Category: Distance

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Fighter 5K

Thank you Lucy H for your report on the inaugural Fighter 5K:

The inaugural Fighter 5k, put on by West Norfolk Athletics Club, took place at Massingham Airfield on Sunday 17th May.

I had ambitiously entered the race last summer, as part of my far from a thoroughbred, but not ready for the knacker’s yard health and fitness drive.

Until this year I hadn’t done much (if any) running since 2019. Injuries, a variety of health issues, life, work, bereavement, covid and more meant that I had found myself in a position where I physically couldn’t. This had a significant impact on my mental as well as physical health. Despite having completed a few parkruns this year and starting to feel a degree of ability, I was very nervous about pinning a race number on and participating somewhere other than the safe space of Holkham park.

Kirsty Lack offered to support me by joining me, at my pace, all the way around. Kirsty is a dear friend and knows that contrary to outward appearance or opinion of those who don’t know me that well…. I can be insecure, lacking in self-confidence (particularly about exercise and body image), and that my inner saboteur is a powerful and mischievous beast.

As part of the Lucy reboot I started C25k with the RntS coaching team in Fakenham. It’s been a breath of fresh air and real boost to go back to literal basics, in a safe space, with people in a similar physical and/or mental mindset about running. Coupled with expert coaching and support, my fitness was already improving – it must have, that’s what Strava said! Homework for Week 4 is 5 minutes warm up, 4 minutes run 1 minute walk x 5, 5 minute cool down. What better way to tick off homework than getting back to a race in good company.

Back to the Fighter 5k, a marshal directed us to the airfield from the village centre, we arrived at around 0840. We realised that it was a touch chilly as soon as we got out of the car but made our way to pick up race numbers and see who was about. There were a few random runners and a couple of RntS about, as time progressed more and more navy blue hoodies and some well-worn green ones came into sight and we naturally grouped together. 29 club members took part, which is a great turn out, all their results are further down below the pics. Time to get ready to go, we couldn’t really hear the race briefing that well, a combination of weather conditions, a not very commanding voice at the mike, and runners talking (a personal bugbear of mine from parkrun…). Nevertheless, after having a quick chat with Poppy, a potential new RntS member currently running elsewhere it was 3-2-1 go.

Garmin set and running, Lucy and Kirsty over the start line. In my head I could hear the coaches words “start slow and finish strong”, “imagine you’re holding a pringle in between your thumb and forefinger”, “your elbow is a lever”, “don’t clench your hands it’s a waste of energy”, “don’t hunch your shoulders”, “no wet fish hands”, “imagine you’re wearing Pat Butcher’s best earrings and you can’t let them touch your shoulders” – that last may be mine…

So far so good, the crowd started to thin out ahead as expected, the only competition I was in was with myself. I could see Sarah S and Candy ahead, lovely to see c25k graduates from prior years, but couldn’t hold on to them for much beyond 700m. As we approached the 1km mark I realised I had ignored coach advice 1 – “start slow, finish strong”. I had done my version of the opposite “get carried away and try to keep up”… post-race analysis shows that my first km was a lifetime best so every cloud and a lesson learned. Sadly I paid for my exuberance during km 2, when I had a lot more walk (like Beyonce) breaks than I would have liked. Kirsty tracks in miles on her Garmin, so proudly announced when we were a third of the way through, just over 15 minutes, that’ll do. Head up and stride on. It was at around this stage in the race we realised we were playing cat and mouse with another runner who was jogging then having walk breaks. I have no idea how many times we passed each other on the flat, mostly level with some wobbly parts, path, but will come back to her later.

Half way, and starting to feel good, I sighted a tree or a marshal point in the distance and ran to it, a little further if I felt I could, then back to walking. This seemed to work well as before I knew it we were at the 4km mark. My legs felt ok, knees average, but seeing that it was “the final km” re-energised me somehow and on we went. I had put my glasses in my pocket so only had a blurry idea of time at this stage.

We approached the 400m to go sign and I saw a glorious and familiar rabble ahead. True to form it was a large collection of RntS whooping and cheering, which seemed to get louder as we got closer. Also getting closer as we were about to round the final corner was our cat and mouse chum, Kirsty casually asked “we going to get passed her once and for all then?”. A few more strides and my inner Helen Reddy (I am woman (hear me roar)), came to the fore, we went past her and on to the final straight. 10-15m to go and it was my version of sprint finish time. My chip time was 46:58. My second best ever 5k time.

A massive hug for Kirsty for being amazing, a bottle of water grabbed, maybe a tiny pack of Haribo too, and up to thank the RntS for their support. Hearing the encouragement and support was quite humbling, and made me quite emotional. I knew that Phillippa, one of the RDs at Holkham parkrun was walking the course so stayed to cheer her in.

