Vale Royal AC - Senior Section
Running and Athletics in the Heart of Cheshire.
NOTICES
SENIORS 8.00am SUNDAY RUNS: These runs will now be communicated via a dedicated Whatsapp group. See details here.
2019/2020 MEMBERSHIP: SUBS ARE DUE 1 APRIL 2019. SUBS WILL BE VIA OUR NEW ONLINE PORTAL. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR DETAIILS. PLEASE RENEW PROMPTLY.
CAPENHURST 5K: Wed 21 Aug 7.15pm. £10. Entries here.
VETS ROAD RELAYS: Sat 18 May Sutton Park. Fantastic club/team day out typically with amazing picnics! Open to men and ladies 35+. If you can participate please tell Colin Rathbone or Helen Harrington. Event details here.
RUNNING PAST 40: As this will apply to quite a few of us here's an interesting read from WeaverPysio Sports and Injury Clinic on doing just that. Click here.
UPDATE:2019 LONDON MARATHON: Congrats to Liz Gale who wins the place. Dave Haines reserve.
TRACK ETIQUETTE: PLEASE READ AND COMPLY TO THE RULES AGREED BY THE VRAC COMMITTEE. VIEW HERE.
RACE REPORTS: We try and keep the website up to date. The volume and variety of races makes this increasingly challenging. You can help by sending a brief race report with a link to the results to info@valeroyalseniors.com. If you have been a Park Run tourist somewhere novel let us know about that too!
Our wealth is our HEALTH.
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
As usual February saw a variety of races in terms of distance and terrain. The climax of the XC season saw VRAC athletes competing at the English and Welsh Nationals. Also the Northern Masters XC relays which saw individual and team Gold for the ladies. Two of our super quick 'junior' seniors, Chris Perry and Jacob Brown, bagged 5k PB's at Armagh in a high quality field. Once again the Village Bakeries half marathon was a major event with some excellent performance, not least an M75 win for Colin Rathbone placing him first in the UK rankings for the distance in 2019. This month following a number of strong performances over the winter including two excellent races in February at the Manchester League XC and English National we recognise a relatively recent member. February AOM is MARK CRABTREE.
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In 3 Words SENIORS SUNDAY RUNS |
Thanks to Bryan Dale for allowing us to use his photos. Visit his racephotos website for more pictures!
Injured?
See Colin Rathbone for a massage, There
are a number of good physios - ask around. Several of us have had very
successful treatment at Athlete Matters in Worsley (Duncan Mason): Details below. 10% Discount for VRAC.
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THREE SHIRES WALK
7 Apr: A little different to our usual races was Bob Corinald's latest adventure. Bob tells us:
"The LDWA (Long Distance Walkers Association) organise challenge events which are long distance events for both walkers and runners in a similar format to the popular Sandstone event in May. The 3 Shires has 21,23,28 & 30 mile options & I went for the 30 mile route running from Swythamley, The Roaches, Three Shires Head, Shuttlingsloe, Wildboarclough (twice) and back to Swythamley. The route is almost entirely on footpaths / bridleways with navigation required but nothing too serious. With 5,400ft of climbing, its best described as 'a bit lumpy' but the scenery made it all worthwhile and the sun shone throughout.
I'd set myself a target of 6 hours, nothing scientific behind that, just thought 6 hours was a nice round number but my main aim was to get round without injury as after all it was just a training run.
All went well until Shuttlingsloe which took its toll and things started to slip. I seemed to recover throughout the second half and pull it back....the 6 hour finish was back on. With a desperate sprint to the village hall at the end the Garmin said 5:59:39 but I couldn't get back in the village hall as the door was shut! Turns out we'd left through an emergency exit in the morning and the proper entrance was round the side! Quick jog round the side to check in as complete and my time officially recorded as 6 hours 0 minutes, happy with that!
No idea where I came as there aren't any official results but chatting to a few people, 6 hours seems like a reasonable time for a 30 mile training run.
If anyone fancies something different, a really well organised low key event with no pressure, amazing views and some of the best food I've ever seen at a checkpoint (which you have to visit twice) then this is the one for you but be warned.....you have to run past the Wincle Brewery at around 25 miles"
GREATER MANCHESTER MARATHON
7 Apr: Perfect weather conditions for the 4 VRAC toeing the line at the Greater Manchester Marathon. 1st home was Chris Jones with with a huge PB of 2.50.01. Next home making his marathon debut was Mark Pilliner who ran superbly well after recovering from hip injuries earlier in the year. Debbie Broad was next in with a fantastic 3.57.08. Another huge PB and securing a good for age for London (next year). Fourth finisher for VRAC was Eleanor Riches who finished behind Debbie but with a faster chip time of 3.53.30 Obviously Debbie had her elbows out at the start line. All four should be extremely proud of their achievement and take a well deserved recovery. As a footnote is it a coincidence that all four used the Village Bakery Wexham Half in their build up? Full Results.
| POS | NAME | BIB | M/F | CATEGORY | GUN TIME | CHIP TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 226 | Chris Jones | 1006 | M | MO35 | 02:50:11 | 02:50:01 |
| 3321 | Mark Pilliner | 4527 | M | MV50 | 03:45:24 | 03:38:16 |
| 4518 | debbie broad | 7789 | F | FV50 | 04:01:13 | 03:57:08 |
| 5061 | Eleanor Riches | 6763 | F | FV45 | 04:07:32 | 03:53:30 |
NATIONAL 12 & 6 STAGE RELAYS - SUTTON PARK BIRMINGHAM
6 Apr: Colin Rathbone writes: Unfortunately no Men’s team this year despite qualifying in the Northern 12 Stage at Birkenhead Park. But fielded a partial team in the Women’s 6 Stage. Four stalwarts ran soundly in perfect conditions. Pity we couldn’t muster the full 6.
