Author: Liz Simpson

It was gloomy conditions and a wet course for the 10 Striders at Wynyard on Saturday. However, this didn't affect Emma Fleming as she achieved a 70%+ age-grading, got a new pb, and was first lady to finish. Aaron Atkinson also pb'd. Elsewhere, Keran Hodgson got an all-course parkrun pb at Herrington Country. Nice one Keran. Paul Drake got another all-course pb at Hartlepool where Steve Cotton recorded a 70%+ a-g. Glenn Cooper got a 70%+ a-g at Albert. John Wilson pb'd at Sedgefield. Angela Cox did the inaugural parkrun at Ashington Community Woodland. Striders too at Mile End (London), Stewart, Crichton (Dumfries), Leazes and Denton Dene. I was looking at recent results on the North East Races website and saw that there were a few Striders who have been…

Early Saturday morning a band of happy Striders arrived at Sedgefield parkrun with enough spare clothes for a week’s holiday and enough snacks to feed most of Stockton. We were ready for a day of running, but this was no ordinary run, this was a parkrunathon to remember and celebrate the life of a very special Strider - our Debbie. First up was ‘the bit’. Those that ran the full distance last year said this was the hardest part so this time we were smart and ran the hardest bit first. 1-0 to us! The race director at Sedgefield parkrun gave us a lovely shoutout in the pre-run briefing. 38 of us competed our first full parkrun. 1 down 7 to go. On to Wynyard. A slightly confused Wynyard parkrun…

Saturday saw the Debbie Edwards celebration parkrunathon. 38 Striders gathered at Sedgefield for the first parkrun. There were a further 6 parkruns before another big Striders turnout for the grand finale at Ropner Park. I won't go into great detail regarding the day as there'll be one or two reports just focusing on the day's events. It looked like it went well - thankfully staying dry for the first and last parkruns. Would just like to repeat the congratulations to Nicole Shirley Edwards, Liz Simpson, Emma Fleming and Tom Ramsey for completing the full 26.1 miles - and Tor Slatcher, Helen Johnston, food providers, cake makers and all the others who helped make it happen. Think Debbie would have approved.   Maxine Buckton and Gina King got pb's, and Izzy…

Wednesday saw Team Striders descend on the Croft racing circuit at Dalton-On-Tees. It was the Pitstop 10k and one of the club league races for 2023. Conditions weren't too bad albeit a little breezy in certain sections of the course - but certainly not as hot as it's been in years gone by. The course is 3 big laps of the circuit. After the usual warm-ups, loo visits and team photos (we had the biggest team on the night) the clock ticked round to 7.45pm and we were off. Once again there were some truly exceptional performances. First in was Tom Marrs (36.15 - and a big 10k pb) followed by Tom Murphy (37.58 - and a 10k pb), Myself (39.15), Jonathon Archer (39.19), Abby Barker (39.59 and first female…