Sent: 29 October 2008 00:27
Subject: VS Update - dates for your diary - some actions required now!

 

I’ve just updated the key dates page http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsdates.htm .  This lists the events in date order.

 

So I’ll give you a list in the order (I think) you need to do things!  Are you sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin.

 

Sunday 22 February 2009 – Snake Lane 10 mile and Abbey-Valley Challenge.  You need to post your entry off by this Friday at the very latest, they are holding open entries for us until Saturday.  Entry forms on www.ukresults.net .

 

Sunday 23 November – Abbey Dash 10k – only a few spaces left, will probably sell out by the weekend.  Entry details on www.helptheaged.org.uk   and search for “Abbey Dash”

 

Tuesday 4 November – pie and peas night at Leos, please book, stating whether meat or vegetarian pie, whether mushy peas or baked beans, and also whether you’d like apple pie.  Book by email before Sunday 10pm, late bookings will be taken by text on 0777 5898 558 up to 2pm Monday.  You can check your booking has been accepted on http://valleystriders.org.uk/vslists.htm

 

Saturday 15 November – 3rd race in West Yorks Cross Country series at Wetherby.  If you’ve not already entered the series and want to run this and/or the last race, you need to let me know by Wednesday 5 November – there are strictly no entries on the day.  Fee is £7 whether you run one or both of the last races.

 

Tuesday 18 November – Valley Striders annual general meeting at Leos.  Nominations for committee members must be submitted by Tuesday 11 November.  If you’d like to find out more about what being a committee member entails, contact myself or Paul White [email protected] .  (This will be a lasagne night)

 

Friday 26 December – Chevin Chase – entry forms available at http://www.guiseley.co.uk/airecentre-pacers/ .  This usually sells out by the middle of November, so suggest you get your entry in soon.  Also it is the first event of the 2009 Striders Grand Prix and points mean prizes!

 

Talking about Grand Prix, if you want to see how you’re getting on in the 2008 GP, see http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsclubch.htm . Here are the dates of the 5 remaining races for 2008

  • Sat 15 Nov - 3rd West Yorks XC Wetherby
  • Sun 16 Nov - 1st Peco Sport Direct Cross Country at Nell Bank, Ilkley (counts as a trail race for GP points)
  • Sun 23 Nov - Abbey Dash 10k (Abbey Runners require extra marshals - if you’re not running, can you help?)
  • Sun 30 Nov - Thirsk 10 mile
  • Sun 7 Dec - 4th West Yorks XC Wakefield

You will notice two events in one weekend, I apologise for this but we hope this will encourage as many Striders as possible to run at least one of these (and some, like John Wallace and Eric Green, may run both).  In the West Yorks, we are holding our own well against some of the bigger clubs in Yorkshire. In the Peco, our men’s and women’s teams are both in the first division and we’d like to give Abbey and Ilkley a run for their money this year.

 

Talking about Peco League, here’s the full calendar

  • Sun 16 Nov - 1st Peco at Nell Bank, Ilkley
  • Sat 20 Dec - 2nd Peco probably at Golden Acre Park
  • Sun 11 Jan - 3rd Peco at John Smeaton Sports Centre
  • Sun 8 Feb - 4th Peco probably at South Leeds Sports Centre
  • Sun 1 Mar - 5th Peco at Shaw Cross Rugby Club, Woodkirk  (Woodkirk Striders require extra marshals – can anyone help?)

Talking about cross country, here are the other races in the winter

  • Sat 10 Jan - Yorkshire XC Championships at Rotherham
  • Sat 17 Jan - Yorkshire Vets Championships at ?
  • Sat 24 Jan - Northern XC Championships at Sherdly Park, St Helens
  • Sat 21 Feb - English XC Championships at Parliament Hill Fields, London

We will also have teams in 2 relays

  • Sun 14 Dec - Calderdale Way Relay - 24 Striders to run – contact Geoff on 0113 266 6288 if interested
  • probably Sun 4 Jan - Harrogate Ringway Relay - Teams of 5 – just get together as unofficial teams, details to follow

And getting back to Grand Prix, here are the first races confirmed for the 2009 GP (we’ll publish a full list during December)

  • Fri 26 Dec - Chevin Chase - Enter early, race likely to close mid to late November (2009 VSGP)
  • Sun 28 Dec 1100 - Christmas Handicap 5 mile from Eccup Res, afterwards at Leos (2009 VSGP)

·         Sun 18 Jan - Brass Monkey half marathon (VSGP) (entries closed)

·         Sun 1 Feb - Dewsbury 10k (probably VSGP)

·         Sun 22 Feb - Snake Lane 10 mile (VSGP and ABBEY VALLEY CHALLENGE) (ukr)

·         Sun 5 Apr - Baildon Boundary Way (VSGP) - enter early!

·         possibly Sun 19 Apr - Rothwell 10k (possibly VSGP)

·         Sun 26 Apr - London Marathon (VSGP)

·         probably Sun 10 May - Leeds Half Marathon (VSGP) (some Striders to help please)

In between all of this running is the Christmas buffet meal and Presentation night at Leo’s on Friday 19 December.  Details to follow.

 

Talking of presentations, I have quite a few things to give away

  • 12 olive oil jars from the Leeds Country Way
  • Also one ladies team-member trophy from LCW
  • A number of “Performance Certificates”.  56 Striders have earned them in the last 22 months, see http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsperfs.htm
  • 36 bottles of beer for marshals for helping at the Harewood Trail Race

If something of these is for you, make sure you get it as soon as possible at Leos.

 

Talking of organising races, our MEANWOOD VALLEY TRAIL RACE is likely to be Saturday 16 May.

 

In the meantime three events have asked us for some support, let me know if you can help (dates listed above)

  • Abbey Dash (we can help the Abbey, can’t we)
  • Peco XC at Woodkirk (this is in place of Striders hosting a race)
  • Leeds half marathon

 

I need to tell you some race results (in the XC on Sunday, the women were 9th and the men were 9th.)  I’ll send another email at the weekend to bring you up-to-date!

 

Bob

 

P.S. Mick Loftus emailed me on Sunday to say that he, Mick Wrench and Anthony Fryer had all completed the first day of the OMM last Saturday and then had made their way back to the start on the Sunday after finding that the race had been cancelled.  I hope that one of them will send a report to tell us what it was really like.