Leg 1, long leg. Amelia Pettit. 32.52.
Leg 2, short leg. Clara Pettit. 21.41.
Leg 3, short leg. Carole Williams. 28.44
Leg 4, long leg. Kate Moulds. 36.44
Leeds won both the Men’s 12 Stage and the Women’s 6 Stage - A very entertaining day of racing - certainly on a par with the Grand National and the Varsity Boat Race.
WILMSLOW RUNNING FESTIVAL
24 Mar: Colin Rathbone reports: A perfect day for running a Half Marathon, attracted 2836 finishers, 5 of them Vale Royalers. Sarah Murphy had a good run - 5th lady overall - 2nd F40. Darren Cottier a sound run, Matt Hough improving all the time. Eleanor Riches a super PB performance and a sub 1.45 for Colin Rathbone 1st M75. In the 10k Paula Manley (Shaun’s daughter) ran soundly for a 7th F40.
| Name | Name | Gen | Pos | Cat | Pos | Gun | Pos | Chip | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah | Murphy | Female | 5 | F40+ | 2 | 01:23:17 | 103 | 01:23:13 | 103 |
| Darren | Cottier | Male | 217 | M45+ | 24 | 01:28:04 | 229 | 01:27:50 | 234 |
| Matthew | Hough | Male | 292 | M45+ | 37 | 01:30:51 | 314 | 01:30:07 | 312 |
| Eleanor | Riches | Female | 91 | F45+ | 15 | 01:43:00 | 791 | 01:41:40 | 786 |
| Colin | Rathbone | Male | 769 | M75+ | 1 | 01:44:37 | 879 | 01:44:21 | 966 |
| 2836 | Finishers |
| Name | Name | Gen | Pos | Cat | Pos | Gun | Pos | Chip | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paula | Manley | Female | 43 | F40+ | 7 | 00:55:10 | 146 | 00:54:16 | 185 |
NORTHERN 12 STAGE ROAD RELAYS - BIRKENHEAD
24 Mar: Despite a couple of enforced late changes we fielded a strong 12 man team at Birkenhead park this afternoon. Conditions were dry and sunny but pretty windy and the team performed admirably achieving a best ever position of 11th ( within 30 seconds of a top 10 finish) and beating the previous best of 12th set last year. There were some superb performances enabling us to reach a peak of 4th after 4 legs. We inevitably slipped back marginally over the remaining 8 legs however it is notable that 3 of our team are first year seniors and 3 are over 45 therefore we will undoubtedly get even stronger in forthcoming years as our juniors develop and more come through to replace the old guard!! It is also worthy of note that every one of the 10 teams ahead of us is based in a city or major town so we are definitely punching above our weight!
| Name | Name |
|---|---|
| Chris Perry | Alex Doyle |
| Ben Lee | Chris Williams |
| Andrew Miles | Ryan Moore |
| Matt Rowlinson | Gareth Williams |
| Stu Doyle | John Humphries |
| Jacob Brown | Gary Richardson |
CHESHIRE 10K - ARLEY
23 Mar: Good racing conditions and some very good results. First back for VRAC Chris Standidge our triathlon specialist. Next,James Ainsworth satisfied with his continued progress after injury. Another good race for Liz Renondeau finishing a tantalising 4 seconds short of her PB. Performance of the day came from Chloe Dooley posting a big PB (nearly 2 minutes) witnessed by her proud parents. Mum Carolyn commented: "5 weeks ago Chloe ended up in A & E after spraining her ankle in training just before Nationals, on crutches and unable to walk let alone run. Today after much hard work, rehab and cross training she took almost 2 minutes of her 10K PB running 37.03. She often says I’m her inspiration to keep working hard...well today she was totally mine!". A great run from Helen Harrington once more posting sub 40 minutes and her fastest time since 2005! Solid runs from Paul Davies and frequent racer Mary Tavener. George Thompson completed the VRAC line up limping home with a torn calf.
| Fav | Pos | Net Pos | Name | Time | Net Time | Category | Cat Pos | Gender | Gen Pos | Net Gender Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 34 | CHRIS STANDIDGE | 00:34:32 | 00:34:26 | Male | 28 | Male | 33 | 33 | |
| 46 | 47 | JAMES AINSWORTH | 00:35:18 | 00:35:17 | V40 | 4 | Male | 44 | 45 | |
| 54 | 56 | ELIZABETH RENONDEAU | 00:35:41 | 00:35:41 | Female | 4 | Female | 4 | 4 | |
| 75 | 74 | CHLOE DOOLEY | 00:37:06 | 00:37:02 | Female | 6 | Female | 6 | 5 | |
| 134 | 142 | HELEN HARRINGTON | 00:39:56 | 00:39:47 | Female | 13 | Female | 16 | 17 | |
| 208 | 213 | PAUL DAVIES | 00:42:38 | 00:42:19 | V45 | 28 | Male | 185 | 189 | |
| 339 | 344 | MARY TAVENER | 00:47:10 | 00:46:26 | V55 | 3 | Female | 49 | 49 | |
| 391 | 422 | GEORGE THOMPSON | 00:48:40 | 00:48:36 | Male | 168 | Male | 326 | 349 | |
| 1241 | Finishers |
THIRSK 10 MILE
17 Mar: Colin Rathbone reports: Lovely sunny day here for the 40th running of the Thirsk 10 Miler starting & finishing at the racecourse. This single lap course, well organised with very supportive marshalling attracted over 1000 runners. Colin & Carole made the voyage into Yorkshire to compete and were satisfied with their performances.
