You begin to notice after a while what a lot of couples there are in a running club.  Running is one of those activities men and women can do, if not on equal terms, then at the same time.  Usually the male partner is quickest, though not always.  Out of about 160 members of Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, 40 people, or almost 25% for those with a mathematical bent, are part of a couple.  Perhaps the best known are Rob and Christine Burn, though Rob was running for many years, and probably at his very best, before Christine became less busy with work and was able to take up the sport.  If you can’t beat ’em join ’em!  This applies to many couples where one has started running and the other has decided it may also be for them.

 

Christine is not only Rob’s running partner but also his help and support, for instance when sorting out courses for the club’s virtual races, choosing awards for championships, or chocolates for the handicaps which in normal times have been handed out three times a year.  She is also a rein on his enthusiasms at times!  

 

When a race is organised, the partner of the run director will be very much involved with arrangements, putting mile markers on roads, and on the day of the race, placing distance markers at the side of the roads for the information of runners – and making sure they’re cleared away at the end!  With any race, there is always much to sort out, and spouses are usually involved – even those who are not necessarily members of the club.  Park runs invariably attract couples, each person going at their own pace, and both enjoying the sociables afterwards.

 

In fact, at this week’s notaparkrun park run, none of our couples were participating, and regular, Gary Wilkinson, was quickest in 23.40 over the 5k.  Martyn Coy took 23.49, Mike Lowther 24.22, Duncan Fothergill 25.33, Sarah Harrison 39.28, Hugh Jenyns 47.16, and Rosie Gatenby, on the hilliest possible course, 68.21.

 

A reminder to get your entry in for Sessay Swift 6k on August 18th.  It starts at 7.15 pm this year and the cricket club are laying on a socially distanced barbecue afterwards.

 

The club trains regularly at Sowerby Gateway on Monday and Wednesday evenings, about 7 pm – don’t be late.  If you think of taking up running, give this friendly club a try, when you will always get a warm welcome.

 

As the situation improves and we move out of lockdown, the club has felt able and confident to organise the 9th running of the Sessay Swift 6k on Aug 18th, 7.15 pm, in covid secure conditions, of course.  Entries are now open, at bookitzone, and all entries must be in advance, ie no entries on the day, and no increase in the entry fee!  It will again be a club championship race, and I’m sure all runners will be looking forward to getting into a race situation again, with chip timing provided by John Schofield.  The cricket club again plan to hold a barbecue and a bar will be available.  Please be aware though, of social distancing!

 

At least with NotAParkrun, social distancing is not an issue as you just run 5k from your home and submit your time.  This week, 11 members were involved, with Duncan Fothergill delighted to record the quickest time, 25.07, just missing his target of 25 minutes.  Pete Jackson took 25.22, Mike Cropper 26.16, Gary Wilkinson 26.31, David Palmer 28.15, Sarah Harrison 28.43, Rosie Gatenby 33.08, Caroline Pearce 34.06, Tracy Hayden 34.07, Siobhan Woodland 35.00, and Maureen Worley PB 35.42.  Well done, everyone, and thanks to Paul Chapman for once again collating these results.

 

Club sessions on Monday and Wednesday evenings, 7 pm, continue to be popular, with new members turning up all the time, at Sowerby Gateway.  Meticulous planning is involved to comply with covid rules, and thanks to Rob Burn and his team of coaches for working to keep us safe and happy – and reasonably fit!

The track at Sowerby supplied an excellent substitute for the virtual East Coats 5k, in that it is flat with laps, and allows for fast times – no view of the sea, though!  There were 103 finishers, including about half a dozen guests, which demonstrates the popularity of both the course and the virtual series of races, and many runners had PBs.  Matt Jones once again produced the fastest time, 17.25 – not bad for 5k – with Andrew Price close in 17.29 and getting back into form Tom Levi 3rd in 17.30.  4th came Paul Peacock in 18.05, new member, Danny Tudhope 5th in 19.18, David Fawkes 6th in 19.21, Josh Cooper 7th in 19.42, Paul Chapman 8th in 20.06, Walter Busuttil 9th in 20.23 and Alan Simpson 10th in 20.29.

