Category: Race Report

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Peddars Way Ultra

Peddars Way Ultra – it was a long way 😉

Although the event was nearly two weeks ago, this is the joy of long distance running – different memories of the day keep popping into your head, some that make you laugh (ironically the queue for the gents loos was longer than the ladies), the wows and the highs; some parts of the run that you’d completely forgotten about in the days previous then surface again. Before the start of our day out we had seen the ponies galloping over Knettishall Heath – start line for the last ever Peddars Way ultra hosted by Positive Steps, first time for Kerrie and I taking it on and a return trip for Lucy to compete & complete for the 3rd time.

Originally a 48 mile course, a 3 mile diversion was put in place due to the river at the start being impassable. This did mean that they took out the run to the beach and back at the end but also the final route being just over 50 miles! Due to the diversion, we were treated to seeing some husky racing which looked fun as we made our way through the cabins at Elveden Park.

The first half is slightly easier underfoot with the second half being quite undulating. Fortunately it wasn’t quite as muddy as when we had done a previous route recce as that would have added a whole new dimension, especially once it got dark.

The bonus for a long run is that for those runners who run at a more leisurely pace mean they get to spend extra time with their chosen run buddies and I’m so grateful Kerrie chose me. We kept each other going and supported all the way to the finish line. Lots of inane chat along the way made the dark bits a little less spooky; as the visibility wasn’t so good, all our other senses seemed to kick in and made you feel ultra alert! (No pun intended!)

The checkpoints along the way were well stocked and at Castle Acre I collected my bag which I’d put some nice snacks in to keep us going over the second ‘half’. As we were tight on time rather than doing my original plan of swapping stuff over I just grabbed my bags, chucked in a few extras from their supplies and then carried it with me for the remainder of the run 🤣 Lots of offers to take my bag but I wasn’t giving up all my lovely snacks!

Long distance runs also make you even more grateful to all the supporters, whether they are tracking from the sofa around their own days activities or those who tracked and found us out in the beautiful Norfolk countryside. Knowing someone has taken time out of their day and made the effort to keep an eye on you, bring potential mood lifting goodies and to keep you grinning and gritting your teeth to keep digging and not giving up makes the absolute world of difference – thank you all ❤️

‘When your legs get tired, run with your heart’.

Kirsty, Kerrie and Lucy x

Official Results:
Lucy – 10:48:42
Kirsty L –  12:29:10
Kerrie – 12:29:19
(Note: Kirsty and Kerrie crossed the line holding hands, so times should actually be the same.)

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Reepham XC 2024

Oh so clean before!

Reepham Cross Country has a special place in my heart.  I first ran it in 2017, not long after I’d started running the 10K distance, and on a few occasions I was joined by my oldest son, Milo, for the first lap before completing the second lap on my own.  I have some very special memories of this event and it’s also my nearest so I get a lovely lie in!

Juniors run one 5K lap at this event and seniors run 2 laps.  The course starts and ends at Whitwell Station, Reepham, and takes in sections of Marriott’s way, with copious amounts of mud, water and sections across private land that usually isn’t accessible to the public.  This event isn’t for everyone.  It seems to be very marmite.  For me, and Michelle who I ran with, it’s one of our favourite events, but if you don’t like getting dirty your pristine-white RntS vest then it’s best to avoid!

The course begins with a 1K stretch of Marriotts Way which is fairly easy going.  Flat and firm. Runners are then directed down a bank and into a stenchy bog, making their way along and navigating unseen obstacles below such as branches and divots.  Be sure to tie your laces tight as I have seen trainers go missing in the past!  This does create quite a bottleneck so there is usually a little wait at this point for runners towards the back of the pack.

This year’s route was different to previous years’ due to the heavy rainfall of late, so rather than crossing the river immediately, it was back onto Marriotts Way before meandering across fields, through a ‘pond’ and over the water at a shallower and narrower point.  This was the area where we began to get lapped by faster runners, mainly due to the queuing at the first water section.  After a little further distance it’s a wade along the river, ducking under bridges, before heading up the steepest part of the course, past the caravan park, across the main road and then back downhill along the edge of a field parallel to the roadside.  This was where I made a severe misjudgement!  Occasionally being lapped by faster runners who were almost at the finish, I jumped out of the way of one and begun running in the rough at the side of the field.  Next thing I know I’ve caught my leg in a bramble! Now those of you who know me well will know that I am very clumsy and therefore I’ve become adept at falling over.  With a swift roll onto my back to break my fall I found myself lying on my back shouting, ‘I’m still alive!’  Poor Michelle wasn’t sure what was happening however I’m very grateful she didn’t laugh!

