Category: Run reports

16 Striders toed the line at Albert Park parkrun this week and when crossing the finish line Janice Long had completed her 50th event. Helen McIlvenny was the second woman finisher whilst Paula Newton, Suzanne Brodie, Gail and Ben Robinson all grabbed personal bests on the course. At Tees barrage Paul Johnson pipped David to take 3rd male position – amongst the 25 other Striders following them home Drew Smallwood, Michelle Hart, Andrew Laverick and Thomas Day all had a good morning and lowered their best times. Stewart Park saw a new record attendance which included four Striders, two of whom – Mark Dickinson and Gary Forster – grabbed themselves new best times. A bit of tourism going on at Hartlepool where five of the six Striders attending were visiting…

Welcoming two new Strider members to the parkrun 100 club. Both Zoe Walls and Darren Mitchell completed that feat at Albert Park this week – Darren even threw in a celebratory PB. Janice Long also PB’ed – now she just needs to match Darrens feat next week! Elsewhere, 19 Striders battled the breeze at Tees Barrage where Thomas Day and Shaun Fletcher, completing his difficult second run, both PB’ed. There were five Striders at Stewart Park including both Michelle Hart and Andy Hayes with their new best times. Further afield, we saw Striders at Sedgefield and Druridge Bay but the tourism award goes elsewhere. Rachel Carr became the first Strider to attend Cannock Chase whilst our top tourists, David and Caroline Horton, added yet another event to their 30+ collection…

The last real XC race of the NYSD series was at the old racecourse in Richmond. The race runs around the racecourse perimeter with a few short sharp hills up to the old grandstand ruins and one gentle, but what seemed like never ending, slog of a climb along one side.  A strong headwind made this even more challenging - is it ever not windy at this race?? We had extremely dry conditions meaning only one proper patch of mud for the mud fans - a big contrast from Summerhill 2 weeks ago. A clear day and high location gave stunning views over North Yorkshire and Teesside for those brave enough to look up from avoiding the constant rabbit holes and mole hills. The rest of us got to admire…

Striders had another brilliant team event at the NECAA Royal Signal Road Relays. 2 teams of 4 ladies and 6 men ran 2.2 miles each through Hetton Lyons Country Park in Hetton-le-Hole.  It was a lovely course with just one tricky hill and another, according to Sam and Cat, not a hill - certainly felt like one at the end of the second lap!   Jackie was dedicated to team Striders running on her trip home from Dubai. Michelle and Tom ran their first Striders team event… hope you’ll be back from more guys!   There was superb running from everyone and equally good team spirit. A cool wind picked up later in the afternoon giving the men’s teams an extra challenge to content with. Special mention has to go…

Sorry Cat Clennett, this is not the week to get a mention for doing your first ever parkrun. Caroline Hortons 150th run has to go un-marked also. Neither will we mention PBs at Albert Park for Janice Long, Gail Robinson, Gillian Borthwick, Mark Watson, Neil McGee, Lisa Pattison, David Holmes, Mike Cleasby, Jason Pattison, Helen McIlvenny, Samuel Johnston, Katie Abel, Darren Mitchell, Liz Simpson,  Sarah Winter, Ben Robinson, Stephen Boddy and Michael Burke.  David Edwards at Sedgefield, Mark Dickinson at Stewart Park – sorry, you need to pick another week to PB again for a mention here. This week is only about just one member, Jill Abel. Jill becomes the first, and therefore only, Stockton Strider to join the parkrun 250 club. A quest for a tee shirt that started…

Summerhill lived up to its name with some long hills in the 6th race of the NYSD Cross Country series on Sunday 5th Feb. There were unusually mild conditions for one of the toughest but fun races of the series. With some tough climbs and streams to cross the super muddy and slippery course was certainly a testing one. Despite this, and some close calls, all Striders managed to stay on their feet to put in some excellent performances. The ladies team finishing in a fab 4th place Andrew Laverick, Michelle Livingstone and Sarah Winter ran their first XC for Striders and safe to say their shiny new spikes didn’t stay that way for long. Sprint finish race of the day goes to David Horton and his close call with…

This was the week that Stevie Cooper became the 24th current Strider to join the parkrun 100 club when completing at Tees Barrage. He was amongst the 21 Striders at the Barrage and both Claire Taylor and Mark Watson grabbed a new PB there. Locally we also had three runners at both Albert Park and Stewart Park but there was plenty of tourism going on also. A PB for Mike Cleasby at Prudhoe and Lisa Pattison at Lancaster. Although we also had representation at Newbury, Princes Park in Liverpool and Fulham palace, the group tourism was a trip to Hartlepool. 11 Striders made that trip and three, Andy Johnston plus Ben and Gail Robinson enjoyed the sea breeze and clocked new best times. Next week sees Albert Park parkrun as…

Voted top man on Friday night and collecting a parkrun 50 t shirt on Saturday, can it get any better for Paul Johnson? Paul, keeping a low profile, heading for 50. The morning after Striders 2nd birthday party and you might expect it to be a little quieter on the parkrun front but not a bit of it! There were PB’s a plenty, David Holmes at Albert park, Katie Abel at Tees Barrage,  John Dodd at Stewart Park, Mike Cleasby at Darlington and Adam Potter at Beeston. Travelling Striders went to places as far afield as Penrith, Beeston and Haigh Woodland.

It was the second largest UK attendance day ever at parkrun this week and a record attendance day at Stewart Park. Last week saw PBs for Sam Johnston, Mike Cleasby and Andy Hayes and all repeated that feat again this week. Although, it must be said, this does seem to have been a good week to get one with David Holmes, Michael Hodgkiss, Suzanne Brodie, Michelle Staton, Dean Phillips, Lisa Pattison, Ben Robinson and Keran Hodgson all setting themselves new standards. Our big attendances were at Tees Barrage – with its second largest attendance ever - and Albert Park but we also had athletes at Sedgefield, Stewart Park, Hartlepool and Gateshead. Rachael Hall made a first trip to Sheffield Hallam and in the process became our tourist of the week.

It was a morning for hat, gloves and crampons but Helen McIlvenny chose it as the day to pick up a new parkrun 50 T shirt. 35 Striders joined Helen at, a tricky in places, Tees Barrage. Sam Johnston and Mike Cleasby were not put off by the ice – new year, new PB. Of the 11 Striders who braved Albert Park, Andy Hayes set the pace and in the process also grabbed a new PB. We had one athlete at Stewart Park but Suzanne Brodie only had to make a first trip to Darlington to grab the tourism award this week.