Sent: 15 April 2007 23:50
Subject: FW: VS Update - Meanwood Thank You, Club Handicap results, Performance Awards, PBs and ABs, Fell Racing from Madeleine

 

Meanwood Valley Trail Race

 

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped, there were 75 of you which is just amazing.

 

In the old days 3 or 4 of us used to take alphabetic sections of the membership list and phone everyone, this year all the marshals were obtained by email and/or by bribery with pie and peas.  Thank you!

 

In the junior race we had a record 84 finishers (previous record 59) and in the senior race a record 356 finishers (previous record 338).

 

I had at least 12 people come up to me after the race and thank Striders for the event, nearly all of them specifically mentioned the marshals, a lot also commented on the terrain/scenery.  I have also had 6 emails of thanks.

 

The Runner’s World website has been quite active with a forum (63 posts) and 10 race reviews, if you have internet access then they are worth a read.  There is a link from the Striders Meanwood Trail page www.valleystriders.org.uk/trail.htm

 

There are 120 pictures at www.raycasse.co.uk (including 3 good pics of Jonathan and his daughter doing some marshalling) (I haven’t yet had time to put this link on our website).  There will be more pics on our website next weekend.

 

Special award to marshalling beyond the call of duty this year went to Ian Place.  For the first time we put a water station at half way, there were some bottles of water to be used for emergency.  Because it was so hot, by the time everyone got to Meanwood Park they were needing water, and taking it on the way in and also looking for it on the way out.  Ian noticed that the 24 2-litre bottles of Tesco Mountain Spring were quickly running out, went to the nearest house and they were kind enough to refill the bottles.  I guess we should give them a bottle of beer.

 

Because of the record number of competitors, the beer has nearly run out.  There is a bottle for every marshal, first come first served this Tuesday but Paul Briscoe will be “making” some more and we’ll have these at the beginning of May for you.

 

And finally, we have raised at least £1,500 for Lineham Farm (also a record).

 

Thank you!!!

 

Club Handicap 10k

 

Jonathan and Greg quoted their Abbey Dash times, obtained before 3-4 months of serious training with the Striders.  As you can see from the results they had a close race, Greg was catching Jonathan all the way round but needed another mile or two.  Both of them had time for tea and a sandwich before the third and fourth arrived, Elika almost catching Tom.

 

Steve Webb scored 100 Grand Prix points for the fastest time, with John Uttley second showing good form for London, and Brian Hanley, on just 8 weeks of running, third.

 

There were 39 runners – good to see so many Striders.  If Bill Murphy had stopped and run the handicap instead of training round the Res, we’d have had 40.  In the 18 years of handicaps in this format, we have only

had over 40 runners on 5 occasions.

 

Thanks to Mick Tinker, Dave Middlemas and Gareth Moules for marshalling, to Mike and Eileen Crosfill for timekeeping, to Joyce for handing out numbers and to Max for subtracting.

 

29 pie and peas were eaten.

  

  Pos Name                  Hcap   Hand-   Road  G.P.

