Vale Royal AC Runners

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Sunday 29 Aug:  Knight's Grange Car Park, - 8am.

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Athlete(s) of the Month for July: A quieter month for racing but some cracking runs nonetheless! Pete Maher keeps on shining in his age category and has excelled over 5K.  Darren & Graham have been back on form and Iain Stanton is showing rapid improvement.   However for a superb 3rd place at the Forest Park 5K, this month's Athlete of the Month is TESSA McCORMICK!  (Sorry about the blurry pic Tessa!)

Please email  any latest news and results to us. It would make it easier to keep this site up to date!

FLEETWOOD HALF MARATHON

29 Aug: Ian Newsham showed he is improving with a superb PB at the Fleetwood Hallf Marathon in very windy conditions - made even more difficult by the sand from the beach being blown over the runners!

BIRCHWOOD 10k & LEEK HALF MARATHON

22 Aug:  Two excellent performances at the Leek Half Marathon over a challenging course augers well for Snowdon.

Three Vale Royal athletes braved the roundabouts at the Birchwood 10k in Warrington:

AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE RACE (more pics added to Gallery) 

Congratulaions to Nathan Archer (in the cap) who has completed his most challenging adventure race yet. Mountain Designs GeoQuest is Australia's premier adventure race. It involves non-stop endurance racing in the major disciplines of trekking, mountain biking and kayaking. Teams of four must navigate their way through an arduous 200+km course that is only revealed to them the evening before the race. Nathan and 3 other hardy souls formed team "Three Blokes and a Chick" to compete in the 'Half race in 34 hrs 11 minutes placed 11 out of 30 teams. Placed 2nd after the early stages the team had some overnight challenges as the temperatures plummeted to sub zero. When the lady team member succumbed to the early stages of hyperthermia the team were forced to stop build a fire, zip her into a thermal blanket and huddle together until the sun rose... to continue unfazed. True hard core. Well done Nathan.

CHESHIRE GP:  GREAT WARFORD 10

15 Aug:   A small turn out for the latest round of the Cheshire Grand Prix - the Great Warford 10.   A beautiful, warm and windless day meant excellent conditions for racing and Stu Doyle took full advantage with a superb 4th place, edging out some of his usual rivals in the process.  Stu's dedication to training is really paying off and he just keeps improving!   More than a country mile behind were the two Tom's who were both running very poorly but at least finished (both had considered other options!)  Finishing between them, John was a strong finisher despite training hard in the week and is looking good for his triathlon.  Next was our only lady Gemma who was a decent ninth overall.   Good to see Dave Murphy back to racing a little further back.  363 finishers.

MEERBROOK 15k & TEGGS NOSE RACE 

9 Aug: The Meerbrook 15k in Staffordshire is known to be a tough challenge with a scenic course over a number of tought hills.  As always it attracted a very strong field.   John was first club runner home with Maggie fastest of the ladies.  

The Teggs Nose Fell race is always one of Andys target races.  This time Andy finished a fine 5th after leading in the early stages but losing out on the descents to the specialist fell runners and a couple of juniors on the run. Nevertheless, Andy was still quicker than last year and pleased with how sore his legs feel now!

PIE AND PEAS & ADIDAS THUNDER RUN

4 Aug:  A huge club turnout for the annual Pie and Peas 5 mile trail race at Moulton and a  great Vale Royal squad performance made it a night to remember.   With so many excellent runs it's hard to pick out the highlights!   Andy Clews was a fantastic victor with a super fast sub-27 minute run.   Pushing him close was Chris Perry in 2nd and with Stu Doyle in 3rd place and excellent top-10 finishes for both Ed Crowther (4th team member) and Andrew Miles, the team prize was assured!.  First lady was the talented Megan Huxley with new member Emma Cox in 3rd.  The ladies also won the team prize (Megan, Rebecca Craigie, Tessa McCormick & Kathy Stringer).   Rebecca Craigie was 1st FU20 and Ann Budenberg 1st LV40.  Pictures of most of the field are now in the gallery.  Thanks to all the organisers, helpers and marshals and to the sponsors Rosebank Sports and Northwich Carpets & Laminates.    Full Results Here.   Prizewinners here.

