Royton Road Runners

Who’s this ringing me at teatime on a Thursday? It’s Barry, asking if I can go in with him, Neil & Jason to the Lee Mill Relay a week Sunday? So, I’m thinking, I’m the slowest of the four, I'm retired from competitive running for 2018 - recreational runs only - I have the beginnings of a virus & I have already started to eat all the (mince) pies (Asda Extra Special - not bad). I didn’t really hesitate before saying yes. "Guess what - I’ve been selected for the RRR fell relay squad. How good is that?" Bernadette raises her head just slightly from the Boden catalogue & feigns a little interest.

I travelled separately to the team vehicle, where my 3 amigos had been in consultation. After seeing the photos of me doing Marl Pitts cross-country last week, & mindful of my likelihood of going off the grid - will I ever live this down? - Neil was all concern & very diplomatic. "With you at number 2 the runners won’t be too spaced out, you will be able to see someone to follow & you’ll still have the light." So, Jason (A) 1st, me (B), then Barry (C) followed by Neil (D).

This race is in its 3rd year & there are clubs & teams whose natural home is on the fells & who were up for it on the day. Waiting in the huddle for the ‘A’ runners to come in I chatted to the guy in the 'Alehouse' vest - deciding wisely, we agreed to put a base layer on. It was going to be cold on the tops. His team, Alehouse Academicals, are the alumni of the University of Manchester Athletics & Cross-Country Club. He said that they try to enter as many teams of mixed ability & mixed gender as they can into these relays. Why can’t RRR do the same, I thought?

Each of us has an individual running style & we easily spotted Jason’s top half coming back along the other side of the wall, then haring back into the park. The B runners were set off as soon as their A runner came back into the funnel. Neil & I had scoffed at the seconds the faster runners thought mattered at the handover, but seconds accumulate into minutes & some aggregated times were quite closely clustered in the final table positions.

I was overtaken quite easily by at least 6 other B runners - due to my incipient cold, you understand - & this course might be called very 'technical'. To those of us less technically-minded we’d just say it was hard. Whatever, there were loose & slippery rocks to negotiate on the downhill to the access gate & then up the quarry side. The chap in front fell & brought me down on the slope & I couldn’t stop myself sliding sideways nearly over a ledge, at the same time trying to stop with my hands the dislodged biggish rocks from falling on imagined runners below. However I was able to regain my feet, turn around & go on, though with a loss of momentum. I then slipped going over the gate & managed to arrange myself either side of it in the same way that you’ll be arranging your tree decorations - nicely spaced apart. ("Was it you running, or Norman Wisdom?" asked Bernadette). Neil also fell here & carried on with a painful cut on his foot. For reasons best known to myself - I was running a temperature when I read it - I thought that the description of a 'flagged' route was one where helicopters had flown in & dropped down slabs of limestone taken from old mills. I can’t go wrong here, I thought. Thankfully, even though 'flagged' meant fluttery bits of plastic on sticks (doh!), the route was very well-marked out.

Anyway, I made it back to base & it was left to Barry, then Neil to get us back in contention for a respectable placing, 2nd MV50 team. You don’t need to know how many teams were in our category. The time waiting for each of us to get around the route was spent in the park café discussing life, love & why did Jason buy a cherry slice instead of the rocky road, then pick all the cherries out for me to snaffle?

So, to come back to the matter of RRR participation. We could put up several teams for this event & our speedy guys could give the fastest teams a run for their money. The organisers are relaxed about 2nd-claim runners & there were lots of mixed age/gender/ability teams. With the race starting out from the top corner of Stubby Lee Park, I agreed with 2 Rochdale Harriers looking over at the park lake that it’s a little gem of a place & it’s on our doorstep, just a bit further up the road from Andy O'Sullivan's reservoir runs. Even teams from North Wales & the Midlands can make the journey! Fell running can be punishing but it is also exhilarating. You’re more connected with the weather, the landscape & the ground underfoot than you could ever be on a street pavement.

Neil drove & lent me his spare survival kit. Jason bought the cake & Barry shared his pasties. A towel from my boot was shared & it didn’t matter so much that I’d last used it to polish the car off. Fellow RRRs, you are all welcome to join our fellowship!

Oh & two of us did go the wrong way - but it wasn’t Jason & it wasn’t me!  [Gary Smith]

On the coach & Martina has put on her on-trend bone-conduction earphones.

"That’s the first time I’ve seen the coral-coloured ones," I said, showing an interest.

"What did you say?"

"I said I’ve not seen anyone with the coral-coloured ones before," just a bit louder.

"I can’t hear you, what did you say?"

"The coral ones,’ regretting I’d ever started this. "I’ve not seen that colour before." Voice getting desperate, realising I should have just said 'pink'.

Blank look.

"FFS I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD BE WEARING THOSE!"

"I couldn’t hear you because I haven’t got my glasses on." *

We all spilled off the coach at the same spot as last year & everything was at it was last time. Registration, then putting your number on in that vestibule that all schools used to have, with doors for the Head’s room & school office going off it. I had to sit & wait in such a place for the Head’s door to open a few times in my schooldays.

The weather threatened rain at the start, for the one race I hadn’t applied the vaseline - there have been some horror pics of bleeding male nipples in the past. Fortunately the rain didn’t endure & I didn’t continue to wonder whether Rob Nixon was wearing the nipple guards which he had lifted his vest to show me at the Liverpool Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon.

45 RRRs had booked onto this one. At the end of the season there was nothing to run for in Group 3, just like Ronnie Quinn’s beloved Everton. That said, aside from Garry Bower (1:21:28) imperiously winning 1st place, my group had shown the potential to be one of the most fiercely fought - with established, improving & new club members all capable of taking points off each other throughout the year. For the other groups I presume everyone else got their ducks in a row & knew what they had to do to beat/hold-off their rivals.

We have some astonishingly quick runners at RRR. In an event hosted by a fell runners’ club that will have attracted a lot of gnarly competitors we had 9 runners in the fastest 100, out of a field of 439. As we know the usual suspects, I will just mention that Owen Flage (1:05:10) came in as 1st MV45. The race winner, by the way, was rather fittingly called 'Lightfoot'.

Congratulations to Shane Reading (1:07:22) & Rob Nixon (1:19:33) who both completed all 17 club races. Shane’s unbroken sequence is now an incredible 98. Rob voted to increase the race calendar to 52 races next year. **

Although we have a fair few running couples, we don't have many father & son pairings at present, so well done to Adam (1:23:17) & Neil Farrell (1:23:19) who ran in 1 behind the other. In only his 2nd race of the year - after Dewsbury in February - Neil is back to full fitness, proved by him being in full voice in The Railway at the race after-party. If Adam is going to get away from his dad bending his ear all the way around a race he is just going to have to go a bit quicker!

Thanks to the hard work & encouragement of their leaders Simon Howard, Jarrod Gritt & Garry, the club's RunTogether & 5-to-10K groups have brought on fledgling runners who are now training with the club - one of their alumni is Gareth McCaffrey (1:27:05) who ran an excellent 1st club race. Others 'making their mark' were Mark Phelan (1:27:07) in his 2nd race following The Royton Trail, Mark Kelly (1:24:53) running his 1st RRR race since 2012 & Mar...tina Naismith (1:52:07) in her 25th club race. Warren 'Sid' Siddall (1:59:07) also completed his 2nd club race to add to The Royton Trail.

Finally, it is fitting in the curtain-downer of the season that El Presidente June Allingan (2:03:05) should win her age category again.

Back at the school, I had to smile when I saw Stewart Jones (1:25:11) waiting, then waiting a bit longer for his missus Karen to come out of the ladies changing rooms. Welcome to my world Stewart!

Chief rabble-rouser Elliot Stone (1:18:07) had bemoaned the fact that it was a dry & ergo a quiet coach back last year, but he & others made sure it didn’t happen this time. I did wonder, seeing Dave Peart (1:07:35) walking a little unsteadily, how some ace runners can both drink & run so well? I shall have to keep on wondering, as until Dewsbury next year our club races have all been run.

All the other RRR finishers: Sharon Dracup (1:49:14), Stephen Rogowskyj (1:48:36), Emma Bower (1:47:45), Bernadette Ball (1:45:02), Claire Timms (1:44:48), Elaine Whitehead (1:39:44), Sally Crewe (1:37:06), Jill Hickson (1:35:51), Gail Shaw (1:34:56), Lisa Cummins (1:32:29), Anthony Kane (1:30:40), Paul Cooke (1:30:17), Matt Kershaw (1:29:53), Ronnie Quinn (1:28:38), Helen Radcliffe (1:28:36), Gary Smith (1:27:58),  John Fay (1:27:03), Simon Howard (1:26:56), Nicholas Mallon (1:26:12), Val Kilburn (1:24:59), Jason Keast (1:19:15), Bryan Lawton (1:16:48), Janet Jobey (1:16:28), Robert Kellett (1:15:53), Neil Brock (1:13:38), Carl O'Callaghan (1:10:46), Ian Dale (1:10:36), Bernie Goodwin (1:09:50) Richard Cummins (1:06:00) & Jarrod Gritt (1:01:15).

See you all - in my reports - next year.  [Gary Smith]

*   Martina really did say this, but I have, of course, reported it out of context.

** This isn’t true…I think!

OLDHAM HALF MARATHON - 28th OCTOBER 2018

I wasn't feeling particularly relaxed on the morning of this race. Not because of the event itself - after all, it isn't in this year's RRR Club Championship, so there were no points at stake - but for 2 completely different reasons. First, the clocks had gone back overnight & it took me some time to work out what the correct time was - it seems my digital clock radio doesn't update automatically after all. Secondly, I was pretty sure that Gary Smith wasn't going to be present, so I'd have to step back into the race reporter's shoes. Big shoes to fill. I think I remember what to do...

As expected, the fact that OCL opted for a date just before the Derwentwater 10 - with the Holmfirth 15 a week earlier returning to the club championship - meant that most RRRs chose to give this one a miss. That said, there were plenty of club members out at various points on the course giving very welcome support. They had 14 RRRs to cheer on, although quite a few were 'in disguise' & not so easy to spot - Karen Stuttard (2:46:23) in her Oldham & Royton vest, Sam Kent-Brown (2:29:51) running for GMP, Teresa Hollins (2nd FV60, 2:01:55) in Middleton Harriers colours, Rob Fairbanks (an impressive 15th in 1:26:19) representing Sale Harriers & Dave Peart (2nd MV50, 1:31:59) wearing a snazzy orange top because, apparently, it matched his shoes.

