Horsford XC Series & the British Masters Championships in Sheffield

Well done to Cam who took part in race 3 of the Horsford XC series.

Cam has taken part in all three races, with great results.

Official Result - 47:25 finishing 8th in his age group.

Cam also achieved first place for his age group overall.  Well done Cam.

Congratulations to Chris Palmer who took part in the British Masters Championships in Sheffield at the weekend.

It was his first time running 200m and 400m indoors on a banked track.

He finished 5th in the 200m, 6th in the 60m and 4th in the 400m - gaining a new pb.

Fabulous work Chris

A busy weekend for RntS

Exeter Half Marathon

Hayley Eyre travelled to Exeter taking part in the Exeter half marathon.  A great run from Hayley

On Sunday I ran Exeter half marathon during a trip to beautiful Devon visiting my daughter. The weather was perfect for me, cold and overcast with no wind. The course is two laps mainly in the quayside area of the city. The race is run over two days, Saturday for sub two hour runners and Sunday for everyone else! We started really promptly at 9am with short five minute briefing, mainly to say try not to fall in the river and let’s all cheer for the man running with an ‘actual’ fridge on his back!
It was all very relaxed and I definitely benefited from the chilled out atmosphere, just enjoying another Sunday morning long run of marathon training and forgetting it was a race. My loose plan was to see where the tough bits were on lap one so I knew how to pace lap two. I quickly realised that it was tough as soon as we left the quayside to gradually climb through woodland paths and a residential area. It was steadily undulating for the first 5k with one steep but short hill. We crossed the Countess Wear bridge running alongside the main road and it became flatter. We made our way down to a small industrial area, where we could run on wide traffic free roads. Here I gained pace benefitting from the flatter ground and continued at a faster pace back to the quayside. Mat was waiting at the turnaround point to cheer me on and I felt good knowing I was halfway. The second lap felt easier with less runners now on the narrow paths. I took 10-15k steady and sped up for the last bit back to the finish. Whilst happily taking in the riverside views of fishermen, herons, happy cyclists and squirrels, I suddenly became a bit competitive! I realised I could actually run a faster than anticipated time! I finished happy, strong and proud in 2:07:07, with ‘man with fridge’ crazily only 13 minutes behind me!
 
Official Result:-
02:07:07

Marriott's Way Marathon

Andy, Kirsty & Nur ran the full Marriott's Way marathon on Sunday.

Report by Kirsty:-

I signed up for this event as I wasn't sure whether Brighton marathon would be going ahead and I didn't want my training to go to waste; it looked a lovely route and I wasn't disappointed.
 
On the day we drove to Aylsham to catch the bus which would take is to Norwich which is where the race started from. Once on the bus I sat with Nur and Andy and we chatted which passed the journey really quickly. We got our numbers and after a quick briefing by one of the Positive Steps guys we walked down to the start. In the briefing they said out of the entry money not only had they donated the £5 per person to East Anglian Air Ambulance but also some money to the Turkey earthquake appeal. 
 
During the briefing the organiser joked about how he'd organised perfect trail weather running; he wasn't joking - it was dry, warm enough without being overpowering and a slight breeze. There were hardly any muddy bits on the whole run and lots of dry leaves as a carpet to a tree lined tunnel. 
 
We started the race by heading towards Norwich and then doubling back to pick up the Marriott's Way. On this part you could see all the others, some were really quick runners and others were choosing to walk due to the generous cut off time. One was using it as kit testing for another, longer race so she had a solar panel on her kit!
 
It was a lovely route, there was three checkpoints along the course which had drinks and snacks; I didn't use the first one as I had enough with me but I needed to fill up drinks as a 'just in case' on the second and third. 
 
Along the route you get to see all the old railway stations which breaks up the scenery. This is a very popular stretch for walkers (with and without dogs), cyclists and other runners, so although on some stretches you may not be able to see other runners ahead or behind you there's always someone not far away. 
 
Thank you to the RntS who popped up along the way for support and it was really lovely to be able to run part of the route each with Nur and Andy, especially as we'd done some training runs together. 
 
Getting closer to the finish I realised that I'd been a bit quicker than previous long runs and was awarded with a marathon PB, actual finish time was a little more due the route being extra! No need to run in circles to round it up 😂 

Official Results:-

Kirsty Lack - 05:25:13 - pb

Nur Hooton - 05:30:02

Andy Payne - 05:32 :13

Valentines 10k

A group of RntS travelled to Easton to run the Valentines 10k hosted by The Gazelles.

