Sent: 08 April 2007 18:43
Subject: VS Update - Reminders and Race Reports (including wins for Tracey and Lisa)

Final reminder – club handicap and pie and peas Tuesday 10 April

First runner off prompt from the Res at 7pm.  Please book pie and peas before 12 noon Monday.  Are you booked in?  See www.valleystriders.org.uk/vslists.htm

Penultimate reminder – Meanwood Trail Race Saturday 14 April

We still need at least 8 more marshals PLEASE, otherwise we run the risk of the Meanwood Trail being 5 or 9 miles rather than 7.

Final arrangements for marshalling will be emailed on Wednesday evening and also posted on the website  www.valleystriders.org.uk/trail07m.htm

Barcelona 10K, Sunday 4 March

Report by Paul Brooks on Wales Athletics / Cymru Athletau website

For the first time for several years, Wales sent teams abroad to compete, this time to the Barcelona 10km on Sunday 4th March.

The 10km race and the full marathon started together, with over 2,000 in the former and in excess of 9,000 in the latter, at 9.00 a.m. and with temperatures in the low 20C’s by noon, athletes in the shorter race were glad of the early start. The weather was superb, clear skies and little wind, the organisation top-class and hundreds lined the start/finish area, where fountains and the National Gallery provided a big-occasion feel to the atmosphere.

Wales’ main opponents were our friends from England and their men dominated their event, taking the first 4 places with Tom Payne winning in a fine 29:59. Richard Gardiner, one of several in the Welsh teams preparing for the London Marathon, was our first finisher in 5th place for 30:12. March Hobbs was delighted with a 40 second improvement to his P.B. finishing in 30:36 for 6th place. Matthew Janes was 7th in 30:51, giving us 3 men under 31 minutes. Ian Williams was 9th in 32:08, Sullivan Smith 10th in 32:42 and Jonathan Phillips, whose calf injury flared up again after the 3km mark, 11th in 33:38.

In the women’s race, Olympic and Commonwealth Games marathon runner Tracey Morris – who was returning to the sport after an operation to repair damage to her leg, caused by a fall when warming up for the Great South Run last November – was another runner delighted with her performance. She won the race in a superb 33:45, finishing 13th person over the line. Non Stanford is one of the most exciting prospects Wales has produced for many years; at just 18 years of age, she finished 3rd lady in a fine 34:46. Melanie Ellis is another runner whose recent career has been hampered by injury and her 37:02 for 8th place shows she is on the way back. Dinah Cheverton and Ann Thomas, both of whom are now regular members of the team, were 12th and 13th in 38:35 and 38:51 respectively.

The teams wish to thank: Jacqueline Brace for all her hard work before, during and after the event and Running Crazy, the organisers of the trip.

Dent 14, Saturday 10 March

 103 Lisa Wilyman    1:43:49  5th W

It amused me that the women’s winner of the Dent 14 was called Lisa Dent (from Skyrac AC).

Baildon Boundary Way, Sunday 1 April

This race counted in both the Valley Striders Grand Prix and in the Valley Striders Fell Championships.

                                   VSGP

   7 Steve Webb         1:26:26    100

  18 Martin Horbury     1:31:43     99 Keighley & Craven

  37 Richard King       1:35:15     99

  49 Andy Duffield      1:37:25     98 West Cheshire

  54 Mick Wrench        1:38:21     98

  56 Bob Jackson        1:40:12     97

  60 Alan Hutchinson    1:40:46     96

  66 Steve Trout        1:42:06     95

  72 Eric Green         1:42:41     94

  78 Andrew Cutts       1:44:16     93

  89 Caz Farrow         1:45:36     92

  90 Laura Clark        1:45:37     91

  91 Paul Hunter        1:45:57     90

  94 Dan Murray         1:46:19     89

 183 Tony Haygarth      1:57:33     88

 193 Peter Lambert      1:59:02     87

 214 Bob Wilkes         2:02:21     86

 225 Paul Sanderson     2:03:23     85

 279 Sara Dyer          2:15:23     84

Congratulations to Steve who picked up the 3rd M40 prize and to Peter Lambert who picked up the 1st M70 (but no trophy, shame!)

Dan Murray was 4th placed Strider at the 4 mile mark through the woods with Bob Jackson just behind when he misplaced a foot and went over on his ankle. Was he pushed?  It’s Dan’s word against Bob’s!  After another 10 Striders had gone past, saying “Are you OK” but doing nothing to help, Dan decided it would be quicker to run to the finish than walk, got going, and still posted a respectable time.

Andrew Cutts and Paul Hunter ran together again.  Last time they did this, in the Yorkshireman Marathon for pairs, Paul finished 10 minutes ahead of Andrew.  This time Andrew got his revenge!

The course was fast, it was wet only on the moor across to Harvey Smith’s gallops, so some good times were obtained.

Hartlepool Marina 5 mile, Sunday 1 April  (from Ian Sanderson)

I've been getting really hacked-off with long slow runs, so did the Hartlepool Marina 5 mile race on Sunday. I appreciate that 5 mile races don't normally feature in the latter stages of marathon training programmes, but as a monkeyhanger I've been meaning to do my home-town race for a while now. This was my first 5 mile race and I managed to sneak in under 30 minutes (29:49) so you can add this to Alan Hutchinson's Orwellian database of performances (Big Hutch is watching).