Conditions were near-perfect for distance running & I felt surprisingly fresh a week after Holmfirth - it's quite a while since I've attempted 2 back-to-back long races. Regularly running parts of the route to & from work seemed to be paying dividends as I passed Dave Peart on the climb up Ripponden Road towards Grains Bar, but he came charging past me again as we dropped into Delph & disappeared into the distance on the road towards Uppermill. The only consolation was that he was overtaking loads of others as well! I closed a little & managed to gain a few places on the tough Ladcastle Road section. Typically I then spent the next few miles overtaking runners going up the hills only to watch them come sailing past again on the way down. I managed to get my nose in front as we climbed Lees Road, only for a cheery & very relaxed-looking Dominic Sexton of Hyde Village Striders - in my age category! - to ease ahead as we reached the 12-mile marker on Grotton Road. There was no way of catching him on the lung-burster that is Waterloo Street & I crossed the line in a reasonably satisfying 1:33:35.

The 1st person I saw after the finish was Martin Thompson, looking very happy with a half marathon debut time of 1:32:38. Definitely some quick times to come from him at this distance! Soon to come through the finish were Neil Brock (taking it easy in 1:39:13), Brett Spivey (1:49:53), John Fay (1:52:53) & Warren 'Sid' Siddall (1:55:00), followed by Mark Rigby (2:08:47), Debra Cash (2:14:40) & Mary Freer (2:37:27). Remarkably, despite our relatively small numbers, we still managed to finish 2nd in the men's team competition & 4th in the ladies event. 

There were 277 finishers in total this year - 14 more than in 2017 - yet it seemed, despite the great support on the route, that the race was more low-key than it's been in the past. Maybe it just felt like that because of the lack of RRRs in the field? Sadly that's unlikely to change next year, as the race has again been scheduled for the weekend before our annual trip to Keswick. If only the longer local races were spread more evenly throughout the year...  [David Emanuel]           

"Blackburn last night, Holmfirth this morning, well you said that we’d see the world together."

(I choose not to reply)

"Also, how come Paul Cooke gets to see U2 at the MEN & we just see tribute bands?"

"Because in mimicry they stay true to the spirit of the original performers, unlike some bloated ego pontificating from a stage that’s miles away." (my voice rising slightly)

"Nothing to do with it being £20 a ticket then?"

"Well for that you got 'Too Petty' AND 'Fleetwood Bac'." I shout.

Well the RRR battalion went deep into enemy territory for this one. It’s not often that the wagon train heads east into West Yorkshire for a club race & everybody agreed that this was not 1 for the faint-hearted. Without checking the profile beforehand most of us suspected that it would be hilly & then there was the distance. Moreover, the retro chip looked & felt like one of Andy Chadwick’s heaviest tackle weights. That said, the weather was just about perfect - cool & dry, just like …

"They’ve had that one!"

(I am now giving Bernadette a very hard stare)

With a relatively small field, the gaps gradually became wider between runners. All the more remarkable then that Dave Peart (1:42:56, 5th overall, 1st MV50) came in ahead of Shane Reading (1:43:04, 6th overall, 1st MV45) by just 8 seconds. Dave said that he was just about ready to let Shane go past on the energy-sapping 2nd-time round ascent from the bottom road up the steep incline, but toughed it out. Well done both of you. When I saw Shane at the end, rummaging around in the boot of his car surrounded by baby paraphernalia I thought, "No rest afternoon for you!" Next we had two 2nd claim runners, Owen Flage (1:43:50) & Rob Fairbanks (1:44:41) followed by David Emanuel (1:46:02), who anchored the highest-placed 3-man team, with Carl O'Callaghan (1:50:27), Bernie Goodwin (1:51:00), David McBride (1:52:46) & Matthew Kilburn (1:54:13) not far behind. Congratulations also to Diane Allingan (2:16:41, 1st FV60), who won her age category. Janet Jobey (1:59:41), Val Kilburn (2:11:21, 1st FV50) & Vikki Smith (2:15:09) were the 3 highest-placed women finishers from the same club. So even when we shuffle the deck, our fastest runners on the day combine to beat the other clubs, although no team prizes were handed out. 'Give 'em nowt' - typical Yorkshire.

I didn’t see much of anyone else. Andy Schofield (2:01:31), in his 50th club race, accelerated away from me early on, seemingly moving through the gears at will & he went on past Rob Nixon (2:06:41) & Simon Howard (2:09:53) before the finish. I managed to get ahead of Stephen Goddard (2:19:30) in his 10th club race, but Val Kilburn ran a disciplined race & reeled me in at 11 miles. I thought, here they come, any moment now Vikki Smith & Helen Radcliffe (2:18:20) will follow Val past me (2:13:43), but they were feeling it too. It was a tough race.

Rob Fairbanks, Simon, Jason Keast (2:21:10) & Sally Crewe (2:41:15) ran a cross-country race the day before, but didn’t seem much worse the wear for it, although Jason doesn’t normally come in behind me. Andy Chadwick (2:27:43) is back running on a high protein diet of casters & maggots.

Bernadette (2:45:01) came back to the car. "Garry wants to know if you’ve seen his post about your gender swap? And if I’ve seen his clock? I think he said 'clock'?"

I had indeed just read his post & as I’d changed Bernadette’s gender as well, I thought it would be fun if she put on the souvenir beanie & the wellies I had in the back of the car & do a 'Compo', this being the home of that godawful Last of the Summer Wine, but she refused. Some people are no fun!

You’ll all be glad to know we have both been realigned back to our normal selves without surgery. Bernadette will continue to insist that all cups have coasters under them & I will continue to 'leave my stuff everywhere'.

Well the next one is the curtain-downer on another great race season. The charabanc leaves for Derwentwater at 8am prompt on 4th November. See you there.

"Have got us two tickets for a great U2 tribute band - #Metoo?"

There was a fantastic turnout on Saturday afternoon for the 1st cross-country outing of the season on a glorious, sunny afternoon at Heaton Park. However many must have been really disappointed, as surely they had all signed up for a dirty & muddy afternoon, but there was literally no mud & most of the course could have been completed quite safely in road shoes. It's fairly safe to predict that this won’t continue as the season moves into winter, so sales of spikes & trail shoes should keep our Chairman & Vice Chairman in gainful employment!

The 1st problem was finding somewhere to park at a packed venue, with junior races starting in the morning & many other families taking advantage of the weather to bring their children to Heaton Park. After numerous loops of the car park I decided the best plan was to dump the gazebo & hope nobody tried stealing or borrowing it while I went to park elsewhere.

The race was no parkrun, with the ladies completing 2 laps & the men 3 laps of a multi-terrain course running around the outskirts of the park, around the football field & then returning via the woods, before a final lung-busting climb back to the start of the next lap or (even better) the finish. Running up that hill is a nightmare, as supporters urge runners to keep going or take on the runner in front.

From an RRR perspective it was fantastic to see so many cross-country debutants in both races. Congratulations to Sally Crewe (45:37), Amanda Richardson (48:10), Hulya Whittaker (52:30) & Mary Freer (53:54), all completing the ladies race, while also debuting in the men's race were a flying Mick Wildbore (4th V40 in 38:51), Alex Critcher (50:49) & Dave Bardsley (64:06).

The race was tough even with a lack of mud, with Dave Crewe unfortunately having to pull out of the men's race on the 1st lap after tripping in the woods & suffering a recurrence of his recent ankle injury. I was following him, but wasn’t responsible for his fall!

Other RRR finishers: Rochelle Evans (42:55, making a fantastic return after the recent addition to her family) & Clare Darraugh (46:37) in the ladies race; Martin Thompson (39:31). Ian Dale (3rd V55, 42:12), Michael Pickering (46:20), Bryan Lawton (46:26), Jason Keast (48:12), Simon Howard (49:20) & Adam Stirling (54:52) in the men's event.

A massive congratulations to everyone representing the club in this 1st cross-country race of the season & thanks for the great support from those runners resting before the Holmfirth 15 (or just resting) - Jill Heywood, Shane Reading, Carl & Jenny O'Callaghan. Shane brought Xander along sporting an awesome baby-sized RRR bobble hat, knitted by our multi-talented President June Allingan.

I suppose I should also congratulate myself, Jason & Sally for earning the double achievement/insanity award for completing both this cross-country race & the Holmfirth15 the following day. Hopefully there will be a similar or even better turnout for the next race in December at Tandle Hill - although I’m fairly confident the weather won’t be as favourable, nor the underfoot conditions!  [Simon Howard]

From 2 sun loungers somewhere abroad...

"Are we doing the Hopwood Trot? It’s the Wednesday we get back."

Thinks. "How many cakes & croissants have I had for breakfast? How many Pizza Sicilianas & Birra Morettis? How much running since we got here?"

Gawd it’s hot. Slowly drifts off…

"Gary, wake up! It’s your turn to book."

The route for this new race involves 2 laps on grass, tarmac, concrete & cinder paths & bridleways (why don’t I just say 'multi-terrain'?) with some progressive gradients up & down. The rain began just before the start & then came down harder. People stopped thinking that the car will get a clean to worrying about getting drenched. The going on the grass went from good to soft as we came out of the gate, hard against the rails going around the paddock before heading out.

So let’s have a look at the runners & riders amongst the 51 RRRs on the race card. You’d have only got short odds on the thoroughbreds Rob James (race winner in 31:00), Jarrod Gritt (2nd in 32:37) & Rob Battye (5th, 34:21) coming in to take the men’s team prize & our fillies Janet 'Jockey' Jobey (40:26), Val Kilburn (43:10) & Helen Radcliffe (45:00) claiming the women’s team prize. Also from the RRR stables were age category winners Michael Fleming (1st MV35, 35:24) Richard Cummins (1st MV50, 35:54 - his bottle of wine generously donated to the RRR Grand Summer Raffle) & Diane Allingan (1st FV55, 48:02). Lynda 'Beechers' Brookes (53:43) had a 2nd run out for the club & Sue 'Farrier' Farrell (59:27) had her 1st try out in RRR silks. Also, a big welcome back to Anne Jones (1:02:45) who has been struggling with injury for a long time & congratulations to the coltish Garry Bower (42:04) who has won Group 3 by several lengths.

