12/03/11 "A paw performance"
There is a wide range of running events available to today’s runner.
There was a time when the runner’s racing calendar consisted solely of races on roads, cross-country and track over distances up to the classic marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yards.
The whole running scene was given a shake-up at the end of the 1970s and early 1980s when mass-participation events became popular. The serious club runner was joined by the recreational or “fun” runner as the craze gripped the country. Runners and “joggers” alike could be seen pounding the streets; the serious runner would be wearing an unusual combination of old socks and tatty shorts and vests whilst the jogger would more than likely be wearing a new tracksuit and colour-coordinated trainers.
London first staged its now famous marathon in 1981 and many cities across the UK followed the lead to stage inner-city races. Gloucester was one of these cities and its first race attracted well over 2,000 entrants.
Gloucester also became a leading pioneer of ultra-distance races in the UK. These events were extremely popular on the continent and the Gloucester squad of world record-holders Dave Dowdle and Martin Daykin along with Chris O’Carroll and Ken Leyshon would regularly cross over the Channel to France, Holland and Belgium to compete in races that would make the normal runner wince. Events of up to 200kms, and those that were held over 24 and 48 hours were not uncommon. (In the UK, there were even races held over six days – some of which were staged in a shopping mall!)
Nowadays, the local runner has a plethora of running events to choose from, as race organisers put on their creative and thinking caps in an attempt to make their event more challenging, attractive or whackier than the one being held in the neighbouring town.
There are multi-terrain events, races against horses (possibly a derivative of the African version of sprinting away from a big cat?), races that are aimed specifically at the slower runner, not to mention duathlon and triathlon events.
Now add to that list, CaniX – trail running with a dog; a relatively new “sport” with events now popping up all over the place. Competitors can either run with their pooch, attached by a lead, or be towed around the course on a harness. There are categories for singles or pairs; the list is seemingly endless.
There is even a European Championship which, this year, shall be staged in Poland. Clearly, the sport is growing.
Gloucester Athletic Club’s Michelle Stark is an exponent of the sport and recently took part in the two-day event at Westonbirt Arboretum, with her dog, Kerry.
The pair finished 4th on the first day in a time of 19 mins, 47 seconds and 5th on day two in 19 mins 44 seconds to finish 5th overall in their category.
As Stark explains: “I have taken Kerry out on my training runs for a long time now and this is a great way to combine cross-country or trail running with dog-walking. And she absolutely loves it!”
Of course, many puns spring to mind: “A paw performance”, “Feeling ruff”, “Michelle takes the lead” I could go on….
12/03/11 British Masters Cross-Country Championships (Birmingham)
Gloucester Athletic Club fared well in the British Masters Cross-country championships at Perry Park in Birmingham on Saturday.
The men’s team made their debut at these championships and came away with an excellent fourth place in the 35-44 year category, run over 8kms.
Team captain Dave Gresswell (M40) was first home for the team in 79th place in 30 mins 42 seconds. M45 Lee Smith just achieved his target of a top 100 position, by placing 100th in 31:49, with Ian summers completing the scoring team in 121st place in 32:41.
M60 Arthur Daley finished 115th overall and sixth in his category, missing out on the bronze medal by just 37 seconds in a time of 32:28.
In the ladies event, run over 6kms, Michelle Stark battled bravely through a stomach muscle strain to finish 80th overall, in 28:10.
Gresswell was pleased with the club’s showing, saying “This was the first time we have entered a team at these championships and I think we were all taken back at how competitive the race was, for a Masters event. We’ll definitely be back next year and hoping to bring back some medals.”
13/03/11 Gloucester 20
There was an exciting tussle at the head of the annual 20-mile road race organised by Gloucester Athletic Club around Quedgeley and Haresfield on Sunday.
Peter Freedman of Coventry Godiva Harriers set a blistering pace for the first two miles when he was caught by Michael Aspinall (Tipton Harriers), who headed the UK 20 mile ranking list for 2010. The pair ran together, testing each other, until the 15-mile mark when Freedman put in his bid for victory, winning his debut 20 mile event in 1 hour 49 minutes, 24. Aspinall, clearly easing off in the latter stages, finished second in 1:54:20.