| POS | NAME | CAT | CAT POS | FINISH TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 | Colin Rathbone | M75 | 1 | 1.22.33 |
| 878 | Carole Williams | M65 | 5 | 1.40.20 |
| 1042 | Finishers |
WIGAN FESTIVAL - HALF MARATHON AND 5K
17 Mar: A VRAC double at Wigan Running Festival with victories in both half marathon and 5K. Congratulations to Chris Perry as he steps up his race distance to include half marathon. Chris was overall winner at Wigan by over one minute to set a new course record. Full results here.
| POS | NAME | CAT | CAT POS | CHIP TIME | FINISH TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Perry | SNR | 1/289 | 01:10:49 | 01:10:50 |
Also a great win for Andrew Miles and category win for Graham Mies in the 5k. Graham reports: Andrew and myself returned to the Wigan 5k,held in conjunction with the half marathon.The course is basically an out and back route,with the first half downhill.The advantage this year was the wind was against us for the first half which made the second half not too bad despite the climbs.Andrew won in 16.04 ,and I was 14th and first v50 in 19.13 out of the 806 finishers.For anyone thinking of an early season 5k,I would highly recommend this race.
| POS | NAME | CAT | CAT POS | CHIP TIME | FINISH TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Miles | SNR | 1/128 | 00:16:04 | 00:16:04 |
| 2 | Graham Miles | V50 | Jan-27 | 00:19:14 | 00:19:17 |
POYNTON 10K
17 Mar: Racing junky Debbie Moreton the lone VRACer here. She reports: Another of my races postponed from last year. Third time this multi-terrain race has been held. The weather was definitely not kind to us. Hail at the start line and hail to finish! Change to the route, for the better I think, despite a 2K steady climb to begin with. Pleasant but very wet run along the canal then lots of very muddy trail and puddles like lakes! Race finished with a lap of Poynton Pool (park) and then ended back on Park Lane right outside a Costa Coffee. Delicious flapjack, sweets, banana and medal on offer. After feeling rubbish a couple of weeks ago, pleased with my steady run and overall time in the conditions finishing 5/56 in my age group.
| NAME | TIME | SPLIT | LEG | SPEED | FV45 POSITION | GEN POS | OVERALL POS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debbie Moreton | 00:50:10 | 50:10.3 | 50:10.3 | 05:01.3 Min/K | 5 | 34 | 217 |
KNIGHTON 20
10 Mar: Colin Rathbone reports: Colin Rathbone was the sole Vale Royaler
in the Knighton 20 as part of his London “build-up”. High winds and an
undulating course meant fast times were hard to achieve. A great race,
well organised, supportive marshalls and a quality tee-shirt all for
£15.
Position 136th Colin Rathbone 1st V75. Chip time 2:54:44.
Total finishers: 270
Position 136th Colin Rathbone 1st V75. Chip time 2:54:44.
Total finishers: 270
INTER-COUNTIES XC - LOUGHBOROUGH
9 Mar: LADIES - Debbie Broad reports: A slightly depleted senior women’s Cheshire team headed over to Prestwold hall in Loughborough to compete in the intercounties cross country in which the women and men ran an equal distance of 10km plus. Our very own Lucy Burch swapped her shorts for a very smart Team Managers jacket. Sarah Murphy and Chloe Broad from Vale Royal put on there Cheshire Team Kit today. Instead of the mud of last years intercounties it was strong winds and occasionally Hale. Sarah has a fabulous race coming in 63rd -third counter for Cheshire and only one place behind Cheshire’s second counter. Chloe also had a great race her second year to represent Cheshire as a senior coming home in 153rd and 5th counter for Cheshire. The team came 12 /29 complete teams.
MEN - Robert Brown reports: Jacob Brown1st home for Cheshire 85th, Stuart Doyle 177th, 5th Cheshire. High gusting winds but good underfoot conditions, Cheshire men's team 17th of 32 teams. Sam Whitehead didn't run due to his car breaking down en route from Durham where he's at University.
KNIGHTON 20
10 Mar: Colin Rathbone reports: Colin Rathbone was the sole Vale Royaler
in the Knighton 20 as part of his London “build-up”. High winds and an
undulating course meant fast times were hard to achieve. A great race,
well organised, supportive marshalls and a quality tee-shirt all for
£15.
Position 136th Colin Rathbone 1st V75. Chip time 2:54:44.
Total finishers: 270
Position 136th Colin Rathbone 1st V75. Chip time 2:54:44.
Total finishers: 270
BARCELONA MARATHON
10 Mar: While our UK racers were complaining about the cold, rain and wind our international racers were whinging about the sun and the heat. Gary Richardson and Dave Haines returned for another crack at the Barcelona marathon. With temperatures into the 20's it was not what they had been used to! Gary went well until mile 20 but then the heat and exhaustion took its toll. Nevertheless, he imprived on last years time by around 3 minutes (a PB we think). Dave Haines hoped the heat resitant haircut might help but found the going tough from halfway. Both can be proud of their achievement. Meanwhile, a member of their support crew was able to enter and excel in the local 'eat the most junk food' marathon.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Gun | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 747 | GARY RICHARDSON | M45 | 03:04:13 | 03:03:43 |
| 3833 | DAVID HAINES | M45 | 03:39:19 | 03:38:32 |
TRAFFORD 10K
10 Mar: As usual a field stacked with talent. Heavy driving rain and surface water did not seem to deter the field with 4 men going sub 30 and Steve Cram's protege, Laura Weightman, setting a new ladies course record in 31.59. A good race fro Chris Perry at the sharp end although he appeared to finish in some discomfort. Another good race from Liz Renondeau, 3rd L35 and a solid sub 40 minute result for Robert Roe.