ADIDAS THUNDER RUN 24 HOUR RELAY 

31 Jul - 1 Aug:  The Adidas Thunder-run is a 24 hour relay over an off-road 10k course around Catton Park in Walton on Trent.  A team consisting of Janet Snow and her brother John Thompson, Darren Cottier, Sonya Young, Val Kinvig, Karen Midgley and Joanne Edwards took part for Vale Royal.  The event was well organised by Adidas with good camping facilities, a food tent, showers and a well marshalled course.  Janet did a good job of organising the team although she could not fully take part in it due to a cracked rib. But if you ever fancy going camping, make sure you invite Janet as she has all the gear. The relay started well with 'double laps' being completed by John and Jo and the team were placed 5th by early evening.  As the sun set, the head torches became mandatory and the pace settled down.  During the night there were a few hiccups as Sonya tumbled and had an injury scare.  A visit to the medical tent, a massage and a short sleep seemed to do the trick as the next day, Sonya completed another lap for the team in an excellent time. It was later rumoured that she faked the injury so she had an excuse to visit the massage tent.  Val completed 4 laps showing that she is back to racing fitness after her break from training.  Val also woke half the campsite up when trying to wake Darren up in time for his next race, only to find his tent was empty as he had already left earlier.  Jo was keen to use the event for her Snowdon marathon training and completed 5 laps including a double lap.  John also completed 5 laps including a double lap showing what a great athlete he is. He seemed keen to do more if needed. 
Karen raced with consistency and finished the final lap in style.  Her great performance was partly helped by avoiding the campsite and having a full night's sleep at a local B&B.  Darren completed 3 laps in the dark and was glad that his batteries lasted out.  In all, the team completed 27 laps of a 10k course in 24:14:30 and came 17th out of the 72 teams in the mixed 8 category. Not bad for a team of 7.  Well done to everyone for all their efforts! A superb performance and a great weekend. DC.

UK IRONMAN TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 Aug:  Well we all thought he was mad even attempting it, but Dave Gough has proved what a tough competitor he is with a fine finish in the UK IRONMAN in Bolton.  In perfect conditions Dave finished the 3mile swim, 117 mile cycle and 26.2 mile run in 13 hours.   We were right, he is mad but, that said, we are still in awe of this fantastic achievement!  Well done!   What next?

SALE SIZZLER 5K 

27 July:  The sole club representative at the final Sale Sizzler 5K was Darren Cottier:

ANTWERP HALF IRONMAN TRIATHLON,  PUDSEY 10k, Gt .HUCKLOW FELL RACE

26 July:  Jo Molyneaux finished her debut triathlon at the Antwerp Half Ironman in an impressive 5.30.  Jo was very pleased with her result and has clearly relished the transition into the triathlon field.  Well done Jo and best of luck in your preparation for the Lanzarote Ironman next year!  

Meanwhile at the  Great Hucklow Fell Race in Derbyshire, Dave Haines showed his change of lifestyle and diet is bringing some good form with a strong run over the tough course.

Iain Stanton travelled to Leeds for the Pudsey 10k Trail Race and had a solid top-50 finish in a field of 350.   Definite imrovement Iain!  

SALE 5K, BURTONWOOD 5, DELAMERE 10k

17 July:    The Trentham 10 mile race, in memory of John Oultram, is over a hilly two lap course and Ian Newsham enjoyed the damp conditions and was very pleased with his time:

At the Burtonwood 5 mile race, there were top-50 finishes for Pete and Steve, although Steve was disappointed with his time even though it was a PB.  Val was just outside the top-100, perhaps needing to perfect her sprint finish?!

15 July:   Iain and Scott had a close battle at the Delamere Trail 10k race - part of the Salomon Trail Series.   Both were well up in the field.  Scott had his quickest time over the course and is showing he is still improving. 

Darren showed he is getting back to top form with an excellent run in the Sale 5K.   Not far back was Pete Maher in another impressive sub 18 minute run and with Sergey  a few minutes back, a strong team outing!   

OULTON PARK LADIES HALF MARATHON 

11 July:   It's great to see one of clubs newcomers off to a great start in their running career!  At the Oulton Park Ladies Half Marathon organised by the women's running network, Diane finished in an excellent 2:13 in the hot and breezy conditions!  (Diane has only been running for 9 months!)  The course takes in 3 laps of the motor racing circuit. 