Perfect running weather for the Valentine 10k.  A  good warm up of a 3/4 mile walk to the start.  We all met at Easton college to collect our bib numbers, admire the heart shaped trophies on show and head to the start for the race briefing.
 
The route was undulating and such a lovely run along country roads around Easton.
 
The marshals were great, so supportive and encouraging with lots of support along the way was very welcome.
 
The medal at the end was nice to receive - a wooden heart. 
 
Official results:-
Ant Cude - 41:26
Tara Betts - 44:14
Cam Raven - 46:30
Sarah-Jane Smith - 46:51 - pb
Stuart Gollands - 47:28
Paul Woodhouse - 48:39
Paula Smith - 48:39
Lucy Mccallum - 54:49
Will Ayley-Dodd - 55:41
Kerrie Coslett - 58:45
Vanessa Green - 01:08:12
Angie Barker - 01:18:12

Run for Cake

Michelle and Marie took part in a challenge run at Brandon Forest.

Marie and I went to Brandon forest to do a challenge run, as many laps as you like in a six hour event. We both did 4 laps for a half marathon distance.

It was a challenging off road course with lots of ups and downs and tree roots to contend with. Super refueling station and cake afterwards though. Another friend took a few pictures but sadly didn't get any of Marie running

Meet the Events Team

Meet Cat Foley-Wray & Liam Dawson.

They both spend a great deal of time behind the scenes organising various events for the club - specifically The Beach Run and the Presentation evening.

Cat Foley-Wray

How long have you been running for: Over 25years

Favourite distance to run,

Depends on the surface-, ultimately prefer xc and distances for XC races vary between 8-10k. On the road I prefer 5k-  I never seem to be able to keep a decent pace going past 5k in road races- I think I start to panic! On the Track I prefer 1500 and 3k although I`ve only raced on the track once in  the last 6 years.

What made you join/create the events team:  

I saw Kevin`s post seeking someone to develop Events for the club and after having a chat with him and learning that it was as much social events as running based events, I felt I could fulfil the role as I had done the same at my previous club and that it would be a good way to get to know people more. Also I like a challenge, so with the intention to host our own Beach Race, this excited me.

 A large part for me signing up, which perhaps sounds selfish, was I wanted to do something for me, for my own personal interest. Most people will know I am a mum to 3 wildly wonderful boys who are now 6, 4, and 2. I was made redundant from my role as an Adoption Social Worker in July 2016, it was a brilliant job which kept me busy and challenged me in so many ways. My eldest, Charlie was born a few months later in October and we were lucky enough to be in a position where I didn’t need to return to work so I chose to be a stay-at-home mum. Our family then grew with Seth arriving in 2018 and Rupert in September 2020 and I remained able to stay at home with them rather than seek employment. We then moved to Norfolk in November2020, a few weeks after lockdown 2 was introduced and Rupert was just 8weeks old. It was a bit of a mad time! We didn’t know anyone in Norfolk at the time which didn’t really matter as you weren’t able to go and meet up with people due to the Covid restrictions but as things started to open up, and both Alex and I joined the club, I was keen to get to know more people and have another role, bar being `Mum`, and the role of Events seemed perfect as it was something new for the club and something for me to get stuck into without a kids toy in sight!

Favourite parkrun course:

I`ve only done it once when staying in the area and it was many years ago, but Clumber Park, as it was all woodland and trail

What do you enjoy most about organising events:

I like the fact I can see a project through from start to finish,  its satisfying, I like seeing things come together at the end. Certain events have been stressful but the stress has been totally outweighed by the satisfaction at the end. I have got to know more people in the club through organising the events which has been lovely. It has been fun working with Liam, we are both very sarcastic people and the banter kept us sane at times! However, he does love a spreadsheet which did cause a few tensions.

Favourite time of day to run:

If it’s a run on the beach I will be there any time of day and in any weather! If it’s a session, then later in the day / evening- I need to wake up first if I am going to be doing anything hard! If its an easy run- I can just roll out of bed and go.