Sally Crewe (58:18 in her 10th outing this year in a club race) & a skittish Bernadette Ball (58:19) came in neck-&-neck for a photo finish at the line, after Sally had come around on the outside. Only after a steward’s enquiry was Sally given the edge when the chip times came through.

Gary Marshall (45:20) ripped up the form book, coming past me (47:29 - put him out to pasture!) at halfway. He then went onto to gain ground on & overtake both Simon Howard (45:36) & Adam Farrell (45:24) in a great gallop to the finish. Then Chris Nicholson (46:24) & Phil Austin (46:28) both showed me a clean pair of hooves as they trotted past. I did finally pass an RRR stablemate, but only when Alex Critcher pulled up & retired himself after the 1st lap.

All the other RRR finishers: Angela Rogowskyj (1:08:11), June Allingan (1:06:15), Stephen Rogowskyj (58:46), Martina Naismith (56:50), Amanda Richardson (54:09), Lisa Cummins (52:19), Jillian Heywood (51:34), Gail Shaw (50:48), Kevin Heenan (48:51), Paul Cooke (48:36), Teresa Hollins (48:25), Martin Jones (44:49), Ronnie Quinn (43:12),  Stephen Goddard (42:30), Robert Nixon (42:16), Mark Heaney (42:06), Jason Keast (41:49),  Dave Hall (40:00), David Crewe (39:58), Robert Kellett (39:48), Eamonn Nolan (39:24), Bryan Lawton (39:18), Matthew Kilburn (38:58), Ian Dale (38:52), Darren Ogden (38:43), David Emanuel (37:41), Dave Peart (36:48), Bernard Goodwin (36:40), Shane Reading (35:31) & Martin Thompson (35:28).

So a good evening out for the club. We had 6 out of 9 in the winning enclosure. The race was local (some 40 RRRs went with Simon to do a recce the Thursday before), well-organised & marshaled, with the route mostly clear of other people & parking close to race HQ.  The next race is the Heaton Park 10K on 1st September, here I am cantering past the Premiership also-rans. "Gary! Wake up!"

PS - I thought of giving this report a 'day at the races' theme whilst at Pontefract Races with Stewart Jones (non-runner) & the bookies favourite Jason Keast last Sunday. From the top of the grandstand steps you could see the whole racecourse, just over 2 miles long, stretched out in front of you. To think that our fastest runners could run that course in a little over 15 mins. Astonishing! Yet just as astonishing is the fact that 51 of us from the same club, of all ages & abilities, ran the same distance – twice! So I hope you all treated yourselves to a rub-down, a warm bran mash supper & fresh hay &, then got under your favourite blanket afterwards.

Whatever made me say yes?

Why am I doing this?

Because it’s a challenge.

Because I am doing it with great friends.

Because I can raise money & awareness for Mesothelioma UK & Maggie’s Oldham.

Because Mike would be the first person to tell me I could do it.

And...because I can.

At the time I agreed to sign up I was only drinking hot water & lemon, so I can’t blame the Prosecco this time.

The 100K Race to the Stones starts in Banbury, Oxfordshire & finishes in Swindon, Wiltshire. It goes along the 5,000-year-old pathway known as The Ridgeway, passing The White Horse at Uffington & ending at the Avebury stone circle.

There were 5 Royton Road Runners committed to doing it – Charlotte Chadwick, Diane Allingan, Fay Royle, Natalie Yates-Bolton & myself.

Thursday 12th July: Just heard that they have cancelled the 100K Trailwalker event in Brighton this weekend (on the advice of the military & the Ghurkas) because of adverse weather conditions expected  (i.e.  a heatwave). I am getting a bit nervous now.

Saturday 14th July: We were up & off early from our hotel, arriving at 7:.15am, & already it was a hot day. There was lots of buzz & excitement in the air & by 8:15 we were all assembled in 'D Wave', limbering up & waiting for the countdown to set us off on the 1st stage of The Ridgeway.

And we’re off. A nice gentle pace for the 1st few kilometres along grassy lanes, quite shady – then we hit the hill. Up & up & up through steep woodlands on rough pathways, trying to avoid all the tree roots. Running stopped & walking took over. Of course the path eventually levels out, the terrain changes & all of a sudden we were running through fields of gold with poppies & wild flowers (I was going to say ‘dancing in the breeze’, but there was no breeze). By this time the sun was well & truly beating down on us in the beautiful open countryside of Oxfordshire.

Our 1st pit stop was a welcome sight. We made the most of all the pit stops & boy were we ready for them. They were like mirages in the desert – but for real. Apart from the medical tent, which fortunately none of us needed, we fully utilised everything else on offer. Hot & cold drinks, sandwiches, fruit of all description, buckets of cold water for dousing your hat (bonus), toilets & the opportunity to relax in a little bit of shade before setting off again.

The going was tough, hot, hot & hotter. On hilly, uneven ground, running on dry, dusty gravel, the last 12K of the 1st day felt never-ending, but finally there was Base Camp & the 50K finish line. The 1st thing I saw as I crossed the line was the bar. Double tonic (although I really fancied a double Prosecco) with ice & lemon tasted like nectar. After locating tents, having a massage & a welcome shower it was time for dinner. The choice was endless.

Base camp was another adventure. It really was like Glastonbury for the injured, with people arriving with blisters like I have never seen, bloodied knees, shins, arms & faces where they had fallen, cramp, sunburn & more. Sited on a slight hillside, the 1-man tents themselves were fine, it was just the closeness of them. After watching a beautiful sunset we all settled down for an early night sleep. That was wishful thinking – all you could hear was snoring & cries of “Oh - I’ve got cramp!”. Every time someone unzipped their tent I felt sure they were coming into mine.

Sunday 15th July: We'd planned an early morning start for our second 50K. We didn’t think it would be 4:30 though - someone’s alarm went off & suddenly everyone was up & by 5am we were eating a hearty breakfast. At least we had the advantage of a cooler few hours to start, but the sun was again relentless & at 29.5 degrees it was hotter than the previous day.

For some bizarre reason I was the only one of our group who found the 2nd day easier than the 1st. I think I just zoned out, or was delirious, but then again my sister says I am not normal. The only disappointment was that when we passed the white horse carved into the hillside at Uffington we were on the wrong side of the hill to see it. A sign gave us the option of a slight detour to it, but at this stage of the race we all passed. Again we made full use of the pit stops & always set off with lots of encouragement from the marshals who willed us on, probably thankful that they weren’t doing it.

We climbed hills again, up & over & along the North Wessex Downs, passing through long open stretches of glorious wheat fields & through hamlets with chocolate-box thatched cottages. We ran on chalk paths & were dazzled by the sun beating down on them, making it feel like you were running over hot  coals. Then suddenly there was the 99K sign. What a pick-me-up! Avebury stone circle, the finish line & the 100K marker were within sight. After running & dancing round the stones, the last few kilometres up to the finish seemed never ending - but then the line was crossed, the medal put around my neck & a 1st ultra ticked off my list. One blister & one lost toenail were a small price to pay for one of the biggest achievements of my life.

Would I do it again? Ask me next year.  [June Allingan]

Not a race I’ve ever thought of doing before, but a good friend asked if I fancied it so I thought why not. Starting at the Standedge Tunnel entrance in Marsden, runners are directed mostly off-road up & over the tunnel to the other end at Diggle. The route is about 4.5 miles long - provided you don’t go wrong.

The day itself was beautiful,. There was another event on at the Marsden end, a yoga festival, so there were lots of different stalls to have a look at before starting the race. It was also Yanks Weekend in Saddleworth, so there was plenty to see & do upon finishing. The race started at approximately 11am as the nose of the barge entered the tunnel. I was told before the race that the barge actually takes at least 2 hours to get through, so even walking you could beat it…

Tom McGuinness took an early lead, with me tailing him. After the 1st bit of climbing he missed a turn, of course I naturally followed as did 3 or 4 others. What an error. As we had dropped down a hill we now had another hill to ascend & as we were only 1K in, the field hadn’t spread massively, so when we got back on course I must have been about 20th. To make it worse we then had to cross 3 stiles in quick succession, which we couldn’t leap as people were queuing to get over them. At this point I thought that was it, I was never going to medal or even get in the top 10. Tom & I kept overtaking more & more runners. Eventually, approaching 5K, I stopped overtaking people. I knew that Tom was ahead (naturally) & started to wonder how many more. At this point the race is all downhill so I let my legs carry me as fast as they would allow.

As I passed through the last gate & onto Boat Lane I knew the end wasn’t too far. I darted down until I got to the Diggle Hotel & gave it everything as I ran round to the canal & the finish. Unbelievably, I found that there was only Tom there, so despite the mess up & covering an extra little climb I’d managed to finish 2nd. I was presented with a medal which doubles up as a bottle opener, a great duel use. We also got to see the Lancaster fly over as we enjoyed a pint at the Diggle Hotel. A great morning out.

This race is well worth doing & tickets are on sale already for next year. I would recommend signing up now, as all the 'early bird' tickets have already gone & the event sells out every year. There's a free pint & chip butty at the end!  [Jarrod Gritt]

After the last few weeks of hot weather, the days leading up to Riverside suggested it was cooling down a bit, which for many of us was probably very welcome. However, come race day the sun started to shine again & the humidity rose. Whilst it would normally make for a lovely day, the prospect of running 10 miles in it seemed a little daunting.

Most RRRs were on the coach, as per normal with an 'away' race. I myself wasn’t, however I imagine there were plenty of shenanigans, but as the saying goes ‘what goes on tour stays on tour’.

I arrived early but was soon greeted by the coachful of RRRs. As usual we put out the most runners in the race (34). I was also told, having not done this race before, that the route had changed from previous years, making it much flatter, following two out-&-back stretches. I find this format is quite motivating as on the 'back' leg you get a lot of support from those on the 'out' & having such a big team of runners only enhances this.

