The Boston Poppy run was held to commemorate Remembrance Sunday. Four members of Striders ran this 5 mile road race. A flat course usually means this is a fast race however a strong head wind and very cold conditions meant that this was a challenging run. Alan Buckberry was the first Strider to cross the line and despite an excellent performance finished just outside the medal positions. Next back was Anna Flavell third female and second in her category, an excellent performance. Lorraine Vince was taking part in her first road race and ran every step of the way accompanied by Linda Melloy. The three ladies secured Bronze medal position in the female team competition.
Seven Striders made their way to Newcastle to participate in the Great North Run. 5 of the striders made a night of it leaving on the Saturday, and camping in a group with several of the families for support and encouragement. The very nervous Striders got up at 6.30 am to be ready to get the coaches for 8 am to the start of the race 13.1 miles away. Due to the sheer mass of 50,000 people running, Linda Melloy, Garry Wilson, Samantha Lester, Sarah Miller and Leanne Ward managed to get a starting position together and got over the line about 20 minutes after the Men’s Elite and masses went. The Red Arrows must have known us Lincolnshire people were there as they did a formation fly past just as they went over the start line. The atmosphere kept them going along, 6 of them competing in their first Great North Run, Leanne competing in her first half marathon. The first Striders to finish were Sarah in 2:00:59 crossing the line with her running partner for the day Samantha in 2:01:06. Next over the line was Kathy Davies 2:06:36 followed by Stanley Thornton, the veteran of the Striders Great North Run team, at 2:10:09. Leanne, in her first half marathon, ran a very enjoyable first 8 miles with Garry and Linda, then left to run her own race and crossed the line feeling very good in 2:21:01. Linda and Garry came in at a very good time of 2:30:45 and 2:30:46 respectively. All had a great time and most are talking about doing it next year.
A quartet of Striders travelled to Spalding to run the Spalding Tri Club 10km Road Race. This is the 2nd running of the event was superbly marshalled and organized. A flat course run on an anti-clockwise route with great running weather was an ideal opportunity for the entrants to record some personal best times. First Strider to finish was Terry Grant in a PB of 44.02 for 56th place, next was Alan Buckberry in 44.48 for 64th place. The only lady Strider was Anna Thompson who recorded 50.29 earning her 3rd place in her age category, she was closely followed by Peter Nadin in 51.16, his best time for some 4 years and an improvement on the run in Mablethorpe 3 weeks earlier.
Anna Flavell was the only Strider to Compete in the Robin Hood Half Marathon. Starting and finishing at Victoria Embankment, the course runs past many of Nottingham's historical and well known landmarks including Nottingham Castle, Wollaton Hall, and even running through Nottingham University’s Trent Building! Also taken in along the way are Nottingham’s two famous football clubs ( Nottingham Forest and Notts County) along with Trent Bridge Cricket Ground whilst meandering down the majestic River Trent. Anna found the course tough but enjoyed the atmosphere and thought the race was well organized. Her time 0f 1.55.11 gave her a creditable 2,318 th position in a field of 6,507.
