourite London 2010 anecdote.
A date for your diary - our friends at Mountainfeet in Oldham invite RRR members to a special evening at their shop in Rhodes Bank on Wednesday 19th May. Award-winning film maker Dominic Gill will be signing copies of his new book 'Take A Seat', telling the tale of his epic 18,500 mile, two-year tandem ride down the length of the Americas, which raised over £5,000 for the Hope for Homes for Children charity. On the night you'll also be able to talk to Andy Ashworth from SIS (world leaders in sports nutrition) & Andrew Burton from Inov-8, plus there's the chance to win Inov-8 shoes, socks, books & other goodies. The event (6.30 - 8.30pm) is free, but please register in advance via the Mountainfeet website. Let's support this event!
APRIL 24th 2010
Continuing Colin Green's series of podcasts from the London Marathon. As you'll see, Colin has also sent in some pictures to prove that he is actually there. This year he seems to have surprisingly gone for the "foreign spy eating a choc ice" look...
Click here for a post-Expo update.
Click here for a pre-race report from the Embankment.
Click here for an early view from the finishing line.
Click here for RRR pre-race interviews with Dave Phillips, Bryan Lawton & Steve Shaw - and some commentary on the arrival of the garlic bread.
Click here for interviews with Stuart Carroll, Jane Tonge, Helen Knight & Colin himself, plus more food-based banter.
Click here for news from the pub, including a rare public performance by the RRR Male Voice Choir, usually only heard on the coach back from Dent.
Click here for a final pre-race report, featuring Steve Shaw's tattoos - and a sense that maybe a little too much beer has been consumed...
APRIL 23rd 2010
Colin Green is attempting to bring our website into the 21st century (not before time, I hear you cry) by recording a series of podcasts of his experiences at this year's London Marathon. We'll have to see how this goes through the weekend...but to hear the first episode of Colin's podcast click here.
APRIL 21st 2010
I have a few remaining MS Research places available for the Manchester 10K run on Sunday 16th May. I would like to see if anyone in your club wants to take them & run for us. The Great Manchester Run is a really vibrant event, with BBC TV coverage. The closing date is looming, so if anyone wants to take them they need to get in contact with me fairly quickly. I look forward to hearing from you. [Rosemary Howell, development@ms-research.org.uk, 01745-710194]
APRIL 20th 2010
As the weather finally starts to improve, and thoughts turn to sun, sand & not having to wrap up in multiple layers every time you go for a run (Bruce Whittam excepted, obviously)...what better time to confirm a winter date for your diary? The annual Royton Road Runners Presentation Night has been booked at Royton Cricket Club for Friday 10th December. It's an evening not to be missed - get the date in your diary now!
Crompton Cricket Club vote update: arrangements are being made for a full club meeting to take place after one of the Monday night training sessions in May, to give everyone the chance to air their views about our current home & Crompton, or to suggest other potential locations worth investigating. The intention is for a vote to take place at the end of the meeting - although people not able to attend will still be able to cast their vote via email or through the website. Date of the meeting to be confirmed as soon as possible.
APRIL 18th 2010
The club's marathon season proper got underway today - not counting the pack run at Gloucester in January - as an intrepid group of Royton Road Runners took part in the Lochaber Marathon at Fort William. Unexpectedly high temperatures seem to have affected the times of everyone in the race, but this didn't stop Bruce Whittam recording a PB in 3hrs 29mins 21secs & Richard Fiddling taking the early lead in the marathon championship with 3:25:43. Bernie Goodwin (3:28:03) & Chris Eavers (3:28:15) made it four Royton athletes going under the 3:30 barrier - Bernie achieving this despite being knocked to the ground by another (clumsy) runner during the race & suffering nasty bruising. Other unconfirmed times so far: Dave Smith (3:46:47), Jeff Cordwell (4:09). Well done to everyone taking part!
Our insider reports that there's still no confirmation of a revised date for the Oldham Half Marathon - but word from the Mayor's Office is that 2nd May is 'more likely than not'. More information as soon as we get it.
Special offer: Stuart Carroll gave away the Easter egg he won for finishing second in the Steve Rothwell race last week (too much chocolate in the Carroll household already, apparently). He was also presented with a pair of running socks...which he subsequently discovered to be size 11-13. Despite suggestions that he should wear them at future races to slow him down, Stuart is keen to see them go to a good home. So if you are the proud owner of a pair of giant feet, please see Stuart next time you're at the club!