| Pos | Gun | Name | Name | Chip | Pos | Gen | Pos | Cat | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 31:29:00 | Chris | Perry | 31:28:00 | 23 | Male | 22 | Senior | 19 |
| 141 | 36:18:00 | Elizabeth | Renondeau | 36:15:00 | 142 | Female | 13 | Vet 35 | 3 |
| 226 | 39:25:00 | Robert | Roe | 39:13:00 | 226 | Male | 200 | Vet 40 | 24 |
| 885 | Finishers |
TATTON 10K
10 Mar: Not a quick course at the best of times and even less so in the conditions served up for Katie Brough. Great to see Katie racing again and running well to secure first lady placing.
| Pos | Name | Time | Chip | Cat | Pos | Gen | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | KATIE BROUGH | 00:40:12 | 00:40:12 | V35 | 1 | Female | 1 |
WELSH INTER-COUNTIES XC
9 Mar: Congratulations to Lucy Knight selected for N Wales inter-counties XC. Not an easy passage it seems but all the more credit for that. Here's here comments: "Horrendous windy conditions. Worst race preparation ever! But I found some sort of peace through all the wind rain and mud and remembered why i love running. The race didnt reflect the training I've done but the training is there for a great road season".
CHESTER 10K
10 Mar: A busy weekend for racing with some filthy weather on Sunday morning! Another very impressive race for February AOM Mark Crabtree. Likewise, Melanie Johnson backed up her recent form just a few seconds short of her PB set recently at High Legh.
| Pos | Gun time | First name | Last name | Chip Time | Chip Pos | min/m | Gender | Pos | Category | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 34:28:00 | Mark | Crabtree | 34:28:00 | 18 | 05:32 | Male | 18 | MV40 | 5 |
| 143 | 40:39:00 | Craig | Sephton | 40:30:00 | 143 | 06:31 | Male | 129 | MV45 | 21 |
| 215 | 42:53:00 | Melanie | Johnson | 42:21:00 | 209 | 06:49 | Female | 29 | FV35 | 6 |
| 274 | 44:14:00 | Helen | Smith | 44:07:00 | 297 | 07:06 | Female | 37 | FV45 | 7 |
| 3365 | Finishers |
BERKHAMSTEAD HALF MARATHON
3 March: Mark Crabtree has put in some excellent cross country races this season which proved a solid base for an speedy 6 min/mile half marathon at rainy Berkhamstead through the Chilterns countryside.
"It's a half marathon my previous running club always attend in high numbers and a very good, well organised race. I was disappointed not to win the V40s though - the winner wasn't that far ahead.. too much training on the flat since the move up north I think!"
| Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Mark Crabtree | M40 | 3 | 78.28 |
CLOUD 9 - CONGLETON
3 March: Chris Beard reports: A scenic and challenging mostly off road race from Congleton to Bosley Cloud (1125ft) and back via the ancient Bride-stones. This race is run by Congleton Harriers under FRA rules. It's a popular well organised race with plenty of marshals and support along the way.Sunday saw a cold, wet, windy start to the day with the threat of a storm coming in. Lots of competitors chose to gear up with under vests/tee-shirts and other forms of rain cover. I opted for the minimalist approach and I was glad I did as the weather cleared slightly just after the start, although it remained very wet and muddy under foot providing a challenging route across some of the fields and up and down the Cloud. Darren Cottier was the other Vale Royal attendee and he had a good race running really well and finishing with a very respectable time of 71.32 to put him 49th overall and 7/34 MV45. I was pleased to post a PB of just under 4 minutes finishing with a time of 75.02 and 68th Overall which put me 8/51 MV50. There were 259 finishers. I'd definitely recommend this race if you fancy something a bit more technical with the added bonus of a hill. Did I mention there is also cake...
| Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Darren Cottier | M45 | 7/34 | 71.32 |
| 68 | Chris Beard | M50 | 8/31 | 75.02 |
| 259 | Finishers |
CHEADLE 5 MILE
3 Mar: Tony Dutton reports: On Sunday I took on the Cheadle 5 Miler in North Staffordshire for my first road race of the year.This is one of two road races Cheadle running club hold each year with the start and finish being at the Cheadle Academy. The race takes us through Cheadle town center at the beginning before heading out to the countryside for a few inclines. Not the fastest of courses but a well organised and marshalled race finishing 63rd out of 150 runners.
CHESTER ULTRA 50+ MILES
2 Mar: Lee Carrington reports: Headed over to Waverton on Saturday
for the 6am start of Chester ultra 50. It was a circular route around
Chester/Helsby/frodsham and then taking in the sandstone trail for the
last part of the race. I was going really well until woodhouse hill
frodsham when cramp set in and struggled for the second half of the race
but managed to keep going, with the help of wife Hollie and a few
friends that were meeting me at points along the way with food water
etc. Managed to finish in 10th place in 8hrs 11mins and a Gold Medal
(top 100 finisher). John Clarke also took on his first ultra and
finished just outside the Gold category to finish with a hugely
creditable Silver (100 - 200 finisher) in a time of 11hrs 6mins.
