Category: Race Report

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Bure Valley 10 Mile

Thanks to Kirsty for her report from last week’s Bure Valley 10 Mile Race:

On Sunday 28th September, 5 RntS runners and 2 fabulous cheerers went to the Bure Valley 10 mile race.

Set in Banningham, the route is on quiet country roads with minimal traffic. Starting outside the village hall we set off into the countryside, perfect weather conditions for a Sunday run. The course takes you out of the village until the road splits into a left or right turning. The route takes the left which then loops back round and you then come back onto the main road and head back up to the split where the second time, the right turning is taken. This leads out and up a hill past a church which then loops back round and takes you to the finish line back in Banningham on the village green. This section is where you may get to see the lead runners coming back. I was on 4.5 miles and the leader was heading for the 8 mile marker. Some very impressive running!

A great run from everyone with some great PBs too, plus David got 2nd in his age category. This was my 7th time doing this race (it’s definitely one of my favourites!) and I got my 3rd best time which I was really pleased with. This is an ideal race if you’re training or looking to step up to the half marathon distance and has a generous cut off time of 2 hours.

Homemade cakes and drinks available in the hall afterwards makes it a lovely morning out.

Photos: Laura Watson.

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Hainford 5K, Great North Run and Coastal Half Marathon reports…..

Hainford 5K – 7th September – Thanks to Lucy M for this:

As tempting as it was to stay in and watch the Great North Run on TV on Sunday, 7 September, we decided instead to make our way to Hainford, a village just north of Norwich, for their annual 5k fundraising race—which also happened to be one of this year’s club championship events. One of the great things about the Hainford 5k is the relaxed sign-up process; you can simply register on the day, and all the proceeds go towards supporting the local community you’re running through.

We arrived with the weather forecast promising a hot and humid day. Parking was in the well-organised car park some way from the start with volunteers to signpost the way. We walked part of the route up to the village hall, we paid our £5 entry, picked up our numbers, and enjoyed the friendly, laid-back atmosphere. With a shorter run, play park and relaxing atmosphere it was no surprise it attracted families to take part or just watch.

The 2k run was 1st to go and we cheered the in, before heading off as a group to the start line. As the Norwich 10k was also on the same day the start felt like a quiet parkrun. Relaxed, friendly and, since there was no chip timing, with small numbers you felt close enough to the start line to not feel you’d lost time just getting over the line.

The route was a figure of 8 through part of the village, well marshalled and signed. Although open to the traffic everyone was patient of the runners coming through. The best part was how flat the route was and with such a hot day more than half the route was under the shade of the trees. This led to the group I was running with, all who joined the club after this years couch to 5k, all getting personal bests! All followed by the added bonus of a coffee truck and ice cream van just at the end of the finish tunnel.

Hainford really was just as we were told. A friendly, welcoming 5k without all the modern trappings of how many races have evolved over the past few years and I’m really looking forward to it next year.


(posting this anyway)

Great North Run – 7th September – Thanks to Lynne:

I recommend a cuppa and a biscuit, or even a whole packet, before you sit down to have a read. Sorry I rambled on a bit.

This has to be my absolute favourite day of the year, this was my 4th time and every year has been different. The Great North Run is one of the largest mass participation events in the world, this year there were 60,000 places, although slightly fewer than that made the start line.

This iconic half marathon event was originally started by Brendan Foster in June 1981 when it was advertised as a local fun run, with 12,000 runners taking part. Brendan was a hero of mine from back in the 1970’s, particularly when he was competing in the summer Olympics in 1976. Surprisingly I was house captain at my secondary school, Whinney Hill in Durham, competing for the county during my teenage years. That seems an awfully long time ago now.

The race starts on the central motorway around the eastern side of Newcastle upon Tyne where all runners assemble. The route quickly crosses the river Tyne via the iconic Tyne Bridge into Gateshead town centre, turning east down the Felling bypass, towards Sunderland then through South Shields to finish the last mile along the seafront.

As usual we stayed in South Shields at a little hotel 1 mile from the finish line. If you ever consider running this half I’d definitely recommend staying near the finish, NOT the start. Mainly because it will take you longer to get back to Newcastle than it takes you to run the race. After a warming hotel breakfast I left about 8am and walked from our hotel, down into Shields to catch the metro, and my £6 travel band got me to Newcastle Haymarket station. It’s a lovely way to start the day, building the excitement and anticipation, packing into carriages with loads of other runners. Conversations overheard are usually hilarious, for example one first timer wanted to understand how her bag placed on a baggage bus got to the end before she did. The logistics of the whole thing are pretty remarkable. I chatted to a fellow  runner, who commented, “he’s speedy”, when he noticed the yellow/white striped race number, “these guys start just behind the elites”!