What was it like taking part in a race again? Yes, I was nervous before, and after… so very proud. I’m not only proud of me for how far I’ve progressed, I’m also proud to be a member of such a supportive, encouraging, friendly and fabulous running club.

Would I recommend this race to someone new/returning to running? Yes, it’s flat, off road but on tarmac, supportive marshals, a nice local event to have supported.

Club member times ranged from 18:43 to 52:10. Everyone’s success was celebrated equally, well done to you all.

Chip Time
David Coslett 18:43.9
Anthony Cude 18:49.5
Kevin Heyhoe 18:55.3
Rob Jackman 21:28.2
William Ayley-Dodd 22:09.1
Michael Turner 22:58.8
Nick Loades 23:20.0
Matthew Freezer 23:42.2
Paul Woodhouse 24:29.6
Sarah Baker 26:13.5
Becki Cushley 26:16.2
Kirsty Grand 26:18.7
Zoe Smith 26:31.0
Nita Jackman 27:08.0
Vikki Powles 29:02.3
Emily Bingham 29:03.1
Libby Woodhouse 29:12.0
Paula Bazley 30:40.2
Mark Riseborough 31:58.7
Emily Jackman 34:08.5
Sarah Coxon 34:12.9
Lizzie McLucas 35:03.7
Christine White 35:31.8
Sarah Saunders 35:34.7
Vicki Armes 36:07.9
Vanessa Green 36:13.3
Lucy Harrison 46:58.8
Kirsty Lack 46:59.1
Jack Barham 52:10.0

A mix of official photos and those taken by Paula Smith, supporting and cheering today, are below.


A great group photo, sadly Sarah S and Candy were keeping warm in the car despite Will saving a space for them!

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GEAR 10K

Thank you to Nita for her GEAR 10K report:

I’d signed up for GEAR straight after last year’s, along with Rob and Zoe. It was my 2nd time at the run, and their third, Sarah C joined later in the year after we persuaded her it would be a good first 10k. We sussed a car share, and then a good parking spot through local knowledge but missed the RntS group photo as we weren’t as prompt arriving as we’d hoped (aka almost late ) GEAR always needs thought as to parking because of the road closures.

When we checked results we realised there were 30 RntS there! There was always someone from the club in front, behind or passing in the other direction. One of the great things about this run is the couple of times you double back and see the faster runners on the other side.

It’s a lovely run for seeing the town, and crosses out and back over the river too. The penultimate K along the river bank was windy ( it always will be) and knocked a few seconds off, but personally I was just enjoying running, not pushing too hard, as I’d not trained for any time or even focused on the distance)

Rob and Zoe got a new pb, Sarah C a very respectable 1st 10k time, I got all excited cos I thought I’d also got a pb, but then realised I was a little bit off my best ever, if I’d have known, I’d have pushed it, but I thought I was so far off I didn’t even calculate from my watch times as I ran, so I had no idea whilst running…just shows how much of running well is in the head for me.

I’d highly recommend this as a first 10k, although it is very very busy and the start is packed, it is well managed, it has a lovely vibe, local support is great and it’s also reasonably flat, with enough twists and turns to make it pass quickly and not so many to be tedious.  Consider where to park, in good time, and enjoy the rest. It is very popular, so not one for a late sign up.

Awesome turn out from our club and lovely to see so many faces new, familiar and in between, and a wide range of speed and experience, a great run for all!

Nita

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The TCS London Marathon

Many thanks to David C for his report from taking part in the London Marathon:
I was so pleased to get my name pulled out of the hat for the club place and to run the marathon that I have wanted to run for so long and felt honoured to be running for the club. I got a training plan in place and had some great training runs with club members, who I am very grateful to, a special mention to Kev who gave up time to run many of those training runs with me.
Going to the Expo and picking up the race number was a great experience and made it all seem very real, with lots of stands selling merchandise and AI running experiences. I stayed in a hotel near to the start to make the marathon morning easier as I was starting early. I knew it was going to be a warm one so really had to think about my hydration before and during the run. This was not to be a problem as there were so many water stations along the course.
I got to the red start pen in good time and got myself sorted to be ready to start, chatting to other runners. I could see the elite runners begin on the TV screen. Soon we were ushered into my wave start and off we went to the start line. There were so many people and it was already getting warm, but I couldn’t wait to start. The race began and off I went. It was hard to get into a rhythm with so many people, weaving in and out due to all the different start times, but the atmosphere was amazing. It was great seeing Ana at mile 2 looking comfortable with her run.
The support along the way was so good, with family and friends shouting their support and so much encouragement from others along the course which all helps to carry you along.
Ticking the landmarks off along the way, I got to mile 17 and the struggle began, my legs felt heavy and it was getting hotter, I had a bit of a wobble and gave myself a bit of a talking to. I saw so many casualties along the way, so was very grateful that I felt good and knew I could get to the finish.
A highlight was at mile 22, seeing the legend John Barnes giving out lucozade drinks, those that know me well know that I am a big Liverpool fan!
With only 4 miles to go I kept pushing and using the crowds to get me to the finish. It was amazing running past Buckingham Palace and seeing the finish line come into sight.
What an experience and honour and one that I will never forget. I am so grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to finally get to run London Marathon.
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Robin Hood 100