John Clarke reports: I finished 114th,
had a great day felt good then started to struggle from Frodsham
onwards, the last 7 miles on the canal was tough, had some help from Bob
Corinaldi (he did the race last year) who ran the canal stretch with me
to the finish. Also some great support from Colin & Carol, and a
quick massage of Colin at CP5.
| Pos | Name | Time | Medal Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Lee Carrrington | 8 hr 11 min | Gold |
| 114 | John Clarke | 11 hr 6 min | Silver |
PODIUM 5K - BARROWFORD
2 Mar: Horrendous conditions caused some issues for the time keepers but did not stop Andrew Miles blasting out a 30 second PB in the A race and Liz Renondeau a 5 second PB in the B race.
| Pos | Name | Gender Pos | Cat | Cat Pos | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Race | 26 | Andrew Miles | 26 | SM | 24 | 15.40 | PB |
| B Race | 7 | Liz Renondeau | 1 | F35 | 1 | 17.24 | PB |
HIGH LEGH 10K
2 Mar: Debbie Moreton reports: Just 5 runners from Vale ventured out to a wet High Legh. Fantastic, well-organised, friendly race and a great goody bag. A reasonably flat course with the challenge of a short, slippy, muddy section and a steady climb over the motorway bridge near the end. Great run by James Ainsworth, 2nd in age group; Mel Johnson, 2nd lady, 2nd in age group and a PB; Bob C 6th in age group; Eleanor Riches 6th in age group and Debbie Moreton 7th in age group in a field of a total of 519 runners (269 male/250 female). A great race which I thoroughly recommend.
| POS | NAME | Gen | Pos | CAT | Pos | CHIP TIME | FINISH TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | James Ainsworth | M | 6th | 40-49 | 2nd | 00:35:57 | 00:36:00 |
| 41st | Melanie Johnson | F | 2nd | SL | 2nd | 00:42:11 | 00:42:19 |
| 42nd | Bob Corinaldi | M | 40th | 50-59 | 6th | 00:42:22 | 00:42:30 |
| 104th | Eleanor Riches | F | 15th | 40-49 | 6th | 00:46:44 | 00:46:54 |
| 126th | Debbie Moreton | F | 24th | 40-49 | 7th | 00:48:31 | 00:48:42 |
| 519 | Finishers |
SAUCONY ENGLISH XC CHAMPIONSHIPS - HAREWOOD HOUSE, LEEDS
23 Feb: Colin Rathbone reports: To my mind, the best venue ever for the English Nationals (and I’ve been to quite a few). Set in the beautiful National Trust parkland of Harewood House, north of Leeds in perfect weather (18* in Feb), sunny, exceptionally dry underfoot, the course promised fast times and good performances. The mood in the Vale Royal camp was buoyant after seeing Holly Weedall dominate the under 15 girl’s race and Holly Smith 6th in the Under 17’s. Gutsy performances in the women’s race from Sarah (110%) Murphy, Amelia and Clara Pettit ably supported by Carole Williams (sadly Chloe Broad had to drop out) resulted in a 44th team position out of 114 complete teams. Brilliant effort girls. Sadly the senior Men could not raise a team but sterling performances by Pat Stradling (a rare outing for Pat), Mark Crabtree (doubtful in the week with a tender Achilles), Colin Rathbone ( does he not know when to retire?) and James Griffiths gave credit to the VR vests they were wearing. The Nationals are the culmination and pinnacle of the club xc season. I applaud the Vale Royalers who did turn out in such a fantastic event.
| POS | NAME | GUN | POS | NAME | GUN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Sarah Murphy | 00:31:51 | 452 | Patrick Stradling | 00:44:22 | |
| 68 | Amelia Pettitt | 00:32:16 | 517 | Mark Crabtree | 00:45:05 | |
| 316 | Clara Pettitt | 00:37:17 | 1912 | Colin Rathbone | 01:05:50 | |
| 1008 | Carole Williams | 00:57:38 | 1962 | James Griffiths | 01:10:21 | |
| 1034 | Finishers | 2006 | Finishers |
WELSH XC CHAMPIONSHIPS - PEMBREY PARK, LLANELLI
23 Feb:Gareth Williams reports: Gareth and Nathan Williams made the trip to Pembrey Park, Llanelli for the Welsh XC Champs on 23rd Feb. It was Nathan's debut and Gareth first outing since 2005 in the race.The course was mostly flat and the ground very firm but log jumps, tight bends and some sharp climbs on to the dunes kept it interesting. The race was won by Swansea's Dewi Griffiths, reclaiming his title in his preparation for this years London Marathon. Nathan benefited from a last minute footwear change (thanks to having the same size feet as his dad) and came home in a very strong 21st position (av 5.46 miling!) in 36.50.. Gareth had a tough battle with former Wrexham clubmate, Andy Edge, now running for Thames Hare and Hounds, and just prevailed on the last lap to finish in 43rd overall and 4th place in the M50's in 39.25. A great day was made even better while driving home, listening to the rugby commentary and hearing Wales roar to a famous victory over England.
VILLAGE BAKERIES HALF MARATHON - WREXHAM
17 Feb: A great turnout for this one and a good marathon building block for quite a few. Dry conditions but a challenging headwind in the closing 3 miles to test the resolve of runners. George Thompson led VRAC home with Chis Jones not far back just 12 seconds short of his PB. First home for the ladies was Carolyn Dooley, also just short of her PB but well satisfied with another sub 1.30 and progress towards the London Marathon. Great to see Gemma Barnett back after her stress fracture with a very worthy sub 1.30. Geoff Fawkes is claiming a 'vets PB' as his last half marathons were in the 1980's! Mark Pilliner has had a stellar XC season and is in marathon training but struggled home with a hip problem. Fingers crossed for his quick recovery. Perhaps the two performances of the day were Debbie Broad who was delighted with a 5 minute PB, and Colin Rathbone winning the M75 category in under 1.50. Mary Tavener, also marathon training took 2nd L55 and Carole WIlliams brought VRAC home taking an impressive 2nd in the L65 category.