Fav part of organising the beach race:

I enjoyed planning the whole event, it was an interesting learning curve and has given me a lot of confidence in terms of organising something on such a scale. Although it took over a year to pull together, it didn’t seem a chore as it was easy working with Liam as we get each other’s sense of humour and working style, we were able to have a laugh yet still get the job done and when we didn’t always see eye to eye, it was never a big issue. (Liam soon learnt its probably easier to agree with me than not.) Race Day was great, although I was nervous, I remember standing at the start with Kerrie Cosslett and Kirsty Lack watching everyone lined up ready to go and feeling overwhelmed with emotion that I was welling up! It was a great feeling seeing everything had come together and the support from all the club members was brilliant. I felt a bit sad in the period after the race as so much time had been invested into establishing it, that it was all then over and done with. However, that didn’t last long as we are already in full swing for planning Dec 2023! we really are so lucky to have such a lovely club, I’ve said it before but it really is the most friendliest and welcoming club both Alex and I have been part of.

Why did you start running:

Initially because I enjoyed running at primary school, however my reasons for carrying on running have changed over the years as I have changed as a person. Now it is more because it is my escape and to have some time where I can just focus on running without having to worry about anything else. Now we live by the coast, I love to run on the beach its so beautiful, I cant get enough of it!

Best advice to runners:

It is ok to take a break even if you aren’t injured.

As mentioned above, my reasons for running have changed over time, as I have changed as a person. The latter half of 2022 I found really stressful for a range of reasons and usually running would be my `go to`, but that also was becoming stressful! We were due to move house in July (the 3rd house move in 18 months!) however the date kept changing and we didn’t move until September. The last few weeks before we moved were full on and on reflection, I should have taken a break from running as that was stressing me out too. I remember being on a run on my own one evening and saw some of the Thursday Night Runners go past and I felt like bursting into tears as I had just stopped before I saw them and I felt as though I couldn’t run anymore. I wasn’t in pain or anything I just couldn’t seem to run without stopping, I was only running 4 or 5k which was making me more stressed out! Anyway, it has taught me that sometimes you just need a break and that’s ok, and to be kind to yourself. So I took myself away from running for a while whilst things settled down, but made sure I still did something to `look after myself` and enjoyed walking along the beach and yoga which I still make sure I do. So, look after yourself, and its ok to take a break from running.

Liam Dawson

How long have you been running for?

About 37 years – if you’re trying to do the maths, I was about two when I started

Favourite distance to run?

I used to love doing ultras – I loved the idea that all you had to do that day was run and you got to eat loads and chat to loads of runners en route – its pretty much a long distance jog and jabber session (but with more food).  Peddars Way was probably my favourite (well done to Lucy for completing it in January).  Other than that 10k – my first load of races were 10k and always enjoy them (a few hours after finishing).

What made you join/create events team?

I wanted to support the club in some way and Kevin mentioned that the Committee were considering organising a race in 2022 that he’d want to host for a few years.  My thought was ‘how hard can that be?’ - now I know!

Favourite parkrun course

Holkham without a doubt - great place, great people (maybe the old course as I got my pb there).  Other than that, Tring in Buckinghamshire, near where I used to live, more like a cross country with proper hard hills (I may have a chance against Ant on that course!)

What do you enjoy most about organising events?

Working with Cat (I have to say that or she’ll make my life a misery – but don’t tell her).  Also, that we’re arranging events for friends and the running community that we hope they’ll enjoy!

Favourite time of day to run?

Depends on what I’m training for – if it was an ultra, it would first light (running at ultra pace you get to see how beautiful it is around here).  Anything quicker, late morning when my legs have woken up.

Favourite part of organising the beach race?

I have three stand out moments

  1. 8:20 on race day when all the marshals had turned up and everyone was smiling – it reminded me how great Runners-next-the-Sea is
  2. Talking to runners at the end and listening to them talk about how amazing the marshals were and how beautiful the course was
  3. The sign of relief when standing by the car on Lady Anne’s Drive at the end of it all, after everyone had gone home, thinking that we hadn’t massively mucked it all up
  4. (I know I said three but….) Getting a message from Kevin telling me he felt the race had been a success (phew!)

Why did I start running?

I remember sitting on a bus to a school swimming session and it was the week after the first London Marathon.  A friend and I were talking about it and we both decided we were going to do it (as you do when you’re 10).  Unfortunately he passed away when he was 18, but I went on and did it in 2000.  I remember sprinting down The Mall thinking of that conversation.