OFFICIAL RESULTS - OFFICIAL PICTURES - BBC Lincolnshire Pictures (See Jane pic 7)
A 6.30 departure from Sleaford meant some tired Striders arrived for the 2nd staging of the running event in Mablethorpe. 3 distances were on offer, 10k, half and full marathons with over 200 competitors in all races. All courses were pancake flat ensuring some fast times. The weather was sunny and very breezy. The 10k got away at 8.45. Samantha Lester enjoyed the run by the sea and finished in 65th place overall in 52 minutes. Pete Nadin (72nd 53.14) thought the event was well marshalled and will be back here again, Leanne Ward (95 th 55.32 PB) soaked up the atmosphere and took 3 minutes off her previous best, Paul Shaw (110th 58.02 PB) just wanted to finish without walking, he managed this whilst savouring the views across the sea with the sea breeze keeping him cool. The Half Marathon started 15 minutes after the 10k with some competitors still queuing for the portaloos. Ian Hanks (58th 1.36.49 PB) commented on the great club event with every ability to get involved, Vince Mc Niffe (67th 1.39.28 PB) achieved his 1.40 aim at the Striders day out with the best part of the day being the post race analysis. Alan Buckberry (91st 1.43.23) thought the race was very good and the marshals were very helpful, Andy Preston (101st 1.45.44 PB) on his first time at this distance recorded a good time and thinks he will get faster with a bit more training, Clive Holden (126th 1.51.45) loved it and was the only one to shout ‘I can see the sea’, Emma Marshall (137th 1.54.42), Julie Hanks (197th 2.10.49) really enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere and recorded a decent time after recently recovering from a foot injury, Garry Wilson (222nd 2.23.19 PB) and Linda Melloy (223rd 2.23.19 PB) both first timers at this distance ran together and used this race as preparation for the Great North Run. The Marathon started at 9.30. Jane James (48th 3.25.53) was nervous as usual before the race but recorded an incredible time which ensured a guaranteed entry for the London Marathon in 2008. She especially appreciated the support from the club members at the finish. Ted Preston (86th 3.44.37) was 20 minutes faster here than last year but found the 3 mile stretch along the promenade from Sutton a ‘real pain’. Graham Potter (93rd 3.45.47) was very pleased with his performance finishing some 25 minutes quicker than London 6 months previously.
Grimsthorpe Castle near Bourne w as the setting on Bank holiday Monday for the 10k race. Sunny and slightly windy conditions were the order of the day as fourteen members of the Sleaford Striders took part on the half road and half track and grass course around the picturesque grounds. A total of 354 completed the race with the following Striders taking part, Ian Hanks (88th 46.38), Vince McNiffe (104th 47.44), Karl Aubrey (106th 47.49), Ted Preston (135th 48.59), Paul Hardy (146th 49.30), Jon Hird (161st 50.07), Graham Potter (166th 50.16), Clive Holden (185th 50.50), Anna Thompson (202nd 52.01), Anna McKenzie (208th 52.34), Andy Preston (223rd 53.42), Maureen Runacres (286th 58.20), Julie Hanks (298th 59.37) and Pete Hayward (342nd 69.19). Of the 161 finishers in the 3k Fun Run 19 of them were Striders runners. Adam Runacres 15th place in 11 minutes 15 seconds, Thomas Hanks 45th, Samuel James 46th, Tilly Ireland 54th, Freja Munks 56th, Daniel Runacres 57th, Sandy Ireland 62nd, Keely McNiffe 64th, Joe Hanks 66th, Megan Hird 83rd, Bethany Preston 87th, Florence Ireland 98th, Helena Hird 103rd, 110th Harvey Potter, Graham Potter 111th, George Munks 112th, Jo Aubrey 115th, Maria Hird 119th and Vince McNiffe 131st.
The weather was not so kind to the members of Sleaford Striders that made the journey to the west of Wales for the 24 th running of Race The Train. Race the Train takes place alongside as far as practicable the route taken by the Talyllyn Railway on its journey to Abergynolwyn and back. In order to do this all courses use a mixture of public roads, lanes, un-metalled roads, tracks, agricultural land, and rough grazing pastures. The Main Race & 10K Races routes are very tough they cross the face of the hillsides ascend and descend quite steep terrain and runs on narrow footpaths with little chance of overtaking. The terrain varies all the time and was VERY wet & muddy in places, the routes also involve some very STEEP hills. The rain had made the course even tougher with mud 8 inches deep in some places. Just to make it a bit tougher a farmed had ploughed one of the fields they had to run across the day before. Leanne Ward and Julie hanks ran the 10k race. This race took place in the morning so it was an early start to catch the bus to the start. The route started with a steep descent down a rocky path then along by a river. Only when they crossed a small bridge and turned to run the other way along the river bank did they see the magnificent waterfall, as they were enjoying the view little did they realize that a few moments later they would be running up the steep uneven steps beside the waterfall. From there it was into the mud and up hills to the finish. About 1k was run along the side of a hill with the train in the valley below. Crowds on the train were cheering as it made its way to the station at the end. Julie and Leanne were laughing all the way and finished with huge smiles on their faces with just 72 minutes showing on the clock. In the afternoon the 14 mile race started and finished at the station. Ted Preston, Alan Buckberry, Ian Hanks and Clive Holden lined up with several hundred other runners as the race was started by the train whistle. This course went out with the railway on their right taking them through fields and down tracks. With most people slipping and sliding in the mud Ian was pleased he decided to run in trail shoes. After tackling the first 6 miles they went under a small railway bridge and started the return to Tafwlln. Climbing to a footpath halfway up the hill they them ran along an uneven path only 30cm wide and across the face of the hill made even more challenging by the wet mud. This was the part were most runners slipped, laughed, got up and started running again. They then picked up the 10k course and found out what a tough course really is. Ian Hanks was the first Sleafordian to finish with Alan Buckberry not far behind him. Ted Preston ran the first mile with Clive Holden then went on to finish whilst Clive dropped back.
