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Challenging Conquests in Stunning September
Conquest of Avalon
The Conquest of Avalon is set in the stunning scenery of Somerset, with “enough up and down to keep things interesting”. The route runs from Castle Cary to Glastonbury with a final climb to the infamous Tor when your legs are really tired! But the panoramic view and sense of achievement make this well worth it. Amy Sibley and Tim Sibley both completed the challenging 30 miler in a fantastic time of 7:20.41. They were 61st , Amy being 23rd female overall. There were 78 runners, roughly half of whom were female.
CapTEN and Bosun
Another infamous landmark with a challenging climb is the Golden Cap hill in near-Dorset. The Bosun is a single lap-scaling of the Cap and is a 5.5 mile course. The CapTEN had the added bonus (!) of a second ascent of the Cap and double the distance (the eleventh mile being advertised as the bonus mile!). Both events included the ascent to the beautiful Thorncombe Beacon, treating runners to two of the crown jewels of the South West Coast Path and Jurassic Coastline. Adding to the tricky elevation of the fell runs was the not-so-good wet weather. Andrew Snook (47:59.01) took the win in the Bosun with Susi Sadler finishing in a very respectable 39th in 1:29.12. There were 46 runners overall. In the CapTEN, Simon McClellan (2:03.05) rapidly getting more rapid was 8th overall, first MV50. Eleanor Wood (2:15.06) was 5th female, 17th overall and first FV60. Other results included Richard Jackson (19th, 2:17.42), James Ashforth (28th, 2:25.18), Rik Tumber (29th, 2:25.19), Rob Harp (36th, 2:33.46), and Adele Girwood (44th, 2:50.03). There were 56 runners overall.
Seaton parkrun
234 runners braved the pebbles on Saturday and took advantage of our lovely local views. Joel Seward (17:10) was 2nd with Rich Hardy (17:13), also second on age grade (79.86%), hot on his heels in 3rd. Debbie Whiston (20:15) was 1st female out of 123 and fifteenth overall.
A full set of results can be found here:-
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/seaton/results/latestresults/
Exmouth parkrun
Karen Eyre (20:25) just keeps getting faster with another new 5 K PB, 1st on age grade (85.31%) and 3rd female out of 172. Well done to Rupert Pady (19:50) too. A full set of results can be found here:-
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/exmouth/results/latestresults
parkrun tourism
Thomas Parsons (22:11) continued his spate of park run tourism, enjoying the course at Ashton Court, particularly the downhill second half! Meanwhile, still in Oz, Carol Austin (25:09) enjoyed the beautiful banks of the Burley Griffin lake in Canberra. The lake was part of the original design of the Nation’s capital. It was her fastest parkrun post injury, despite the chilly wind.
And finally, a world conquest!
A huge congratulations to Innes Fitzgerald in Lima on becoming fourth fastest U20 in the world in the 3 K track race of the U20 World Championships. She finished in a PB of 8:57.01 at the end of a hugely successful track season. Certainly one of GB’s young rising stars!
Speedy September
Yeovilton 5K Summer Series
Wednesday evening saw the last in the 5K Summer Series at Yeovilton. The course is fast and flat, providing an ideal opportunity for PB-running and therefore attracting some very speedy individuals. Race number six, in September, didn’t disappoint. Matt Clist (16:15) was 10th overall and first in his age category, running a 5K PB. Karen Eyre (18th Female, 100th overall, 20:31) took nearly 30 seconds off her PB from last weekend’s parkrun and was third in her age category. Other results included Max Richardson (37th, 18:01), Lee Moran (60th, 18:48), Adrian Strawbridge (89th, 20:04), Rob Collier on pacing duties (93rd, 20:19), James Ashforth (97th, 20:28), Richard Jackson (103rd , 21:29), Richard Matthews (143rd, 22:22) and Jacqui Stokes (33rd Female, 147th overall, 22:39). There were 207 runners, 72 of them female, overall.
A full set of results can be found here: https://www.timingmonkey.co.uk/results/Yeovilton24/Race6/
Beautiful Bath
Thomas Parsons returned to his hometown for a speedy and successful weekend. The Chippenham Half Marathon is a relatively fast and flat course running through the streets of Chippenham and visiting local villages through scenic country lanes. Tom ran a 13.1 mile PB in 1:47.35 – nearly 1 minute faster than his previous PB. On Saturday, just before the Chippenham half – making his PB all the more impressive – Tom took part in the Bath Skyline Parkrun, finishing in a time of 22:36, while enjoying scenic views of his hometown.
AVRs down under
TCS Sydney Marathon and 10k
Angela Kerr took part in the Sydney marathon on Sunday as part of the Abbot World Majors Marathon Age Group Championships. The marathon is only in its second year and is a candidate city for the majors and no wonder, it has to have one of the most scenic routes with runners starting by crossing Sydney Harbour Bridge and finishing in front of the iconic Sydney Opera House. After some brilliantly consistent pacing for the 26.2 miles Angela finished in 4:43.15, 66th of 124 F65. More than 20,000 completed the marathon.
Carol Austin and Lesley Adams completed the 10k which also included running over the bridge then around the newly developed Barangeroo with stunning views of the Opera House finishing in the Botanical Gardens. Carol, returning from a knee injury, finished in 52:11, third F60 from 142 while Lesley finished in 1:08 with more than 6000 completing the 10k.
parkrun
“The best things in life are 5K, free, friendly and fun”.