Best advice to runners:

Speed is relative and no one really cares how fast or slow you are - runners just love other runners!

Anything else?

At times, being a runner, you can take running for granted.  However, every now and then (usually when I’m injured) I’m reminded how lucky I am to run, how lucky I am to run where I do (especially around the Holkham estate and the beach) and how lucky I am to be part of such a friendly and supportive club.  Proud to be a Runner-next-the-Sea.

Mad Hare 15 & London Winter Run 10k

Mad Hare 15 mile

Hayley, Kerrie & Lucy took part in the Mad Hare 15 mile run at the weekend hosted by Ryston Runners.

The start times for the run were staggered based on your running time.  This was a great way to have runners finishing at around the same time.

We started at 9, with others starting at 9:30 and 10.

It was a beautiful morning and discussions were had about what we should wear, we all decided for shorts and tshirt and were pleased we did, the sun was lovely and warm on route.

The run started at Beachamwell, a lovely little village which sadly had a fire in the thatched roof of the 11th century church last year.

The run started off with a 9 mile loop which took us towards Gooderstone, then through Cockley Cley and back to the village hall at Bechamwell for a quick snack and drink.

We continued on for the second loop and went along what felt like the longest and straightest road ever!  Hayley had already experienced this road when she ran the Wissey half, she had some demons to settle and felt glad when this stretch of road was finished.

This was followed by a shorter loop back to the village hall and the finish.

It was such a beautiful run around lovely countryside.  The event was very low key and organised by Ryston Runners to coincide with those doing marathon training, perfect for Lucy and Hayley.  The reward at the end was some delicious cake - perfect after a 15 mile run.

The marshals were very enthusiastic and friendly.  Such a lovely run to be a part of.

Official Times:-

Hayley Eyre - 02:37:50

Kerrie Coslett - 02:37:54

Lucy Mccallum - 02:37:55

London Winter Run - 10km

Well done to Angie, Shirley & Teresa who took part in the London Winter Run on Sunday.

Official Results:-

Angie Barker - 01:29:15

Shirley Browell - 01:29:15

Teresa Abel - 01:29:15

Norfolk County Championships & Reepham Cross Country

Norfolk County Championships

Ruth Boxall and Chris Palmer competed in the Norfolk County Championships (Sunday 29 January 2023) Ruth Boxall - Rnts C25K to County Champion in 7 months, Ruth won the W75 gold medal beating a former British champion in the process in 13.88 sec. The fastest time in the UK for a W75 in the 2022-2023 season.

Chris Palmer ran a strong race retaining his county championship for a second year in 9.89sec

 

Reepham Cross Country

A team of 11 runners tackled the popular Cross Country course on Sunday 29th January 2023.

The approximate 10k course was not for the faint hearted, with it's mud filled swamp like ditches, freezing river crossings and several muddy climbs.

Official Results:-

Stuart Williams - 00:48:28

Cam Raven - 00:53:36

Roland Bewick - 00:54:50

Andy Payne - 00:58:10

Bob Humphries - 00:58:10

Lucy Mccallum - 01:10:41

Kerrie Coslett - 01:10:55

Kirsty Lack - 01:12:41

Vikki Powles - 01:17:09

Marie Pacey - 01:18:10

Michelle Finnegan - 01:21:59

Peddars Way Trail Ultra Marathon

A huge well done to Lucy Mccallum for taking on the Peddars Way ultra marathon - the 10th anniversary of the event.

48 miles of road and trail.

Lucy has provided a write up of the event - a great read.

I’d set my alarm for 3.45am, no need, I was awake. A quick shower and a pretty big breakfast of tinned spaghetti on toast with cheese (believe me it works) and I was on my way to catch the bus at Holme. The bus was leaving at 6am and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get to Holme and collect my race pack. It was a good call it was -4 and the extra time was needed. 
 
I tried to sleep on the way which I did intermittently. When we arrived at the start point the sun was just starting to properly appear promising a clear but chilly day. Just time for a quick loo stop then Kevin gave the race briefing his last as race director of the Peddars way ultra after 10 years at the healm. It was the usual to the point bluntness which I love  about Kevin.
 