Four Striders ran this flat course. 677 runners completed the race with Striders finishers: Jane James 110th in 1 hour 33 minutes 47 seconds, Alan Buckberry (311 th 1.48.17), Anne McKenzie (538 th 2.05.07) and Stan Thornton (588 th 2.11.20).
Whilst on holiday, Peter Nadin took part in the 6th running
of the Sidmouth 10km Festival Run. Having completed this event 4 years
previuosly he was well aware of the terrain. A field of 224 runners took to the
start line and looked skywards to see the first 1000M going uphill and into the
distance. There would be a prize for the first Male and Female who reached
the 1km marker, but there was a reluctance to chase this cash prize from all
but the very elite athlete; in fact the stile at approx 800M was a welcome
point for a breather for the majority of the field. After completing the first
1km the course tok a very sedate route through a heather field for the the next
2km, but this was only to lure the runners into a false sense of security as
the next 7km was uphills and downhills with very few opportunities for
respite to recover. The marshall were superb with their vocal support of all the
runners and the welcome sight of Sidmouth Bay was only tempered by the thought
that the last 1km was totall downhill (the way we had come up). A briliantly
organised event with a truely testing course not designed for a PB as
Peter's finish time of 68.20mins proved but was sufficent to earn him 186th place
out of 224 starters. Perhaps his time at Mablethorpe in September will be a
true reflection on current fitness.
This race was a lot cooler than recent years with a bit of a wind on the homeward straights. A field of 87 runners started with a 90 minute completion time to ensure a grandstand finish. Ted Preston was the first Strider to cross the line in 45 th place overall in 77 minutes 26 seconds. Graham Potter (51 st 79.52) ran a steady race and was 16 minutes faster than last year. Andy Preston (56 th 81.52) had an impressive debut at this distance. Alan Buckberry (62 nd 84.36) was some 6 minutes slower than last year and put this down to poor preparation. Clive Holden and Samantha Lester (72 nd 91.44) ran together. Stan Thornton (78 th 97.14) used this as preparation for the forthcoming Great North Run. Anna Thompson and leanne Ward (79 th 97.42) also first timers at this distance enjoyed the experience.
Paul Shaw tackled his first 10-kilometre race on Sunday. Whilst most runners would choose to run an easy road race on a flat course for their first event at this distance Paul choose a trail run. The event near Nottingham was all off road along trails and footpaths more akin to cross-country than a road race. The course was all hills with sharp up hills and challenging steep downhill sections. Paul completed the course in 67 minutes, an exceptional time for a first 10k made even better by his choice of race.
Saturday 21st saw several Striders competing in the Burton Beer Bash 5. This 5-mile run started and finished at PJs Famous Pie Pub in Burton le Coggles near Grantham. The route had to be changed by the organisers on the morning of the race as the original multi terrain course was flooded and impassable. The replacement out and back road route still had a small flood for runners to tackle and was made even harder by the number of hills.
