Sent: 10 January 2008 00:06
Subject: FW: VS Update - Subs, XC, AbbeyValley, Baildon, New Strider, Leeds Half, GP Events, Canal, Ringway, 2007 Awards, Quiz Answers

 

The hot subject of the day is the Leeds Half Marathon, but there are just a few short notices for you to read before I let you know what’s going on.

Subs Reminder

Happy New Year 2008!  But we are now over a third of the way through the Striders year September 2007 to August 2008. 

The good news is that 149 of you have paid your membership fees, but the bad news is that 63 of you have not yet renewed your membership.

If you’re not sure, check the website http://valleystriders.org.uk/reg2007.htm . If it says ‘06’, you’re overdue so please send £12, payable to Valley Striders, to Paul White, 17 Whinmoor Court, Redhall, Leeds, LS14 1NX.

And if you’re not on the list at all, it means you didn’t pay last year either, so please send £22 to Paul White.

If you’ve sent payment in the last 7 days or your cheque is in the post, please ignore this reminder!

Cross country this weekend (13 January)

Good luck to those running in the Yorkshire vets cross country at Keighley on Sunday. 

If you’ve not entered this, then come along and run the Sport Direct race at John Smeaton Sports Centre, Barwick Road.  Coming out of Leeds on the A64 York Road, where the A64 turns left and merges with the Leeds Outer Ring Road, just continue straight across the roundabout and continue for about ¾ mile.  The Sports Centre is on the right.

Registration is from 10:00 to 10:45, £2.50, race starts at 11:00.  As many as possible to run.  It’s a flattish course along the edges of fields and on bridleways, just under 5 miles.  Wear your shoes that give the best grip.

Even Paul White has promised to run!

Wakefield 10k / Abbey Valley Challenge (30 March)

Mark Hetherington and myself have agreed on a scoring system where every runner will count.  The more runners we have, the better chance we have of winning the Abbey Valley Challenge Cup.  Of course, the faster our runners run and the more Abbeys we beat, also the better chance we have of winning the cup.

You can enter online via John Schofield’s website www.ukresults.net , or if you prefer the traditional method, you can download an entry form http://ukresults.net/forms/080330wakefield.pdf  and then post it with a cheque.

The race is only £8.50 which is a reasonable price for a city centre 10k.

Grand Prix points at stake!

Even Paul Furness has promised to run!

Baildon Boundary Way (6 April)

My inside information is that this is over 80% full and is likely to close in the next week, maybe sooner.  So get your entry form sent off if you’re wanting to run.  Grand Prix points at stake!

New Strider

Congratulations to Zoe and Tom Ridgway.  On 5 January Zoe gave birth to Charlotte Iona, 6lbs 4ozs.  Mother and baby are both home and well.  Father was seen at the pie and peas night presumably stocking up on carbs for some marathon night sessions.

Leeds Half Marathon

It was Zoe who, at the Winter Handicap (no, she wasn’t running), let me know that she’d heard that the Leeds Half Marathon for 2008 had been cancelled.

She then received an email from the Sports Development Unit

“Thank you for your enquiry.The Half Marathon will not be taking place in 2008, as we will be supporting the Jane Tomlinson 10k Run for all that will be taking place in June.  We will be carrying out a consultation exercise next year for the holding of the Leeds Half Marathon in future years. If you needed any more information please don't hesitate to  contact us. Thanks.”

I posted this information on the Runners World website at the weekend on the thread for last year’s half marathon hoping that the 300 people who’d posted to it had set notify future posts and hoping for some action!

This Monday I got a call from Paul Furness, he’d been contacted by Debbie Leigh from the Yorkshire Evening Post, asking whether he knew that the race had been cancelled and what his opinions were.

I rang Debbie back, passed on my comments, and also suggested she should contact Abbey Runners (who help organize the event) and Rothwell Harriers (Jane Tomlinson’s club).

The result is a feature in tonight’s Y.E.P. with a picture of Paul Furness, sitting behind his desk, holding running shoes and looking glum, because he can’t run the half marathon this year.