Thank you Nur for your Robin Hood 100 report. 💪
21st-22nd September 2024
Robin Hood 100 is an event that’s held every two years and places get filled up very quickly once race entries open so I wanted to guarantee a place well in advance and signed up in May 2023! Never had I thought I would consider registering for such a distance but wanted to give it a go. I decided I would use each month of 2024 up until the event in September to take on a long distance race to help my monthly running distance that would contribute to my training. By the beginning of September this year I had already run 1000 miles (1,600 kms) which included running at least one race each month and going to the gym for strength training (resistance training, weights, rowing) usually twice a week. I checked various 100-mile training plans. Long hikes were part of these plans. I mixed and matched and planned my own training. I kept the running mileage steady but also benefited from long hikes organised by my hiking group, Muddy Boots. It wasn’t only about running, hiking, and going to the gym but I was aware I had to ensure that I could prepare myself mentally for the challenge. I had to believe I could do it. With each month that went by prior to the race my confidence grew as I was finishing each race I entered with reasonable results.
I knew 60% of the route (Sherwood Forest, Creswell Crags and Clumber Park) through having run a race in the same area (Dukeries 40, in May 2024) and this gave me added confidence as it was like recceing some of the route before an event.
The initial part of the route involved running through some field edges with rugged terrain and then on a long stretch on the Chesterfield Canal towpath which was beautiful. My ever first ultra (in 2017) was on the same canal towpath but in the opposite direction. The canal was like a river, winding its way through land. The water looked clean and inviting! The towpath was quite narrow in places and rugged, too. After leaving the canal towpath at around 20 miles, runners take on a 30-mile loop covering Sherwood Forest and its surroundings. This loop is then repeated before the 20-mile run back on the same canal towpath. There are altogether 17 aid stations (all outdoors). Using these stations as a stepping stone to conquer before the Finish at 100.5 miles I had planned my pacing strategy as such: 13-min miles up until 41 miles followed by 14-min miles till 71 miles which is then followed by 16-min miles till 90th mile and finally 15-min miles till the finish. I hoped to finish around 25 and a half hours (cut-off being 30 hours). During the race my pacing plan worked almost impeccably until 31 miles. I saw Tim earlier in the race and later kept in touch by text messages. This was great as I was getting positive feedback from him. He was very impressed by my pacing as it had clearly been going to plan. Tim was also updating the rest of the family and friends while I concentrated on the event.
By 41 miles my pacing was out by an hour. I didn’t worry too much about it. I was running comfortably and really enjoying the beautiful trails and the scenery. At 51st mile I had access to my drop bag for the first time. This was an important point in the race as I got changed (there was a changing tent at this aid station). I also changed my shoes and socks – it was a recommendation I had read about in the build up to the race. It was definitely a good decision. I then had some soup, bread, tomatoes and grapes from the aid station. All in all I knew this would be a long pit stop! It was about 45 mins (maybe longer?!) but it was worth it. I felt strong and bouncy afterwards and continued enjoying running in the dark.
By 61 miles my pacing was out by two hours. Still I didn’t worry too much. It was well after midnight, possibly 1 am! By this point the batteries of two of my torches had already died so I was now using the third one. To make life a little complicated it started to drizzle, soon afterwards giving way to torrential rain. I didn’t mind it too much but did start getting a little worried what would happen if my torch died in the middle of the forest and I wasn’t able to replace the batteries in the pouring rain. I made it to the aid station at 71 miles still in good spirit. This was the slowest part of my race. 10 miles – but it had taken me nearly three hours to do it! Instead of running I had jog/walked this part to match the pace of those runners I saw during this loop. It was comforting to know that if my torch did die there would be people near me. Thinking back I realise if I had continued to run, the possibility of the battery lasting the 10 miles on full beam would have been high. I guess I didn’t want to take any chances. Being in the forest loop for 3 hours in the rain meant that I was soaked by the time I arrived back at the aid station at 71 miles. It was 4 am! I needed to shelter from the rain, dry my hands, and change my torch batteries. I had to huddle under the aid station tent and hope for the best! As I was battling with batteries I realised my teeth were chattering. “Oh no please don’t get cold” I said to myself. The runners who had arrived at the aid station similar time to me were all contemplating on quitting and I was asked if I had decided to stop, too! Oh no, no, no I thought to myself and said I would be carrying on but that I had to take some shelter from the rain before getting back out in it again. The problem is by now I was getting really cold. I managed to sit down as some people had already been collected and there was space to sit down. The seat was wet and cold but I just had to make do. What did I need to do to make sure I didn’t end up getting hypothermia? There was no way I was going to give up as I felt good physically (except feeling cold) andI would kick myself if I were to stop. So many people had sent me good luck wishes beforehand, many had contributed to my fundraising page (helping me raise £530 for Beat), many cheered on virtually while I ran. My family had full belief in me, and so did my friends. As I thought about all this in a split second while trying to avoid getting hypothermia, I remembered that I had my warm hat and a base layer both as mandatory kit in my running vest. I put these on. I am so glad I did as I felt better very soon afterwards. And that’s despite realising my dry bag had frayed at the seams so my base layer had got a little damp! It wasn’t disastrous though. Hat and extra layer on, soon my mind said I was warm enough and that I could carry on if the rain slowed down a little.
