Peel Road Runners took on challenges (ULTRA) Big & Small last weekend up and down the country and overseas.
For his introduction to Ultra Running, Martin Hollamby took on the mother of all ULTRA Trail Runs as he faced ‘The Oner’ – an 82mile ultra trail run held along the Jurassic coastline in Portland, Dorset. The seriously tough race has over ten thousand feet of ascent and a strict 24hr time limit with only 50% of the participants normally making it to the finish line. Martin has been putting in some serious training for the challenge which he ran to raise money for the charity ‘MIND’. Taking time out at each checkpoint to post updates to followers on social media as well as take on much needed food for energy, Martin managed to reach the last checkpoint at Lulworth Cove with a full 11hrs left to complete the closing section of the race which he managed with time to spare. In the end it took Martin 22hrs 15mins to complete the full 82-mile route.
Michael Shelton was another Peel Road Runner to take on an Ultra Race at the weekend as he took on the Coventry Way Ultra Race. The Coventry Way is a 40-mile circular footpath route around the Warwickshire countryside with lots of mud, stiles and kissing gates to pass over or through. Troubled slightly with an ankle injury during the run, Michael went on to complete the 40 miles in a time of 9hrs 58mins.
Also running down in Dorset was Paul Scholte as he ran the Exe to Axe Fell Race, a grade B fell run along a 22-mile route taking in the gorgeous Jurassic coastline, starting at Exmouth seafront and finishing at the Esplanade at Seaton. Paul’s time for the 22 miles was 4hr 13mins.
Lee Rickards was overseas in Majorca to run in the Pollenca half marathon. The warmer weather certainly suited him as he ran a new H/M personal best time of 1:25:35hrs for the 13.1miles.
Val Lawson was in the Peak District running in the Meerbrook Trail Race with over 1,100ft of ascent and 16.8km around the Tittesworth Reservoir and a steady climb up to the crags of ‘The Roaches’ for an awesome view of the surrounding area before descending back down towards Roche Grange and the finish at the Village Hall for tea & cake.
Staying with the ‘off road’ theme, Peeler Emma Livingstone was at the Warwickshire Wolf Run held at Welsh Road Farm, the home of the notorious and rather chilly ‘Alpha Lake’, where competitors take on manmade obstacles through some of the county’s best landscape over a 10k distance. Emma managed to complete the route in a time of 2hrs 5mins.
Laura Cox was in Sutton Park for the Birmingham Run. With many distances on offer on the day, Laura ran the 10k race with the route around the heathland and ancient woodland and finished with a time of 55:25mins.
Robert BOB Donovan ran the Runnymede Magna Carta Marathon on Saturday and finished in 69th position with his time of 5:45:40hrs for the 26.2miles.
However, it was the Cathedral to Castle 10 mile run that attracted the most Peel Road Runners at the weekend with over 20 Peelers entering and volunteering as Marshals along the route (Lisa Fletcher & Raymond Rogers).
Garth Cox was the first Peel Road Runner to cross the finish line with a superb time of 1:12:31hrs for his 10 miles just pipping Darren O’Leary with his 1:12:35hrs with Malcom Bembridge, Craig Smith and Phil Neale not too far behind with their times of 1:15:27hrs, 1:15:44hrs & 1:15:55hrs respectively. Simon Smith was next to finish with his time of 1:18:53hrs.
Lisa Jones Bignell was the first Peel Road Runner female finisher as she ran a superb time of 1:23:35hrs and finished just ahead of Dave Fern with his time of 1:23:44hrs. Behind Dave was Owen J Slater with 1:26:04hrs, Natalie Walker 1:26:52hrs, Jenna Wilson 1:26:54hrs, Marcus Fairburn 1:27:35hrs, Helen Chyla 1:29:33hrs and Sandra Ingram with 1:29:43hrs. Carolyne Browne crossed the line in 1:30:00hrs followed home by Jo Insley 1:30:40hrs, Christie Rosser 1:30:57hrs and Richard Finnigan with his 1:30:59hrs. Joanne Harvey crossed the line in a time of 1:32:35hrs ahead of Darren Cotton 1:32:40hrs, Sophie Galloway 1:38:03hrs, Helen Manton 1:38:26hrs, Stella Martin 1:39:21hrs, Annie Wilson 1:42:44hrs, Moira Twiggs Bucknall 2:00:01hrs, Vickie (Gilks) Bowyer 2:03:50hrs and Alison Dolphin 2:03:56hrs.
With all the different weekend races lined up it was a quieter day for the Peelers at the weekends Parkrun events with only half a dozen runners running at Kingsbury Water Park.
George Hope made the most of the lighter attendance and finished as the first Peel Road Runner to cross the finish line with his time of 24:46mins. Behind George was Tim Mudd with his time of 26:39mins for his 5k. Joanne Harvey finished as the first Peel Road Runner female to cross the line with her time of 26:58mins ahead of Michael Stevenson 28:59mins, Lisa Fletcher 29:14mins and Darren O’Leary out for a gentle jog with his 35:57mins.
Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm at the Snowdome in Tamworth.
New members are always welcome.