APRIL 15th 2010
It's no exaggeration to say that Royton Road Runners dominated the Steve Rothwell 4 mile race on Wednesday. Despite the number of club members with an imminent marathon (at (Lochaber or London), everywhere you turned you saw the RRR logo - on the running vests of our 33 participants at the start (except mine - apparently it's down to using the wrong sort of washing powder), on the jackets of our loyal supporters cheering us on at the finish, in the pub afterwards...but most memorably of all, right at the front of the field throughout the race. Stuart Carroll said beforehand that, with the London Marathon less than two weeks away, his priority was "not to get injured" - which he apparently intended to achieve by keeping out of the way of everyone else, as he set off in the lead & stayed there for most of the race, passed by only one other runner to finish in a fantastic second place. This must surely be his best race performance to date (notwithstanding his two victories in the 2007 & 2008 Santa Runs at Hollingworth Lake, which presumably makes him our Christmas Carroll?), and arguably one of the best ever by a Royton Road Runner. And Stuart wasn't the only one to pick up a (chocolate) prize from race organiser Andy O'Sullivan - we also had John Higgins (1st V55), Dave Phillips (1st V65), Rose Rowson (1st FV50), Debbie Shaw (2nd FV45), Debbie Fiddling (2nd FV40), June Allingan (2nd FV65), Bernie Goodwin (3rd V40) & Brian Hurst (3rd V70) winning prizes in their respective age categories. But to be honest, we're all winners, as members of a club that can get this level of attendance at a midweek race! Full results can be found on the 'Season Results' page.
APRIL 13th 2010
The Freckleton Half Marathon in June, part of our Club Championship, is now full. However, if anybody has entered & is now unable to take part, a number transfer service is available through the UK Results website.
APRIL 10th 2010
Thanks for all the runners who turned out to run the 'Oldham Half without half of Oldham' (to quote John Higgins) on Saturday morning - and to Ray Shaw & George Meynell for their enthusiastic support around the half marathon course. There were plenty of us there - see George's pictures in the Gallery - including two potential new members who read about our plans in Friday's Oldham Chronicle. A good time was had by all!
The club has acquired a set of RRR business cards. The intention is to hand them out to anyone we meet, or see out running, who might be interested in joining the club. Only a small initial supply at the moment - please see David Emanuel at Thursday training nights or next Wednesday's race if you would like to take some.
A new batch of vests has arrived - we now have vests in all available sizes, both male & female. Club jackets are also now available in 'small' size. [Bryan Lawton]
APRIL 4th 2010
Crompton vote update: all club members will be invited to a meeting regarding our plans for the future, at which the ballot will take place. Date to be confirmed shortly - anyone not able to attend the meeting will be given the option for a 'postal vote'.
There is no club run on Monday 5th April, as it's a Bank Holiday.
The club has purchased some walkie-talkies to help meet our health & safety requirements at the Royton Trail. RRR members are welcome to borrow them if required for any other event (apparently they're also great for playing The Bill in the garden) - please speak to Bryan Lawton.
If you visit the 'Forums' page you'll see that plans are afoot to 'recreate' the Oldham Half Marathon on Saturday 10th April (the day before it was originally due to take place). There's likely to be several different packs running the half marathon course at various paces - so why not come along for 8am with your club vest & join the fun?
MARCH 30th 2010
Thanks to everyone who turned up to Crompton Cricket Club on Monday night! It really was a fantastic response - about 50 people taking part in the pack run (despite the weather) & still more there to check out the facilities. It's certainly given us food for thought...and if Paula Radcliffe's training regime includes an ice bath after a training run, maybe we should embrace the opportunity for a cold shower? Next steps will be communicated by the committee in due course.
MARCH 27th 2010
Don't forget the club run on Monday 29th March will be from Crompton Cricket Club! Further details on the 'home' page - the plan is for a pack run of about six miles to Ogden Reservoir, with plenty of stops on the way. Please note that some of the route will be 'off road'. Sandwiches have been arranged for in the bar afterwards.