| Pos | Gun | Name | Name | Chip | Pos | Gen | Pos | Cat | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 01:17:50 | George | Thompson | 01:17:47 | 54 | Male | 53 | SM | 34 |
| 66 | 01:18:38 | Chris | Jones | 01:18:33 | 67 | Male | 66 | SM | 45 |
| 116 | 01:22:13 | Tom | Armstrong | 01:22:12 | 119 | Male | 115 | M40 | 25 |
| 135 | 01:23:08 | Rick | Murray | 01:23:03 | 136 | Male | 133 | M50 | 5 |
| 244 | 01:28:24 | Carolyn | Dooley | 01:28:19 | 252 | Female | 12 | L45 | 2 |
| 256 | 01:28:58 | Gemma | Barnett | 01:28:44 | 261 | Female | 15 | L35 | 7 |
| 329 | 01:30:39 | Craig | Sephton | 01:30:03 | 326 | Male | 299 | M45 | 49 |
| 414 | 01:34:21 | Chris | Beard | 01:33:55 | 419 | Male | 363 | M50 | 32 |
| 504 | 01:37:22 | Geoff | Fawkes | 01:36:56 | 512 | Male | 436 | M45 | 80 |
| 577 | 01:39:37 | Mark | Pilliner | 01:39:11 | 596 | Male | 489 | M50 | 51 |
| 792 | 01:45:31 | Debbie | Broad | 01:44:44 | 805 | Female | 142 | L50 | 7 |
| 833 | 01:46:57 | Eleanor | Riches | 01:45:57 | 845 | Female | 154 | L45 | 26 |
| 891 | 01:48:08 | Mary | Tavener | 01:47:34 | 923 | Female | 174 | L55 | 2 |
| 961 | 01:49:44 | Colin | Rathbone | 01:48:55 | 989 | Male | 768 | M75 | 1 |
| 1400 | 02:00:38 | Joanne | Edwards | 01:59:11 | 1428 | Female | 379 | M55 | 14 |
| 1999 | 02:21:22 | Carole | Williams | 02:14:40 | 1915 | Female | 723 | L65 | 2 |
| 2373 | Finishers |
NORTHERN MASTERS AC CROSS COUNTRY - KNIGHTS GRANGE
9 Feb: Challenging weather conditions did not detract from VRAC paricipants! Sarah Murphy won the ladies race overall and W40 Gold, Debbie Moreton took W45 Gold, and Jayne Lomax W50 Silver. The three of them picking up W40 team Gold. Great to see Andy Gibbs again in VRAC colours and running strongly as ever with 5th overall and M55 Gold.
| Ladies 5k | Pos | Name | Cat | Time | Age Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah Murphy | L40 | 21.23 | Gold | |
| 5 | Debbie Moreton | L45 | 27.58 | Gold | |
| 8 | Jayne Lomax | L50 | 30.00 | Silver | |
| 16 | Finishers | ||||
| Men 8k | Pos | Name | Cat | Time | Age Group |
| 5 | Andy Gibbs | M55 | 31.28 | Gold | |
| 34 | Finishers |
ARMAGH 5K
14 Feb: Two of our fastest runners made the trip for this renowned super quick 5K. Robert Brown reports: It's a great race, you have to be sub 16 min 5k to enter and last night a new record of 13:43 won it. 12 runners went under 14 and 113 under 15 overall out of 202 finishers. The course is set on roads surrounding a park called The Mall in Armagh. They race over almost 5 manic laps. Conditions were perfect, 10 degrees and no wind on closed roads surrounded by high Georgian buildings. Chris Perry ran 14:25, a 12 second pb, Jacob Brown ran 14:40 for a 19 second pb. Tthe atmosphere is second to none. They preceded the 5k with 10 short age graded kids races and the women's 3k so there is no shortage of support all around the course.
| Pos | Name | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Chris PERRY | 00:14:25 | PB 12 Secs |
| 67 | Jacob BROWN | 00:14:40 | PB 19 Secs |
MANCHESTER LEAGUE RACE 5 - KENTWORTHY WOODS
9 Feb: Colin Rathbone reports: Excellent turnout for Vale Royal in the final match of the season at Kenworthy Woods on Saturday 9 February. 14 senior Men and 8 senior women contested the good conditions underfoot. Despite the valiant efforts of the men it looks likely that both the senior men’s team and vets men’s team will be relegated from the 1st Division. The Vets ladies faired well to maintain their position in the 1st Division, the Senior Women’s team despite fabulous performances (including a rare appearance for Katie Brough) closed the gap on 3rd place East Cheshire in the 2nd Division. Still awaiting final ratified results but according to Colin's calculations it looks like we are still 1 point adrift of 3rd place.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time | Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Katie Brough | L35 | 4 | 29.08 | 41 | Mark Crabtree | M40 | 10 | 35.14 | |
| 45 | Holly Carrington | 30.16 | 88 | Gareth Williams | M50 | 3 | 37.17 | |||
| 47 | Claire Thompson | L40 | 5 | 30.22 | 127 | Lee Carrington | 38.34 | |||
| 51 | Lucy Knight | 30.37 | 160 | Richard Murray | M50 | 16 | 39.21 | |||
| 56 | Mel Johnson | L35 | 11 | 30.57 | 165 | Tommy Armstrong | M40 | 37 | 39.30 | |
| 159 | Mary Tavener | L55 | 7 | 34.46 | 175 | Robert Roe | M40 | 40 | 39.42 | |
| 239 | Debbie Richardson | L50 | 31 | 40.40 | 199 | Matt Scott | M45 | 20 | 40.20 | |
| 258 | Carole Williams | L65 | 4 | 43.03 | 249 | Stephen Thompson | M55 | 6 | 42.00 | |
| 271 | Finishers | 252 | Chris Beard | M50 | 32 | 42.09 | ||||
| 278 | Mark Pilliner | M50 | 36 | 43.37 | ||||||
| 9/54 | Team | 4 count | 355 | John Clarke | M60 | 10 | 48.17 | |||
| 40/54 | Team | 4 count | 397 | Colin Rathbone | M70 | 3 | 54.22 | |||
| 3/54 | Vets Team | 3 count | 398 | Richard Pettitte | M55 | 28 | 54.43 | |||
| 46/54 | Vets Team | 3 count | 400 | Nick Mort | M55 | 30 | 55.00 | |||
| 402 | Finishers | |||||||||
| 17/50 | Team | 6 Count | ||||||||
| 42/50 | Team | 6 Count | ||||||||
| 25/50 | Vets Team | 4 Count | ||||||||
| 49/50 | Vets Team | 4 Count |
NICK BEER 10K - LLANDUDNO
10 Feb: Just one from VRAC this year for this challenging 10K around The Great Orme. Tony Dutton's report: I travelled to Llandudno for the 2019 Nick Beer 10k. It's basically a 10k around the great orme anti clockwise. Tough conditions with a headwind going up, but a decent workout with a Chip Time of 52:15 Pos. 252 from 598 runners.