I had 5.5 miles to the next aid station and a little over 10 miles to the one after where I would be able to use my drop bag for the second time and more importantly meet my friend, Akgün, who would be pacing me from that point onwards till the end of the race. I was in touch with Tim and Akgün, updating them now and again on how I was doing. Akgün volunteered to come to the next aid station to pace me. This was a great text message to receive. “Yes that would be lovely” I replied. This would mean I had only 5.5 miles to run in the rain before I saw him. By now it was nearly 5 am! Off I went. Running helped me warm up further and although my feet felt soaking wet I was enjoying being out on the course again. Creswell Crags is where the next aid station was and it would be my second time going through it during this race. In my opinion approaching this area is one of the toughest parts of the race as you have to go up a slope and then run on rugged terrain through overgrown bushes before you descend to the majestic Creswell Crags. As I went up the slope with my torch still on I could see several cows at the top of the hill and there would be no way of avoiding them if I wished to continue. I have over the years overcome my fear of cows to some extent as this was not the only race where I encountered cows at close proximity. There were four of them but fortunately they all looked calm. I switched my torch off not to arouse curiosity and carried on climbing towards them. Luckily by then I could see the route without any torchlight as it was almost morning light. Up and up the slope and then down the rugged terrain. Soon afterwards I could see two people waving at me and saying something. I couldn’t make out what they were saying but realised it was my friends, Akgün and his wife Reşide. It was a lovely moment. I wanted to walk a little but there was no time to hang around. We ran to the aid station which was less than half a km. I didn’t need to stay too long there. A few hugs from Reşide for positive energy, off we went. Now there were 25 miles to the end of the race. I thought this is doable. There was still time to the first cutoff at the next aid station where I would have access to my drop bag for the second time. This is where soup was on offer, too, so I was looking forward to that. Arriving there within 30 mins of the cutoff I decided there was no time to hang around but I wanted to change my shoes, which I did. However I didn’t put my spare insoles in it to get the added benefit of cushioning. I also made the mistake of not changing my wet socks. This all meant I ended up feeling every bit of the terrain on my soles while my feet slid to and fro within my shoes. The last 20 miles were not the most comfortable as a result. I am amazed that nonetheless I ended up with only one blister which disappeared within 4 days after the event. It wasn’t only my feet that were uncomfortable during those last 20 miles but I could feel some chafing, too! Amazingly though my legs weren’t complaining and neither was my hip. They held on till 90 miles when my legs started to get very tired and my hip said “hello, do you remember me?!?” It was then that I thought I should have a carb gel to stay on top of tiredness. It was the first and only gel I used during the whole event. In fact I used real food all the way: tomatoes (lots of them!), satsumas, bananas, watermelon, pineapple, grapes, cheese, peanut butter sandwich, salted potatoes (lots!), baked crisps, hula hoops, dates, oat bars, soup (butternut squash and corn), and a bar of snickers as a treat after half way. As for what I drank – apart from water, some electrolytes and small sips of flat coke which always goes down a treat during ultramarathons. It’s not a drink I normally drink otherwise.
At mile 90, I saw my friend Reşide, who cheered me on, and soon afterwards Tim who was waiting with a small bottle of flat coke which tasted the best ever coke I’d had and suitably caffeinated I carried on to take on the last 10.5 miles albeit a little slowly.
My pacer Akgün’s role in this race can never be underestimated. It was fantastic to have him as a pacer during the last 25 miles of the event. I had never run with him before but it was him who’d got me into ultrarunning in the first place (back in 2017!) and when he volunteered to pace me, I thought that it was a fabulous idea. I am so glad that I agreed. His pacing skills and doing the thinking work of how long is left and whether we’re on the right route, etc., all helped tremendously. If it wasn’t for him the last 3 miles would have been particularly tricky – I kept thinking I was nearly at the finish but that finish never came. I wanted to slow down but he made sure I didn’t.
When I finished I wondered if it had all been a dream. It wasn’t. It was real and it felt good.
I am forever grateful to the volunteers in the event who were very positive and wished the best for every runner. I am also very grateful to everyone who believed in me and in particular to Tim, Akgün and Reşide who dedicated their time and effort into making the event a success story for me during the weekend of 21st-22nd September.
Robin Hood 100 is one of the several races that Hobo Pace organises. I’ve actually done 4 of their events to date and would fully recommend anyone interested in trail running to check them out. There’s something for every trail runner, from 10 miles to 100, all in beautiful surroundings in Nottinghamshire.
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Cardiff Half Marathon 2024