MARCH 26th 2010
A momentous day at the Vera Hirst 5K on 24th March, as Stuart Carroll made an historic breakthrough with a stunning victory over Owen Flage - the first time that Owen has been 'properly' beaten in a club race. After taking the lead within the first mile, Stuart powered away to finish in 18mins 01secs, beating Owen by a remarkable 40 seconds. Bernie Goodwin also proved that he's lost none of his speed in the shorter races, pushing Owen all the way to finish a mere four seconds further back & claim his first V40 maximum points of the season. Elsewhere, the first 5K of the season really separated the (slow) men from the (fast) boys, as Bill Balmer, Richard Fiddling & John Higgins made significant progress in the V40 & V50 age categories with times of 19:26, 19:35 & 19:38 respectively. David Emanuel, after an impressive start to the season, could only manage a disappointing 19:40 for 6th club place overall. Other finishers were Eamonn Nolan (20:15), Mark Kelly (20:32), Rob Kellett (20:52), Dave Phillips (20:58 for 2nd V65), Steve Shaw (21:37), James Holdaway (21:52), Debbie Shaw (22:53 for 1st FV45), Shane Reading (22:55), Debbie Fiddling (23:06 for 2nd FV40), Ronnie Quinn (23:17), John Lambe (24.02), Rose Rowson (24:05), Steven Hayes (24:54), Tony Kane (25:17), June Allingan (30:31) & Marilyn Guest (31:56).
MARCH 23rd 2010
Positive initial reports from the Race Night! Bryan Lawton writes to say that it "was a great success, raising over £800 - thanks go to Mike Bowler & his team of bookies, also to Liz Phillips for the loan of the PA, plus thanks to all who supported the event". Colin Green "would like to thank RRR for the very generous contribution to the ME Assocation London Marathon fund of £200 from the raffle at the Race Night. This money will make a great difference to people coping with this disabling neurological condition. The money will be used for research into the condition & also supporting people living day-to-day with the illness. Thanks once again."
MARCH 22nd 2010
Latest news on the Oldham Half Marathon - Bill Balmer has made enquiries via the Mayor's Office & established that "they are looking to see if it could be rearranged for Sunday 2nd May". More news once we get it...
Myself, Neil [Barker] & Steve [Shaw] did Two Crosses yesterday. I went over on my ankle (nothing serious), Neil suffered nothing more than having to wait for me all the time, while Steve seriously overdid the soup & egg butties at the refreshment stop! All in all a great but tough day...however the time must remain top secret! [Vicky Bramley]
MARCH 21st 2010
I've seen on a couple of websites that next month's Oldham Half has been cancelled [UK Results says '2010 race will not take place on 11 April - please await further announcement']. The Mayor's Office is beneath my office at the council so I will pop in to find out if there's an alternative date & let folk know. [Bill Balmer]
MARCH 17th 2010
If you've been thinking that Kate Instone hasn't been at the club for a little while...a message arrived at Website HQ this week: "Thanks for the newsletter - I am injured at the moment and am gonna take it easy for a couple of weeks, please pass on my regards to everyone."
MARCH 14th 2010
The annual RRR invasion of the normally peaceful village of Dent in the Yorkshire Dales was a triumph once again! There was barely an empty seat on the coach that headed north from Royton on Saturday, full of runners quietly focusing on the challenge ahead (the return journey was a little more boisterous, but more of that later). For some, bravely ignoring generally-accepted nutrition guidelines, part of the plan for maximum performance included a full English breakfast at Tebay motorway services, a mere two hours before start time. The team arrived in Dent in glorious sunshine, with none of the usual flooded roads, and we quickly discarded the various extra layers of clothing, hats & gloves normally required for this event. Temperatures remained high throughout the race, which only added to the challenge of the course itself (although Colin Green has subsequently produced so-called 'evidence' from his Garmin thingy that 51.6% of the course is actually flat). Full results can be accessed via the 'Seasons Results' page - club positions & group tables will be added soon - but as usual there were lots of impressive performances, including several near-misses for prizes (Dave Phillips 4th V60, Debbie Shaw 4th FV45, Bernie Cassidy 6th V50, Teresa Hollins 7th FV55). But we did have some winners: Stuart Carroll, who later claimed to have "never won a prize in my life" (has he forgotten all those Presentation Nights?), was rewarded for knocking a minute off his previous best to take 12th place overall; and we took 3rd place in the team competition, beaten only by Wesham Road Runners & Sunderland Harriers. Then off to the Sun Inn, which we all but took over for the rest of the afternoon. Mike Harrison proved that the calf injury that forced him to withdraw from the race had not affected his appetite by demonstrating that he can cope with a 14-inch sausage (insert your own punchline here); James Trollope did the same, but only by ignoring everything else on his plate. With everyone well-fed & suitably lubricated, the return journey began in high spirits, which self-styled 'trolley-dolly' Bruce Whittam helped improve still further. Colin Green & Chris Eavers led rehearsals for the Royton Road Runners (mainly) Male Voice Choir, in their preparations for this year's Britain's Got Talent. Colin vainly tried to introduce some 'standards' (in more ways than one) to the repertoire, but it was a hearty rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' that will live long in the memory of everyone lucky enough to hear it. Only one real note of controversy - although several notes not in the right place - as a performance of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' almost had Manchester United fan Dave Phillips heading out of the emergency exit. Mike Harrison's mood improved further as he collected a bottle of wine for correctly forecasting both male & female 5th finishers. I'm sure there are more tales to tell from those (with more stamina than me) who retired to the pub on our return to Royton. Overall, another fantastic trip!