For the 3rd time I was in pink wave, the largest group, which always includes a huge range of abilities, with an even bigger range of personal reasons for running this challenging course. My training hadn’t quite gone to plan so I wasn’t sure how my body would respond.. So this year I decided I was going to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy myself, which is exactly what I did.

Once off the metro I joined the snaking crowds up through the university  and towards the town moor, where the runners hubs were positioned. Luckily Seb and I managed to meet up before we both made our way to pink. I kept an eye out for Lucy and Andrew but knew they would be in different waves to us, and it was a bit busy!

We walked down from the town moor to the motorway, which was already rammed full with runners. The elites and celebrity runners were all near the front and everyone else snaked back into the distance as far as we could see. I was looking forward to hearing the. haunting guitar chords of “Going Home” from the film Local Hero. This Marc Knopfler classic signals the start of the race every year and it touches my soul every time I hear it. I just have to try and forget it was played at St James park, where Newcastle United played. (more of this later).

The worst part of this mass participation event is the very long wait, penned on the motorway for what seems like forever. This year it was almost 2 hours before we crossed the start line, at 12.31. My latest ever start, so unsurprisingly I was surrounded by lots of people who would be walking most of the route. Hence it was a struggle to get going, finding a comfortable pace and a rhythm took some doing. The long wait beforehand, fully hydrated, made for an uncomfortable start, and an enforced toilet stop before 5k, which was very annoying, but unavoidable. Once I got going and found my pace I reminded myself to make the most of the slight downhill at the beginning. I’d opted to keep left before the Tyne bridge so I could go through the underpass and join in the “oggi-oggi-oggi” chants, this always makes me smile. In the same way that approaching and running over the Tyne Bridge makes me emotional. We used to drive over here, from Durham to Newcastle, when I was a kid, with my brothers and sisters all packed into our car, to visit my grandparents. This place holds a lot of memories for me.

I was enjoying the run and on reaching 10k had sampled a good selection of the roadside snacks from the amazing crowds. An entire smorgasbord of variety, including jelly babies, Haribo, orange segments (need a slippery when wet warning) ice pops and my favourite, ginger snaps. Sadly the beer provided by a local running club, between mile 10 and 11 had run out by the time I got there. I’d also attempted to high five all the enthusiast little people, with their homemade placards.

It turns out a bit of enforced rest and recovery beforehand can lead to a great race, also the lack of pressure I’d put on myself had a positive impact on how I was feeling. We were now approaching the halfway marker and I was still feeling good, unlike several of my fellow runners, some of whom were using more colourful language when they realised they were only half way!

The crowds at this race are like no other I’ve ever seen. They enjoy their own little roadside parties, whilst cheering us all, from start to finish. By now I was feeling fairly confident that my time would be “not too shabby for an old-un” and I was enjoying all the different bands, positioned along the route to entertain and motivate us all. I knew there was a bit of a slow , sneaky climb ahead along John Reid Road, so I kept my cadence up and my arms moving and did my best. All those hill repeats up to Holkham obelisk were worth it. Then at last, the sea came into view in the distance. I speeded up, down the hill, to the left turn at the bottom, to run the finish straight along the seafront. I knew there was still quite a way to go, so I didn’t over-egg it.

It started to rain lightly, just as the finish line came into view and I gave everything I had left to get myself over the line. I’d done it. I stopped my watch, but didn’t  look at it, this year the time didn’t matter.

So, a “wee” bit slower than my 4 previous races but I was happy with 3.03.12

Another GNR medal for my collection, with a story of its own to tell. Bizarrely, none of the organisers had noticed the mistake within the medal design. In place of what should have been Newcastle and the river Tyne, we got Sunderland and the river Wear. Slightly embarrassing for the organisers, even Brendan Foster didn’t notice, the monumental error made it to the national news.

This was no doubt particularly upsetting for all the Newcastle United supporters who ran the race this year. The rivalry between Newcastle and Sunderland is long established, even within my own family. However since I spent most of my school life in Durham and crossed the river Wear twice a day, to and from school, but more importantly I painted my rucksack red and white (yes we used to do stuff like this), in May 1973 when Sunderland won the FA cup (beating Leeds 1-0), I really don’t mind the error. I’ll treasure it it like I do all my medals.

I should just mention, as always Jim was at our usual meeting point when I finished, with all my stuff, warm clothes, flat coke, crisps and a hug.

