Sent: 20 December 2007 10:11
Subject: V S Update - Sport Direct XC, Abbey Valley, Dec-Jan events,
Results, Quiz, Happy new year
Sport Direct XC at Ackworth
The next Sport Direct race is this Sunday, 23 December at
Ackworth.
Paul has already sent you a reminder so you’ll already have
the date marked in your diaries!
I know that some of you are unavailable because you are away
on your travels for the Holidays. So my message to those of you that are
available but undecided: “please come and run!”
Here’s the map http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=443970&y=417210&z=3&sv=443970,417210&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
The
simplest route (but not necessarily the shortest) is
- down the
M1 to the M62
- turn
left, 3 junctions to Jct 32
- turn
right, head through Pontefract on the A639
- just
through Pontefract bear right onto the A628 hopefully signed Ackworth /
Hemsworth /
- two and a half miles to Ackworth and
But if you live East of Leeds, then the AA recommended route
is via the A63 and then the A656.
For those with SatNav, your destination is WF7 7LT.
Here are
more details http://www.abbeyrunners.co.uk/PECO/ackworth.html
It’s about 5 miles, a mixture of muddy paths, good paths and
two short sections of tarmac. Unsuitable for spikes, fell shoes/studs
recommended, but I’m sure trail shoes will do fine and good studded road shoes
should get you round. A good opportunity for those new to cross country to
experience the delights of running a race without mile markers or a clock.
Only £2 this time because there’s no food provided but the
arrangement is to meet afterwards in the Rustic Arms at Low Ackworth (this is
the pub you pass at mile 12 of the Ackworth Half Marathon)
Talking of the Ackworth Half Marathon, I’ve had an email
from Mark Hetherington (and you’ll have to read further to find the connection)
Hi Bob,
Just wanted
to run an idea past you! I have been talking to some of our members (and a few
of yours too) about the idea of instigating an annual Abbey vs Valley Road Race
Trophy.
The basic
idea would be that each club would take it in turns (Abbey one year, Striders
the next) to nominate a local road race (over any distance from 5K to half
marathon) run sometime between January and June (examples could include
Dewsbury 10K, Snake Lane 10 mile, Ackworth Half, John Carr 5K, etc.). As long
as the race was easy enough to enter (i.e. not Brass monkey), not involving
either club in its organisation (i.e. not Leeds Half), and not clashing with a
club Grand Prix race, it shouldn’t matter which one was chosen, provided it was
done far enough in advance to allow everyone a chance to enter.
The result
would be calculated by adding the times of the first 8 men and 4 ladies home
from each club (these numbers could obviously be changed, and/or you could
include vet categories in the calculation): lowest aggregate time wins. We
could then designate a pub for post-race drinks, food and banter (please don’t
bring Jonathan Brownbill…).
I am happy
to provide a perpetual trophy, with plenty of room for engraving ‘Abbey
Runners’ on the plinth each year (this is the ‘red rag to a bull’ approach!).
Let me know
what you think: I am very much in favour of stimulating a bit more friendly
competition between our two clubs! If you like the idea, we can meet up at the
Ackworth XC on Dec 23rd and toss a coin to decide who gets to choose
the race in 2008.
Cheers, Mark
And I’ve found out that if Mark wins the toss of the coin
he’s going to choose the Ackworth half.
Chevin Chase
See you all there and remember this is the first GP race of
2008, so if you’ve got an entry, no wimping on the day.
If you’ve an entry but now can’t run, please let me know, I
may be able to “recycle” it (providing it complies with the “13 rules”)
Xmas Handicap
Sunday 30 December 11am prompt meet at the bottom of the
hill by the Res for a 5 mile route round the Res almost to Eccup and
back. Then afterwards back to Leos.
If you were rejected from the London Marathon, we have a
ballot for two places which we will hold on 30 December. You need to have
your rejection slip to be eligible for the ballot. So far there are three
candidates so the odds are good for them.
So far we have 24 runners i.e. 4.8 teams for the Ringway
Relay on January 6.
We need a woman to run leg 1 to complete the 5th team – leg
1 is just over 2 miles and no need to recce, just follow everyone else!
Anyone else interested let me know as soon as possible and
I’ll set up a 6th team if we get 5 more.
Details on the website. The longest leg is just over 5
miles, and the website explains how you can recce a leg and then return via a
shorter route so the maximum recce run is just under 10 miles.
There may be a recce run on January 1, leg 1 at 11:00, leg 2
at 11:25, leg 3 at 12:15, leg 4 at 13:15, leg 5 at 14:05, finish at
15:00. If you are interested in joining for “your” leg or more than one
leg, let me know.
Yorkshire & Northern Cross Country
We have 6 for the Yorkshires and 39 for the Northerns (names
on the list page on the website). Entries have closed for both.
So far we have 8 for the Yorkshire Vets on 13 January at
Keighley.
There is a Sport Direct the same day so please come and run
one of these to ensure we have teams for both.