There was also a battle for third place, where Matt Giles of Bromsgrove & Redditch held off the spirited challenge of Christopher Riley of Bedford & County to prevail in 1:59:44 to 1:56:50.
Wayne Mayer led the Gloucester AC contingent home, running an excellent 2:12:36 for 20th place. Lee Smith, running his second race in two days, was next home, in 29th in a time of 2:17:35 – an encouraging run, given his recent injury problems. Dave Gresswell, also in his second race of the weekend, finished in 74th position with 2:32:11, with Terry Onions 170th in 2:52:09.
In the ladies race, Louise Gardner of Lancaster & Morecambe AC justified her position at the top of the 2010 UK 20-mile ranking lists, winning in 2:08:45. She was pushed all the way by Westbury Harriers’ Emma D’Alton, who knocked over seven minutes off her personal best time to place second in 2:09:22.
Like many of the 300-plus competitors in the field, Gloucester AC’s Michelle Stark was using this event as a long training run for her London Marathon preparations and finished in 173rd place in a time of 2:52:57.
Gloucester AC Chairman, Andy McKenzie, said afterwards, “I was delighted at how smoothly this event ran. Our acting Race Director, Arthur Daley, has worked tirelessly in recent weeks to make sure all points were covered and he received great support from our non-running members. This is a big event in the lead-up to the London Marathon and it’s important that we show people that we can put on a good race.”
19/03/11 Midlands Road Relays
Gloucester AC men’s and women’s teams were both in action at the Midlands twelve and six stage road relays at Sutton park on Saturday finishing in 16th and ninth places respectively.
Irish International Rose Anne Galligan got the women’s team off to a flying start taking the lead straight from the gun before handing over to Anne Marie Edwards with an 11 second advantage. Galligan’s time of 16:46 was the third fastest overall for the three mile circuit. Edwards ran 21:43 to finish in ninth place and Helen Davies (21:50) was in 16th place at the halfway stage. Gemma Collier ran a storming fourth leg of 18:40 to gain 10 postions and take the team back up to sixth. Jane Leckebush (21:57) handed over to Michelle Stark in 10th and the team captain gained one place for ninth overall and first Gloucestershire team.
The men’s 12 stage team finished in a creditable 16th place. Andy Renfree got the team off to a solid start on the competitive first long leg completing the 5.38 mile lap in 29:14 and handing over in 16th place. Track star Andy De-Camps ran a good short leg (16:46) to finish in 18th handing over to Alistair Wakefield (18:45) who dropped two places. On the second long leg Richard De-Camps had the run of the day with an impressive 28:57 which gained two places back up to 18th. Dave Gresswell (17:17) and Jeremy Mower (17:43) ran the next two legs to keep the team in 19th at the halfway stage. Luke Herbert ran the third long leg in 30:48 and 19th position was held by Wayne Mayer (18:04) and Arthur Daley (18:46) on legs eight and nine. The final long leg was run by team manager Simon Fortnam (31:05) before debutant Matt Powell (19:13) gained two places and Tom Randles (17:01) continued his return to fitness by gaining one position on the final short leg.
Results
9 Gloucester AC 2:01:35
R Galligan (1) 16:46; Edwards Anne M (9) 21:43; Helen Davies (16) 21:50; Gemma Collier(6) 18:40; Jane Leckebush(10) 21:57; Michelle Stark (9) 20:39
16 Gloucester AC 4:23:39
Andrew Renfree (16) 29:14; A De-Camps (18) 16:46; A Wakefield(20) 18:45; R De-Camps(18) 28:57; D Gresswell(20) 17:17; Jeremy Mower (19) 17:43; Luke Herbert(19) 30:48; Wayne Mayer (19) 18:04; Arthur Daley(19) 18:46; Simon Fortnam(19) 31:05; Matt Powell (17) 19:13; Tom Randles (16) 17:01
19/03/11 Primary Schools Cross Country (Minsterworth)
Three of Gloucester Athletic club’s youngest members competed at various primary schools cross-country events at the weekend.