Andy O'Sullivan has provided a list of all the races he is organising this year, starting with the Vera Hirst 5K on 24th March. Four of these races are already in the RRR race calendar, but if you're interested in supporting more of these local races, click here for details. Entry forms for all of these races can be found on the UK Results website.
MARCH 8th 2010
For those travelling to Dent on Saturday 13th March - the club coach will be leaving Royton at 9am.
Tickets are still available for the Race Night on 20th March! It would be very helpful if all ticket & horse money could be paid as soon as possible, to give an idea of how many we'll be catering for. Also, as usual, it would be great if people could donate a raffle prize. [Mike Bowler]
There are very few places still available for the Chester Half Marathon on 16th May. It may still be possible to apply online, but only if you get in very quickly!
MARCH 7th 2010
Sad news reached us this week that Jamie & Carolyn Holdaway's daughter Kathyrn, born on Christmas Day, has passed away. The thoughts of everyone at RRR are with Jamie, Carolyn & their family at this difficult time.
FEBRUARY 23rd 2010
Three debutants were amongst 29 Royton Road Runners braving the snowy conditions to take part in the Great North West Half Marathon at Blackpool. This made RRR the best-represented club in this popular race. All three recorded good times, with Katie Cumkin coming home in 2hrs 2mins 12secs whilst Anne Jones & Joanne Clarke finished in 2:23:13 & 2:30:33 respectively. Mark Kelly, also running his first half marathon, completed the two-lap course in an impressive 1:35:27, while the slightly more experienced Dave Smith knocked a huge 16 minutes off his 2009 time in 1:41:17, just pipping Debbie Shaw (same time) in an exciting sprint for the line. Debbie was the second Royton lady to finish as Carole Madden continued her great start to the season, her time of 1:31:28 good enough for second place in the FV40 category. Other impressive age group performances were recorded by Teresa Hollins (2nd FV55 in 1:54:21), June Allingan (2nd FV60 in 2:23:23), Bernie Cassidy (3rd V50 in 1:24:40) & Chris Eavers (3rd V55 in 1:33:54), but it was club championship leader Stuart Carroll who led the Royton runners home, his time of 1:20:32 ensuring a top 20 finish. Other finishers were: David Emanuel (1:25:49), Bernie Goodwin (1:27:41), Colin Green (1:28:38), Bryan Lawton (1:29:08), Rob Kellett (1:31:01), Richard Fiddling (1:32:08), Bruce Whittam (1:33:43), Eamonn Nolan (1:35:57), Lewis Shaw (1:41:47), Martin Kay (1:42:13), Jeff Cordwell (1:47:37), Shane Reading (1:51:48), Val Kilburn (1:52:30), Julie Greenwood, Tony Hunking (both 2:01:31), Helen Knight (2:00:55) & Jenny Newell (2:09:15). Full results & positions can be seen on the 'Season Results' page - to view (and buy?) official race photos, click here or here.