Thank you Sarah for your Cardiff Half report. 💗

🏃‍♂️ The event was very well organised.
🌳 The course was great. Mainly flat with a few short but serious hills. Plenty of great views to enjoy.
☁️ Despite our worst fears the weather conditions were perfect. The heavy rain waited until we had all collected our medals before the heavens opened.
👨‍👦‍👦 The support was fantastic from start to finish.
Roland Bewick broke through ‘the wall’ to finish the race in under two hours. Chip time 1 hr 59 mins 55 secs. Awesome!
Ceridwen Howell had a fantastic race. This was her 4th half marathon in the super 6 series. Chip Time (very impressive) 2 hrs 33 mins 15 secs.
Gill and Sarah Saunders soaked up the atmosphere, sang with every choir, danced with every band and generally had a good time. Chip Time 3 hrs 13 mins 54 secs.
If you are looking for a half marathon next year then I would definitely recommend Cardiff.
On a personal note, thanks to everyone who has given me the courage and confidence to get to the start line. Special thanks to Gill for being my awesome run buddy. Thanks to Roland for the compeed! Huge thanks to our support team, Nicola and Patrick.
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Sandringham 5K & 10K 2024

Run Sandringham 5K and 10K are organised by Good Running Events Ltd, https://www.goodrunningevents.co.uk/ a race organisation company who also manage other races at Sandringham, their latest addition – the Illuminate 5K (19th November, 7:00 and 8:00 pm start time) – is an after dark light trail run through the Sandringham Luminate 2024

I had planned to run several 10K in 2024 but after my trying 5-mile race at Worstead I elected to wait until later in 2024. Sandringham 10K was filling up fast so I chose to register and see whether I could prepare successfully for a good run. Training was a hard slog and I never got above a 10K training run due to fatigue.

It was a cool morning as we set off for the 10-minute drive to the race venue. Parking was easier than previous years. Despite the rain during the week the grass field wasn’t too bad.

We met up with runners from Sandringham parkrun and Runners-next-the-Sea, apprehension beginning to creep in as we waited. The 5K got under way at 9:25 am then a long wait as the organisers were waiting for the 5K finishers to start coming in. Eventually they got the 10K runners heading towards the corral start area but it wasn’t until 10:00 am that they released us. A long wait for the runners who had warmed up, my warm up was the first 10K of the race!!

I set off very steady following some parkrun buddies aiming for 60 – 65 minutes. The course goes in front of the house and around the gardens leaving the grounds at St Mary Magdalene Church and across and past the Sandringham visitor centre. The winding course goes through the parkland taking the same route as the Sandringham parkrun before crossing over into the muddy forest trails for the last 3K or so and back to the finish. The 5K follows the same course past the house and gardens then into the forest trails.

All finishers received a medal and a few snacks; and there were awards for first three male and female only.

Malcolm Senior

Well done to the RntS finishers.  Especially Alex who came 4th in the 5K finishing just outside the award places:

Sandringham 5K Results
Postion Gun Time Chip Time
4 Alex Walpole M MO Runners-Next-the-Sea 19:16.3 19:13.6
101 Peter Jones M M65+ Runners-Next-the-Sea 32:48.2 32:25.0
134 Emily Bingham F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:28.5 34:04.8
135 Sarah Coxon F F45-49 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:35.2 34:11.0
137 Gary Thorpe M M60-64 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:38.9 34:14.7
177 Lizzie McLucas F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 37:36.2 37:12.6
 

Sandringham 10K Results

Position Gun Time Chip Time
550 Phil Longwell M 391 M50-54 39 Runners-Next-the-Sea 911 00:58:31.0 00:57:53.9
697 Katherine Carr F 241 FO 124 Runners-Next-the-Sea 901 01:01:45.7 01:00:46.8
749 Malcolm Senior M 477 M65+ 23 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1327 01:03:28.7 01:01:41.6
759 Nick Loades M 481 M55-59 55 Runners-Next-the-Sea 895 01:03:20.4 01:01:55.5
760 Kirsty Grand F 279 F50-54 34 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1423 01:03:21.0 01:01:55.7
871 Debbie Moore F 355 F55-59 21 Runners-Next-the-Sea 908 01:06:03.0 01:04:37.3
985 Mark Riseborough M 551 M45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 893 01:10:29.5 01:07:48.8
986 Vikki Powles F 435 F45-49 56 Runners-Next-the-Sea 890 01:10:29.4 01:07:48.9
1002 Gemma Pickering F 451 F45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 251 01:10:25.4 01:08:20.0
1018 Catherine Thorpe F 465 FO 220 Runners-Next-the-Sea 896 01:10:13.1 01:08:49.7
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Round Norfolk Relay – 14th-15th September 2024

Thanks to Ant for his account of this year’s Round Norfolk Relay:

The course of the Round Norfolk Relay mirrors the county boundary over a distance of 200 miles, divided into 17 unequal stages.