The full feature is on the Y.E.P. website http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/The-end-for-Leeds-half.3651273.jp

There is also a section in the Editorial column, which I can’t find on the website, so I’ll type it for you here

“On Wrong Track”

“The Leeds Half Marathon – one of the city’s most important sporting events – has failed to last the distance”

“Council bosses have axed the race after 22 years because they apparently want to throw their weight behind Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All.  The baffling decision means disappointment for thousands of runners – not to mention a loss of income for scores of worthy causes.”

“Jane’s 10k run is as fantastic event that is a fitting legacy for the remarkable achievements of a truly wonderful woman.  But then the Leeds Half Marathon has a long track record of putting the city on the map.”

“We cannot believe that this is what Jane would have wanted to happen.  And we struggle to understand why in a city the size of Leeds there can’t be room for both.”

The Y.E.P. are asking for people to make their views known.  If you want to see what has been said already, go to http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/yourviews/Leeds-Half-Marathon-axed-YOUR.3656059.jp

If you want to add your own views, then look at the full feature (see the previous link), click on the third paragraph, and it will open a new email for you.

I think this is the best way to proceed for now, so that everyone’s views are known to everyone else.  Even if you just want to say “I agree with xxxx”.

But you can also email the Sports Development unit direct [email protected]

Finally, here’s the Forum on Runners World http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/forummessages.asp?UTN=99577&URN=6&dt=4&srchdte=0&cp=17&v=2&sp=  NB you need to be registered but you do not need to be a subscriber to the magazine.

 

Now back to more mundane matters …

 

Grand Prix Races 2008

Here’s the authoritative list for the first half of 2008

Sun 20 Jan - Brass Monkey half marathon ENTRIES CLOSED

Sun 3 Feb - Dewsbury 10k (entry form http://www.dewsburyroadrunners.co.uk/Docs/10k2008.doc )

Sun 17 Feb - 4th Peco Sport Direct Cross Country at Danefield (Otley Chevin)

Sun 24 Feb - Snake Lane 10 mile ENTRIES CLOSED

Sun 9 Mar - 5th Peco Sport Direct Cross Country at Thackley

Sun 16 Mar - Spen 20  (entry form on www.ukresults.net)

Sun 30 Mar - Wakefield 10k (also Abbey Valley Challenge) (entry form on www.ukresults.net)

Sun 6 Apr - Baildon Boundary Way  (entry form on www.ukresults.net)

Sun 13 Apr - London Marathon Entries Closed

Sun 20 Apr - Rothwell 10k (entry form on www.ukresults.net)

Tue 29?? Apr (date to be confirmed)  - STRIDERS CLUB HANDICAP 10k

Tue 6 May (date to be confirmed) - Jack Bloor fell race

Wed 7/14/21 May - Esholt 5k series  (entry form on www.ukresults.net)

Sat 7 Jun (date to be confirmed) - Wharfedale Off-Road Marathon

Wed 2 Jul / 6 Aug / 3 Sep (dates to be confirmed) - Hyde Park 5k

Sun 13 Jul (date to be confirmed) - Eccup 10

Tue ?? Jul (date to be confirmed)  - STRIDERS CLUB HANDICAP 10k

Sun 27 Jul (date to be confirmed) - Round Hill

John Hallas 5 mile race (23 January)

I am organizing another 5 mile handicap race on Wednesday 23rd January. The course will be the same one as before, start from the Whitehall Road Bridge, out 2.5 miles (to a marked bridge) and return. The start time for an estimated 35 minute time will be 12:20 again

Please let me know if you are interested. Handicaps will be based around the finishing times for the last handicap. Any new entrants please provide an estimated 5 mile time.  No prizes, no entry fee, just potential glory and a good lunchtime workout on an accurate (5.02 miles), flat course

I hope to arrange a starter/timekeeper again but if not then it will be self-managed (synchronizing watches before the start). I know this is the Wednesday after the Brass Monkey HM but as there are a lot of races in the next few months there will always be difficulties and I want to see if we can get this to be a monthly event

John

Contact John [email protected] if you want to run or want more info.