FEBRUARY 21st 2010
No results yet available from today's Great North West Half Marathon - race instructions indicated that we should see them online by Tuesday. What we can say is that it was another excellent RRR turnout, despite the snow, with many a good 'shout-out' given by race commentator Andy O'Sullivan (although I'm sure I heard him claim to have spotted 'Jeff Goodwin' at the 6-mile mark). Stuart Carroll led the field home again in an impressive 80 mins, followed by Bernie Cassidy, David Emanuel, Bernie Goodwin & Colin Green (bravely battling through the pain of a recent car accident). Carole Madden produced another impressive performance, just outside 90 mins, while Mark Kelly finished his first half marathon in 95 mins. Other finishers (in no particular order) included Bryan Lawton, Rob Kellett, Richard Fiddling, Chris Eavers, Eamonn Nolan, Debbie Shaw, Dave Smith, Lewis Shaw & Jeff Cordwell...I'm sure there were more, but it started to get cold & I had to leave to find some warm clothes! Full race report to follow soon.
A further update on the Race Night on 20th March...in addition to the chance to be a jockey & bet on races, I understand that a mere £5 gives you the opportunity to be an owner - giving access to the exclusive 'member's enclosure', drinking champagne & enjoying other perks whilst the rest of the crowd looks on enviously. Please see Mike Bowler, Bernie Goodwin or Ray Shaw for tickets & further details.
FEBRUARY 16th 2010
More details of the Race Night on March 20th. All starts at 7.30pm at the Cricket Club - tickets just £3 including a potato pie supper. There will be a donation to a named charity (TBC). See Mike, Bernie or Ray for tickets. [Mike Bowler]
Entries are now open for the Chester Half Marathon on 16th May. Evidence from recent years is that this race fills up very quickly - so don't delay!
FEBRUARY 13th 2010
Joe Parkinson, assistant manager of JJB Sports in Rochdale, has been in touch to let us know of a new range of running products now being stocked in store (which can also be seen on their website). A 10% discount is available to club members on production of your England Athletics membership card. They are also offering, throughout February, £5/£10 vouchers for any spend over £30/£50 on all items.
FEBRUARY 10th 2010
An early plug for the forthcoming RRR Race Night, which takes place on Saturday March 20th. Further details of start time, tickets, etc to follow shortly. [Mike Bowler]
FEBRUARY 7th 2010
The RRR club championship for 2010 kicked off with the usual excellent turnout for the Dewsbury 10K road race (click here for official race photos). Despite a few absences through injury, a total of 24 Royton runners took on the out-and-back course in the early morning cold, suffering the usual mental anguish (or maybe that's just me?) of seeing lots of faster runners running in the opposite direction after the halfway turn. On the evidence of the first race, this season's trophy winners are going to have to work harder than ever - 15 club members finished inside 45 minutes & at least three PBs were recorded (Stuart Carroll, first club runner home in 36mins 39secs, Chris Eavers in 41:39, Mark Kelly beating his previous best by 3mins 45secs in 43:05), while Carole Madden became early favourite for the Ladies' title, her time of 40:17 good enough to win third prize in the FV45 category. Bernie Cassidy was second club runner home, putting last year's injury problems behind him to finish as second V50 in 38:18, while Dave Phillips started his annual trophy collection by winning the V65 category in 43:13. Other finishers were: David Emanuel (38:51), Richard Fiddling (39:08), Bernie Goodwin (39:58), John Higgins (40:13), Stuart Hulme, Rob Kellett, Bryan Lawton (all 40:18), Eamonn Nolan (42:23), Bruce Whittam (43:38), Dave Smith (46:01), Shane Reading (46:19), Rose Rowson (46:57), Dean Burgess, Ronnie Quinn (both 47:01), John Lambe (49:00), Valerie Kilburn (50:49), Paula May (56:07) & Liz Phillips (59:27). Full results & positions can be seen on the 'Season Results' page. It's going to be an interesting year! [David Emanuel]
Congratulations from all at Royton Road Runners to James Holdaway & wife Carolyn on the birth of their daughter Kathryn, born at 11am on Christmas Day. [Ray Shaw]
We've received a message from a UK registered charity called Off The Street Kids (OTSK), founded in 2008 "to provide support for marginalised children and young people in South Africa". The charity is trying to get a team together to run the 2011 London Marathon, but without guaranteed placed their aim is to get as many people as possible to enter the ballot this April as individuals on their behalf. To find out more, click here for details from the charity website.
JANUARY 31st 2010
Details have been received of this year's Ed Prickett Memorial Relays, which take place at Nottingham University on Saturday 6th March. There are races for men's teams (of four) & women's teams (of three), with each leg just over two miles. Click here for an entry form if you're interested!