 

The ladies had some quick times too, with Sarah Yeomans just separating the last two men to finish in 20.29 and Trudy Morrice right up there, 2nd lady, in 20.44.  3rd was Gemma Tutty in 21.02, 4th Lyndsey Collins in 21.55, 5th Kirsty Naylor in 22.53, 6th Hilary Coventry in 23.32, 7th Sonja van der Westhuisen in 23.58, 8th Clare Tempest in 24.28, 9th Tracey Lowther in 25.03 and 10th Sarah Harrison in 25.29.  

 

Among these 20 names is a clutch of good new members.  What a pity the Harrogate League is not in operation this year!

 

Also running were Adam Leigh, Rob Burn (continuing to impress in 20.59), Michael Lowther, Martyn Coy, Gary Wilkinson, Jody Sygrove, Ken Wood, Dave Baker, Mike Cropper, Andy Butcher, Ashton Cartman, Richard Morrice, Brett Edgeworth, Pedro Carrasco, Adrian Saunders, Pete Jackson, Gavin Coventry, Elliot Readman, Duncan Fothergill, Daniel Moore, David Tervit, Jack Spence, Dave Wood,  – (nearly all the above under 25 minutes) – Joe Joyce, Paul Goacher, Will Jagger, Rob Lickley, Andrea Colls, Sarah Scott, David Palmer, Faith Coy,  Geoff Bullock, Steve Billings, Trish Radford, Helen Ashworth, Joanne Hunt, Ken Evitt, Alison Whiteley, Andy Whiteley, Alison Butcher, Lindsay Goom, Lucy Sillars, James Stephenson, Liz Wordsworth, Clare Jones, Chris Wordsworth, Ruth Pollard, Phillip Craig, Rhiannon Richards, Reuben Coy, Caroline Pearce, Kerry Coventry, Paul Adams, Drikus van der Westhuisen, Simon McKeown, Jacob Condor, Margaret Wikeley, Christine Burn, Bethany Haggarth, Ellen Brookes, Richard Easby, Liz Stephenson, Tracy Hayden, Alan Wikeley, Hugh Jenyns, Sharon Keegan, Siobhan Woodland, (after running 30 miles the previous day), Gillian Crane, Craig Atherton, Pat Kirby, Sarah Goacher, Marian Codling, Bev Davies, Denise Gandy, Rosie Gatenby, Angie Weatherhead, Ian Crane and Kimberli Werner.  Another successful and enjoyable event, with members rising to the challenge.  The next race will be harder and longer!

 

The Easter Handicap was held last week, on a course based on the Gateway track, and nearly 60 members and guests took part over a couple of hours on last Wednesday evening.  Times were calculated based on at least 2 monthly Time Trial times from the previous 3 months, with Duncan Fothergill working out the necessary maths!  Brett Edgeworth was presented with the Winner’s shield during a socially distanced club session last night and Kimberli Werner was in 2nd place.  On the evening of the run, Matt Jones had recorded the quickest time, 11.32, with Tom Levi 2nd in 12.26 and Joe Lofthouse 3rd in 12.26.  Well done to all participants on a thoroughly enjoyable event and thanks to Rob for sorting out a course.

 

Over the past difficult year, the club (ie mostly Rob Burn) has organised 23 virtual races, 9 monthly time trials, and 4 annual club handicaps.  The virtual races, with prizes, have been the foundation for the Club Championship and many more members have participated than would have been the case during normal times, when members would have needed to enter in advance and turn up on a specific date to run.  This year, you could run at any time over 4 stipulated days, often on a course near your home when travel any distance was banned.  An unexpected result has been the number of guests who have taken part, many of them then deciding to join the club – at least 30 on the last count.  A beginners group started this week, and was oversubscibed, with 40 people signing up.  Covid has perhaps reminded people of the need for regular exercise at a time when working from home could result in a very sedentary life style.