WIZARD 5 & FOREST PARK 5K  

8 July:    Plenty of Vale Royal vests for the Wizard 5 race organised by Wilmslow RC.   The 5 mile race had plenty of stiles, trails and fields as well as a sharp hill to finish.   In muggy conditions Tom finished 8th and 2nd MV45, Gemma was 3rd lady and Tony was 2nd MV55.   Sprint finish award for the evening went to Jayne Lomax!  A very enjoyable race!  Damien Nicholls from the host club won the race in a course record 27:50.  209 finishers

7 July:   Seven Vale Royal ladies turned out for the Forest Park Ladies 5K on a good night for racing.  First home was the ever improving Tessa McCormick with an excellent sub-19 minute run.    Some very strong runs from the squad, just behind Tessa.   Pauline Davies was 1st LV55 and the junior ladies were 2nd and 3rd teams overall. 

PENNY LANE 10k & FAIRY FRECKLED COW RACE 

4 July:  Windy conditions meant hard work for both Tommy and Paul at the Penny Lane 10k in Liverpool.  Said to have been a headwind in both directions! 

A change in the weather meant tough racing conditions in the driving rain and wind for the Fairy Freckled Cow Race round Llyn Alwen in Denbighshire.   The hill in this 11km hilly trail run was a real killer in these conditions with a severe headwind on the ascent.  Aside from that a cracking race! 

SALE SIZZLER #1 

1 July:   A good group out for the Sale Sizzler 5K on a very hot and humid evening.  Another superb run by Pete Maher for 1st MV50 and Tom dipping under 18 minutes, with Darren and Mike just behind.  The Davies family were showing the training is working with some real signs of improvement!    390 finishers 

LYMM 5K, STONE 10K & WHALEY WALTZ 

27 June:  Jo and Val travelled to Derbyshire to run in the fells in the Whaley Waltz.  This race has a notoriously deep river crossing and some tough hills but both enjoyed the challenge!  181 finishers. 

Another scorching day attracted John & Pauline to do the Stone St Michael's 10k - despite neither of them liking the heat!   John was 2nd MV60 after fading on the second half of the race and Pauline was 1st LV55.

26 June:  Scorching weather for the Lymm 5K didn't prevent a big club turn out!   The conditions didn't lend themselves to fast times but still some fine performances.  Stuart Doyle was an excellent 3rd overall.   The youngsters were showing some class with Ryan Moore 1st junior and Jade Evans 1st Junior Lady.   Pete Maher had another strong run for 2nd MV55. 

SHUGHBOROUGH RELAYS & WARRINGTON 10k 

24 June:   Results in at last from the latest round of the Cheshire GP - the Warrington 10k.   Kate Spilsbury was an excellent 1st lady which should give her a good overall position in the league.  David Jury was our first man home 38th place just ahead of Gary Weedall. 

23 June:   The Ultra-Super-(Duper?)-Vets squad of Carole, Pauline, John and Colin came 3rd in their age category at the Shugborough relays in Staffordshire in an aggregate time of 56:58.   This two mile, four leg event is said to have one of the best race atmospheres around.   Unfortunately there wasn't an Ultra-Super-Mixed-Vets team or they would have won it!

BRITISH MASTERS 5K  

20 June:  At the British Masters 5K Championship in Horwich, Andy Gibbs showed absolute commitment but poor pace judgement with mile splits of 4:50 (yes 4:50!), 4:59 and 5:55 on his way to 4th MV45 and 18th overall in the 35's and over race.  Andy was not happy with himself but has made sure his legs hurt like hell as punishment!  Brave effort Andy!  (In his defense, Andy has said he has made the same mistake many times before!!) 

FRECKLETON HALF, TOUGH TEAM, HORWICH 5, DUNHAM 5K. 

20 June:  The Freckleton Half marathon was the choice for some weekend fun for Tom Armstrong.  Tom described it as a cracking event but hard work - he was satisfied (if not delighted) with his performance given the very warm conditions. 