Happy running

Lynne

Coastal Half Marathon – 20th September – Thanks to Cat Foley-Wray

Ever since moving to Norfolk at the end of 2020 I’ve always wanted to do the half and for one reason or another haven’t managed to. This year I thought just enter and do it as if you wait for ‘the perfect time ‘, that’s never going to happen, so I entered, and it was great!

We registered and started at Burnham Overy Staithe. Registration at the village hall was great as it had a back garden where you could get out of the hustle and bustle and do any pre race stretches etc. A few more toilets would be a suggestion for next year.

The whole route follows the Coastal path so for me It was my ideal terrain as I love trail, especially the beach. I knew it wouldn’t be particularly muddy or wet as it’s been so dry lately, so not running in trail shoes wasn’t an issue.

We left Burnham, add in here that the leader of the marathon went past the half marathon start just before we  set off! – what a machine Rob Skillings! After setting off from Burnham we headed to Holkham Beach, then through the woods and onto the hard path down to Lady Ann’s and on to Wells beach café before going along the beach road down to the quay. We then followed the path  onto the marshland towards Stiffkey, seeing all the creeks was lovely, and finally entering Morston for the finish.

I took lots of photos en route as it’s such lovely scenery and some of the route I hadn’t been to before, so it was lovely to explore at the same time.

I found it a flat route with light undulation in the first few miles through the dunes and woods. Nothing particularly scary!

There were always people around, whether fellow runners or members of the public walking  the path too which was nice as people really do give you a boost, especially if you know them.  Then there were aid stations every few miles with club volunteers.

I wasn’t sure  how far I’d get before my mate Mr Jeffing joined me (run/walk) and he appeared quite early at 7/8 miles😂. It worked well as I decided to walk for around a minute at the start of each mile then run until the next mile, it definitely was a good way for me and the miles seem to get ticked off nicely (if you can call it that on tired legs!)

I thought it was great that there were tail walkers in both the half and full marathon (no idea if this is the norm in trail events) but along with generous cut off times it was certainly an event where you could walk it all and know you wouldn’t be alone, which is reassuring.

I met Alex and the boys in Wells for a quick hello and photo then Jeffed the rest of the way. I don’t think my heart rate  went up much for the whole distance so that’s a good takeaway for me, but I did have tired legs through lack of endurance, which was to be expected!

It was lovely to finish at  Morston Quay as it’s so pretty and also good facilities.

Over all a beautiful, easy to follow route. I’d recommend it and hope to be back next year.

Well done and thanks to RntS for hosting for the first time and congratulations to all who took part.

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Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB)

Review of the UTMB by Colin Stark

Called the ‘big dance’ the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) is the best and greatest trail running event on the planet. I was lucky enough to get my place through the ballet and through index points which I’ve earned through racing in the Ultra Trail World Series races in Snowdonia 100k in 2022, 50k in 2023 and 100k in 2024. So, it took 3 years to earn my place.

The race starts in Chamonix, France and is an anticlockwise loop around Mont Blanc passing through Italy and Switzerland. The trails are used by many hikers throughout the summer months, and there is a cut off time of 46 hours to complete the 108mile loop with 10k metres of ascent.

Approx. 2500 take up the challenge and are ready on the start line at least 2 hours before the 5.45pm start time. The Elite runners are introduced individually to the massive crowds and 5 minutes before the start the famous UTMB music ‘Conquest of Paradise’ by Vangelis bellows out. The music is iconic and the most beautiful, unique start to any race as the emotions of all the effort and preparation to be on that start line mean there wasn’t a dry eye among any of us.

Off we go through the streets of Chamonix with thousands of spectators who have to be the most enthusiastic crowd I have ever known. The weather forecast said rain from 6pm and for once it was spot on with the heavens opening just 15 minutes into the race. I had opted not to start with my rain jacket but I had it ready in my race belt so I could get it on quickly while still running and not losing any places.

The first big climb came 10k in at Les Houches where my Leki poles came out to join the party. I knew Kelly (wife), Harry (son), Ben and Anna (friends and also Runners Next the Sea members) would be somewhere on the climb and I was looking forward to seeing them. It was a party atmosphere despite the weather and everyone around me was highly amused by the amount of shouting from Ben and Harry!

The first checkpoint was in St Gervais at 14 miles and the whole town comes out to support the runners. I was going well and felt good and focused for the night ahead and although the rain was still hard it wasn’t a problem, and I was happy with my kit choice.