I jumped straight up, thankfully not too hurt in the moment, and we made our way back to the station, past Mark who was providing super support and off on our second lap.  Here we even bumped into Marie who was out on a long run in the opposite direction.  Lovely to see another friendly face.  It was while queuing for the stinky bog on lap 2 that someone behind me pointed out I had cut my leg.  It must’ve been the brambles from when I tripped up as my leg was very scratched and bloody.  It looked more dramatic than it was but I decided, on Michelle’s advice, that it was best not to go through the water sections with an open wound.  While Michelle made her way through, I bypassed the water and got a temporary clean up from the First Aid crew and then we set off to complete our second lap.

Avoiding the water meant I had to jump across the river this time instead of dropping in.  I made it but the momentum was too much and I ended up on the floor again!  Michelle is very good though as she still didn’t laugh!  No more drama ensued and we completed the race in good spirits.  The weather was so mild compared to previous years that we were actually able to sit on the platform, grab a photo with other RntS (except Cam – I think he was getting food!), and watch others finish.  In past years my hands have been so cold at the end that it was difficult to even get changed afterwards.  I’m not going to lie, I do miss getting a medal or memento at the end but, due to sustainability concerns, the club had decided to plant a tree for every runner instead this year.

This is a great race and I’d recommend everyone give it a try, or at least come and watch. It’s different and fun, and Reepham Runners put on a great event with friendly marshals and good organisation.

Vikki P

Official Results:

Cat C 1:10:50.0
Bob L 1:10:50.3
Cam 1:10:56.0
Michelle 1:32:55.1
Vikki 1:32:58.3

Supporters:

Mark
Marie(!)

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Norfolk Cross Country Championships

Thanks to Will for this week’s race report:

A classic staple of the cross country racing scene and everyone’s favourite event to start the new year off on a positive.

Maybe favourite is a strong word give the 3 laps of a rather hilly and chilly Earlham park but none the less it’s well organised and definitely worth doing.

Four RntS runners took part with track side support provided by Francesca and joint marshalling / cheering from Evette and Kevin. This was greatly appreciated by all especially by the third lap!

This year the course was cut short by about 300 metres (according to Garmin anyway) due to a bit of flooding in the woodland. Dry feet is definitely a winner in my book that’s for sure!

Excellent running by the team today. Well done all, great job!

If you are looking for something different to try in addition to road running and are after a challenge then I can highly recommend this event.

Official Results:
Liam  – 00:39:36.1
Cat F-W – 00:41:14.5 – 2nd in class
Will  – 00:45:38.0
Bob L – 00:52:02.9

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Marham Flyers New Year’s Eve 10K

Marham Flyers New Year’s Eve 10K

Report from Will:
What an excellent way to finish the year!
A nice one loop fast course (although very windy in places), a good crowd of runners of all abilities, great marshal support, the most amazing medal ever created! (I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a spinning plane medal right?!) and of course being part of the best running club in Norfolk! (Go RntS!)
Great running everyone.
Thanks to Mark for the Photos and track side support.

Official Results:
Ana – 00:43:13.4
Will – 00:46:32.8
Andrew – 00:49:29.5
Marie P – 00:56:42.9
Michelle – 01:00:49.10
Debbie – 01:10:42.2
Francesca – 01:10:43.4

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Lanzarote half-marathon

Lanzarote half-marathon.

Sábado 2 Diciembre

‘This race was recommended via someone on Twitter (before it changed to X) as a good one for a solo traveller to do as both a race and a winter sun holiday. They were right. Great atmosphere, very well organised. Costa Teguise was heaving with runners from all over, with the UK having the largest representation by far. There’s a marathon, half and 10k. Plus, the day before, there’s a kids’ race and a 5k Santa run.

The race itself went OK. I am not great running in the heat, so I was happy with my time of 2:18.25. We actually started during a rain shower, but it then got pretty warm. Lots of support on the route and plenty of fuel stations with water, isotonic drinks, fresh fruit, and (horrible) gels. Luckily, I’d brought my own gels. The course is along the coast (back from the marathon halfway turning point) and is mainly on promenade with lovely views, but also a bit of road and an industrial estate. And one big incline at about 8 miles.