On the 1st (shorter) leg Rob James quickly slotted in behind the race leader while I hung back a little, keeping my own pace. For the first couple of miles I overtook about 5 or 6 runners & could still see the lead cyclist, with about 7 runners ahead of me. After completing the 1st out-&-back loop I crossed the bridge to start the 2nd, longer loop. I could see that I was slowly gaining on the runner in front of me & knew that I could reel him in. For the next mile or so I slowly gained on him, until eventually I caught up with him. At this point I had no idea which position I was in as the path was much more winding. Just as I had caught the runner ahead of me I saw the lead runner on his return leg. That couldn’t be right, I knew the turnaround point was at about 7.5 miles. I knew he was fast, but surely he couldn’t have that much distance on me, especially as I couldn’t see Rob approaching with him? Then I realised he was jogging with little pace & had dropped out.

After starting to open a gap on the runner I had just passed, a marshal informed me that I was now in 5th place. As I reached the turnaround point I was starting to feel the heat & in my head I was starting to think I wouldn’t make it back. Luckily on the return I had a stream of runners coming in the opposite direction. Supportive words from many RRRs really helped me to keep my head in it. For the last 2 miles or so it was really tough, as the shade disappeared & the sun was beating down. As I was approaching the path leading to the bridge, around a kilometre from the end, I passed June Allingan & just behind her Angela Rogowskyj. At his point I felt in bits, but with a final few motivational words & a quick glance at my watch I knew the finish line was close. The runner ahead of me seemed to stay exactly the same distance away all along the return leg. I paid no attention to who was behind me, as I knew if there was someone close it would put me off. I tried to quicken my pace just in case there was someone approaching. As I crossed the bridge Simon Howard was there to clap everyone in just 200m or so from the finish. As I crossed the line I had never been more grateful for a bottle of water.

Rob had won the race & in doing so set a course record of 56:30 as the 1st winner on the new course, one that is well deserved. I was just over 2 minutes behind in 58:52, which given the heat I was happy with. Next home was father-to-be Shane Reading (3rd MV40) in 1:04:24. This clinched an RRR team victory in a close battle with Preston Harriers.

There was a similarly close battle between Dave Peart (2nd MV50, 1:05:11) & Mick Wildbore (1:05:12) which must have made an exciting race for the pair. In the ladies race Janet Jobey continued her fine form to finish 2nd lady & 1st FV45 (1:14:43), with this victory confirming her as the 2018 RRR Ladies Champion with 6 races yet to come.

As ever we had some notable age category performances, including Rob Nixon (2nd MV60, 1:13:19), Teresa Hollins (1st FV60, 1:25:47), Gail Shaw (3rd FV50, 1:31:10) & of course our president June Allingan (1st FV75, 2:05:02) a fantastic achievement! Rob even got a spot prize for 'best beard'.

All the other RRR finishers: Angela Rogowskyj (2:06:43), Sally Crewe (1:56:04), Martina Naismith (1:43:16), Claire Timms (1:39:13), Elaine Whitehead (1:36:02), Jillian Heywood (1:35:36), Jill Hickson (1:34:48), Chris Nicholson (1:34:14), Phil Austin (1:28:54), John Fay (1:28:30), Martin Jones (1:27:21), Helen Radcliffe (1:24:26), Elliott Stone (1:23:06), Vikki Smith (1:22:38), Jason Keast (1:21:17), Steve Goddard (1:19:40), Nick Mallon (1:19:24), David Crewe (1:15:35), Dave Hall (1:11:46), Robert Kellett (1:11:04), Bernard Goodwin (1:09:56), David Emanuel (1:08:44), Carl O’Callaghan (1:08:35) & Ian Dale (1:08:08).

Next up, the inaugural Hopwood Trot!  [Jarrod Gritt]

Grab yourself a brew - this is quite a long race report!

The last weekend in July saw the Ultra Tour of the Lake District, which has 2 races – The Lakeland 100 (which is actually 105 miles) & The Lakeland 50 (which is exactly 50). This was my 3rd attempt at the latter race & I was hoping to get somewhere between my previous 2 attempts with time - but races of this length are more about finishing than setting any PBs.

The recent glorious weather, that had been in the UK since early June, saw plenty of questions on Facebook asking whether we really needed to carry everything on the lengthy kit list. The weather gods were definitely observing these Facebook pages, but more of that later!

Arriving in Coniston just after lunchtime on Friday allowed plenty of time to pitch my tent & get through the kit check, which for this race is very thorough. This may seem fussy, but runners are self-sufficient for the whole event with the exception of checkpoints & the marshals obviously knew what was coming over the weekend! The rest of Friday was spent chilling in the glorious sunshine in a variety of Coniston pubs (no alcohol, which is quite an achievement!) & lounging outside my tent enjoying the  weather. It would have been perfect, except for the little outing I was about to undertake.

I didn’t even need to look out of the tent on Saturday morning to check the weather, as the battering it had taken during the night told me what I'd find. The Lakeland 50 finishes at Coniston, so after a bacon butty for breakfast I hopped on the bus to Dalemain estate. I just couldn’t believe I was in 4 or 5 layers trying to keep warm & keep my race kit dry. However after arriving at Dalemain the rain started to ease off, so maybe the forecast was wrong.

I actually started the race wearing just a T-shirt - but not for long. After completing the short loop of the estate, the race starts for real & heads for Pooley Bridge at the far end of Ullswater. It then climbs out of the village & heads up towards the old Roman road alongside the lake. The rain became so torrential on this climb that my waterproof coat had to come out & it never went away for the rest of the race. Once the short climb is completed there is a great section which is fairly flat & runnable, although this is probably helped by only having completed about 7 or 8 miles at this point. I reached the 1st checkpoint (CP) in a very similar time to last year but feeling quite strong. On previous ultras I feel I have spent too much time in CPs, so I had decided pre-race to go for less CP-faffing. So straight in & out, although I made sure I had full water bottles, as the next CP is nearly 10 miles away & it's quite a tough leg. I bumped into a great friend of mine from Swansea, who I met on Snowdonia Marathon a few years ago - we keep meeting on events like this, although this was her first Lakeland 50.

The next section is the climb up Fusedale, a never-ending ascent which takes runners to the highest point of the race. It’s one of those routes that just goes on & on & on…This was where the pre-race questions about kit requirements were answered. About halfway up there is a ruin of a building & before reaching it not only were we having torrential rain, but the weather gods also sent fierce winds & hailstones. I sheltered in the building for a couple of minutes to put on an extra base layer & waterproof trousers. In fact, to show how the weather compared to previous races, these trousers have never been worn previously & have just sat in the bottom of my pack!

After finally reaching the top of Fusedale the route goes across High Kop & Low Kop before dropping to Haweswater. Then the runners take the lengthy technical track along the side of Haweswater, which was proving quite slippy with the weather of the last few hours. At least by now the hailstones had stopped, but there was still plenty of rain. A couple of miles before the CP there were some huge crashes of thunder & lightning was clearly visible looking towards Mardale Head where the CP was based. I was quite relieved to have run without poles, as I wouldn’t imagine they mix well with lightning, but at least I was at a lower point of the race at this point.

Another quick stop at the next CP, although I was happy to remove my waterproof pants & allow my legs to breathe (not my best decision!). Then I started the huge climb up Gatescarth, which is an uphill mile on a winding path with about 1,500 feet of climb. I was really happy with my performance at this time & knew I was about 20 minutes quicker than last year at this point. My legs were feeling good, even though I was just under halfway. The route then drops a similar descent but is still tricky as the terrain is quite technical, so I didn’t want to push down the hill too quickly. I was surprised about halfway down to bump into a friend of mine supporting - on long routes a familiar face is extremely welcome.

Eventually I reached the checkpoint at Kentmere (27 miles) where I refulled with pasta, so this was a slightly longer rest. The route then continues to Ambleside, although it tends to use the hilliest route possible. This is one of the highlights of the race as there are so many people around giving runners encouragement. Unfortunately, running down the final hill into Ambleside I felt a twinge in my knee which by the time I left the CP was quite painful. I realised at this point that there was no way I was going to be able to continue running, but this is where ultra runners have a totally different mindset. I focused on the T-shirt & medal. There was no way I was becoming a DNF statistic, so I decided even though it would be slow, I would walk the rest of the race. It was only 16 miles!

By the time I reached the next CP at Chapel Stile I was feeling rather wiped out, but I had taken strong painkillers & kept on moving. The rain was torrential again & it was extremely windy, but every step was a step nearer Coniston. As I worked my way past Blea Tarn I encountered a 100 runner coming towards me - he had fallen asleep & was lost. I navigated him through the next section, as it is quite tricky and technical, plus it was dark at this point. I didn’t want him to miss the unmanned CP, as that result in disqualification, but after getting him there I left him & continued with my race.

I reached the final CP at Tilberthwaite feeling shattered but knowing I could finish. At this point there are only just over 3.5 miles to go, but this includes a technical climb so I was still expecting it to take a couple of hours. By this point my knee pain was agonising but the end was in sight. In a bizarre way I really enjoyed this section as I navigated over the Coniston fells in pitch darkness & at no point did I feel lost! After negotiating the fells I walked down to the road past the Coppermines & hobbled home to finish in 16 hours 55 minutes, a full 44 minutes quicker than last year. Ideally I'd wanted a sub-16 hour finish, but considering the problems with my knee I was absolutely delighted with sub-17. I will be certainly returning in 2019 as long as I can negotiate the tricky entry process - the race usually fills in about 5 minutes.

Given the conditions I would definitely put this down as the toughest race I’ve done & with the unbelievable scenery it still ranks in my mind as the best ultra around. It isn’t just the awesome views but the whole organisation of the event, from checkpoints to the whole weekend, is 2nd to none.

If anybody wants to join me next year, entry opens at 9.00am on Saturday 1st September (and inevitably closes very soon afterwards). [Simon Howard]

INGLEBOROUGH FELL RACE - 21st JULY 2018

The Run the Moors Grand Prix mixes up the races chosen each year, just like our own club championship & they are spoilt for choice given that 'fell' describes high ground covering the Pennines, Peak District, Lake District & Yorkshire Dales, with dozens of races throughout the season. The Ingleborough 11K was not included last year & this race was a first for Jason, Neil, Barry & I. Also, I think, for Rob who had brought family in tow - literally, as they had rocked up in the family caravan.