This weekend, in Seaton it was sunny too with little wind providing good conditions for fast running. Matt Clist put in another sterling performance as first finisher in 16:47, 10 seconds short of a Seaton parkrun PB. Ryan Snell made it an AVR 1-2 in 17:38, 12 seconds short of his PB. AVR were second, third and fourth in age-grading too with Matt in second (84.51%), Ryan in third (80.43%) and Debbie Whiston in fourth, and first lady (20:10, 79.50%). Anthony Mullins (24:15) set a new PB as did David Whelan (27:22) and Shirley Goy (31:57).
A full set of results can be found here:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/seaton/results/latestresults/
A little further afield Karen Eyre (21:47) also continued her golden thread of runs with first lady at Killerton out of 123. She was also fourth on age grade (79.95%) and 11 seconds off her Killerton parkrun PB. Well done to teammate Richard Pady (20:32) too.
A full set of results can be found here:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/killerton/results/latestresults/
Meanwhile, further afield still, parkrun tourism was underway with Andy Goy bagging a W on the east coast seafront at Withernsea Promenade parkrun with his fastest time this year (30:05) in the absence of pebbles!
Furthest afield Angela Kerr and Carol Austin took part in Centennial parkrun prior to their races on Sunday. Using part of the marathon route it was a good opportunity to check it out for Angela the day before her marathon.
A quartet of halves
Craig Tiley and Matt Frost travelled up to the north-east for the Great North Run, the biggest half-marathon in the world. Conditions were very wet on Sunday for the 43rd running of the event. Starting on the (closed) motorway in the city of Newcastle, heading over the famous Tyne bridge, the runners finish with a flat two mile stretch alongside the beach at South Shields. Matt, back in his homeland, had an excellent run finishing in a PB of 1:20.16, 311thwhile Craig finished in 19,844th in 2:07.40.
More than 60,000 started the race which was won by Kenyans, Abel Kipchumba in 59:52 and Mary Ngugi-Cooper in 1:07.40. Marc Scott was second male in 1:01.12 with Eilish McColgan fifth female in 1:07.45.
Richard Hardy took part in the Surrey half-marathon which starts and finishes in Woking using closed roads and hence attracting a strong field of 2700 finishers. He finished 63rd and seventh M40 in 1:18.40.
Mark Spraggs ran the New Forest half marathon, a scenic multi-terrain flat and fast race in the national park, famous for its ponies. The event gives the runners far reaching views across the Forest. He finished in 1:50.14, 314th of nearly 1400 finishers.
Sue Hayes ran the Blackdown Hills Trail half completing it in 2:16.01, 50th overall and an excellent sixth female, third F50. The event started at the Taunton Racecourse taking runners onto quiet country lanes, hills and trails with great scenery across the Somerset levels and Blackdown hills.
Volcano on Dartmoor
AVR’s Jess Board took part in the Dartmoor Volcano Race at Scorriton on Saturday organised by Outer Edge Events. The 10.5 mile race takes the competitors to the red volcano lake on the edge of Dartmoor. The route is undulating across the top with a huge marshland and bog and then a longer steadier incline to the highest point at around mile eight. A faster two-mile steep downhill follows to the finish down the same hill which makes runners appreciate how steep it was!
Jess describes it as the hardest thing she has ever done finishing 94th in 2:22.57. She was very pleased to have completed it after returning from injury and felt the cool medal made it worth the pain!
Seaton parkrun and beyond
Seaton Esplanade became a sea of colour on Saturday as AVR, Louise Rawlins celebrated her 50th birthday and completed her 50th parkrun. She is a key member of the core team at Seaton and Stopline Way Junior parkrun and also reached an incredible 150 volunteering stints on Saturday. Many AVRs celebrated with her in their tutus.
With conditions excellent for running, many AVRs achieved PBs, some helped by a team of excellent pacers. First finisher was Joel Seward in 17:20 followed by Harry McMahon in 18:17. Second female was Debbie Whiston in 20:10. Third female and second on age-grade in an excellent 83% was Karen Eyre in a shiny new PB of 20:57. Other PBs were Simon McClellan in 20:17, Mike Wadsworth in 21:20; James Hawker in 22:00, Rob Harp in 22:10, Mark Parsons in 24:27 and Sue Hodge in 25:53.
Out on the road Andy Goy ran his 333rd parkrun at his 222nd at Peter Pan in Hull, his previous home event. Carolyn Nation secured her G at Goe parkrun in Wales; Sam Miller took part in Seaford Beach parkrun in Newhaven; Fiona Seward ran Chester parkrun; Pam Goddard did Heartlands parkrun in Cornwall; Steve Speariett ran Pomphrey Hill parkrun and Jon Day and Paul Johns did Ashton Court parkrun both in Bristol with Rupert Pady completing Margate parkrun.
And finally …
Well done to Alan Morbey and Steve Lewis who swam more than 12000 m around the Isles of Scilly on Sunday.
Congratulations also to Tony Smith who completed the 100k South Downs Way walking from Eastbourne to Arundel over two days raising funds for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Not only did he walk 100k over two days he continued his “run streak” with a mile run each evening – that is dedication.