I bumped into the only two other Norfolk runners, including Gary from Norwich Road Runners who had done it before so made a great guide on the day.

Overall a good experience (I’m still here as I write this, just back from a dip in the sea to cool off, which I guess you all did today too 🤣). May even make it an annual trip. One thing I noticed was a number of UK clubs with a large group of runners here together. Perhaps there may be a gang of RntS next year (7th December).

Finally, thanks to Hayley’s mum for cheering me on towards the end. And also for the incredibly special support I’ve had via WhatsApp to help me enjoy my first time abroad on my own which I was a bit apprehensive about. Never underestimate the effect of a good luck/well done message.’

Pete

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EAMA 10k

EAMA 10k

A really well organised and marshaled event across open country roads with great views. If you like hills (and the possibility of strong winds) you will love this one!

Not a PB potential but definitely one worth doing.

Thanks again to Francesca for the track side support and photos.

Official Result:
Will – 48:17.0

Will EAMA 10k

Will EAMA 10k

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Bonfire Burn 10K, Houghton XC & East Coast 10K

Bonfire Burn 10K

Paul, Paula, Nita and myself had a most enjoyable Sunday morning 10k at Histon near Cambridge.  Our day started with a wonderful brass band playing, then at 10:33 we all set off in wave 2.  Though the start was congested, after the first km we were soon on our way. The weather was good for running though  windy conditions between 6 – 9 km made it challenging as the buses went quickly past on the tramlines. The final km on grass made it slippery in places, but it never stopped being fun!  The stewards were friendly and supportive and the person on the microphone enthusiastic!!  Fun was had by all and we collected a lovely wooden medal and bought refreshments from the Scouts. I would recommend this run for others.

Report by Rob Jackman

Official Chip Results

Rob J – 49:01
Paul – 49:48
Paula – 51:44
Nita – 1:00:47

Houghton 5 mile XC (Club Champs Event)

A team of 6 RntS took to the grounds of Houghton Hall on Sunday, competing in the 5mile XC Race. This was my first time doing the race and I was aware of the course being described as ‘mud fest’, ‘cow pats’ and ‘the awful dyke’ . With the amount of rain in the build up to the race I was certainly expecting to get muddy. But I was wrong! The ground was relatively dry, bar areas of long damp grass, and there was no mud or cow pats of any significance. This may have been due to the course being changed at the last minute however it saved me a job as my spikes which were still bearing mud from my last XC race in March, came out nice and clean and shiny which was a welcomed bonus! Overall the course, in my opinion, was mainly flat with 2 technical sections- one being in the wooded area with some short steep drops and then a U- bend section which had large wooden steps to go up! I cant say I have ever been in a XC race with steps before! It certainly disrupted your rhythm and gave you ‘thigh burn’ as described by Mark who didn’t seem too impressed at having to climb the stairs one extra time then on previous races! Other than that it was longish stretches of grassy terrain and a stretch of a sandy gravel path which gave you opportunities to stride out and pick up the pace. It was a 4 lap course which can be either a good or bad thing depending on how you feel!

Leading the club home was Liam Dawson as he continues his fine form. Liam crossed the line in 7th place overall and also picked up 3rd place for the golden oldies (veterans). Not far behind Liam was Cat, finishing in 9th place overall and 1st female .  Cat was more pleased that she was classed as a senior than a veteran – every cloud! At the younger end of the spectrum, Cam had a solid run coming home in 32nd place. Bob Lyddon crossed in at 39th place and running partners Mark Riseborough and Vikki Powles crossed the line in 62nd and 63rd place.

A big shout out to Pete Alder who gave up his morning to take photos – they are a great set of snaps!

A classic XC race, friendly and well organised. It was a shame the field was quite small however it did clash with several other races. Personally, I prefer XC running as it is off road and is a great strengthening discipline, so for me there is no such thing as a ‘bad’ xc race as even if you may not finish as high up as you hoped, you will still be gaining a good strength session.

Report by Cat Foley-Wray

Official Chip Results

Liam  – 37:08.9 – 3rd male veteran
Cat FW – 37:51.4 – 1st female overall
Cam – 45:54.8
Bob L – 46:56.4
Mark – 1:02:17.2
Vikki – 1:02:17.5

Runners-next-the-Sea male overall team result – 2:10:00.1 – 3rd

Supporters:
Pete
Alex

East Coast 10K

Having heard good things about last year’s event from Kirsty I was not disappointed.