THE ROYTON TRAIL - 12th JULY 2018

Well some things don’t change - there’s Race Director Bryan's Oakleys pushed up on top of his head, Race Director hi-viz on & megaphone in hand, whilst the other Brian was safely ensconced in his usual place in the tap room. But something was different, as the start was moved back up the slope from the motorway bridge to outside the pub itself. David Emanuel explained to me that this put the race start in the same place as the race HQ to simplify administration & communication, plus "you avoid the mad dash round the 1st corner". "A 'mad dash' for the 1st corner," I mused: There are 2 running planets & I’m from the one that doesn’t do a 'mad dash' to the 1st corner.

There were 70 RRRs in the regulation green & yellow, which was down on previous years, but as this number is more than most running clubs’ full membership we still had other runners looking on in awe as the clan was brought together for the club photo call. That photo shows that the club membership is indeed a moving feast as we had several making The Royton Trail their 1st-ever RRR championship race: Warren Siddall (47:31), Mark Phelan (47:45), Matthew Fitton (48:41) & Nikki Forster (1:05:37). For some other RRRs - Ray Williams (48:54), George Meynall (53:41), Peter Boulton (57:34) & Joanne Webb (1:01:46) - it was a 1st club race of the year, while Phil Austin (53:04) was completing his 10th club race. They all joined over 240 runners keen to tackle the country lanes & woodland paths in the under-threat green belt of land between Oldham & Rochdale. The recent very hot & dry weather had completely rid the course of any puddles & mud, but had turned slightly cooler this evening, making for more ideal running conditions.

Once again Rob James blazed a trail home to cross the finish line 1st in 31:34, almost a minute clear of Michael Mannings of Oldham & Royton Harriers. Rob thus regained the title he won in 2016. A hard-fought women’s race was won by Kay Welsby of Rochdale Harriers. The men’s team prize - awarded to the club with the 3 best-placed runners - saw Royton’s Rob James, Jarrod Gritt (33:39) & Michael Wildbore (35:48) narrowly beat the top Salford Harriers trio, reversing last year’s result & giving us victory for the 1st time since 2015. Rochdale Harriers claimed the women’s team award for the first time, breaking a long-running streak by RRR.

Last year Ray Williams sprinted past me at the finish & this year we were once again seemingly joined at the hip running down the final straight back to the pub. Thinking that I had edged it over Ray, Tony Kane (48:48) sprinted past me on the other side – if you’re old enough to remember Wacky Races, it was just like that! Next year I may risk a glance over both the left & right shoulder for that final 100m 'mad dash'!

If you stayed for the presentation you’d have seen the Salford trio surround Bryan like Colombian footballers, questioning how they lost the male team prize, you’d have wondered what Prestwich AC runners had been smokin’ when their runners came up for their prizes & you’d have seen RRR ex-President David Phillips (50:58) collect a well-earned 1st MV70 prize. 

Whilst there are quite a few running couples in the club, we run our separate ways when the race starts, with the faster partner only running alongside the slower if either injured or just not feeling it that day. It was great therefore to see Angela (1:12:48) & Stephen Rogowskyj (1:12:49) run into the finish funnel together, just as they had done at the Rochdale 10K the week before. Fab! Well done to both of you!

No matter where competitors finished in the race, there were enough tasty sandwiches laid on for everyone to enjoy with their post-race refreshment in the Tandle Hill Tavern afterwards.

Finally, let’s put on record a big thank you for those that responded to Mary Freer’s plea for volunteers, covering roles such as course marking, lead bike, tail bike, tail runner, marshal coordinator, marshal, registration team, finish official, water station, post-race catering, etc, etc (takes some organising doesn’t it?) & who were willing to watch Love Island on catch-up later on.

Amongst many positive comments, this from runner Mick Harwood was typical: "I found it tough going, but in a very good way, it felt like a real community thing. Everyone was buzzing and very smiley. I’m glad that I made the effort!".

All the RRR finishers: Stephen Rogowskyj (1:12:49), Angela Rogowskyj (1:12:48), Hulya Whittaker (1:05:57), Nikki Forster (1:05:37), Joanne Webb (1:01:46), Karen Stuttard (1:01:42), Judith Bradley (1:01:37), Neil Bradley (1:01:31), Bernadette Ball (1:01:04), Sally Crewe (59:44), Claire Timms (59:41), Mike Keating (59:26), Amanda Richardson (59:16), Dave Bardsley (58:19), Stephen Jones (57:49), Peter Boulton (57:34), Martina Naismith (57:02), Elaine Whitehead (56:18), Jillian Heywood (54:29), George Meynell (53:41), Phil Austin (53:04), Teresa Hollins (51:14), David Phillips (50:58), Gary Marshall (50:37), Paul Cooke (50:11), Leonie Glynn (49:48), Helen Radcliffe (49:46), Ray Williams (48:54), Gary Smith (48:51), Anthony Kane (48:48), Matthew Fitton (48:41), Vikki Smith (48:27), John Fay (47:50), Mark Phelan (47:45), Andrew Chadwick (47:40), Warren Siddall (47:31), Nicholas Mallon (47:15), Adam Farrell (46:57), Stewart Jones (46:36), Ronnie Quinn (46:21), Val Kilburn (46:19), David Freer (45:33), Bernard Cassidy (45:11), Stephen Goddard (44:31), Mark Heaney (44:17), Jason Keast (43:47), Alex Critcher (43:38), Garry Bower (43:23), Robert Nixon (42:55), Paul Ashton (42:07), Robert Kellett (42:03), Matt Kilburn (41:21), David Crewe (40:50), Ian Dale (40:34), Eamonn Nolan (40:33), David Emanuel (40:23), Darren Ogden (40:20), Elliot Stone (40:03), Bernie Goodwin (39:36), Dave Peart (39:09), Carl O'Callaghan (38:44), Neil Brock (38:28), Martin Thompson (37:36), Richard Cummins (37:32), Michael Fleming (36:57), Shane Reading (36:17), Rob Battye (36:03), Michael Wildbore (35:48), Jarrod Gritt (33:39) & Rob James (31:34).

So, here’s looking forward to the next year’s The Royton Trail. Let’s hope the scenery doesn’t change, I’d rather dodge potholes & run between hedges & fields than on new tarmac through a housing estate!  [Gary Smith]

“Have you started that report yet?”

“No.” (rolls eyes).

“Well you’d better get a wriggle on then!”

"OK." (rolls eyes again).

It was game, set & match last Tuesday at Springfield Park (“I wouldn’t bother with any Wimbledon analogies.” - Dave E.). Rochdale 10k was the 9th race in the 2018 club championship season & some more crafty runners will be making tactical choices about their races from now on, as any lower point scores than your best 9 are henceforth discarded.

Even before the start of the race, Jill ‘Tommy Smith’ Hickson was putting the boot in, raking her studs down the back of my leg whilst saying, “That’s what you get for not mentioning my PB in the last report, I’ll ‘ave you.” OK - at Colshaw Hall Jill ran 52:11 yo take 33 seconds off her PB. Well done! Better still put the shin-pads on though...

Race numbers were down this year, 142 compared to 280 last year, as many wanted to watch England send Sweden flat-packing. Comparing the times of some of our galacticos to last year the heat had a slowing effect on individual times, with only Neil  ‘he has pace, power & technique’ Brock (42:00) and Matt ‘he always gives 110%’ Kershaw (44:30) coming in at a faster time, although Carl ‘he’s got two good feet’ O’Callaghan came close (41:52). This is discounting, of course, the fact that Golden Boot contender Rob ‘he’s a top, top player’ Nixon (45:54), went faster & in his 25th club race to boot. This race also gave Carl his 50th cap for the club. Shane ‘on his day he’s unplayable’ Reading (38:42) came away with 1st MV40 prize as the 1st MV40 was 3rd overall. Andy ‘always puts a shift in’ Chadwick (50:35) could have got the kerb yellow-carded for a nasty (non-fishing) tackle, but he kept his feet & seems to have made a full recovery from saying that he’s not fully fit.

The women’s team came through a hard, bruising encounter with Diane ‘over the moon’ Allingan (54:26) getting the player’s player award for 1st FV55, whilst June (1:13:39) must have been as sick as a parrot not to get a prize for finishing 1st FV70.

We are now 9 races into the club season with 8 remaining, so it’s a season of two halves with the clock ticking down & everything to run for. We’re got a home game next with The Royton Trail on Thursday 12th. It could all go to a head-to-head record penalty shoot-out. ("OK, that’s enough football clichés." - Dave E). Final mention to the stalwart that always puts his club 1st, Dave ‘gifted playmaker’ Emanuel (42:21) ("OK just that one.") - it’s all a matter of owning the process Dave.

"Have you finished it yet?"

"Yes. Have you brushed your hair, it’s looking a bit Messi?’

"Gareth Southgate wouldn’t say that, he’s a gentleman."

(rolls eyes)

The last weekend in June  - by the end the first Sunday in July - saw the 1st attempt by an RRR team to complete the Endure 24 race at Bramham Park, between Leeds & York. The race was a 5-mile loop of the park which needed completing as many times as possible in the 24 hours between midday Saturday & midday Sunday. We were extremely lucky as a club to have won a free team entry, but the event was so well-received that most of the team want to return in 2019. Also included in the cost (or free entry in our case) were 2 nights camping on the site, so half of the team went up on Friday & set up camp. The weather was absolutely fantastic with brilliant sunshine, although the temperatures during the event made it quite challenging at times.

The team set up camp on the Friday evening & in true RRR fashion, a brilliant time was had by all. Various different containers were used as wine glasses! However, as said in all reports after coach trips, what happens on the bus stays on the bus; so unless you were there, what happens on the field stays on the field...but we did have to hydrate as we were about to embark on a tough 24-hour challenge.

Saturday morning saw a team meeting where plans were put in place. We had a Plan A & Plan B to start with, as we were unsure whether Rob Nixon & Andy Chadwick were going to make it on time, so we set up a running order for a 6-person team & an 8-person team. This gave us an idea of roughly when our first laps would be, to allow the correct nutrition & hydration plans. Rob & Andy arrived about an hour before the start, which was a relief to myself as team captain as I was going out 1st on the 6 person plan but 5th on the 8 person plan, so at least I knew when I was going to run. Also, we were all quite relieved to be running with a full team, as laps in the extreme heat were going to be tough.