18 June:  The 9-mile Tough Team Race took part on a fine Friday night from Tattenhall.  The climb up the notorious railway to the Grim Reaper was purgatory as ever, but the course is superb.  Tom joined up with his Wrexham AC partners from last year and won the race again - albeit a bit slower than last year.   John, Dave and Rob were given 1st vets prize which is a bit of a puzzle - Toddy?!  Photo's in the gallery.  All enjoyed the race and some enjoyed the beer afterwards: 

17 June:  The 5K season continues with the second Dunham Massey 5K.  In warm conditions, Stu Doyle was 7th, and Andrew Miles and Hannah Bishop were 1st and 2nd respectively in the junior categories.    

16 June:  Pauline and John were both in the prizes at the Horwich Jubilee 5 mile race around Rivington.  Pauline was 1st LV55 and John was showing his training is paying off won 1st MV60! 

BOWDEN 5K, NINESPRINGS & BLUEWATER 10K 

13 June:  Colin admits to having too many beers ("the elixir of life") the night before the Ninesprings Hilly Multi-terrain 9.5k in Yeovil - yet still managed 1st MV60.   Carole was racing again and yet again was 2nd LV55.  

Steve Caldwell was on his travels too competing in the hilly Bluewater 10k in Dartford.  Steve was pleased with his run considering how hard the course was.  A big field of 2000 runners.

10 June:  Another one of the spring 5K's, this time the Bowden 5K which was run in perfect racing conditions.  A consistent run from an in-form Stu Doyle will no doubt be a bit frustrating as he is again so close to the sub-16 barrier.  Pete Maher was 2nd MV55 with a super fast time which would have won the category on most outings.  Scott Bamber also ran a superb sub-20 a PB.  Jayne Lomax was our only lady out but will be pleased to break 24 minutes.

CHESHIRE GP, WINCLE TROUT, MALVERN HALF 

6 June:  Colin's off on his summer travels - this time to the Malvern Hills for the Malvern Half Marathon.  Colin is still showing great post-London form and finished an excellent 2nd MV50 as there was no V60 prize - although he was 1st in that category!    

5 June:   Hot weather for the latest round of the Cheshire GP - the Hollins Green 5K.  Again Stu Doyle was our first home in a very fast 16:06 for 6th place a minute ahead of Zack Bamber who had an excellent run to win the 1st junior prize.  Pete Maher was a superb 1st MV55.  The ladies won the team prize and were led home by Kate Spilsbury from Jessica Parsons and Gemma Barnett - all in under 20 minutes.   Jessica was the winner of the junior ladies category with Amelia Pettitt 2nd and Hannah Bishop 3rd.  Nineteen club runners out in total and some good battles right the way through the field: 

The popular and enjoyable Wincle Trout Fell Race (5.5 miles') attracted a full field of 350 runners and took place in very hot and humid conditions - which meant everyone suffered up the hills but enjoyed wading through the river!  Tom finished 5th, Graham 18th, Dave Haines 56th and Rob 61st.  Tom's dog Nelly won 3rd place in both the waggy tail competition and the fancy dress competition - and was the clubs only prizewinner!  Photo's on Bryan Dales site.  Results will be posted here asap.  Andrew Miles ran in the junior race and finished a disappointed 4th after colliding with another runner and aggravating an injury.

COLIN MAKES THE NEWS

As if it needed clarifying...Col is now an 'official' hero!  Today it made the Daily Mail, and it also made ESPN news Stateside! ESPN  It was also reported on 5 Live radio and the Today programme on Radio 4!  Nice one Col!  (The "cheat" story even made Have I Got News For You") 

CHESTER MARATHON, SALE 5 & DUNHAM 5K

31 May:  Tom Armstong and Iain Stanton were the club's representatives in the Chester Marathon.  In warm conditions Iain did well to finish in well under 4 hours after cramping up in the latter stages - Iain had reached 20 miles in 2:30.   He has vowed to do more long runs in his marathon build up in future!   Despite not featuring in the results yet, Tom had finished the race in an excellent 3:07 and so proving he is a marathon man!  Great running both of you!

Meanwhile at the Sale 5 mile race, John Davies and Pauline are showing good progress with excellent times for the distance.  Pauline was 3rd LV55.  