Harrogate Ringway Relay Results

Well done to all of our teams.  I believe only 9 had run in this event before so thanks to all the newbies who had to recce as well.  The steak and ale pie at “The Mitre” was excellent as Dan H, John and myself discovered.

8. Scooby Do’s 2:37:03 - Erica Hiorns, Mark Hunter, Patrick Barrett, Greg Skerrett, Dan Murray

15. Valley Sliders 2:45:58 - Nat Crossland, Paul White, Mark Greaves, John Wallace, Mick Tinker

19. Valley Spiders 2:47:24 - Maureen Coffey, Bob Jackson, Dan Harman, Sylvia Watson, Paul Hunter

20. Valley Skivers 2:47:33 - Sharon Tansley, Paul Sanderson, Mike Cheseldine, Geoff Webster, Graham Needham

27. Rainbow Striders 2:58:20 - Helen Priest, Neil Fairburn, David Cusack, Eric Cusack, Jonathan Cocker

Other clubs represented were

Harrogate Harriers 1, 10, 13, 24, 26

Ripon Runners 2, 14, 16, 35

Abbey Runners 3, 34

Otley 4, 6, 12, 17

Nidd Valley 5, 9, 18, 22, 23, 25, 28, 30

Wetherby Runners 7, 29

Chapel Allerton 11

Claro Orienteers 31, 33

Others 21, 32

Yorkshire cross-country champs Results

Mark Greaves was the only Strider to turn up, finishing 131 out of 182

2007 Presentations

Marathon Trophy – Tracey Morris for her world championship run at Osaka

Also Ran Trophy – Ian Sanderson, overall runner-up in the Grand Prix, 18 races run, but no race prizes and no GP T-shirt

Grand Prix

Champions – Steve Webb and Carole Schofield

Vets Champions – M40 John Uttley, M50 Bob Jackson, W35 n/a

Group Champions – (B) Dave Middlemas, (D) Simon Redshaw, (E) Mike Brown

Fell Championship – Steve Webb

Full History of all of these trophies is on the website, look for the section “Club Championship”

Quiz Answers

In which year were Valley Striders founded? .. 1982

Where were Valley Striders founded? .. Lucas Place

Who is the fastest all time marathon runner for Striders? .. Steve O’Callaghan (2:21)

How many Striders ever have been selected for Great Britain? .. 2 (Tracey Morris at marathon and Sylvia Watson at 100km)

Which team were promoted to Premier Division of Sport Direct League this year? .. women

How many age group trophies did we win in Sport Direct League? ..  5 

How many runners in the Summer Handicap Trail Run? .. 50 (an all time record)

And was the number of runners in the Autumn Handicap  .. higher (54 another all time record)

What was Tracey’s time in the World Championships at Osaka? .. 2:36:40

And what position did she finish? .. 19th

What was the winning margin for the women’s team in the :Leeds Country Way .. 22 seconds

Who were runners up? .. Horsforth

How many races did Striders organize or co-organize in 2007? .. 5 (Meanwood, Y.Vets XC, Pulse Race, Harewood Cancer Research, Harewood Trail)

How many Striders (men and women) have won individual races in 2007? .. 5 (Tracey, Caz Farrow, Gary Shipley, Lisa Wilyman, Vicky Whitehead)

How many Striders have qualified for Performance Certificates in 2007? .. 20

How many women were in the top 3 Striders first claim club marathon times this year? ..  3 (Tracey, Karen Natoli, Kirsten Jackson)

How many in the top 3 Striders first claim club marathon times in 2007 are English? .. 0 (one Welsh, two Australian)

How many new members joined in 2007? ..  59  (actually 60 because Maureen Coffey joined at the Xmas do)

How many Life Memberships were awarded this year? ..  4

In which article in Wikipedia will you find Valley Striders? .. Meanwood Trail footpath

Email Problems

Again I seem to have been having problems sending some emails.  In particular my work colleagues aren’t receiving theirs.  I’m going to regroup my distribution lists, but in the meantime if anyone says to you that they haven’t received a Valley Striders Update for some time, remind them that they can always be found on the website within a day or two.