Mark Rigby had the honour of starting off the team. As we waited we were amazed at the pace, with the 1st few teams lapping in under 30 minutes, but Mark did a fantastic job to complete his 1st lap in 37 minutes. Janet Jobey set off on the next lap & completed it in 40 minutes, before our later arrivals Rob & Andy completed their laps in 38 & 46 minutes respectively. I then completed my lap in 45 minutes, the conditions great for hayfever sufferers with grass & tree pollen combined with chalky paths. Michael Pickering then completed his first lap in 38 minutes, with Alex Critcher running round in 40 minutes before Stewart Jones brought the team round with everyone having run a lap with a time of 41 minutes. Our plan was to try to keep the order the same, to have a rough idea of when we were running. There were a couple of mad laps as the sun started to set, as due to the race rules you had to wear a headtorch after 8pm but due to the low height of the sun you also needed sunglasses!

The lap was an interesting route & would make a fabulous 5 mile race, but it becomes a different challenge when knowing you are repeating this loop time & time again. The park appeared flat from the campsite but there were a few killer hills & each lap had an ascent of about 300 feet. The event is billed as 'Glastonbury for Runners' & there was a brilliant atmosphere as you completed each lap by running through an arch before a lung-busting climb up to pass on the 'baton' (which was actually a wristband).

All our plans seemed to be going perfectly until shortly after midnight, when we were standing near the start/finish area & could hear Janet shouting for the next runner. At first we were rather concerned as we thought the shouting was a recurrence of her ankle injury, but luckily nothing like that. As a result I then set off on an interesting lap, as I was running about 2-3 hours earlier than expected so set off on a lap in the dark without nutrition or hydration. Fortunately, there is a feed station about halfway round so I managed to hydrate there. The team were brilliant while I ran this unexpected lap, as they juggled the order round. Running this lap I had various plans in my head & didn’t even know if I was going back round again. I was fairly relieved to see Rob there so we could reorganise the running order. The night runs were the highlight of the event for most of us, with the experience of running through the woods in the dark. Some may say we were delirious by this point & we’re all a bit strange! All sorts of messages were left on the table at the campsite, about order of runners & who you had to wake up next. Luckily the garden cane I had brought for the club flag was never needed as a prod to wake anybody up! There was a grumpy moment when I tried juggling the order round about 6am in the morning but it was only due to lack of sleep!

As daylight broke, one or two runners were starting to struggle with injuries, heat & fatigue, so we hatched a plan to utilise the whole of the 24 hours. The way it all panned out, myself, Janet, Stewart & Mark ran an unofficial 6th lap with Alex so we could complete the last lap as a team. This showed how mad we had become running for 24 hours. The rules were that you could run the last 200 metres as a team if you took your chip off but we decided we’d do the whole lap. What’s 5 miles between friends? The last lap was a marvellous experience, even though we adopted more of a walk/run strategy as hills seemed like mountains & we could praise the unbelievable solo runners.

The whole event was a marvellous experience, making a few new RRR members of the 'ultra club'. The organisation was fantastic, with marshals there all night, with showers & food available throughout - as a team we couldn’t recommend the event more.

Talking of the team...this was a fantastic debut at endurance team running as we came home in 9th place in the 'mixed large team' category, out of 83 teams. Including our unofficial last laps, we ran as a team an amazing 190 miles during the 24 hours.

KINDER TROG FELL RACE - 24th JUNE 2018

Kinder: sub-classification of a geological term.

Trog: a blending of the words trudge & slog (sic).

Neither Jason or myself had done this long fell race before & perhaps it was a good thing that we were a couple of innocents, as this was hard. You will become fatigued & you could easily take a wrong turn. It was a hot, but more importantly it was a cloudless day, so seeing where you had to go & using navigation skills took a back seat to just toughing it out. Last year the weather was ‘claggy’ & I would not have liked to have been constantly checking the way forward.

The race starts from the scout hut in the picturesque & seemingly un-wrecked village of Hayfield in the High Peak of Derbyshire, hidden alongside the bypass road. After climbing out of the village, the circular route takes in the different highpoint landmarks.

There are several problems that can affect you running such a long distance on the moors. First, you become footsore - your toes & balls of your feet (that’s ‘balls of your feet’, Bernadette) become very tender, the flagged paths become uncomfortable to run on & you end up doing little baby steps on the later downhill stages when you can no longer go full pelt. Secondly, you start to fight the onset of cramp; more than once I was stood stock still on a steep slope waiting for the cramp to subside. Also, it helps if the guy in front of you knows the route when you don’t; he didn’t & we went all the way down to the bottom of a hillside field before turning to see the runners that were behind us going across the top of the same field. I had to go diagonally back up through 2-foot-high grass. Mercifully that field was adjacent to the village & the finish was close by.

So glad to just get back & it was more like 15 miles than the 16 advertised. Jason had experienced similar cramping problems half-way round, but after getting slowly back to the truck we eased up. Those gambling ads say that when the fun stops, STOP! Fell running is great fun but sometimes…nah, it’s still great fun, you just have to keep going when your body is starting to hurt.  [Gary Smith]

TATTON 10K - 10th JUNE 2018

"It’ll be no’but a cock’s stride". Bernadette sometimes comes out with her Yorkshire mum’s idioms. Well OK, it’s 10K & not 10 miles, on what is an only-slightly-extended undulating parkrun-like track through the lush grounds of Tatton Park, but we all had the air conditioning on - or windows down if you were in a less fancy motor - on the way in. Whatever your heat tolerance the morning was going to be warm.

The race was in the club calendar for the for the 2nd consecutive year & the 7th race in this year's championship, so all the club training nights, parkruns, RRR cup matches, gym work & Strava miles should now be paying dividends. The course runs along the ground’s main access road, with several diversionary loops off it. I felt I was in a massive human game of ‘snake’, with the tail following the head along its body as runners ran the same path in opposite directions. So it was easy to see how far my fellow RRRs were ahead of me.

A highlight of the day came after the race, as Bernard Goodwin was congratulated on his 200th appearance in a club vest & received a bottle of champagne from President Bryan Lawton to mark this marvellous personal milestone. If you look at the Roll of Honour you'll see that Bernard has joined a very exclusive club - which at the moment only has him in it! A big collective well done from all of us.

With a decent medal, water & ice tea drinks (which Mike Keating & I agreed was ‘orrible, but Bernadette liked), a health chew bar that you could pretend was like chocolate & a flapjack, 8 out of 10 RRRs who expressed a preference said the race was an enjoyable one. Plus we run more than enough times in the cold and wet, don’t we?

All the RRR finishing times: Jarrod Gritt (37:01), Rob Battye (37:27), Shane Reading (37:43), Michael Fleming (39:11), Dave Peart (39:48), Neil Brock (40:11), David Ellis (40:43), Bernie Goodwin (40:53), David Emanuel (40:57), Elliot Stone (41:21), Matthew Kilburn (42:50), Matt Kershaw (43:56), David Crewe (44:16), Janet Jobey (44:42), Robert Nixon (44:45), Alex Critcher (45:12), Bryan Lawton (45:20), Jason Keast (45:57), Garry Bower (46:37), Ronnie Quinn (47:15), Nicholas Mallon (47:18), Stephen Goddard (47:40), Val Kilburn (48:42), Adam Farrell (49:10), Paul Cooke (49:26), John Fay (50:45), Gary Smith (51:16), Gary Marshall (51:54), Gail Shaw (55:00), Lynda Brookes (57:36), Elaine Whitehead (59:37), Mike Keating (1:00:43), Bernadette Ball (1:01:21), Sarah Butler (1:01:45), Emma Bower (1:03:23), Dave Watt (1:03:35) & Sally Crewe (1:04:29).

Only a week to wait for another club championship 10K, this one at Colshaw Hall. It could be another warm one!  [Gary Smith]

When I was asked to write this report, I thought I would be able to tell you all that Bernadette has won her battle against cancer & that this race was a celebration of that victory. Unfortunately at 1pm on the day of the race, we sat in the Victoria Breast Care Unit at Oldham Hospital - in the same room we sat in on the 4th July last year when we were told she had triple negative inflammatory breast cancer - to be told that after all the chemo, radiotherapy & the mastectomy that the cancer has returned. Devastated doesn’t do justice to how we were both feeling. B has won the battle once & now it’s Round 2. With all the support of her family & friends, plus the RRR family, she will face this one & beat it again to end the war.

There was a full body CT scan booked for B at the X-Ray unit at Oldham Hospital for 6:20 & we thought that was it, there was no way we were going to make the race that was being run in B’s name & raising funds for the Victoria Unit. But B so wanted to be there & as soon as she was called from the waiting room (early at about 6:10, nice refreshing change to get called in early for an appointment) she asked how long it would take & explained about the race. They told her 10 minutes & she shouted to Tansy & I, who were in the waiting room as she walked back past, that she’d be just 10 minutes & she was. I must thank Tansy at this point for her love & support, she has become a valued friend to the pair of us over the last 11 months & brings a calmness to both of us when we are stressed. She seems to have a 6th sense & calls just when we are in need without us even speaking to her.

As we left the hospital I double-checked B wanted to go to the race & also if she minded if I ran it. She wanted both, so a desperate phone call to Jill Heywood to ask Andy O’Sullivan to postpone the start for 15 minutes was followed by a mad dash home to get changed (I don’t think Superman could have changed as quickly as I did). Then it was straight back out the door, pulling up outside the Cock & Magpie at 7:05pm just in time for me to grab my number from Jill & use the climb up the hill to the start as a warm-up, giving B 10 minutes to walk up to set us all off on our way. As I walked in to the crowd at the start I have to admit all your kind wishes gave me a huge lump in my throat & I got reaffirmation that I belong to the best running club around. You truly are my 2nd family & you have all helped me to stay strong & positive for B, I don’t think I could cope without you all.