41 runners from as far away as Liverpool and Truro braved the weather to line up at the start, amongst them 8 Sleaford Striders. Vince McNiffe was the fastest Strider getting back in just 36 mins 35 seconds. Next was Ted Preston (38.10) running much faster than he thought he would. Emma Marshall (38.27) and Sarah Miller (38.28) ran all 5 miles together and finished with a big smile. Chairman Peter Nadin continued his return to road racing with a time of 42.47. Cathy Davis continued her representation of Sleaford Striders at this run crossing the line in 43.46. Gary Wilson (48.12) was running for the first time as a Strider. Linda Melloy ran with husband Garry and made it back to the pub in 50.27.All runners received a pint in the bar and a glass as a memento of their run.
The route this year was altered due to the recent rain causing the start of the race at the Newark Rugby Club to be water-logged. A 600 metre loop was added at the midway point to keep the full 10k distance. The course is mainly flat with a steady 100 foot incline at the 2 to 3 mile point.
Around 300 competitors took part in the very warm conditions. Jane James had pre-race nerves but needen’t have as she finished in a time of 42 minutes giving her the second placed lady overall. Dave Millar (45.05) cycled to the event and was very pleased with his time as he is still getting back to full fitness after the recent operation on his foot. Graham Potter (47.39) took 7 minutes off his time from last year.
Four newcomers also ran here, Trish Mc Clure (49.52), Andy Taylor (54.30) found the hill quite a challenge, Cathy Davies (56.20) with the temperature more to her liking than the roasting 10k at Woodhall Spa last month and Anna Mc Kenzie (57.00).
Despite higher profile races taking place elsewhere two members of Sleaford Striders made the decision to support a race organised locally by Bourne Town Running Club. The Thurlby 10k turned out to be a good choice. A very well organised race with enthusiastic marshals and three drink stations. The course started with a steady climb for the first 2k. Although both were expecting the hill neither realised quite how steep it was to be, however the reward was some fantastic views across south Lincolnshire. After a long gentle downhill section the run was pancake flat until the last kilometre. The quiet rural roads made a pleasant venue to run and not only did the rain hold off but the sun came out for a while.Clive Holden was the first Strider to cross the line in 48:25. He found the hills a challenge but was very pleased with his time. Paul Hardy had run the Yaxley 7 the week before and was the other Sleaford Strider to make the trip. He had set out with a target of 50 minutes and despite the high humidity and unexpected gradient missed it by only 16 seconds and was equally pleased with his run. Several Striders will be running the Notfast 10 or the Spilsby 6 next weekend.
Sunday 20th May saw the first running of the Sleaford 10k. The event was organized by Sleaford Striders to raise funds for the 3rd Sleaford Scout Group.Of the 106 finishers, 17 were from the Striders Club. The weather was quite warm with some runners underestimating the ‘gently undulating’ course. The one lap route started and finished in Scredington and went through the rural almost car-free countryside to Burton Pedwardine. Pete Hayward commented that the going was tough at the end and also in the middle and at the start! All runners received a free hot drink with many taking advantage of the free massage. Race organiser Clive Holden received many kind comments about the race and said that around £800 was raised for Scout funds. The race was won by Neil Renault from the Long Eaton Running Running Club in the incredible time of 31 minutes 20 seconds, incidentally he finished 17 th in this year’s London Marathon. The first Lady was Jane James from the Striders in 19th place(41.41). The other Striders places and times are as follows:
JOHN |
SIDDENS |
5 |
36.21 |
JANE |
JAMES | 19 |
41.41 |
| IAN | HANKS | 24 |
42.46 |
| JEANETTE | SCOTT | 32 |
44.56 |
| VINCE | MCNIFFE | 34 |
45.43 |
| ALAN | BUCKBERRY | 37 |
46.15 |
| GRAHAM | POTTER | 42 |
46.50 |
| EMMA | MARSHALL | 50 |
48.44 |
| SARAH | MILLER | 51 |
48.47 |
| MARK | COZENS | 62 |
51.13 |
| SAMANTHA | LESTER | 69 |
52.39 |
| ANNA | THOMPSON | 71 |
53.41 |
| MAUREEN | RUNACRES | 72 |
53.46 |
