Weary Soles Relay – Winners!!

by Chris Dimmock

As the mist cleared and dawn broke I checked the clock and realised there was enough time to recce the key points of my leg before picking up Fred to roll up to Tiddenfoot for our start in the inaugural Weary Soles round Leighton relay hosted by Leighton Fun Runners. Having had multiple team changes over the previous weeks, days and hours I had ended up with a leg I was unfamiliar with and drove to the start, middle and end to check the lie of the land. Satisfied that I could get from Wing to Stoke Hammond along the prescribed route I picked Fred up and we set off to meet the rest of the team. read more

Berlin Marathon

by Pete Mackrell

Berlin 2015 was my 11th marathon. I really enjoy Berlin, it’s not for everyone because it hasn’t got the landmarks and amazing support of London, or the glamour and appeal of New York, but if you’re chasing a time there’s nowhere better. And there was one particular time people kept reminding me of: 2:34:43, that being Pete Watkins’ club record. But the truth is it wasn’t on my radar, I’d laboured to a 1:17 half only five weeks earlier, not exactly a confidence booster. read more

Lots of Records at the Stag

The first Stag trophy race of the 2015/16 season saw numerous records set for the event.

  • There were 33 people running: It has been very rare to ever get more than 25, which is what the scoring system is based on so to see so many people out sprinting round the course is brilliant
  • We had 9 people who had never run the Stag before
  • There was a sixty-one year age gap between the oldest and youngest participants
  • There were 21 people who completed the course ahead of their handicap time!

So well done everyone that came along and lets try to keep the numbers high and have a closely fought competition.

On the night, as is often the way, it was the newbies that came home first having managed to convince Dave that they would struggle to even complete the course! Sean Westrope put up the most convincing argument to come home 30 seconds ahead of Stuart Dimmock and the returning Alex Ridout.

In addition to the nine new participants there were also six PB’s on the night from Scott Towell, Chris Norman, Pete Mackrell, Sam Dear, Dominic Grimshaw and Mandy Clay. Chris in particular did this in spectacular fashion by taking 39 seconds off his previous best from 2013. read more

Loch Ness Marathon

by James Bell

The Caledonian sleeper sidled out of Euston at 9.30 pm on an unremarkable Thursday night heading for the capital of the highlands. By 9.31, Alison and I had already drunk half the wine, eaten most of the cheese and had plans to stay up no later than 10:30, such is our rock & roll lifestyle. Tucked in bed, my last though was “why I am doing a marathon?”. For anyone who knows me, I have a problem with marathons. I just don’t see the attraction. However, my inner trainspotter had noticed that whilst I had ticked a few race distance boxes, the marathon had defeated me. The reason for the defeat is that I had run courses that I considered boring, really boring. I needed something stimulating and then, I thought, my moment would come. read more

Let’s Call it a VERY Long Cross Country

Henley Half Marathon

by David Killick

So I am not up with the running terminology so in my mind, trail running is between nice tarmac and mudswamp cross country.  The course at Henley meanders its way from the park at Henley, with the rowers being shouted at by rather large blokes on bikes with megaphones to a place called Hurley where you turn (more about that later) to head back towards Henley where you turn again and then back to the park and finish.  Tarmac, grass, paths, gravel, mud, undulating hills etc etc. read more

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