Before I get to the race results I just want to mention how the monies you’ve helped to raise - in excess of £750 - will be spent. When B & I 1st went to the unit for her 1st dose of chemo the nurses explained that the heat pad that they put on her arm to bring up her veins was paid for out of the nurse’s own pockets. They didn’t need to say anything further, I had already decided that they would never have to do that again & set about with B to raise as much money as we could for the unit. They also told us that they didn’t have towels so that the ladies who were using the cold caps could dry their hair afterwards, there was also no entertainment in the rooms & they said they wished they had digital radios. Since that 1st visit B & I, along with very many friends, have raised in excess of £4,000 - hopefully when tonight’s funds are added we will be pushing past the £5,000 mark. The monies have so far gone to pay for the heat pads, towels, a digital radio in each treatment room, a fridge for storing drugs & a unit like the cold cap, but this one is for gloves to try to protect the nerve endings in the ladies’ finger tips that some of the chemo drugs damage. All the extra monies raised will ensure that those amazing nurses never have to dip in their own pockets again to give the care these ladies deserve as they battle this awful disease.

A quick mention for a couple of groups who are not members, yet we live in hope that they do eventually join our ranks. 1st the Royton RunTogether Improvers Group, who I have the immense pleasure of leading each Monday. I started with them back in January & they are now becoming seasoned 5K runners - you had better watch out because when they graduate in August at 10K they are going to be quickly moving up through the groups within the club. Secondly the Oldham Up & Running Social Group, who used this race for their 1st away night. This is an excellent group & if you fancy a nice gentle 5K on a Tuesday evening at 7pm pop along to the shop on Huddersfield Road & join in, you can always loop if you want an bit extra.

So onto the results. Of the 165 runners, 63 were from RRR, making up just under 40% of the field & our biggest turn out of the year so far. Out front leading us all home were the usual suspects, Rob James winning the race in 16:44 with Jarrod Gritt taking 2nd in 17:04, very impressive running from both.

There were 7 RRRs in the top 10 & 14 in the top 20, a very strong showing. Our ladies were led home by Janet Jobey, who was 3rd female & 1st FV45 in 21:28 (thanks for trying to drag me around Janet).

We had some age category winners too, who need to be commended on their impressive performances: Shane Reading (1st MV40, 18:06), Elliot Stone (1st MV45, 19:25 - becoming a habit now Elliot), Alan Bodell (1st MV55, 19:36 - 1st club race of the year too), Rob Nixon (1st MV60, 22:07) & Ronnie Quinn (1st MV65, 23:07 - so good to see Ronnie back from injury, won’t be long before I’m back in his slipstream).

Other notable mentions need to go to Steve Goddard (23:16), Dave Bardsley (28:22), Bernie Allen (29:19) & Hulya Whittaker (33:59) who all made their RRR debuts. Welcome all of you to the family! Well done also to Gary Marshall (23:32) who reached the 10-race milestone & several other runners making their 1st club race appearance of the year - Liz Phillips-Rennie (29:22), James Wright (29:53), Karen Stuttard (29:58) & Emma Kennedy (40:26). We also need to mention Lee Higgingbottom who finally succumbed to his calf injury, bringing his amazing sequence of 43 consecutive club races to an end. Get fit soon Lee & get back on it. Some way off Shane still, but there’s the target for us mortals to aim at for 2nd place in the consecutive races list.

All the rest of the RRR finishers: Angela Rogowskyj (34:28), Mary Freer (34:06), Judith Bradley (32:42), Stephen Rogowskyj (31:39), Emma Bower (29:58), Sharon Dracup (29:44), Jillian Heywood (29:40), Neil Bradley (29:35), Sarah Butler (29:29), Susan Heaney (29:11), Sally Crewe (28:38), Mike Keating (28:31), Elaine Whitehead (28:24), Stephen Jones (28:19), Amanda Richardson (28:00), Claire Timms (27:52), Rochelle Evans + Bump (26:56), Jill Hickson (26:36), Dave Watt (25:26), Tony Kane (24:47), Gary Smith (24:44), Simon Howard (23:55), Andrew Chadwick (23:31), John Fay (23:12), Chris Nicholson (22:58), Dave Freer (22:52), Jason Keast (22:46), Mark Heaney (22:39), Adam Farrell (22:33), Nicholas Mallon (21:51), Alex Critcher (21:35), Garry Bower (21:31), Bernard Cassidy (21:15), Bryan Lawton (20:57), Robert Kellett (20:49), David McBride (20:34), David Crewe (20:25), Ian Dale (20:01), David Emanuel (19:59), Dave Hall (19:55), Matt Kershaw (19:46), Darren Ogden (19:35), Bernie Goodwin (19:30), Martin Thompson (18:54), Michael Wildbore (18:20), Michael Fleming (18:09).

That just leaves me to say thank you all for supporting this race on behalf of Bernadette & myself on what was a very difficult day. Every one of you made us feel loved & supported. Royton Road Runners YOU ROCK!   [Garry Bower]

MARKET DRAYTON 10K - 13th MAY 2018

Martina, Jill & I set off to Market Drayton on a sunny Sunday morning. We were met on the motorway by Martin Jones & Rob Nixon, who apparently had been trying to attract our attention for some miles, but we were busy chatting as ladies do. They eventually got noticed by driving behind us & flashing their lights, which elicited a comment along the lines of “Who are you flashing your lights at, it’s a 50mph limit!”, for us then to realise who it was.

We all arrived safely at the venue & collected our race t-shirts, where we also met up with fellow RRR participants Angela & Stephen Rogowskyj & Garry Bower.

The run starts with a lap around the edge of a school field, then out onto the roads of Market Drayton. The course is slightly undulating around the residential areas surrounding the town centre, with an uphill climb into the town centre, then back out towards the school, finishing on the school field. The run was well supported along the route where 1 or 2 spectators sprayed the runners with hosepipes to help with the heat.

All the RRR finishers: Rob Nixon (44:25, another course PB), Garry Bower (49:07), Martin Jones (52:36), Gail Shaw (53:55), Jill Hickson (55:11), Martina Naismith (59:44), Angela Rogowskyj (1:13:14, also a course PB) & Stephen Rogowskyj (1:13:14).

RON HILL ACCRINGTON 10K - 22nd APRIL 2018

A chat in the café post-parkrun at Alexandra Park brought up the topic of this race. Jill Hickson was running it due to her commitment to her other club's championship (North West Finance Professionals) & I fancied also having a go too. So I promptly entered, completely forgetting that it was London Marathon Day & thus I'd miss my normal position on the sofa trying to spot RRRs & other people I know.

At bang on 9:30am we set off - as soon as we did the heavens opened & we were all soaked by the end of mile 1.  I had decided to try something new & used one of my RRR buffs as a wristband, covering my watch to try to run on feel. For the 1st mile Adam & I ran together but then he dropped back, I think he did too much celebrating at Wembley the night before! I fully expected him to catch & pass me on the numerous hills over the next 3 miles & was surprised when he didn’t.

Turns out it was Nick Mallon who was chasing me down & had we not had a very steep downhill in mile 6 I think he might just have got ahead, but pulling out a 6:24 mile at the end was just what the race gods ordered to get me across the line as 1st RRR home in 47:47 (92nd position). Not sure if covering the watch worked or not, as this is about average for me, but I will give it another go in the future.

Nick followed me home in 99th place in 48:27 (he’s getting quicker, watch out Group 3!), then Adam Stirling looking like he had been shot (remember, if it’s looking like rain boys, we need to protect those nips) in 50:21 (124th). Next RRR home was Martin Jones in 52:42 (162nd), followed by Ian Giles in 53:33 (171st). Ian is currently training for Edinburgh Marathon with his son Tom & had run 19 miles the day before - very impressive. Our other financial professional & 1st female RRR Jill Hickson was next to finish in 53:48 (174th). Niparun Nessa completed our finishers with a bigger than normal smile on her face in 1:04:25 (308th). I'm not sure if the smile was because she enjoyed the race or that she knew we’d be going for brunch afterwards; pretty sure it was the latter.

A great race this one & I wouldn’t be complaining if it were to make the RRR Championship list next year. It is normally earlier than April but was postponed due to the bad weather we had in March.  [Garry Bower]

CALDER VALE COUNTRY 10 MILER - 30th MARCH 2018

"What we gonna do?"

"I don’t know, what do you wanna do?"

"I don’t know, what d’you wanna do?"

Bernadette & I sounded like the vultures off Jungle Book thinking about this Good Friday. We checked for runs over the holiday & as the Salford 10K & Hale 5K were both full, we booked on the Calder Vale 10 miler. We all know Calderdale & there is Calderstones in Liverpool, but I had never heard of this place. Even Google Maps had to think for a bit.

Calder is a Celtic word that means 'from a stony river'. Anyway, the village is just inside the Forest of Bowland & it’s like finding human habitation in the Lost World, a tiny hamlet on both sides of a deep v-shaped wooded valley. After Bernadette & I had played Top Trumps for forgotten kit - gloves & club vest (doh!) - we picked up our numbers in a village hall that hadn’t changed since Ronnie Quinn was in the cubs. 

The race set off alongside the village’s cenotaph & this run is a toughie. A look at the race profile will show that you run progressively uphill most of the way - but remembering Alex Critcher’s comment at the start of the Wrexham Half that "you need the uphills so as to catch the downhills", there were some steepish descents. My legs, however, wanted to turn back before the 2nd mile & my lungs wanted to join them. It’s always a bad sign when runners go past & then pointedly check their watches just in front of you like they’re not even in their red zone yet. But it’s a good buzz at the end when you are running down to a finish that you can see below you. Bernadette was pleased with her time, being very unsure that she had the stamina to complete the course after suffering from a persistent virus.

DENTDALE RUN - 10th MARCH 2018

Now in its 34th year, the breathtaking scenery of the Dentdale Run attracts runners from far & wide. With RRR being attracted to that sort of thing, not to mention to any village with its own brewery, it is a well-established fixture in the RRR championship. The ‘secret’ Yorkshire dale of Dent, nestled in the Howgills right on the Cumbria/ Yorkshire border, always offers RRR a hearty welcome. Maybe one year they’ll even hire a pub band that can play a decent tune.

The 14.2 mile, figure-of-8 course literally goes up & down the dale (& some hills), out one side of the small village of Dent & back in the other. The scenery is outstanding & the course is tough. Whoever 1st said the last mile is the hardest had probably run the race at some point.

The run was ‘sold out’ & over 400 finished the long race, including 39 RRRs. Paul Cooke (2:09:25) was the standout achiever, completing his 50th club race. This makes him the 38th current member of the prestigious ’50 Club’ & earns him the equally impressive gold-embossed 50 Club polo shirt.