It was a short walk to the start and within 20 mins of being dropped off by the coach we were away, no hanging around in the cold. There are a couple of kissing gates at the start which always hold things up but then it was a winding path through some silver birch trees, very pretty but I knew what was next. Just over 2 miles in we all came to a halt again as everyone decided to take different options about how to get through the dreaded water on the board walk. The front pack had long gone ploughing through not even thinking about it. I arrived to be met with a group taping large bags around their feet and legs. I’d thought about what I was going to do and went with removing my socks and shoes and having a paddle. A good choice I thought, the water wasn’t too bad but the boards between the sections of water had frozen and were like glass. This made progress slow but after 3 short dips I replaced my socks and shoes and I was off again.
The next 11 miles to the first aid station went along nicely. It was a lovely route and I could remember every part of the route so well from 2019. The aid station was well stocked with mini chocolate bars, bananas, squash, and water. I grabbed half a banana and went on my way I had packed plenty of food myself and was keen to keep moving. I ran into Great Cressingham and here the Peddars changes from trail to road pretty much until you reach North Pickenham. My progress slowed, the roads were so icy as the temperature was still so low  and the sun  hadn’t made it over the banks and hedges.
 
Coming into Swaffham I was really starting to struggle I’d been trying to fend of a cold all week and it was starting to cause me problems. My breathing was all over the place and I’d decided I was probably going to call it a day at castle acre, then I caught sight of my brother and niece up ahead.  They had come to cheer me on and had supplies of oranges and Haribo just what I needed. I told him I was going to stop but they both said you will be fine keep going and see how you feel once you get to castle acre. I had half a orange a handful of haribos and carried on.
 
It seemed to take ages to reach Castle Acre but just as I rounded a corner I could see a blue hoody and rainbow bobble hat, it was Hayley coming to give me some encouragement. We walked up into castle acre to the village hall where my mum, dad brother and Sylvie were. I just stood and said that’s it I’m stopping. They all said no you’ll keep going Hayley was saying you never give up at anything, but I really was feeling pretty rubbish.
In my head I’d convinced myself I would be fine with a DNF as I said it’s a bit better than a DNS. I’d completed this race before, I’d done it, why did I need to do it again? Mum then said you’ve got to keep going Kerrie is meeting you further on. Mum poured me a coffee and got me some painkillers. Then I just thought you’ve got to at least give it a go. I put my pack on which was feeling heavy now and just went, if I didn’t go now I wouldn’t go at all. I left with Robin shouting he would grab some cough sweets for me and Chuck them at me on the way past.
The Peddars Way out of Castle Acre is always bit of a battle. Most people choose to run it on the road but the actual route runs down the inside of a field which I opted for. The soft grass made for a welcome break from the slippy tarmac and frozen mud that we had, had up until now. I got going walking the ups and running the downs. I finally got to the end of this section meeting a track. This was the start of the many ups and downs of the route and although hard going I knew I was getting there. I hit 32 miles and started to feel a lot more like myself, a lot more positive and sure I could do it. My breathing was still awful but I worked out even if I walked the rest of the route I would still finish within the cut off time.
 
The next people I saw were Kerrie and Denise they were armed with honey and lemon, vicks and coffee and walnut cake. I downed the honey and lemon which was just the best thing ever. I couldn’t eat anything and was keen to keep moving, after a layer of vicks I was on my way again. I reached the last checkpoint at the Dogotel. Mum and dad were there asking if I needed anything. I grabbed a cheese and onion roll from the aid station and of I went again. I think mum and dad knew then that I would be ok and finish.
The temperature was really starting to drop again now as the light was fading. I stopped just after crossing the road at Anmer and put on my highvis, gloves and headlamp so I wouldn’t have to stop again.  The next few miles passed I was still walking the ups and making the most of running the downs. Finally I reached Ringstead it was just 2 miles to the end. I couldn’t believe it I was going to do it. I ran the last track down to the road hoping to  be able to continue to run down to the finger post to collect the page from the book to prove we had completed the full distance. I couldn’t run all of the road it was lethal under foot and I didn’t want to risk not being able to finish.
 
I got to the post and fumbled to get the page from the book my hands were so cold. I just remember it being a article about sheep. I scrunched it into my hand and headed back up the road to the finish at the village hall.
 