In the Minsterworth Challenege 2011, a competition that involved youngsters from the Minsterworth, Ttibberton, Churcham and Huntley schools, 10 year-old Sophie Green helped her Tibberton school mates to win the team prize when she finished fifth.
Elsewhere, 10 year-olds Tegan Phelps and Ellie Cruise placed 79th and 88th respectively when representing Kingsway School in the county Primary Schools Cross-country event at Katherine Lady Berkeley School in Wootton-under-Edge.
All three girls are products of Gloucester AC’s “FUNdamentals” scheme run by Jeremy Mower, who said “These girls are starting to show promise, especially as they were all competing against children one year older than themselves. I shall be watching how they progress over the next year”.
20/03/11 SIS Lightning 12-hr Relay
Gloucester Athletic Club won the SIS Lightning 12-hour relay at Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury last Sunday at their very first attempt.
Run on a tough, hilly course around the castle and nearby Malvern Hills, the Gloucester quintet of Gemma Collier, Dave Gresswell, Wayne Mayer, Dom Malsom and captain-for-the-day, Ian Summers completed 17 laps of the testing 5.6 mile course in 11 hours 50 minutes, a new course record.
Individual honours went to Collier and Mayer, who recorded the fastest ladies and men’s lap times of the day, whilst Malsom was competing in his first event for nearly 12 months.
Afterwards, a tired Summers said “This was the first time any of us had tried this sort of event, so we were going into it blind. It was a really well-organised event and we are absolutely delighted with the win!”
20/03/11 Reading Half Marathon
Christine Campbell was Gloucester Athletic Club’s sole competitor in this year’s Reading Half Marathon and finished in a time of 1:47:02.
Training update
Gloucester Athletic Club re-commence their outdoor training sessions at the Black Bridge track next Tuesday (29th March) with supervised coaching for all disciplines.
Former county cross-country and road runner, Kerry Newell, has now joined the coaching team and shall take responsibility for the junior middle-distance group.
Club coaching officer, Bob Purcell, says: “Having Kerry on board will help plug a gap that we have in our coaching set-up. The junior middle distance section is one that we really want to develop this year and we’re looking forward to her joining the team”.
The club offers training for all age groups from the age of 8 years old.
Training sessions start at 6:45pm prompt until 8:00pm and shall continue through to mid-September.
27/03/11 Forest of Dean Trails Half Marathon
Three Gloucester Athletic Club members took part in the Forest of Dean Trails Half Marathon on Sunday and each came away having taken large chunks off their personal best times.
Matt Powell was first Gloucester runner home in 1:32:30 which was good enough for 129th position overall of the 1800-plus finishers and 69th in the senior men’s category.
Next in for Gloucester, and another in a personal best time, was Matt Drinkwater who finished 160th overall and 84th in the senior men’s category with a time of 1:34:36.
The third city runner to finish was Mark Rickard, whose time of 1:42:15 saw him come home in 394th position overall and 170th in the senior men’s category.
27/03/11 100k Anglo-Celtic Plate (Perth)
Gloucester Athletic Club’s ultra–distance specialist, Jeremy Mower, set a new personal best for 100kms when competing for Wales in the Anglo-Celtic Plate road race in Perth on Sunday
Taking part in the event for a 7th consecutive year, thus equaling the record number of appearances in this competition for a Welshman, Mower finished 19th of the 46 runners, and third Wales runner, in a time of 8 hrs 18 mins 34 seconds – an improvement of 8 minutes on his previous best time for the distance.
England’s domination of the men’s category came to an end as the emerging squads of Scotland and Ireland took first and second places respectively. England finished third, with the Welsh team fourth.
In an exciting women’s race, Wales took the honours for the first time in the history of the event, by the narrowest of margins.
Afterwards, Mower said “This was by far the most competitive 100kms race that I have ever raced in. The standard of ultra-distance racing is improving in the UK every year and I shall have a tough job to gain selection next time round”.