20 Ian Sanderson      0:29:49        

P.S. Please disregard this e-mail when setting handicaps for next week.

Oldham Half Marathon, Sunday 1 April

  20 Lisa Wilyman       1:33:33  1st W

Connemara Marathon, Sunday 1 April

An expeditionary force of Nidd Valley Road Runners went to the West coast of Ireland for the Connemarathon event.  Jim Towers and Lyn Eden (a.k.a. Marilyn Towers in the results) were amongst 10 NVRRs who ran the full marathon - Jim was 121st in 3:52:54 and Lyn 293rd in 4:37:38.  387 finished.  3 NVRRs ran the half marathon.  There was also a ultra that consisted of the half marathon course followed by the full marathon - Anne-Marie Macpherson was 50th out of 86 in 6:41:55  (the winning time was 4:22:01 and the second place was only 5 seconds behind!).  If Anne-Marie likes off-road then she should consider the Lyke Wake Run.

Here’s Lyn’s story (I asked for full details so that the Striders can start planning their 2008 tour early)

Connemara Marathon.  We all took advantage of the cheap flights offered by Aer Arran three times a week from Leeds & Bradford Airport, which determined our lengths of stay.  Some went for a long weekend, others Friday to Wed.  Jim and I went Wed to Wed.  Most stayed at the Courtyard at the Marriott Hotel which was a 20 minute walk into Galway Town, on the airport side of Galway.  This is a 5 star hotel, expensive and one of the hotels recommended by the marathon website, but reports from those who stayed there are very good.

We stayed in an apartment in Salthill, 10-15 min walk from the eating district of Galway Town, The Quays.  We found out from the owner of the apartments that he will let the apartments for short term stays before easter.  He has two blocks of apartments and can offer from one bedroom to three bedroom apartments. The three bedroomed apartments are all en-suite. They are decorated and equipped to a very high standard offering everything we needed for the week.  We had a one bedroomed apartment with a sea view, costing 350 euros for the week.  Electricity was 25 euros extra.  We booked through Dublin Tourist Information when we visited Dublin in Feb paying 120 euros.  The apartment owner told us to bring the balance in euro cash. The ones on the website are not the apartments overlooking the sea http://www.galway.net/pages/grattan-house/1156841992282.html

We hired a car and drove the marathon route.  What can I say about the marathon given that I don't like road running.  It is one of the most beautiful marathons I have run.  The scenery is out of this world, starting literally in the middle of the wilderness with a 'Ready, Steady Go', after the two leaders of the Ultra had run past. Basically the route of the Ultra Marathon starts at a place called Maam Cross at 9.00am and is a circuit around the base of the Maum Turk Mountains.  After 13.1 miles they come to the marathon start [10.30am],partway along Lough [Lake in English] Inagh, then when all this bunch of runners reach Leenane [at 26.2 miles for the Ultra runners and 13.1 for the marathon], the half marathon starts here at 12 noon.  They have drawn the short straw - the start of the half is straight up a devastatingly steep hill, which goes on and on, and on. At 23 miles there is the Hell of the West, hill with hair pin bends to 24/25 miles.

Organisation for this race is brilliant.  Runners were bussed to their starts in good time.  We arrived at our start an hour early.  Thankfully portaloos were available there, though if the weather had been inclement we would have a had serious problems as there was no shelter at all.  A lorry was there to take our bags to the finish.  From the finish we had the choice to be transported directly back to Galway Town or to Oughterard where we food was laid on. 

As we were there a week we toured Co Connemara and Co Clare [The Burrens and the Cliffs of Mohar].  The scenery is remarkably wild.  Gritstone and boggy moorland in Connemara and limestone pavements in the mountainous Co. Clare [an area known as the Burrens].  Food - I love Irish cuisine.  Lehanne's Fish Restaurant in The Burrens is where the locals go - miles from anywhere by the sea where they serve the fish they catch.  We ate at Monar's Oyster Bar outside Kilgoran.  Divine hardly expresses the oysters and shellfish platter with soda bread.

The Irish people are the most welcoming and lovely people.  Everyone has time to talk - and sparkly eyes.

I could go on and on - but won't.  Details of next year's event is on the Connemara Marathon website already www.connemarathon.com/

Salford 10k, Friday 6 April

 146 Eric Green         39:23

 147 Roy Flesher        39:25

 163 Alison Bogie       40:09

 402 Lou Gilchrist      49:25 1st W70, beat all 5 W60

Guiseley Gallop, Sunday 8 April

There were 3 Striders and 3 second claim Striders

76 Howard Jeffrey     43:57  Otley AC

  77 Bob Jackson        44:07  1st M55

  99 Andrew Cutts       45:26

 179 Jim Towers         50:31  Nidd Valley

 193 Peter Lambert      52:58  2nd M70 (out of 6!)

 448 Lyn Eden         1:06:43  Nidd Valley

Message from Mick Wrench

Emma and I are pleased to announce the arrival of Sophie Jane Wrench.  Born on Friday 26th January at the LGI and weighed 5lb 13oz.  The labour was longer than expected, a bit like her father’s marathon times!  Mother, baby and father are doing well.