Category: Run reports

It was was very cold and wet at the barrage start line. Tom Day, Julia Coleby and Zoe Walls were suitably dressed for the conditions, and all recorded new pb's. Liz Simpson and myself were 2nd finishers. (I was distinctly under-dressed for the event so had no choice but to run quite fast to stop myself getting hypothermia). Beverley, Claire T, David M, Helen J and Sue all volunteered. Dave Fender failed his fitness test and didn't run. Elsewhere, Andrew Hall and Kris Allen continued their good form with pb's at Sedgefield. Sarah Winter was first female finisher at the Old Deer event. It was also a good weekend for Andy Laverick - not only did he complete a 50 mile race, but more importantly his course record for 45-49…

The sleet and cold didn't put off Aaron Atkinson, Kris Allen and Andrew Hall on Saturday - with all three recording new pb's at the barrage. Lucy Owens did likewise, taking an impressive 36 seconds off her previous best time. David M, Viv, Sue and Adam all volunteered. Dave Fender...well, you've probably guessed... Elsewhere there were pb's for Rachel Boddy at Sedgefield, Debbie Edwards at Stewart Park and Ben Pettit at Flatts Lane. Lisa Molus was third female finisher at Hull. Fiona Shaw attended what looked like a very crowded parkrun at Bushy - whilst Joseph and Michelle Staton crossed the Irish sea to do the Ormeau event in Belfast. There was a notable milestone at the barrage where Lisa and Jason Pattison completed their 100th parkrun. A celebratory breakfast…

We'll begin at the barrage, where I must first apologise to Michelle Hart. Michelle was 3rd female finisher last week - something I completely missed. Did that mean it was the first ever Striders 1,2,3 for the ladies at the barrage? I don't think the men have ever achieved that at the barrage. Occasionally I will miss a placing, pb or landmark, so please let me know if I do, and it'll go in the following report. I don't know what the Corvesor's ate for breakfast, but it obviously gave them a boost, as John and Fran both got new pb's. Sarah Winter was 3rd female finisher and I notched 2nd for the men. Gareth, Jason and Julia volunteered. Dave Fender failed his fitness test and didn't run. The only…

There's a lot to report this week, so without further ado, we'll begin at a chilly Hackworth. 20 Striders made the trip west for what was designated a club league event. Suzanne Brodie and Andy Laverick patiently explained the course to various people before the start. It included an odd route through a children's play area. From above it must have looked like a giant game of human 'pac-man' with people doubling back and forth. The lure of valuable points spurred Gavin Morley, Tony Gallilee, Katie Abel, Andy and Suzanne to new pb's. Katie and Liz Simpson imagined they were being chased by ghosts to pac-man their way to 2nd and 3rd female finisher. Me and Tom Day likewise for the men. It was an enjoyable morning and it's always…

Sunday saw the final cross-country event of the season at Richmond. (if you don't count the March road relays) Richmond is an old racecourse with a long climb, a long descent and a few shorter hills in between. It's a toughie - but conditions were good underfoot albeit with a strong wind in the most exposed parts of the course. I'm not sure quite what happened to our team - but runners were dropping out in their droves before the event. (Maybe matron was in charge of all the pre-run fitness checks - she won't let you participate unless you're 100% - Dave Fender can testify to that) For the ladies, Amy, Gill and Liz J carried the flag. They started before the men and ran a shorter 5k route…

It was another blustery one on Saturday at the Barrage - although it didn't prevent another big attendance. Pb's were thin on the ground but we did see Helen Mcilvenny get second female finisher. Dave Fender and Harley failed late fitness tests and didn't run. Angela, David M, Jason, Karen, Liz S, Lucy, Rachel B and Tracey all helped with volunteering - Lucy banished to a bridge far, far away... Albert Park saw Aaron Atkinson continue his fledgling parkrun career with run number 6. A pb ensued, and I expect we'll see a few more from Aaron in the coming weeks. Amy Gallilee warmed up nicely for Sunday's cross country with a pb at Flatts Lane. A little birdie tells me that some cheeky unofficial pacing occurred at Stewart Park.…

Ormesby Hall was the venue for the latest NYSD Cross Country event on Sunday - with 21 Striders making the trip. With Liz and Gerry away it was down to Tom and Jonathan to get there early doors and put up the team tent. Taking a mere one and a half hours - I'm reliably informed it was one of the quickest ever times for a Striders tent assembly. A dry January meant course conditions were good. (It had been a hard slog the previous year in the snow) With a gentle breeze blowing it was soon time for the start. The ladies were first off at 12.00. Our team consisted of Amy, Cat, Jill, Katie, Liz, Lucy, Nicola, Rachel H, Sophie and Suzanne. Running a slightly shorter route than…

A few other distractions this weekend resulted in a drop in Strider numbers at parkrun. However, still quite a few PB performances to report; Angela Cox and Stephen Mitchinson at Sedgefield, Suzanne Brodie at Redcar, Julia Coleby at Stewart Park and Michael Hodgkiss at Hartlepool. Our biggest turnout was at Albert Park but athletes also at Darlington, Flatts Lane, Knowsley and Prudhoe. The third Strider 250 tee shirt of the year did the job of increasing the membership of that little club.

A pleasant late summer evening saw a large Striders team descend on Stewarts Park. We were joined by familiar faces from other local running clubs. The purpose of this gathering? The biannual NYMAC  Tom Wall relays - teams of four, with each person running a mile around the park, handing the baton to a team-mate after each leg. 9 Striders teams were entered - 4 ladies, 4 men and 1 mixed. With the warm-ups and loo visits complete there were nervous glances at expensive running watches. Conditions were good and most people had a target time. A few minutes before 7pm the throng was cleared from the starting area and the first leg runners lined up... then we were off. Our mixed team was led off by me old pal…