And another one...the Haigh Hall Relays (Haigh Hall, Wigan) take place on Saturday 13th March - teams of four on a 3.75 mile course. Click here for an entry form.
The Oldham Chronicle has advised that they'd be happy to include pictures alongside future articles on RRR races. So if you ever take any photos at races, or have photos taken, please can you email me the best one or two (to fellsiders@talktalk.net) as soon as possible after the race, so that I can submit them with the race report. Thanks! [David Emanuel]
JANUARY 30th 2010
Yet more evidence on the interweb of the impact that RRR had at the Gloucester Marathon! Brian Moore found this in a blog on the Realbuzz.com website: "There was a gang of [Ian Casey's] fellow club members there running in his memory - about 20 strong - Royton Road Runners. What an EXCELLENT bunch of people they were too. I do love a real good northern accent and they had it in spades. Everything they said was just so funny! A lovely team of people who were great fun."
The Bolton 10K takes place on 25th April - organised by a colleague of our club chairman, so well worth supporting! Click here for an entry form.
JANUARY 27th 2010
A sizeable RRR contingent of runners & supporters took the long journey to Gloucester for the marathon on Sunday 24th January, in memory of club member Ian Casey, who sadly collapsed & died whilst taking part in the race last year. The 17 club members taking part - all bar four of whom completed the full 26.2 miles - ran in three packs, and pride of place goes to Julie Greenwood, who completed her first marathon (accompanied all the way by Tony Hunking) in an impressive time of 4hrs 50mins 51secs. It was a fitting tribute to Ian - including a collective gathering at the fateful point after 15.5 miles - as evidenced by some very nice comments on the Runner's World forum ("good to see the large entourage of Royston Runners, specifically there in memory of their colleague Ian Casey..."; "hooked up with the guys from Royton from about 2 miles. I have to say thanks to them. What a great bunch of lads and a true honor running a marathon with them all..."; "we ran with Royston for a few miles and followed them close behind. Great bunch of guys (we were the 2 women - one in yellow vest, one with pink headband)..."). On this evidence, it's probably time we accepted the inevitable & changed the club name to 'Royston Road Runners'. Although traffic-related issues almost threatened to spoil the day, this was soon forgotten by those of us fortunate enough to witness John Higgins's party trick (I would give more details, but this is a family website). For the record: in addition to Julie, Tony & John, other finishers were Bryan Lawton, Colin Green, Bernard Cassidy, Stuart Carroll, David Emanuel, Bernie Goodwin, Chris Eavers, Barry Greaves, Dave Phillips & John Kane, while Dave Kershaw, Owen Flage, Bruce Whittam & Shiela Waite ran most of the course. For full results, click here. [David Emanuel]
JANUARY 17th 2010
Don't forget the club AGM coming up at 8pm on Thursday 21st January at Royton Cricket Club. Potato/cheese & onion pie with mushy peas have been ordered. To help with the catering, please let me know if you will NOT be attending. Look forward to seeing everyone there now that the snow has cleared! [Ray Shaw]
There's a new marathon being introduced in Chester this year, taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 31st May. Apparently a 'fast PB course'...but they almost all seem to say that. Click here for more details. [Brian Moore]
JANUARY 16th 2010
Just received an email from the Two Crosses organiser to say the event has been cancelled due to the weather. Provisional revised date is 21st March, but yet to be confirmed. [Dave Smith]
Entry forms are now available for this year's Dentdale Run on 13th March - not only part of the Club Championship, but a major social event of the year! You can enter online via the Runner's World website, or click here for an entry form. [David Emanuel]
For anyone looking for a new challenge for 2010...the Lakeland 100 & Lakeland 50 (that's miles, by the way) are described as "the most spectacular long distance trail races which have ever taken place within the UK". Taking place on the weekend of July 23-25 & including 6300m & 3100m of ascent respectively, the organisers estimate that, with more than 200 competitors already signed-up, the event is likely to be full prior to the closing date. Click here for more details. [David Emanuel]
Don't forget the club AGM coming up this week - Thursday 21st, 8pm at the cricket club.
Click here for Jun-Dec 2009 news archive.
Click here for Jan-May 2009 news archive.
Click here for 2008 news archive.