                            Time    icap   Time  Pts

    1 Jonathan Brownbill   51.40    8.00  43.40  78

    2 Greg Skerrett        52.09    9.00  43.09  80

    3 Ridgway Tom          54.22    8.00  46.22  69

    4 Elika Tasker         54.23   14.00  40.23  90

    5 Liz Adams            55.24    9.45  45.39  70

    6 Ford Kates           55.36    8.15  47.21  68

    7 Tim Towler           55.39   15.45  39.54  94

    8 Ian Sanderson        55.48   17.45  38.03  97

    9 Paul White           55.56   13.45  42.11  83

   10 Jon Uttley           56.01   18.15  37.46  99

   11 Erica Hiorns         56.07   10.45  45.22  73

   12 Mary Egan            56.16   10.45  45.31  72

   13 Patrick Barrett      56.23   13.30  42.53  81

   14 Eric Green           56.29   16.30  39.59  93

   15 Anne Worrall         56.35    4.45  51.50  64

   16 Roy Flesher          56.37   16.30  40.07  92

   17 Carmel Barker        56.40   12.45  43.55  77

   18 Bob Wilkes           56.41    8.00  48.41  67

   19 Richard King         56.52   17.00  39.52  95

   20 Paul Sanderson       56.53   11.45  45.08  74

   21 Bob Jackson          57.01   15.45  41.16  87

   22 Steve Webb           57.05   20.45  36.20 100

   23 Andy Thorpe          57.17   17.30  39.47  96

   24 Dan Murray           57.28   16.00  41.28  86

   25 Peter Lambert        57.42    8.15  49.27  66

   26 Paul Hunter          57.45   17.00  40.45  89

   27 Steve Trout          57.46   15.45  42.01  84

   28 Kay Duggleby         57.53    6.45  51.08  65

   29 Adam Parton          57.58   17.00  40.58  88

   30 Hayley Palmer        57.59   13.00  44.59  75

   31 Andrew Cutts         58.05   17.45  40.20  91

   32 Carole Schofield     58.10   12.32  45.38  71

   33 Caz Farrow           58.37   15.15  43.22  79

   34 Alan Hutchinson      58.52   16.30  42.22  82

   35 Needham Graham       59.37   18.00  41.37  85

   36 Alistair Fale        60.05   15.45  44.20  76

   37 Brian Hanley         60.43   22.45  37.58  98

   38 John Whitehead       62.36    0.00  62.36  62

   39 Sara Dyer            66.23    7.15  59.08  63

 

Performance Awards

 

Eric Green became the first recipient of a Valley Striders Performance Award.  He scored his fifth grade 6 performance of the year (Age Grade 70%-75%) at Salford on Good Friday and was awarded his certificate at the Club Handicap.  Congratulations!

 

More details of the Performance Awards are on the website.  (Thanks to Paul Hunter and Alan Hutchinson)

 

Personal Bests and Age Bests

 

We are now compiling a database of ALL Striders personal bests and age bests and would like to get the data together in time for V S 25th anniversary in July.  So get jotting down your PBs and ABs and email them to me.

 

What we want is

  • Date  e.g 27 November 2006
  • Venue  e.g. Leeds
  • Event  e.g. Abbey Dash
  • Distance  e.g.  10k
  • Time  e.g. 40:40
  • Age band e.g.  55-59

We want PB’s i.e. your best ever, and also your age bests in 5 year bands 40-44, 45-49 etc, for the following distances  - 5K, 5miles, 10k, 10miles, half marathon, 20miles, marathon.

 

Also if the race was on an assisted course e.g. Rothwell which drops about 50ft from start to finish, we need to know this and also ideally receive a non-assisted time too.

 

Please email your PBs and ABs to me.  We have about 10 so far, so when we’ve 20 we’ll load them onto the website.

 

Fell running updates - by Madeleine Watson

 

1st English championship race - held at Edale on Sunday 18th March.

Toughest 21 miles I've ever run!  Very strong winds and hail. I was the only Valley Strider, 279th in time of 4 hours 40 mins. (338 finished, 72 dnf'd)

 

1st British Championship race - in Northern Ireland. Donard-Commedagh. 31st March.

Lovely race, although fairly hairy going from sea level to 850 metres almost straight up. Again the only Valley Strider. 183rd. 1h 37.

 

1st junior championship race - Sunday 1st April, Wrekin, near Telford.

Oliver (running for Leeds Carnegie AC) ran the 2 miles in 17.24. 13th U12 boy.

 

Pendle fell race - Saturday 7th April.

Madeleine Watson - 46.30 (10 minutes quicker than last year!)

 

Coming up

 

Bunny runs - Tuesday nights in April from Haworth.  

Relay on Tuesday 1st May. 1st leg 2.5 miles, 2nd & 3rd leg 2 miles.

 

Jack Bloor Race - Tuesday 8th May,

7.30pm Ilkley. 5.2 miles.

 

Next English Championship race - Paddy's Pole. Sun April 22nd.

4.5 miles. Ladies start 12 noon, men 1pm.

Only £4. Need to pre-enter by 17th April. Call me (269 2526) if you want a lift.

 

Next British Championship race - Sunday 6th May.

Llangynhafal Loop. Not too far into Wales. 4.5 miles. Ladies start 12 noon, men 1pm.

 

LDWA event - Pendle Witch Way. Saturday 28th April.

25 miles with tea, cakes etc en route. Not done this one before but good long run.

 

 

Finally, good luck to everyone running London next weekend!

 

Bob