| Name | Name | Gen Pos | Cat | Cat Pos | Gun | Pos | Chip | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony | Dutton | 202 | MV45 | 37 | 00:52:30 | 247 | 00:52:15 | 252 |
NORTHERN XC CHAMPIONSHIPS - PONTEFRACT
26 Jan: A number of VRACers at the Northern XC Champs at Pontefract
racecourse. The course was extremely firm, predominantly flat and
therefore very quick which suited some but not others. The senior men's
scoring 6 finished a very creditable 20th team out of 53 complete teams.
The individual highlight was Jacob Brown's superb debut in the senior
championship. Jacob was ably supported by Stu Doyle, Nathan Williams,
Mark Crabtree and Gareth Williams. Team completed by the perennial Colin
Rathbone now 75 and still racing! There were 704 finishers.
Unfortunately the ladies were unable to field a complete team due to
Helen Smith suffering a recurrence of a calf injury. Nevertheless Sarah
Murphy had another great run in conditions that did not suit her whilst
it was also great to see Amelia Pettitt competing again and Carole
Williams looking as strong and glamorous as ever! 376 finishers. Full results here.
| Ladies | Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Time | Name | Pos | Time | Name | |
| 28 | 30.40 | Sarah Murphy | 28 | 40.25 | Jacob Brown | |
| 42 | 31.41 | Amelia Pettitt | 87 | 42.30 | Stu Doyle | |
| 361 | 52.22 | Carole Williams | 114 | 43.34 | Nathan Willaims | |
| 376 | Finishers | 172 | 45.16 | Mark Crabtree | ||
| 246 | 47.00 | Gareth Williams | ||||
| 678 | 65.25 | Colin Rathbone | ||||
| 704 | Finishers | |||||
| Team | 20th of 53 | 6 count |
FOUR VILLAGES HALF MARATHON - HELSBY
20 Jan: Relief for organisers and runners alike that the weather did not threaten this years race. Indeed cool, calm conditions were good for running. A typically solid performance from Stu Doyle at the sharp end. Performance of the day came from Gary Richardson who sliced nearly 2 minutes off his PB. Next, another good race for Liz Renondeau who decided to race at short notice. Malcolm Hughes (pictured), Mary Tavener and Jayne Lomax all acquitting themselves well to complete the VRAC field.
| Pos | Gun | Name | Name | Chip | Pos | Gen | Pos | Cat | Pos | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 01:14:19 | Stuart | Doyle | 01:14:19 | 14 | Male | 14 | V45 | 2 | |
| 75 | 01:21:47 | Gary | Richardson | 01:21:37 | 74 | Male | 71 | V45 | 12 | PB |
| 80 | 01:22:18 | Elizabeth | Renondeau | 01:22:15 | 81 | Female | 5 | V35 | 2 | |
| 320 | 01:34:43 | Malcolm | Hughes | 01:34:30 | 329 | Male | 287 | V50 | 30 | |
| 651 | 01:45:26 | Mary | Tavener | 01:44:23 | 659 | Female | 107 | V55 | 8 | |
| 1059 | 01:57:39 | Jayne | Lomax | 01:57:01 | 1091 | Female | 223 | V50 | 21 | |
| 1632 | Finishers |
TWIN PIERS 10K - LLANDUDNO
19 Jan: Colin and Carole made their regular trip to Wales for this event. Here's their report: Good conditions for this scenic race from Llandudno Pier to what used to be Colwyn Bay Pier until they removed it. Just 3 Vale Royalers out. First home in his first 10k in an impressive time of 35.23 was Ed Pettit. Colin Rathbone just starting his London Marathon training was happy with his sub-50 mins and Carole picking up her training for the National xc.