We went onto Les Contamines and the famous Notra Dame climb. I’ve never witnessed such energy and passion from the spectators, and I was in awe that the crowds were willing to stand on the side of a mountain in the horrendous rain to support the runners. It was truly amazing.

As the climb continued the rain turned to sleet and very heavy snow and I made the decision to put my waterproof trousers and gloves on. I probably did this 30 second too late because I was shaking of cold and now had both sets of kit wet through. I was also feeling the altitude and was dizzy and felt sick. However, stopping was not an option as it was so cold I would have been in real trouble. In total this climb was 2500m and many runners around me were starting to struggle with the cold. The path was a muddy mess with hardly any traction as we summitted (finally!). Its not as if I’m not used to mud, so the decent went well and I managed to overtake quite a few runners despite still feeling really sick and retching often. I did overcook it once and ended up sliding down the mountain on my backside ripping my waterproof trousers.

The next check point was Les Chapieux at 32 miles. All the runners had more than earned their right to be there, but some were already calling it a day. The volunteers were also more serious than usual and everyone who left that check point was told to wear every item of clothing they had. Prior to the race the ‘cold weather kit’ rule had been activated so we all had additional layers. I am never cold usually during a race, even on The Spine race in January, but I had on running tights, waterproof trousers, long sleeve base layer, thermal top, thermal arm warmers, coat, hat and waterproof gloves (not what you would expect in August!)

All through the night was snow, sleet and rain depending on how high we were, and I was still struggling with altitude and sickness which meant I wasn’t really taking on enough fuel and definitely not 2/3 gels an hour which I would normally need.

Eventually the weather improved, and the sun came up as I approached Courmayeur in Italy and I arrived here about 8am, which I was really happy with. This is a major checkpoint and at almost 50 miles it’s just under halfway. It’s also known as the runner’s graveyard as historically lots withdraw at this point due to the mind games of knowing you are only half way and its impossible to do the same distance again.

After Cormayeur my quads were really feeling battered. I just didn’t have my normal energy levels, and it was so frustrating not to be able to push on like I normally would. I was getting overtaken by many runners moving better than me and the long climb to Grand Col Ferret was tortuous and there was a real battle going on between my head and my body. I had obviously been in this place before and it was this experience which helped me keep going, along with a phone call with an old running friend and a text from Kelly.

Despite the good weather and amazing views, the next 30 miles were a low point and it was just a case of grinding it out. However, knowing Kelly, Harry, Ben and Anna would be at Trient, Switzerland kept me focused although I was stumbling about and a bit of a mess. Harry and Ben made the 2 mile climb to meet me before the checkpoint, so it was great to see them. The banter was brilliant ‘aarghh fancy seeing you here’ was the saying of the holiday and Ben took some videos of my incoherent mumblings!

The descent to the checkpoint was slow and painful but I did still manage to pass a few runners. When I got to the checkpoint at 11pm it was buzzing with supporters and volunteers with a party like atmosphere. Unfortunately, I was not in a party mood at this point and Kelly took charge, sorting out my kit, feet and strongly encouraging (!) me to eat more. I really needed the energy boost as I was now approaching 29 hours of running.

I set off into the night again knowing I would see everyone again at Vallorcine but just as I got going, I started having head torch trouble. Luckily the mandatory kit means I had a spare so I wasn’t too worried, but no head torch would have meant an instant DNF as it would be so easy to fall off the side of the mountain.

I arrived in Vallorcine at 2.30am to be greeted by my support crew, and I was feeling much better and managed to eat some cheese and biscuits. Vallorcine is a happy place knowing there is only 1 more mountain between there and Chamonix and only 10 miles to go.

The trail to the final climb is a long slog in the dark, remembering it well from previous events (CCC in 2015 and UTMB in 2018). There is no chatting among the runners at this point as everyone prepares for the final brutal climb. The ascent to La Flegere is very technical with big rocks, tree stumps and tree roots all over the trail. The climb is about 800m before it descends again for 400m then climbs again to 1900m. I felt like it would never end. I was mildly hallucinating and I’m sure I saw a giant mouse, among other things. I’d experienced this before so could see the funny side and was actually feeling much stronger and hoping for a good finish.

On the last descent the sun was rising over Mont Blanc, I was feeling good, and I was determined to make up as many places as I could to make up for such a long bad patch in the middle of the race. Many of the other runners had the same idea as me so we ‘flew’ down the mountain (that’s how it felt anyway) although the reality was probably different. The switch backs came and went, and I managed to overtake at least 10 runners. I met Harry on the outskirts of Chamonix as he wanted to run in with me and I kept looking back to check I wasn’t being chased down.