| LEANNE | WARD | 91 |
58.39 |
| PETE | HAYWARD | 95 |
60.26 |
| DENNIS | TINDALL | 98 |
62.06 |
| LINDA | MELLOY | 99 |
65.24 |
8 Striders made the short trip to take part in the fourth running of the Bourne Woods 5 mile race. Organised by the Rotary club this hilly 5-mile course is all off road and is held by kind permission of the Forestry Commission. As well as being a good and well organised run the event attracted almost 200 entries raising more than £1000 for local charities. Standing on the start line Karl Aubrey said that he would take it easy and just enjoy the race, he then went on to be the first Strider to finish with a time of 32.55. This was a terrific performance and marks a true return to form from Karl. Clive Holden fell over after a mile and discovered that the Ted Preston Preparation method doesn’t work the week after a marathon; he still completed the course in 34.56. Ted ran a good solid race with his usual very consistent pace crossing the line to receive his medal just a minute later (35.56). First lady home for Striders was Anna Flavell running this race for the first time; she rose to the challenge of the hills and proved that training works with a time of 37.29. Pete Hayward proved that he continues to recover and ran the route in 50.56. Di and Jo Aubrey with Bethany and Toby Holden practised their speed walking and beat some of the runners by completing the course in 65 minutes taking a full 5 minutes off Di and Jo’s time for the race last year.
This was the 27 th running of the Flora London Marathon. Record temperatures made the going tough for the 36,500 runners with 5,000 of them being treated by the emergency services for dehydration and heat exhaustion.Five Striders managed to get round without too much trouble which is testament to the months of training leading into this event.Ian Hanks in his first ever marathon crossed the line in 4 hours and was ‘totally exhausted’ after his efforts. Graham Potter (4.09) was pleased with his time after the injuries suffered in the previous year. Clive Holden (4.30) achieved a negative split spurred on at the finish to beat a runner dressed as a beer bottle. Striders’ newcomer Emma Marshall (4.34) recorded a creditable time after suffereing from cramp at the 21 mile stage. Stan Thornton (4.50) raised charity money for Alzheimer’s in his eighth London Marathon.
The prestigious Lincoln 10k Road Race returned to the City on Sunday 25th March. The race was once again a huge success and attracted nearly 4,000 runners both professional and non-professional, as well as the big crowds cheering on the runners. The event organised by the City of Lincoln Council Sport Development Team, is a very popular race for athletes of all abilities, attracting over 1,000 competitors from the Lincoln region and nationally. The race took in much of the historic part of Lincoln including the Cathedral and concluded within the grounds of Lincoln Castle. Every runner received a unique medal and there were numerous excellent prizes for a variety of different age category winners.Striders were well represented here with 16 entrants. First to cross the line in 51 st place overall was Paul Flavell with a ‘chip’ time of 37 minutes 20 seconds. Jane James (199 th 41.23) was next and also the first lady Strider. Other runners were Andy Stevenson (216 th 41.12), Ian Hanks (265 th 41.50), Karl Aubrey (393 rd 43.48), Samuel Walker (515 th 45.23), Jeanette Scott (543 rd 44.56), Jennifer Shearer (568 th 46.13), ‘elite runner’ Stephen Brear (571 st 46.12), Vince McNiffe (573 rd 46.07), Jon Hird (941 st 47.44), Anna Flavell (966 th 49.38), Stanley Thornton (1,353 rd 51.37), Nicola Casburn (2,128 th 59.24), Leanne Ward (2,162 nd 58.16), and Richard Dannatt (2,915th 68.58).
Graham Potter went to Ashby-de-la-Zouch on Sunday morning to run the “Ashby 20”. This long established 20-mile road race sets out from Ashby and takes a two-lap route through rural Leicestershire villages. The terrain is fairly hilly and one long hill going into Swepstone is tackled twice once at 5 miles and again at 14. The event is always well supported with 800 runners from all over the country coming to test their endurance in advance of the Flora London Marathon. The permanent strong wind was accompanied by snow, rain and hail. Graham finished in 2 hours 59 minutes and was pleased with the ‘goody bag’ that included a sweatshirt.