Ed Pettit 35.23 3rd U20 12th overall
Colin Rathbone 49.56 4th V70 173rd overall
Carole Williams 60.51 2nd V65 321st overall
Total finishers 434
MANCHESTER LEAGUE RACE 4 - HEATON PARK
12 Jan: Good turn out from ladies and men, enough for multiple senior and vet teams. Some good racing at an unusually dry Heaton Park! Well done all. One more MACCL race to go at Kentworthy Woods 9th February. Let's round it off it style! Full results here.
| Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Helen Smith | L45 | 4 | 39.15 |
| 48 | Claire Thompson | L40 | 8 | 39.34 |
| 60 | Holly Carrington | SL | 40.26 | |
| 80 | Mel Johnson | L35 | 12 | 41.11 |
| 121 | Jeanette Pope | L40 | 21 | 43.03 |
| 167 | Mary Tavener | L55 | 10 | 45.59 |
| 279 | Pauline Davies | L65 | 5 | 54.54 |
| 290 | Debbie Richardson | L50 | 30 | 56.49 |
| 295 | Carole Williams | L65 | 6 | 58.21 |
| 313 | Finishers | |||
| Team | 13th, 48th | |||
| Vets Team | 7th, 37th |
| Pos | Name | Cat | Cat Pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Nathan Williams | SM | 35.50 | |
| 42 | Mark Crabtree | M40 | 11 | 36.56 |
| 104 | Gareth Williams | M50 | 4 | 39.27 |
| 153 | Lewis Brown | SM | 40.39 | |
| 171 | Lee Carrington | SM | 40.58 | |
| 209 | Richard Murray | M50 | 15 | 42.08 |
| 223 | Robert Roe | M40 | 51 | 42.34 |
| 270 | Bob Corinaldi | M50 | 28 | 43.41 |
| 284 | Chris Beard | M50 | 31 | 44.08 |
| 286 | Mark Pilliner | M50 | 33 | 44.13 |
| 305 | Stephen Thompson | M55 | 13 | 45.09 |
| 403 | John Clarke | M60 | 11 | 50.36 |
| 456 | Richard Pettitt | M55 | 34 | 57.35 |
| 459 | Colin Rathbone | M70 | 6 | 58.59 |
| 464 | Nick Mort | M55 | 36 | 61.13 |
| 466 | Finishers | |||
| Team | 16th, 50th | 6 count | ||
| Vets Team | 13th, 31st, 54th | 4 count |
CHESHIRE XC CHAMPIONSHIPS - BIRCHWOOD
5 Jan: Terrific turnout and terrific results from ladies and men! Ladies taking 1st and 3rd in overall team and vets tea results. Brilliant effort, well done everyone.
| Pos. | Name | Cat | MV Pos. | Cat pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Jacob Brown | M | 4 | 35:12 | |
| 15 | Mark Crabtree | V40 | 4 | 3 | 38:45 |
| 47 | James Griffiths | M | 32 | 42:23 | |
| 50 | Tom Armstrong | V40 | 16 | 8 | 42:33 |
| 53 | Gary Richardson | V45 | 18 | 5 | 42:43 |
| 59 | Lee Carrington | M | 38 | 43:03 | |
| 64 | Darren Cottier | V45 | 23 | 7 | 43:30 |
| 65 | Matthew Scott | V45 | 24 | 8 | 43:33 |
| 69 | Rick Murray | V50 | 27 | 5 | 44:01 |
| 75 | Craig Todhunter | V45 | 33 | 11 | 44:38 |
| 76 | Chris Weedall | V40 | 34 | 12 | 44:40 |
| 80 | Robert Roe | V40 | 38 | 13 | 44:49 |
| 95 | Chris Beard | V50 | 51 | 11 | 46:10 |
| 97 | John Thompson | V50 | 53 | 13 | 46:18 |
| 100 | David Haines | V45 | 56 | 17 | 46:49 |
| 106 | Mark Pilliner | V50 | 61 | 16 | 47:21 |
| 114 | Geoff Fawkes | V45 | 69 | 20 | 48:09 |
| 142 | Anthony Dutton | V45 | 95 | 26 | 53:08 |
| 154 | Richard Pettitt | V55 | 106 | 15 | 1:01:23 |
| 157 | Finishers | ||||
| Team | 4th and 9th | 6 Count | |||
| Vets Team | 3rd, 6th, 11th, 19th | 4 Count |
| Pos. | Name | Cat | LV Pos. | Cat pos | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sarah Murphy | V40 | 1 | 1 | 32:31 |
| 3 | Liz Renondeau | V35 | 2 | 1 | 32:41 |
| 10 | Chloe Broad | L | 6 | 34:40 | |
| 14 | Chloe Dooley | L | 9 | 35:46 | |
| 17 | Clara Pettitt | L | 12 | 36:39 | |
| 19 | Sophie Smith | L | 13 | 37:09 | |
| 20 | Helen Smith | V45 | 7 | 2 | 37:11 |
| 27 | Claire Thompson | V40 | 12 | 4 | 38:18 |
| 30 | Holly Carrington | L | 17 | 39:05 | |
| 38 | Melanie Johnson | V35 | 20 | 5 | 40:06 |
| 45 | Jeanette Pope | V40 | 26 | 8 | 40:50 |
| 59 | Liz Gale | V40 | 38 | 11 | 43:22 |
| 68 | Jayne Lomax | V50 | 46 | 3 | 44:16 |
| 69 | Jo Edwards | V55 | 47 | 5 | 44:26 |
| 84 | Debbie Richardson | V50 | 61 | 9 | 51:53 |
| 90 | Finishers | ||||
| Team | 1st, 3rd,7th, 14th | 3 count | |||
| Vets Team | 1st, 3rd, 11th | 3 count |
PARKRUN TOURISM
1 Jan: Belated report from Geoff Fawkes NYD double 'up north'. Two counties and two rivers double he did on New Years Day:
9am - Riverside in County Durham - 3 laps in a park right next to River Wear with Lumley Castle and Durham County Cricket Ground in the background, coming 73rd out of 500. Then a 22 mile drive to get to Prudhoe Riverside for a 10.30am start - this time in the County of Northumberland running alongside the River Tyne, 2 laps of a trail country park, coming 46th out of 400. Ran negative splits for both races, with the second one quicker (albeit a harder course) and overall 30 seconds quicker than 2018 New Year's Day double!