The course is 1.5 laps by the beachfront which is lovely and flat with the only real obstacle being the wind and the odd slippery surface. Well organised and great support from the marshalls. Definitely a PB potential course! Thanks to Kirsty for driving and Francesca for the track side support.

Report by Will Ayley-Dodd

Official Chip Results

Will – 00:47:24.4 – PB
Kirsty L – 00:57:40.4 – PB

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Weavers Way Ultras, Town & Gown 10k, Shouldham XCGP1 & Great Eastern Run HM

Weavers Way
Official Results:
Andy – 50km – 7:39:47
Lucy – 50 miles – 11:03:58 – 2nd Female

Town & Gown 10k
Official Results:
Michelle – 1:00:10.7
David S – 1:10:27.5

Shouldham XCGP1
Official Result:
Lynne – 32:29

Great Eastern Run
‘The club sent ripples out across the border to Cambridgeshire, with 5 members (Alex, Andrew, Bob, Hayley, Marie) travelling to Peterborough for the Great Eastern Run Half Marathon. It was a chilly morning, with the temperature hovering around 4C on the drive over, causing some debate about the donning of base layers or not. However, the sun was out, there was just a light breeze and it was dry – excellent running conditions. The race actually started on time, unlike the previous few years. There are some who believe that the legacy start time problem was a jinx caused by the presence of Andy P. The fact that Andy was not there this year may, or may not, support this view. We all enjoyed the run immensely and were very chuffed with our times, including multiple PBs. The run goes through mainly residential areas of Peterborough and suburbs to the North of the city and the support on the streets from local residents was amazing and very motivational. Photographs show happy, smiling, RntS but, the medal shot was of a depleted group – we had lost Alex and Andrew at this point, with some suspicion that they had so enjoyed it that they were running the course again. Essentially, a cracking outing !

For anyone in the club who has not run a half marathon, but is considering doing so, I would thoroughly recommend this race as a starting point – it was my first half last year. The course is predominantly flat, with just a handful of minor, gentle, inclines, making pacing yourself straightforward. The support around the course is incredible and really helps you keep going if struggling. The route goes through some lovely parts of the city, including, this year, the Cathedral grounds. The logistics work smoothly, including parking close to the start/finish – and, if Andy P is not there, the race starts on time.’

Bob

Official Results:
Bob H – 1:47:10.1
Andrew T – 1:47:46.0
Alex W – 1:48:09.9
Marie P – 2:00:22.8
Hayley – 2:05:47.6

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Royal Parks Half Marathon & Marriot’s Way 10k

Royal Parks Half Marathon

‘Lucy and I both entered the ballot last year, it is a run that we have both wanted to take part in for a while.  We were both successful and looked forward to the race.  We were not expecting it to be one of the hottest October days, but we were both looking forward to the route and running round the Royal Parks.

It was a 4:30am start for us to make sure we got to the race start on time.  The atmosphere at the event village was very relaxed which always makes me calm at the start of a race, we did not have too much hanging around and a 9:30 start was a nice time of day to start.  We got into our start pen and proceeded to walk to the start, this is not a big race compared to other London Races, a maximum of 16,000 people.  The race started and we headed off to Buckingham Palace, for those of you who have heard me talking about my London marathon experience, I failed to see Buckingham Palace at the end!!  I did not miss it this time as we ran passed it twice, we did a loop out and saw some sights, Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, then headed up the Mall back towards Buckingham Palace, it felt very special running up the Mall.

We then went back into Hyde Park where the race started, this was the half way point and I mentioned to Lucy that we still had over 6 miles to go and not sure how we were going to fit it in, I need not have worried, the park is huge and a lovely place to run around, lots of weaving around and seeing other runners, trying to work out where we were going next.

The support around the whole course was fantastic and the volunteers were great, although I will point out that Lucy got a huge amount of support and cheering and I got very little, it became a running joke every time a spectator shouted ‘Come on Lucy’!  The race finished in the park running next to the Royal Alberts Hall.  I would highly recommend this run to anyone, such a lovely route and so much to see.  It is definitely my favourite half, made all the more better by getting to finally run around London with Lucy.’

Kerrie

Official Times:
Lucy Mc – 02:29:25
Kerrie – 02:29:25

Marriott’s Way 10k

Official Times:
Will – 0:49:03.8
John – 0:54:49.8
Marie P – 0:57:03.3
Debbie – 1:06:04.9
Chloe – 1:20:13.6