Paul and Anna Flavell travelled to Hampshire for the Fleet Half Marathon. Paul was disappointed to achieve exactly the same time as last year when competing for the Royal Air Force. He however, did finish the run in very creditable 1.23 and enjoyed a valuable run in his build up for the Flora London Marathon. Anna ran her first half marathon and was delighted to finish in 1.55 on the back of little or no training.
Six Striders took the short trip to Grantham on Sunday for the second running of the Newton’s Fraction Half Marathon. This is a scenic course offering views of Harlaxton Manor and Belvoir Castle which incorporates a 2 mile stretch of the Grantham Canal Path. The terrain was mainly flat with 2 inclines at the 6 and 10 mile points. The weather was warm and very sunny with a slight breeze making ideal running conditions. Ian Hanks was the first Strider to cross the finish line after a lap of the South Kesteven Sports Stadium in a time of 1 hour 40 minutes, he enjoyed this race and found the final run in easy. Stephen Brear (1.52.53) finished in 147th place overall. Alan Buckberry (1.55.30) found the going tough due to his liquid preparation the night before! Graham Potter (1.56.12) had a steady run and managed a negative split time. Samantha Lester (1.57.07) in her first Half Marathon was delighted with her performance and was helped along the whole route by Clive Holden crossing the line together to cheers from the Striders supporters. They also achieved negative splits which is testament to the quality of their run.98 competitors took part in the 3k Fun Run. First overall was Matt Bee. Tilley Ireland finished ninth and Joe Hanks fifteenth.
This was the fourth running of the Sleaford Half Marathon from it’s new location at RAF Cranwell. 415 runners from all over the country completed the course which still makes this the largest event of its’ kind in the county. The number of finishers is 69 up on last year. Months of hard work and planning by the members of Sleaford Striders made sure the race went ahead smoothly. Race director Clive Holden would like to thank all volunteers for their help.The winner of the race was Chris Stokes from Sphinx Athletics Club in Coventry in a time of 1 hour 15 minutes 28 seconds, some 25 seconds off the course record set last year. The ladies winner was Tracey West from Worksop (33rd position overall 1.27.25). Sleaford Striders were represented by Paul Flavell (13 th 1.22.24), Alan Buckberry 4 minutes slower than last year (192 nd 1.49.04), Stephen Brear 6 minutes faster than last year (208 th 1.51.23) Maureen Runacres (246 th 1.56.24) and newcomer Stanley Thornton (289 th 2.02.15).
Graham Potter and Samantha Lester travelled to the village of Harby in Leicestershire for the 15 mile Belvoir Challenge. The annual Belvoir Challenge was set up in 1990 to raise money for Harby Primary School. The event is organized by the 'Friends of Harby School' and the Vale Striders running club. Around 1,000 competitors took part. There is also the option of a 26 mile route and is also open to walkers.The route follows footpaths, byways, tracks, and minor roads, and with the kind permission of the Duke of Rutland, go through the Belvoir Estate. There are checkpoints roughly every 5 miles providing free drinks and snacks. (The Belvoir Challenge is well known for the homemade cakes provided, and is one of the few events where you can actually put on weight!).Graham Finished in 2 hours 59 minutes and Samantha in 4.17 was very impressive since her previous longest ever distance was 6 miles on the road.
This race is a good test of fitness in preparation for the London Marathon and is run on the hilly roads through the villages north of Stamford. The weather was perfect for running as the 600 runners set out on the route that takes in four counties.Paul (Flavs) Flavell having only decided to run at the last minute put in a sterling performance and ran at a good and steady pace even though he said he was treating it as a training run. His finishing time of 1 hour 58 min 43 sec put him in 19th position overall and 13th for his age group. Clive Holden really was treating it as a training run and was well pleased to finish in 2 hours 47 min 38 sec. Other Striders who had entered unfortunately were unable to compete due to work commitments and injuries.