28 May:  Stu Doyle had another superb run at the Dunham Massey 5K.  Although not the fastest of the seasons 5K races, Stu was not far off his best over the distance and beat many of his usual rivals.  Pete Maher and John Clarke were 2nd and 4th MV55 respectively.  Helen Smith was our fastest lady and 2nd LV40. 

23 May:  At the Golden Gates 10k in Derbyshire, Mike Harrington ran a solid sub-40 minutes for the hilly course in the heat. 

At the White Peak Half Marathon, Matt and Janet had to abandon the thought of a fast race as the weather was so hot - but both finished well.  A number of people collapsed in the heat however.   

On a scorcher of a day Colin and Carole were out racing again, this time at the Wombourne 10k.  Colin was 1st MV60 while for the 2nd time in a week Carole missed the LV55 prize by a handful of seconds.  As a result Colin took Carole to the pub to drown her sorrows this time!   

 Meanwhile at the Nantwich sprint triathlon Tom Annable and wife Julie both ran the anchor 5K running legs for their respective teams in the relay event.  Tom teamed up with ex-club member and now cyclist Simon Woodward (and swimmer Brent Ion) to win the event.  Tom ran about 17:40 on the grass course and Julie finished her debut race in about 28 minutes.

20 May:  The first round of the Delamere Dash 5 mile trail race series took place on a hot night with the race attracting just under 100 runners.  Good to see Gareth racing again and getting a top 10 finish.  Steve was not far behind in 15th place. 

The Mobberley 5.3 mile mixed terrain race was run on a lovely warm evening with plenty of aircraft to watch as the course weaved its way round the airport.  First home, in 4th place, was Ed Crowther with a blistering last mile which easily saw off a fading Tom.  Mike had a solid top 15 finish and Gemma was our fastest lady in 40th place.  Colin and Carole were  both only a handful of seconds off winning their respective age categories - a result which left Colin drowning his sorrows in the pub (again).  Carole was pleased to be 2 minutes quicker than last year.    

19May:  Pauline showed she is starting to get back to form at the Leosowe Seaside 5K in Wallasey which she completed in a little over 23 minutes.  John was showing some spring in his step too despite some of the course being on the sand.   

16 May:   A poor club turn out didn't prevent Nathan Archer scorching to a club record for the Sydney Half Marathon.  Reported to rank him #1 in the Archer household for the half marathon distance this year! 

CHESHIRE GP & GREAT MANCHESTER RUN 

The latest round of the  Cheshire GP series was the Shell Chester Half Marathon - never easy to run a half marathon in the warmer months but thankfully it was not too hot for the race.  Eleven Vale Royal runners were led home by Stu Doyle in a fine 8th place.  Maggie Fenn was our fastest lady in just outside 1:30.   The ladies were superb winners of the team prize too. 

The Great Manchester Run 10k attracts a big field and TV coverage but the clash with the GP series meant Vale Royal numbers were down.  The team was led home by Mike Vennard followed home by the ever improving Andrew Miles.    Gary was not far back just ahead of a very pleased Steve Calwell who broke the 40 minute barrier for anther fine PB.  (The official results were not filtering by club so please let us know of any other club runners who took part). 

BRITISH MASTERS RELAYS  

15 May:   Another strong performance for the club's male masters at the British Masters Relays at Sutton Park.   The team finished in 22nd place after Andy Gibbs had led the team off with a fast opening leg and John Davies brought us home in some style!   A great team effort although only Tony improved on last years performance over the hilly 3 mile course.  The team had ages ranging from 40 to 66 (sorry Col!) and was competing with the 35 and over age categories - so it was a tough race!  Photos in the gallery. 

LONDON MARATHON NEWS!  Anthony Gaskill has been removed from the marathon results so Colin Rathbone is now the official V65 marathon champion!  Results.  Reports appearing in Northwich Guardian, Athletics Weekly and the Daily Mail.... 

9 May:  Andy Gibbs romped to victory in the hilly Marbury Mauler 8-mile multi-terrain race.  The event was part of the Marbury Village Fete. 

 The lure of some free yoghurt is always too much for Colin to resist so he was out to test his post-marathon form at the Muller 10k.   The results were good - 41 minutes and 1st MV65!  A strong run from Carole too in 52 minutes. 