The race starts at Lynn Sport in Kings Lynn and then, from Hunstanton, follows the stunning coastline through 5 multi terrain stages taking the Norfolk Coastal path as far as Cromer. The 40 miles (4 stages) from Cromer through to Horsey Mill and on to Belton are on the road. By the time the teams reach Belton it is dark.

From Belton, the course turns south-west following main roads for 62 miles (4 stages), all run in darkness. It is during these mostly flat stages through Breckland that the time stagger unwinds and the race is invariably won or lost. From Feltwell (Stage 14) the four remaining stages covering the last 33 miles are run across the flat Fens through the early morning mist. Finally, following the Great Ouse River into historic King’s Lynn and back to Lynn Sport

The race presents not only a tough physical challenge, but also a test of the clubs organisational skills. Well I say the clubs, it is more like Lucy Mc and Kerrie’s skills, I wouldn’t know where to start.  The event is much more than just a normal relay for it requires special preparation, planning and support

A staggered start, based on anticipated finishing times, ensures that teams of similar ability start together, with faster teams chasing. If the stagger works, all teams should finish the race by 9:15am to 10:00am on the Sunday. With the first teams starting at 5:30am on Saturday this allows for teams running an average of 8mins 40secs per mile throughout the course.

This year we began at 5.30 at Kings Lynn with David C starting the club off with the first leg to Hunstanton.  He began in the dark with myself as support on the bike to keep him safe on the main road, and to also keep him company. But I’m not sure he was too happy with my singing!

At Hunstanton it was Kyle’s turn to take the baton to the next checkpoint at Burnham Overy Staithe. He ran out through Old Hunstanton and the dunes through some stunning Norfolk scenery with various supporters from the club cheering him on route. Both David and Kyle completed their stages much quicker than their predicted times.

The next hand over point was Burnham Overy Staithe where Head Coach Kevin took the baton.  After a quick look at his watch – something he has always told us not to do!! – he worked his way through our training grounds to finish at the lifeboat house at Wells.

It was Will A-D’s turn now to head off towards Cley supported by David C for the road bits and a bit of chat along the way. Running all the way along the coast path he had good support from club members cheering him on at various locations.

Next up it was club secretary, Andy P.  As he holds this position it is only right that he gets one of the special stages. 3.5 miles along the shingle beach to Weybourne, then up to the coastguard hut at Sheringham and, after recovering from that, it is time for Beeston Bump. With the hard work done Cromer was in sight to hand over to Evette.

Evette took over from Andy on Cromer cliffs, where she then followed the coast path along the promenade. It was a steady climb up to the lighthouse before re-joining the coast road from the back of the golf club. Sarah Ba was in position to join Evette from here to the end of her run.  The next part was all undulating and this section of coast is particularly busy, so Sarah was invaluable. Evette had a fantastic run, coming into Mundesley looking incredibly strong.

Lorraine was the next runner taking on just over 9 miles from Mundesley to Lessingham in stage 7. This is a really pretty part of the route and with the weather sunny and warm, Lorraine would have had some good views out to sea. Rob J joined Lorraine on this section as her safety support bike and we were told about his singing which kept Lorraine entertained, keeping that trademark smile on her face all the way to Marie waiting in Lessingham.

Marie was our runner for stage 8 and she was joined by David C on his bike. This stage follows a relatively flat route that finishes at Horsey wind pump. Marie had worked out the logistics and had left ‘Sparkle’ at Horsey for her to bike back to Lessingham to collect her van.

Marie approached the stage with her normal positive attitude and had a really strong run. Marie and David made a great team on this section.

From Horsey it was a 16.6 mile trip to Belton. Stuart W was running this stage after last year showing us what a fantastic long distance runner he is. After a warm up with his wife Ellie and dogs Harry and Chester, Stuart set off just as the sun was starting to get low in the sky. This route goes through, West Somerton, Winterton-on-Sea, Hemsby and Caister before arriving at Great Yarmouth then towards Belton via the South Quay.

Stage 10 was being ran by Kevin H with bike support from Laura W. These two were raring to go and the nervous excitement was starting to show. We knew Kevin was going to have an amazing run. As it was now dark Kevin and Laura were joined by Bob L in his car. This route had been slightly altered from last year, finishing in Ditchingham instead of Earsham. This is one of the more quiet stages in regards to runners and not so many cars.