Closing date for
January Training
No training at Leos on 1st January, so the sessions are all
one week late
8 January – 3 by 10 minutes at High Ashes followed by pie
and peas – I am taking orders now. There has been suggestion that for one
of our pie and peas nights we have lasagna (carnivore and veg versions)
instead, we may do that for February
15 January – track at
22 January – 5 by 6 minutes at High Ashes
29 January – hills on
Xmas meal and Presentation Night
A Quiz and lots of excellent food were followed by
presentations of some Performance Awards, the Also Ran Trophy, the Grand Prix
T-shirts, the Fell Championship trophy, a gift to Tony, and the Marathon
Trophy. The final event was the raffle for presents that money can’t buy
(thanks, Steve) which after paying for tips to the bar staff, made a profit of
£41 for Lineham Farm, thanks!
I’ll put a full list of winners in the next V S Update, but
those of you who weren’t there can have a go at the Quiz which is at the end of
this email.
WYXC Results – from Paul Hunter
Well done to
all who turned out for the final race – the weather was mixed to say the least.
Results are
as follows:
Girls U11
6 Josephine Mather-Hunter 0:06:56
(Member of Winning
Wetherby Team)
Boys U11
13 Gavin
Boys U13
7 Ollie
Watson 0:13:40
Women
24 Caz Farrow
0:21:47
38 Carole Schofield 0:22:55
51 Hayley Palmer 0:24:29
65 Madeleine Watson 0:25:54
Finished 8th
Sylvia finished 2nd W55 in the
series
Men
47 Alastair
Kennis 0:35:45
68 Jerry
Watson 0:37:08
90 Drew
Taylor 0:38:41
94 Mark
Greaves 0:38:52
104 Rob
Bumstead 0:39:15
122 Eirik
Stangnes 0:40:58
152 Eran
Gal-Or 0:44:30
153 Alistair
Fale 0:44:43
158 Tony Haygarth 0:45:48
168 Geoff Webster
0:48:40
Finished 12th
Bob Wilkes finished 2nd M65 in the series
Valley
Striders “A”
1
Mick Wrench & Simon Vallance 1:24:57 39 1:24:57 39
2
Greg Skerrett & Dan Murray 1:14:56 40 2:39:53
36
3
Geoff Webster & Paul Sanderson 0:56:10 89 3:36:03 49
4
5
Alistair Fale & Mark Hunter 1:12:52 63 6:13:17 47
6
Rob Bumstead & Ian Sanderson 1:19:20 39 7:32:37 44
Valley
Striders “B”
1
2 J
Brownbill & Patrick Barrett 1:22:02 72 2:56:03 68
3
4
Graham
5
Liz Ball & Mick Tinker
1:21:24 89 6:54:59 81
6
Jerry Watson & Drew Taylor 1:17:01 28 8:12:00
75
111
teams finished
Denby Dale Travellers
6
20
Steve Morley 38:10
44
56
Eric Green 42:15
123
Chloe
Card from Janet Kitchen
I have received a card from Janet (who presented our
Marathon Trophy) wishing all Striders success and an injury-free 2008.
Message from Laura Clark
Hi Bob,
Hope you are well. I am currently in
Anyway please can you put my name down for the Northerns at
Hope you
have a good Xmas and see you in the New Year.
Laura
NB Geoff gave Laura a mention at the Xmas Do.
Laura finished 4th but would have finished higher had she continued to run fell
races in Yorkshire rather than getting in some altitude training by walking the
Annapurna Trail in Nepal!
Valley Striders Quiz
1. In which year were Valley Striders
founded? .. 1980 / 1981 / 1982
2. Where were Valley Striders founded?
..
3. Who is the fastest all time marathon
runner for Striders? .. Steve O’Callaghan / Tracey Morris / Bob Jackson
4. How many Striders ever have been
selected for
5. Which team were promoted to Premier
Division of Sport Direct League this year? .. men / women / both
6. How many age group trophies did we
win in Sport Direct League? .. 1 / 3 / 5
7. How many runners in the Summer
Handicap Trail Run? .. 40 / 50 / 60
8. And was the number of runners in the
Autumn Handicap .. higher / lower / the same
9. What was Tracey’s time in the World
Championships at
10.
And
what position did she finish? .. 19th / 24th / 29th
11.
What
was the winning margin for the women’s team in the :
12.
Who
were runners up? .. Horsforth / Abbey /
13.
How
many races did Striders organize or co-organize in 2007? .. 2 / 5 / 8
14.
How
many Striders (men and women) have won individual races in 2007? .. 5 / 8 / 11
15.
How
many Striders have qualified for Performance Certificates in 2007? .. 10 / 15 /
20
16.
How
many women were in the top 3 Striders first claim club marathon times this
year? .. 1 / 2 / 3
17.
How
many in the top 3 Striders first claim club marathon times in 2007 are English?
.. 0 / 1 / 2
18.
How
many new members joined in 2007? .. 39 / 49 / 59
19.
How
many Life Memberships were awarded this year? .. 2 / 4 / 6
20.
In
which article in Wikipedia will you find Valley Striders? .. Harewood House /
Meanwood Trail footpath / Tracey Morris
A small prize will be awarded to the first all-correct
entry, or, if no all-correct entries are received, to the one with the most
correct received by 7 January. (Those who attended the Xmas Do aren’t
eligible).
Christmas and New Year Holidays
The Valley Striders email service and website remains open
for business over the holiday period but for those of you who receive emails at
work, I guess that for many of you, this will be the last V S Update you
receive till next year, so I echo Janet Kitchen’s message in wishing you all a
successful and injury-free year in 2008
Bob