7 May:  The popular Christleton 5K was run in good racing conditions on Friday night.  Stu Doyle has recovered well from his marathon efforts for 18th place.  Some strong performances throughout the team - including Steve Caldwell's sub-19 PB.

LONDON & STRATFORD MARATHONS 

As has been widely discussed by all of us, the evidence seems overwhelming that Colin has won the V65 category at the London Marathon and so achieved his long held ambition!   Indeed he was announced as victor in this weeks Athletics Weekly. The runner who was reported to be 1st in the results was running much slower than his finishing time would suggest judging from his early splits, he has missing split times from 20k to 40k, and can be clearly seen walking in photos (and in TV recordings).  The London Marathon office will be investigating but this may take time to correct so we believe it is time to start celebrating Colin's fantastic victory!  WELL DONE COLIN!

25 April:   At the Rotary Shakespeare Marathon in Straford, Stu Doyle debuted over the distance with a fine 2nd place finish.  Stu started well and got to half distance in 1:18 and with a significant lead in the race but suffered badly from 15 miles. Conditions were hot and although Stu will have hoped for a faster time, this is still a cracking performance.   

It is an annual tradition to report the achievements of Colin Rathbone at the London Marathon but perhaps this is the best yet.  At 66 years old, Colin ran an incredible race to finish in 3hrs 5 mins.  This earned Grand Col 1st place in the MV65 category although this appeared in the results as 2nd place only a few seconds behind the supposed winner...... something that has hugely disappointed this great competitor but will be corrected in time (see above).  There were disappointments for Nicky Archer who had a fantastic run but sadly missed her Commonwealth qualifying time after suffering from a severe stitch in the late stages, and for Gavin Tomlinson who committed to a good time with a fast first half but suffered in the second half of the race.  It's a cruel event!   Paul Lloyd had an excellent London debut and Steve Smith had a superb run to break his 4hrs target.  A fabulous PB for the ever improving Jo.  John, Mike, Ironman Dave, a rebuilt Glenn and Gemma all had terrific runs and should be pleased with their efforts - well done to all.  Meanwhile Paul C suffered in the the latter stages of the race and so will be disappointed to be outside 4 hours.  Well done to everyone for their efforts - be proud! 

24 April:  In the Yorkshire Three Peaks Race, Tom Annable unfortunately had to admit defeat when tacking the very tough 24 mile 5500ft climb course and retired on the ascent of the final climb.  Time to rethink the training? 

18 April:  The second weekend of the spring Marathon season has seen some terrific performances by the club athletes.  The pick of the crop was the fantastic victory for Maggie Fenn in the ladies race at the Bungay Black Dog Marathon in Suffolk.   Maggie finished 13th overall in the race in a 30 minute PB - a class performance! 

Meanwhile at the Great Welsh Marathon, Rob Olliver had a superb run to finish in 3hrs 15 minutes - tired but rightfully delighted with his run.   Rob was 26th in a field of about 500 runners.    Mary also had a good run - a bit slower than her PB but still good enough for 2nd LV45.  Well done to both!    

It was perfect weather for the 2nd Round of the Cheshire Grand Prix, the Whitley 10k.  Good to see a big club turn-out despite a number of runners resting up for marathons.  Pete Maher led the squad home and Kate Spilsbury was our quickest lady.   No category winners this week but Pete was 4th MV55, Kate 5th lady, Colin 6th MV65, Helen 2nd LV35, Jo 5th LV45 and Carole 4th LV55.  (A few pics in the gallery courtesy of John Davies.) 

Dave, Murphy, Matt Brown and Richard Keeling chose instead to run at the Cholmondeley 10k.  This charity event is run in the beautiful grounds of the castle.   The results are listed without names, just number, so it makes it quite hard to be precise about the timings but Matt reported the following results: 

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 Vale Royal AC Runners is a running club based in Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich in Cheshire.  We welcome new members.  Come and join a friendly supportive club  for road running, trail running, cross-country, fell running and excellent training for all standards.  Northwich Running Club.  Winsford Running Club. Middlewich Running Club.  Cheshire Running Club.  Vale Royal Running Club.