The changeover on this stage was quite complex in relation to support vehicles but luckily Rob J, Mat E and Kirsty L who were taking over on the next stage had worked it all out with the help from Hayley E and Kerrie. Kevin had a great run knocking several minutes of his predicted time.

Stage 11 was ran by Rob J. He finished off things for us last year but we needed some more runners to take on the longer distances and he was more than happy to help.

This stage runs from the new start point this year of Ditchingham and I would say it is one of the most difficult. With long, straight stretches of road, the surface is good to run on but in the dark I can imagine it to be bit of a head battle. Rob didn’t disappoint and came into the finish at Scole looking strong. His support was Mat on his bike who had a speaker to provide some music and Kirsty L in her car supported by David.

Rob passed the baton to Gordana, our birthday girl, who was perfect to be running the longest stage of the race, from Scole to Thetford. Consistently speedy and fantastic over long distances we knew she would relish the challenge.

Stage 12 is again made up of long, straight sections of road but there are several good hill pulls. David C who ran this stage last year said that the whole thing feels up hill. Gordana said she did go out too quickly through nerves and adrenaline but she soon settled and picked off several runners. Andy who was on bike support said, you could just see her change gear and she was gone. David R was also on support in his truck and carrying the all important birthday cake for the finish.

Lucy and Kerrie had a bit of a break now as Gordana was going to take a little while to arrive in Thetford. They tried to make use of the time and have a sleep.

Paula S was our runner on stage 13 running 15 miles. Mat was back on duty as bike support and Vicki A was supporting in her car with Francesca. Paula ran a fantastic stage passing through the villages of Weeting and Hockwold before arriving at Feltwell base. We were now very ahead of our initial predicted times as most of our runners had smashed the times they had given us. We were hoping that we wouldn’t be held on the final stages.

We had chosen Sean to run the 7.2 mile stage that finishes in Wissington. Sean had trained really hard for this. His job usually makes running in the summer months more difficult but he had committed to continue to train especially for this event. Sean had Marie as his bike support and Kat Ca was now doing the first of her 2 stage support in her car. Last year this stage was cancelled due to a ram raid in Feltwell so this was a new one to time and do the changeover at. I’m pleased to say it all went well.

At Wissington Sean came in at a good pace to hand over to Anna L ready for her run to Downham Market. She set off confidently with Paul W on his bike and Kat still doing a great job as car support.  As the sun started to rise Anna was seen coming into Downham looking really strong and smiling ready to hand the baton to Suzanne

Suzanne was prepared just in time for Stage 16 to Kings Lynn with Maddie taking over cycling duties. The sun was well and truly up now on a beautiful still morning and a great temperature to run in.   No longer needing car support, Maddie on her bike was great company on the stage

Time for me (Ant) to head over to Stowbridge to prepare myself for my LONG run to Lynn Sport to finish off the Relay. The support as I came into the stadium was amazing. I could hear the cheering as I came the round the track to the finish line. It helped me get those last few metres and I have to say we were the most vocal club at the finish (in a good way)

We came in 37th out of 60 teams with a total time of 27.19.09 knocking 1 hour 16 mins off our predicted time and I think that is a great achievement for the club.

So now this year is over with it is time to look forward to next year and the planning has already started so watch this space and Facebook/emails for details. It is not just runners we need but also cyclists, car support, help with getting runners to and from their start points and caterers to help keep everyone fed and watered. If you would like to run we would need you to be able to run at an average pace of 8:40 minutes per mile (5:23 per kilometre).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Worstead 5 Mile Road Race

Thanks to Malcolm for putting together his report of the Worstead 5 Mile Road Race:

This village is the original home of worsted – a woolen cloth woven by Flemish weavers who settled here in the Middle Ages. Attracted to England by its abundant supplies of wool, a large number of weavers settled in and around Norwich where Norfolk sheep produced the same long wool as they had used in Flanders. This was made into the cloth called Worsted. Today, Worstead is famous for its annual Worstead Festival taking place on the last weekend of July every year. This year was the 34th edition of the Worstead 5-mile race! The race kicks off the celebrations of the Worstead Festival with live music, food and beer/drinks at The White Lady after the race.

After a warm week the temperature was forecast to be 22 deg at 7pm with light winds. When we arrived preparations for the festival were well under way with marquees, catering vans of all descriptions in the field adjacent to the community hall.

The start line is in the small village square and it was a squeeze to get the 650 runners behind the start line. The route takes you out on country lanes, thankfully shaded in places via over hanging trees. The first mile is downhill, before turning towards Sloley where you complete a loop before and inevitably heading back uphill to the village across a little green and across the car park onto the field and the finish.

I found it a tough race, only my 2nd since end of September 2023.

