Race Report 19/01/21
Published 21 January, 2021Members continue to run, though on their own and in spite of all the difficulties, and take encouragement from being a part of the club. Rob Burn’s weekly newsletters give suggestions for sessions, and social media brings people together. Hugh Jennyns, a re-joined member after a lapse of a few years has found the camaraderie and friendship inspiring, even though we are not at the moment able to meet together as a club, and when we did, it was in the dark. This is a common theme with new members, who all talk of the friendship in the club. Hugh says the £35 fee is a snip when compared with, say, gym membership, and hopes that before long normal service may be resumed! And so say all of us!
A week or two ago, a call was put out for members to consider volunteering to help with the vaccine distribution at Northallerton Forum, and needless to say, several members were quick to step in. One of them, Steve Billings, says how rewarding he has found it, and the gratitude of older people, many of whom have virtually not been out of their homes since March, is very moving. Volunteers direct visitors with car parking or help when inside the Forum, and all runs smoothly. No queues, says Steve, and with vaccines being distributed 12 hours a day, perhaps we can at last begin to see some reason for optimism?
There is even talk that it may be possible to arrange a Thirsk 10 date before the year is out. Fingers crossed!
Race Report 12/01/21
Published 15 January, 2021With yet another lockdown, opportunities for members to get together to run are non-existent (unless they live in the same “bubble”). Socially distanced club sessions had been taking place but are now no longer possible. There is no excuse for slacking as club coach, Rob Burn, issues a suggested training schedule each week. Snow may have been a problem but that is about gone now, leaving plenty of mud and slush, no doubt. The Sowerby Gateway track has been more akin to an ice rink during the frosty weather, and running on the snow covered grass was a safer option. Hopefully, now, even that is back to its more normal excellent state. Whatever the weather, don’t make excuses. Just get out and run – or at least do core work inside!
Race report 05/01/21
Published 5 January, 2021Another year, another set of virtual races, arranged by the ever enthusiastic and encouraging Rob Burn. To get out in the woods on a bright frosty morning, you could feel a million miles away from anything covid related! What a relief! The virtual Captain Cook’s Fell Race, set around the actual race which is always on New Year’s day, took place in Wass Woods, over a course located with red arrows. This was fine, until a couple of inches of snow on Saturday night covered them almost completely and the first one which was visible was almost at the half way point! If you hadn’t done a recce, you might have been struggling! About 80 or so members and guests completed the out and back run and as far as I know, no-one got lost. Josh Fothergill was the quickest, covering the 5 mile course in 33.33 minutes with Matt Jones 2nd in 34.51, Stephan Tomaszewski 3rd in 35.09, Paul Peacock 4th in 35.23, Alan Simpson 5th in 36.53, Rob Burn 6th in 37.03, Ken Wood 7th in 37.54, David Tervitt 8th in 38.45 and Jody Sygrove 9th in 40.37. and Mike Lowther 10th in 40.37.
Esther Harrison usually leads the way for the ladies, and she was again fastest finisher, 7th overall, and 1st lady, in 37.19. Trudy Morrice, flying over the snowy surface as if it was hard tarmac, 2nd lady and 9th overall, in 37.54, with the ever improving Rosie Gatenby 3rd in 43.09, Hilary Coventry 4th in 44.08, Helen Ashworth 5th in 44.47, Clare Tempest 6th in 45.26, Fran Jeffery, in her element, 7th in 45.26, Louise Mayfield 8th in 45.32, Joanne Hunt 9th in 48.37 and Faith Coy 10th in 49.48. Other members taking part – the also rans, you might say, were Brett Edgeworth, Paul Chapman, Marc Davies, Gavin Coventry, Gary Wilkinson, David Fawkes, Andy Butcher, Duncan Fothergill, Dave Baker, Richard Morrice, Adrian Saunders, Geoff Bullock, Dave Wood, Paul Goacher, Joe Joyce, Steve Billings, Ken Evitt, Martyn Coy, Lindsay Goom, Kirsty Naylor, James Stephenson, Andrea Colls, Sarah Harrison, Sonja Van Der Westhuisen, Alison Butcher, Paul Adams, Tracey Lowther, Trish Radford, David Palmer, Liz Wordsworth, Sarah Goacher, Christine Burn, Chris Wordsworth, Margaret Wikeley, Marianne Morrice, Bev Davies, Kimberli Werner, Jack Spence, Rhiannon Richards, Richard Easby, Drikus Van Der Westhuisen, Gillian Crane, Phillip Craig, Clare Jones, Pat Kirby, Nigel Morgan, Alan Wikeley, Liz Stephenson, Ian Crane, Jacob Condor, Kerry Morgan, Tom Levi, Siobhan Woodland, Marian Codling and Ian Codling. A fantastic start to the year. Well done, everyone.
Well done also to Phillip Craig who set out with the target of running 1000 miles during 2020. He achieved this comfortably, ending up with 1021 miles, including several marathon distances and an ultra distance or two. Many congratulations, Phillip. (He even spent Christmas Day litter picking!)