 

Paul Chapman was again instrumental in encouraging members to take part in notaparkrun park run 5k, with almost a dozen taking up the challenge this weekend.  Paul himself was quickest in 22.58, with Gary Wilkinson 23.35, Duncan Fothergill, again comfortably under his target 25 minutes, taking PB 24.36, Rob Lickley 25.37, Sarah Harrison PB 26.38, Andrea Colls 26.40, Pete Jackson 27.02, Liz Stephenson 34.42, Sharon Keegan 35.14, Maureen Worley PB 36.19 and Rosie Gatenby 36.23.

 

Another of Rob’s virtual races saw 90 members and guests complete the virtual Hartlepool Marina 5, a run very much replicating the actual Marina race in that it was a flat out and back road race.  It was along part of the Thirsk 10 Road Race course – which would have been held at normal times in March – and allowed for fast times, (which is one reason why the Thirsk 10 is so popular.)  Matt Jones is making himself unbeatable at the moment, finishing with the fastest time, over about 5.2 miles, in 31.32.  Paul Peacock continues to shine, 2nd in 32.42, with Tom Levi gradually recovering his form after a bad injury, 3rd in 33.07, Andrew Price 4th in 34.06, Joe Lofthouse  5th in 35.48, Josh Fothergill 6th in 35.55, Alan Simpson, always well up, 7th in 36.23, Walter Busuttil 8th in 36.42, Adam Leigh 9th in 37.00 and the indomitable Rob Burn 10th in 37.38 – even though road is not his favourite surface!

 

 The first two ladies managed to separate the last two men, with Lorraine Hiles, again running superbly, quickest in 37.09 and Trudy Morrice, improving all the time, 2nd in 37.31.  New member, Gemma Tutty was 3rd in 37.52, Lyndsey Collins 4th in 39.54, Kirsty Naylor 5th in 40.59, Hilary Coventry 6th in 41.15, Helen Ashworth 7th in 41.52, Esther Harrison, slowly recovering from injury, 8th in 42.53, Clare Tempest 9th in 43.26 and Tracey Lowther 10th in 45.00.

 

Other members who ran were Mike Lowther, Gary Bastow, Paul Chapman, Gary Wilkinson, Mike Cropper, Dave Baker, Brett Edgeworth, Ken Wood, Jody Sygrove, Pedro Carrasco, David Tervit, Andy Butcher, Richard Morrice, Dave Wood, Duncan Fothergill, Pete Jackson, Rob Lickley, Marc Davies, Geoff Bullock, Martyn Coy, Sarah Harrison, Andrea Colls, Faith Coy, Jack Spence, Trish Radford, Steve Billings, Will Jagger, Paul Goacher, Joanne Hunt, Liz Wordsworth, David Palmer , Chris Wordsworth, Stephanie Hawkins, James Stephenson, Alison Butcher, Ken Evitt, Rhiannon Richards, Clare Jones, Caroline Pearce, Margaret Wikeley, Ellen Brookes, Simon McKeown, Phillip Craig, Pat Kirby, Kimberli Werner, Christine Burn, Bev Davies, Hugh Jenyns, Richard Easby, Sharon Keegan, Alan Wikeley, Jacob Condor, Maureen Worley, Liz Stephenson, Siobhan Woodland, Sarah Goacher, Marian Codling, Adrian Saunders, Harry Goom, Reuben Coy and Lyndsay Goom (supporting Harry).

 

Everyone continues to love these virtual races, which can be done any time over 4 days, with weather conditions varying, and Sunday morning at least was lovely, though rather warm.  The wind may have been a factor on other days.  Members look forward now to the Easter Handicap, 2 miles, to be held on Wednesday, and starting positions based on at least 2 time trials over the previous term.  Normally there would be a social time afterwards, but in these socially distanced conditions, members must run for personal achievement!  Do come along and try this friendly and welcoming club, Mondays and Wednesdays, 7 pm at Sowerby Gateway.