As I walked in, the relief was immense I had done it. Andy, Mum, Dad, Nell, Robin Kerrie and Denise were all there at the end. I was made a lovely cup of coffee and Denise gave me the piece of cake she had been carrying around with her for me, it was perfect.
My finish time was 10 hours 42 mins and 41 seconds. I had gone into the race with a time in my head I wanted to get under 10 hours my previous time had been 10.15.36 I was gutted I didn’t do it, I had trained well and felt confident and strong but unfortunately this cold had knocked me. It was just one of those days not quite everything went to plan. I think my stubbornness helped me but it was ultimately the support from everyone and the belief they had that I could do it. They know me so well and knew how to help usually by saying, well go on then don’t hang about you’re nearly there. The Peddars Way is still my favourite route and I would love to do it again. It was a perfect day to run and anyone thinking about entering you won’t be disappointed.
 
For me distance running is alot about your mind and belief. Time on feet is also so important. It doesn’t have to be running. If you're on your feet it counts. Although there are incredible ultra runners who do do it for the times I just love being out running, run/walking anything, just out. Ultimately the buzz I get after doing a ultra comes from where I’ve ran, what I’ve seen and how our bodies are capable of doing this in the first place.

Norfolk Cross Country Championships

Well done to the 9 runners who represented the club in this event at Earlham Park.  Great running on a tough 2 lap course on  windy Sunday.

Official Results:-

Kyle Hastings - 00:41:41

Cat Foley-Wray - 00:42:10 - 3rd in age group

Ant Cude - 00:42:36

Liam Dawson - 00:45:46

Rob Jackman - 00:48:38

Cam Raven - 00:53:40

Will Ayley-Dodd - 00:56:33

Susannah Towning - 00:59:36

Nita Jackman - 01:03:09

Horsford XC, Marham 10k and The not New Years Day run

Horsford XC - Race 2 of the Series.

Cam Raven took part in the second race of the Horsford XC series on 18th December.  Well done Cam

Official Result - 45:54

Marham Flyers New Year's Eve 10k

5 runners travelled to Marham to take part in this event.  Well done all.

Official Results:-

Mat Eyre - 00:43:32

Andrew Tuckett - 00:49:37

Cam Raven - 00:50:59

Roland Bewick - 00:52:26

Michelle Finnegan - 01:04:00

The Wymondham NOT New Year's Day 10k

Well done to Andy Payne and Vanessa Green who travelled to Wymondham to run this event.

Race report by Vanessa:-

On a beautiful morning I left home with the sun shining to head to Wymondham for the Not New Years Day Run.  Once arriving in Wymondham I made my way to Central Hall to get my race number and I saw Andy Payne there.  Both looking forward to the race Andy went for a warm up while I dropped my van off at my parents.  As there were so many runners and the start line is down a  tight lane we were set of in 2 waves, the runners who would finish under 50 minutes went first followed by the rest of us. As we were waiting to start you could hear a lot of runners doubting how well they would do after Christmas after lots of food and alcohol.  Me and Andy both feeling the same. Suddenly all the turkey sandwiches and cakes  and New Year Eve drinks were not a good idea. 3,2,1 and we are off, the start of the race is down a tight lane and hard to overtake anyone, till you head out on the roads where it opens up to a lovely down hill start which was lovely, though as I had run this route for the EAMA 10K I knew we would be running back up this hill at the end.  We soon found ourselves on a very long up hill that soon had runners slowing up and some admitting defeat and walking.  After making it to the top it was a much needed flat to get your breath back and a few downhills to enjoy before the inclines started again  That lovely downhill start that we all enjoyed soon become a uphill finish, with Ants words in my head I pushed myself to get to the top, back onto the narrow lane which led down to the finishing line, one final push and managing to pass a few runners before crossing the finish line in 1hr 3min. As I came over the finish line Andy was there to congratulate me on my run always lovely to see a RNTS as you finish a race.    Andy had a fantastic run and came in at 50mins 50 seconds, massive well done to him.  We both agreed it was a lovely run with some long hills.  Thank you to Wymondham AC races for a great run and very well organised also to the fantastic marshalls along the way all with big smiles and given encouragement along the way.  A fantastic race which I highly recommend.  A brilliant way to start 2023

Official Results:-

Andy Payne - 00:50:50

Vanessa Green - 01:03:47