Race Report 22/12/20
Published 22 December, 2020In normal times, a presentation evening would be held in a cosy hotel somewhere after a nice meal! This year, we had to be satisfied with being socially distanced in a lit car park, but Rob Burn pulled off the evening successfully, as usual, and for all his efforts in keeping club momentum going, and for his eternal enthusiasm, he won the Endeavour Award. A big thank you, Rob. He also came in 2nd place in the Men’s Club Championship, pipped by a couple of points by the determined and focused Stephan Tomaszewski. Congratulations, Stephan, on another finish at the top of the tree. In 3rd place, and really making an impact this year, Paul Peacock, with Geoff Bullock 4th and Matt Jones 5th. Although Geoff has been running for many years, he has approached running this year with renewed vigour, and was also awarded the trophy for the most improved male.
When Lorraine is involved, she really takes some beating after times are age adjusted, and this year was no exception. She was the winner of the Women’s Championship ahead of Trudy Morrice, another who has improved a lot this year, with Esther Harrison, invariably 1st placed in races, but losing out after age adjustment, in 3rd place, Trish Radford 4th and the competitive Hilary Coventry 5th. Very well done all of you for completing runs in each of the statutory 6 sections, as well as four more races.
Some members went the extra mile in completing all 20 of the available championship races, and were given special awards. They were Esther Harrison, Kirsty Naylor, Alison Butcher, Andy Butcher and Martyn Coy.
Special thanks went to Ian Codling for working out points after each race, and with Marian’s help, co-ordinating them at the end – no mean task, but vital for the smooth running of the championship.
Rosie Gatenby was voted Runners’ Runner, and Margaret Wikeley was adjudged to be the most improved lady. She has benefited from lots of extra miles this year, in the company of her mountain goat of a husband!
All in all, in spite of such difficult circumstances, the year has turned out to be a happy and successful one, with large numbers of people appearing regularly. Dare we hope for something more normal before next year is out?
Happy Christmas, everyone!
Race Report 15/12/20
Published 15 December, 2020This most unusual year is nearly at an end, and almost 60 members and friends entered the final club championship race this weekend, over 4 days, in the form of the virtual cross country in Kilburn Woods. When Rob Burn organises these races he likes to include a few hills and plenty of mud, and there was some of both this weekend – a 3 lap course with the outward half on solid stony tracks and then a short uphill on to a muddy return! Newish member, Andrew Price, continues to demonstrate his form, and he was quickest over the 3+ mile course in 28.02, with Stephan Tomaszewski 2nd in 29.15 and Matt Jones 3rd in 29.20. Ken Wood put in one of his appearances and took 31.34 in 4th place, just pipping Alan Simpson, 5th in 31.35. Rob Burn, in his element here, came 6th, not far behind, in 31.40, with Gary Bastow 7th in 31.54, Paul Peacock 8th in 32.52, Marc Davies, also in his element, 9th in 34.18 and Andy Butcher 9th in 35.44.
Once again, Esther Harrison was right up with the fastest finishers, 1st lady and 4th overall, in 30.46, with Trudy Morrice, another who has come on in leaps and bounds this year, 2nd in 32.42, and how pleasing it is to see Olivia Mulligan competing at a high level after a difficult year. She came 3rd in 32.52 with Lorraine Hiles 4th in 35.06, Rosie Gatenby 5th in 36.30, Hilary Coventry having a sprint to the finish with Helen Ashworth and just staying ahead to be 6th in 38.20 with Helen 7th in 38.27. Clare Tempest was 9th in 40.50 and Louise Mayfield 10th in 41.23.
Other members finishing were Richard Morrice, Brett Edgeworth, Duncan Fothergill, Joshua Fothergill, still recovering from his marathon, Pedro Carrasco, Adrian Saunders, Gary Wilkinson, David Tervit, Geoff Bullock, Joe Joyce, Jill Libby, Dave Baker, James Stephenson, Sonja van der Westhuisen, Chris Wordsworth, Marty Coy, Paul Adams, Steve Billings, Faith Coy, Phillip Craig, Joanne Hunt, Paul Goacher, Sharon Keegan, Alison Butcher, Kimberli Werner, Bev Davies, Christine Burn, Pat Kirby, Sarah Goacher, Trish Radford, Richard Easby, Stephanie Hawkins and Liz Stephenson.
Thank you to Marc Davies for putting out such helpful maps and photographs so that even the poorest map reader would not get lost!
It looks as if the club championship will be starting the new year with virtual races, and if they continue to attract a large number of entrants, they will again be deemed again to be very successful. Well done everyone who has taken part over the year, and well done Rob for organising such an interesting series in such difficult conditions.
Hello club members and friends of the Thirsk 10 road race. We would just like to provide a brief update to inform everybody that for obvious reasons the Thirsk 10 race will not be held in March 2021 however, we intend to reassess the situation in the Spring with a view to holding the event later in the year subject to national and local restrictions in place at the time. We apologise for the disappointment this will undoubtably cause, however I am sure that everybody appreciates that the Covid 19 Pandemic is a fluid situation with rules and restrictions seemingly changing on a daily basis. We will provide a further update in once we have been able to consider matters. Assuring you of our best intentions at all times, keep running and stay safe. The Thirsk 10 Team.