The finish was really special with Harry beside me and Kelly, Ben and Anna waiting on the line. What a race it was! I really had to push myself to the limits both mentally and physically, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Seeing other people achieving their dreams in such a special race is so amazing and I’m sure I’ll be back next year when its Ben’s turn to run!!

Race time: 37 hrs 52 mins

Global Rank: 548

Category Rank: 23

Starters: 2,492

Finishers 1,664

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Reepham Summer 10k, Dinosaur Dash & Great Yarmouth Half Marathon

A glut of August run reports, so here we go….

Reepham Summer 10k – August 1st 2025

Report by Paul Rice:
After a few weeks of mid 20s Celsius days, thankfully we had a much cooler evening in Reepham on Friday 1st August to take part in the Reepham Runners’ Summer 10K; part of the Sportlink 10K Series.

The race itself started at 7:00pm at Stimpson’s Piece which was a pleasant 10 minute or so walk from the allocated parking at Reepham High School. Bibs were allocated on arrival at the start and the registration and route were very well manned with lots of marshals throughout.

Contrary to the pre-race emails, a bag drop was available at the start as well as limited toilet facilities, a Sportlink stall, coffee, ice cream and food vans.

The race start was a 5 minute walk away from the registration and followed quiet country lanes and a few kms’ stretch of the Marriott’s Way (off road) back to finish at Stimpson’s Piece.

There were three water stations along the route and more water available at the end along with a goody bag featuring a very welcome, for me at least, bottle of local Panther red lager.

It was an enjoyable evening run with good times and a decent representation from RntS including Darren Smith, Kevin Heyhoe, Lorraine Hunt, David Coslett, Andrew Tuckett, Paul Woodhouse, Matthew Freezer, Libby Woodhouse, Jean Shaw Smith and Alexander Chidichimo as well a clutch of friends and family in support.   I can recommend it!

Dinosaur Dash – August 8th 2025

Report by Catherine Thorpe:
On a Friday evening, a group of intrepid RntS descended on ROARR! Dinosaur Park for the Dinosaur Dash 5k. I arrived early with Vicki, both thinking the event was 7pm start, but later found it was 7.30pm – better to be safe than sorry!

The course is relatively straightforward – 2 and a half laps around the Dinosaur Park itself, starting in the car park and ending in the park itself. Sounds lovely, apart from two key hurdles – a wasps nest (that one marshal had the pleasure of standing near!), and the infamous Neanderthal Valley, which can only be described as a uphill like no other! I remember this hill from last year…and I was determined to try and run some of it this year!

We set off on our route, and it was lovely to see so many supporters, including some of the children who had completed 2.5k earlier in the evening. It was well marshalled and signed, and luckily it wasn’t too hot! We enjoyed the downhill sections, dodged the wasps and then found ourselves at Neanderthal Valley for the first time – we decided to conserve our energy this time around, as we still had one and a half laps to go!

Second lap comes around, and I am mentally preparing myself for the second uphill! The freshly tarmacked path in the park does help to get a bit of momentum ready for the second uphill, and this year I managed to get halfway! A big improvement from last year, and I was so pleased – on track for all of the hill next year?!

We ran into the park for the final time, and myself and Vicki saw all of the RntS waiting and cheering at the finish! We sprinted towards the end, determined to reach the finish under 40 minutes, which we succeeded in! We then waited for the final runners to come in, giving lots of cheers and encouragement.

Overall, a fantastic and well organised event, with lots of support! I will definitely be back – for either my third attempt at the hills, or the brilliant Dinosaur medal!

Great Yarmouth Half Marathon – August 10th 2025

Report by David Coslett:
I entered Great Yarmouth half some time ago as it is the 9th race of the Sportlink Grand Prix series, this is a series of 10 races spread across the year of varying distances and locations. You need to enter and run at least 8 of the 10 and your top 8 scores count towards the final  result.

It was an early start to get to Gorleston, I picked up Kevin on the way as he was also running the race.

The race was organised by Great Yarmouth Road Runners, I ran this race a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the route, the organisation and the marshals are so good.

I picked up my race number and got myself warmed up and ready to start.

The race is all road and takes you through Ashby, Lound, Somerleyton and running through the grounds of the beautiful Somerleyton Hall.

It was so hot on the day, which affected my running, although I was pleased with my time, the organisers put on extra water stations which we were all grateful for.

This is a nice run and I would recommend it.

David: 01:30:42
Kevin H: 01:31:21
Alex W: 01:39:16
Chloe F: 02:35:43

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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