In the main event, Jarrod Gritt (1:26:50) claimed full championship points again & finished a very creditable 7th overall. He was followed home by Shane Reading (1:31:25) who also finished 2nd in the MV40 category. In the MV50 grouping Dave Peart (1:33:01), who is preparing for both the Manchester & London marathons in April (2 weeks apart!) claimed 2nd and 21st overall. This leading trio just missed out on the men's team prize, by less than a minute. 

In the ladies race  Janet Jobey (1:49:04) grabbed maximum points & finished 3rd in the FV45s. Well done also to Claire Timms (2:30:02) who amongst many setting new PBs for this course managed to knock a remarkable 11 minutes off her previous time.

For those on the coach you might have failed to notice, if you had your eyes & ears closed all the way home, that in the ‘fun run’ shorter 7 mile race there was a magnificent men's team victory for Andy Schofield (17th, 59:36), Steve Shaw (19th, 1:00:53) & Adam Farrell (28th, 1:03:55) - Adam picking up a prize in only his 2nd race as an RRR. There were some people who said the prize of 3 bottles of wine went quicker than the lads ran the race, but as Steve so rightly said, "Jealousy is a terrible thing." 

All the other RRR finishers(in the 14.2 mile race): Robert Fairbanks (1:36:23), Richard Cummins (1:38:40), Carl O'Callaghan (1:38:43), Neil Brock (1:39:29), Ian Dale (1:41:57), David Emanuel (1:42:28), Elliot Stone (1:43:47), Bernard Goodwin (1:47:03), Valerie Kilburn (1:57:53), Vikki Smith (1:59:10), Howard Dracup (1:59:23), Gary Smith (1:59:30), Robert Nixon (2:00:47), Garry Bower (2:01:28), Alex Critcher (2:01:37), Helen Radcliffe (2:05:22), Jason Keast (2:06:59), Teresa Hollins (3rd FV60, 2:15:20), Andy Chadwick (2:16:02), Jillian Heywood (2:19:06), Simon Howard (2:20:47), Lisa Cummins (2:21:27), Ian Giles (2:30:57), Tom Giles (2:30:57), Lee Higginbottom (2:33:24), Martina Naismith (2:36:29), Jenny O'Callaghan (2:37:03), Bernadette Ball (2:39:27), Sarah Butler (2:53:15), Charlotte Chadwick (2:53:18), Natalie Yates-Bolton (2:53:18), June Allingan (1st FV70, 2:56:10) & Mary Freer (2:56:11).

The next club race will be the 1st of the Hollingworth Lake 5K series in May. 5K – now doesn’t that sound like a lovely distance!  [Elliot Stone]

It might have been the fact that we were running in a different country, but the impressive start to the year made at Dewsbury was continued in Wales. The conditions were near-perfect & the course, apart from a dodgy start around an industrial estate, was near-perfect too. 13.1 miles of scenic Welsh countryside in beautiful winter sunshine made running a pleasure for 57 RRRs (more than we've ever had in a Club Championship half marathon, with the exception of Oldham) & the accompanying times backed this up.

Once again, it was a personal best (PB) bonanza & then some. Jenny O’Callaghan (2:11:08) managed to knock off over 8 minutes off her previous best. In the men’s section, Robert Nixon (1:42:20) beat his by over 4 minutes. Even your press officer (1:28:08) succeeded in slicing 90 seconds off his former PB, which was set over 6 years ago. There is life in the old dog yet!

Aside from these great times, in the main race Jarrod Gritt was reinforcing the marker he laid down at Dewsbury by finishing in an astonishing time of 1:14:48. This resulted in him finishing 20th overall, 5th Senior Male, which in a field of 1800 runners is mightily impressive. Following him home was Shane Reading (1:19:32) in 59th place, completing his 81st consecutive club race.

Janet Jobey (1:36:11) maintained her fine start to the season & cemented her place as the woman to beat in this year’s championship by claiming 44th position in the female race, 4th in the FV45 group. Joint best position of the day went to Eileen Ingham (2:08:29), who finished 3rd in the FV65 category, & Teresa Hollins (1:53:05, 3rd FV60).

In the RRR Roll of Honour both Michael Fleming (1:24:31) & Rob Battye (1:25:57) joined the esteemed ‘25 Club', confirming that running is indeed a bug that is very hard to shake off. Andrew Chadwick (1:50:40) joined the ‘10 Club' too, marking himself down into posterity.

A few 'firsts' worth mentioning - Alex Critcher (1:48:20) produced an impressive debut in RRR colours & Amanda Richardson (2:11:33) completed her 1st ever half marathon, while Bernie Goodwin (1:27:23) - closing in on 200 club races - ran for the 1st time as a V50.

After the race & a short trip on the coach, Chester & its Roman walls hosted the large party of RRRs. In Wetherspoons, the world’s longest table was assembled in order for all the food & drink to be swilled down in a hearty manner only matched by pigs around a trough. There were some rumours that a ‘pervert’ had infiltrated the party & had managed to sneak into the women’s changing room earlier on, not once but 4 times. However it seems that the perpetrator was duly named & shamed & might never, ever live the event down!

All the other RRR finishers: Chris Lowe (1:21:19), Robert Fairbanks (1:23:34), Neil Brock (1:25:54), Richard Cummins (1:26:03), Dave Peart (1:28:28), Carl O'Callaghan (1:28:59), David Emanuel (1:29:18), Ian Dale (1:30:24), Brian Moore (1:31:53), David Hall (1:34:11), Andrew Schofield (1:37:18), Stewart Jones (1:38:47), Matt Kershaw (1:39:58), Mark Rigby (1:41:52), Steve Shaw (1:41:59), Valerie Kilburn (1:42:41), Vikki Smith (1:43:41), Gary Smith (1:46:38), Paul Cooke (1:47:18), Howard Dracup (1:47:32), Leonie Glynn (1:48:24), Jason Keast (1:52:48), Helen Radcliffe (1:53:02), Julie Greenwood (1:53:05), Adam Stirling (1:53:15), Tom Giles (1:53:39), Ian Giles (1:54:47), Diane Allingan (1:57:40), Gail Shaw (1:58:11), Simon Howard (2:03:30), Jillian Heywood (2:05:23), Lisa Cummins (2:07:35), Claire Timms (2:09:34), Martina Naismith (2:10:49), Bernadette Ball (2:14:50), Sarah Butler (2:16:10), Lee Higginbottom (2:16:16), Tracey Hall (2:16:39), Charlotte Chadwick (2:16:47), Sharon Dracup (2:22:52), Niparun Nessa (2:23:37), Natalie Yates-Bolton (2:24:07) & June Allingan (2:41:20). 

Next stop is Dent, which I'm sure will write its own story. See you there.  [Elliot Stone]

DEWSBURY 10K - 4th FEBRUARY 2018

It was over the hills to Dewsbury for the 1st race of the 2018 RRR championship. The Yorkshire town hosted the well-organised & well-attended 10K – over 1500 runners entered – that sets the tone for the rest of the season.

The race certainly didn’t disappoint. Lots of RRRs managed to grab personal bests (PBs) even at this early stage of the season, including Bernadette Ball (8th FV60, 61:38), Sharon Dracup (62:58), Jenny O'Callaghan (58:28), Carl O'Callaghan (39:48), Michael Wildbore (37:45) & Michael Fleming (37:43). They were helped by the straightforward route - heading through Batley towards Birstall & back again, the speedy downhill finish provided the platform for some excellent times.

First honours of the season went to Jarrod Gritt (34:50), who finished 33rd in a very strong field. Jarrod began to show his potential last season & has worked hard through the winter months to ensure his progress. By being the first RRR home, he managed to beat Shane Reading (9th V40, 35:34) & last year’s club champion, Rob James (35:42). Both Jarrod and Shane recorded new PBs, emphasising the quality of their runs.

In the women’s race, Janet Jobey (43:49) lived up to her billing as favourite by coming home 1st among the RRR women. This was quite an achievement, coming early in her return from a serious foot injury.

June Allingan (1st FV70, 1:10:58) gained our only prize in any category, proving once again that she is not ready for the quiet life just yet. However there were a number of impressive age category positions in this top-quality field, including Diane Allingan (9th FV55, 51:17), Val Kilburn (8th FV50, 46:34), Ronnie Quinn (6th V65, 45:00), Robert Nixon (5th V60, 43:35) & Chris Lowe (4th V45, 36:25).

Despite the tough competition our men's & women's teams put in commendable performances for 9th & 14th positions respectively.

Big congratulations & a very warm welcome to our ‘first-timers’ Adam Farrell (48:37), Leonie Glyn (48:53) & Sally Crewe (59:37). We’re sure your names will appear in these reports many times in the future.

All the other RRR finishers: Mary Freer (1:10:58), Lee Higginbottom (an injury-plagued 65:01), Tracey Hall (62:04), Sarah Butler (60:37), Martina Naismith (59:43), Elaine Whitehead (57:08), Jillian Heywood (56:26), Amanda Richardson (54:09), Rochelle Evans (54:06), Lisa Cummins (53:23), Gail Shaw (53:19), Jill Hickson (53:04), John Fay (50:59), Tony Kane (50:06), Gary Marshall (49:56), Dave Watt (49:38), Simon Howard (48:45), Chris Nicholson (48:19), Adam Stirling (48:14), David Freer (47:59), Helen Radcliffe (47:56), Gary Smith (47:09), Neil Farrell (46:57), Paul Cooke (46:53), Andy Chadwick (46:44), David Crewe (46:40), Vikki Smith (46:39), Mark Heaney (45:53), Jason Keast (45:14), Garry Bower (45:06), Steve Shaw (44:38), Bryan Lawton (43:58), Stewart Jones (43:56), Matthew Kilburn (43:16), Matt Kershaw (42:32), Bernie Cassidy (42:22), Ian Dale (41:21), David Emanuel (40:44), Elliot Stone (40:32), Dave Peart (39:28), Richard Cummins (38:57), Bernie Goodwin (38:50) & Rob Battye (37:13).

Overall, 62 RRRs completed the race – let’s see if we can keep those numbers up throughout the rest of the season.

The next event is a new one on the calendar, the Village Bakery Wrexham Half Marathon. See you there!  [Elliot Stone]

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