On Sunday 11th February the 5th race in the Derby/Staffs cross country league took place at Shipley Park, Heanor, hosted by Smalley Running club. This was a two lap slightly revised course, with more grass and mud than ever before. Lee Rickards was first to finish for team Peel in 13th place, closely followed by Wayne King in 14th place, carrying Rob Dyjak’s shoes which had fallen off in the mud (now that’s real team comradery). Rob still managed to finish in 15th place after battling through the muddy fields and a concrete path in his socks. Next to finish was Luke Collins in 24th place, Scott Chapman in 63rd place, Mike Shelton in 68th, Allen King in 75th, Ben Dorkins in 77th, Billy King in 97th, Mark Boffey in 103rd, Tim Mudd in 104th, Ian Orton in 120th , Michael Hughes in 141st, Darren Trueman in 142nd and Lee Guffick in 147th.
First home for the Peel ladies was Claire Guffick in 58th place, Jackie Tierney in 65th place and Sarah Boffey in 71st. The next race in the cross country league takes place on 10th March.
This weekend, with a definite feeling of Spring in the air, Wayne King and Lee Rickards represented the club at the Village Bakery half marathon in Wrexham. Known to be a fast course, both Wayne and Lee were able to secure personal bests coming in at a fantastic 1:19 and 1:23 respectively.
Ian Orton and Michael Hughes achieved the incredible feat of completing their second park run alphabets, with Ian taking in the sights in Jablonna Poland (24:12) whilst Michael headed north to Jesmond Dene (30:08).
Closer to home the floods stayed away long enough for Tamworth Park Run to take place. Rob Mace was the first home for the club (22:45) followed by Ben Dorkins (23:23), Tim Clark (24:08), Stuart Hatton (28:29) and Laura Bowyer (32:58). Kingsbury saw the greatest number of Peelers running with Mike Shelton finishing at the head of the Peeler pack in 21:24 followed by Darren O’Leary (24:36), Chris Bennett (25:43), Neal Dempsey (28:38), Claire Guffick (31:33), Roger Eastaff (34:45), Stella Taylor (36:53), Helen Dempsey (39:57), Ann Hill (43:25), Alison Dolphin (43:29), Lee Guffick (43:31), Sarah French (56:29) and Nicola Bannister (56:27). Elsewhere Tim Mudd ran at Sence Valley Forest Park in 25:28, Joy Sykes ran at Robert Park in 33:41, Garth Cox ran at Beacon Park 23:14, Emma Pick ran at Babbs Mill in 21:09, Jackie Tierney ran at Buckingham in 28:31 and Stephanie Attenborough ran at Fairview in 33:12