A great turn out for Runners-Next-The-Sea with 19 finishers from the 645 finishers:

Position Forename Surname   Category Tag Gun Time Chip Time
23 Tim Mardall M M50-54 413 28:44.5 28:42.0
73 Anthony Cude M M45-49 416 31:53.8 31:48.3
84 David Coslett M M40-44 39 32:27.6 32:22.3
158 William Ayley-Dodd M M45-49 155 35:55.4 35:29.7
159 Rob Jackman M M45-49 213 35:58.0 35:33.2
171 Ellis Samuel M MO 403 36:15.1 35:56.6
305 Paula Smith F F50-54 405 40:07.6 39:41.6
442 Marie Pacey F F55-59 397 44:39.4 44:09.2
479 Malcolm Senior M M70-74 630 46:20.0 45:47.9
495 Lucy McCallum F F40-44 400 46:50.6 46:20.9
513 Nita Jackman F F50-54 212 47:52.1 47:16.7
549 Nick Loades M M55-59 1864 50:07.0 49:13.8
555 Debbie Moore F F55-59 404 50:36.1 49:41.8
621 Allison Graves F F55-59 411 58:19.0 57:26.3
624 Francesca Iaccarino F F45-49 154 58:29.0 57:34.4
625 Catherine Thorpe F FO 401 58:29.3 57:36.8
629 Vicki Armes F F40-44 402 59:46.1 58:51.4
631 Kerrie Coslett F F45-49 41 01:00:04 59:10.3
632 Denise Leeder F F65-69 40 01:00:04 59:10.7

 

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Boudicca Way 50k

Thank you to Kirsty L for her Boudicca Way 50k Ultra report:

On Saturday 20th July, Andy, Lucy, Kerrie and I took on the inaugural Boudicca Way 50k. Organised by Boghopper races, it started at Diss and wound its way upto the finish line at Trowse, not far from Norwich.

On the day, and unless you were completely oblivious, it was absolutely baking hot. All day and with barely any shade. Even gathering in the church hall for the pre-race briefing it was stifling at 815am. We set off on our way, Lucy and Andy running their respective races and Kerrie & I together doing ours. It was a beautiful route which despite the heat, could still be appreciated. Along the way we chatted with several others and kept a nice atmosphere. This was good, not only is it nice to know that hopefully you’re still on the right route (and not all lost together) but the heat made us a little quieter than usual so extra people buoyed our spirits a little.

There were four checkpoints, two with actual toilet facilities! The ultimate luxury in trail running surely 😉 They were fairly well stocked, sadly some had run out of flat coke but luckily there was a pub enroute and I also had some in my ‘lunchbox of Notre dame’ backpack for us to share.

We had been given a list of mandatory kit to carry which was pretty extensive and heavy! This led to a situation at the kissing gates where me and my bag were too big to fit through 🤣 this definitely lightened the mood, especially when it was the same at the other end of the path!

Although not everyone’s favourite part of the day but at one point, we ran through a boggy section which cooled my feet a treat. When we finished however, we were told it was pig waste 🤢 which Andy confirmed the following day that he could smell it on his trainers.

I would definitely do this again, a lovely route and fantastic company as always. Although we didn’t all run together, we did car share which adds to the excitement and atmosphere. Plus more company when you’re walking over a mile back to where the car was parked!

Kirsty L

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Dereham parkrun – A NENDY for most of us!

Thanks to Sarah B for her report of Dereham parkrun.  Event number 2:

I thought it might be useful to provide a run report following my attendance at the newly launched Dereham parkrun this morning, to give an insight for those who may venture there as a tourist in the future!

Dereham parkrun launched last Saturday, with 151 finishers at their inaugural event. Word had clearly spread as there appeared to be the best part of 400 people gathered at the start of today’s run (according to the ‘Results’ page, there were 365 finishers this week).

The start and finish are near the outdoor gym area north of Dereham Town FC. Parking is available at the Club, but I didn’t have to use this option, as I parked on the driveway of a family member who lives nearby, which also provided a nice little 1km warm up and cool down.

The start area was a bit chaotic, with runners trying to self-seed along a very narrow grassy track but we all managed to get ourselves into position and just after 9am, we were off!

The course comprises one anti-clockwise half lap followed by one anti-clockwise full lap on a mixture of grass paths and trail paths. These paths are very narrow in places especially at the beginning, so don’t expect to make a hasty getaway, unless you are near the front!

The route was well-signed and marshalled/supported. The nature of the paths means it is quite uneven in places and I can imagine that as soon as we get some rain, it’s going to be a pretty muddy undertaking! Aside from the surface undulations, it is a flat course.

I sense it will be a popular Parkrun, especially for those in the Dereham catchment who would otherwise head to one of the Norwich options.

My finish time was 28:18 and I was pleased to come 2nd in my age category. I would do it again but will probably stick to dry conditions like today!