Sunday the 30th October 2016. The weekend sandwiched between the Manchester Half Marathon and the Leeds Abbey Dash. While many Pumas were enjoying a well deserved lie in and extra hour in bed, 5 Pumas were meeting up at 8am to travel to Bradford City Centre for the Bradford City Runs – 10k.
Pumas before the start of the Bradford 10k
All with different hopes and goals for the morning; Matt Newton was aiming to continue his running success with a new 10k personal best, Wendy Hewitt was hoping to beat her previous time at the Bradford 10k in March by 54 seconds to bring her time below 1 hour, Kelly Smith was aiming to set a new personal best after last completing the race 7 years ago, while Leanne Flesher and Olivia Berry were anxiously hoping to successfully complete the 10k course.
After struggling to access the town centre, due to the closed roads and the girls poor directional skills, Matt finally managed to find a suitable parking space. Then it was hoodies off, and a brisk walk to keep warm to Centenary Square. There was just enough time to register, attach numbers, chips and toilet stop before it was time to wait nervously in front of the old Odeon building ready for the start at 9.55am.
Pumas setting off at the start of the race
The road race included two 5k loops of Bradford City Centre. The course took in City Park, Bradford University, The Broadway and Little Germany. There were some sneaky hills and the 2nd lap was definitely more of a struggle than the first.
Matt was the first Puma across the finish line with a new 10k personal best and position 46 out of 338 runners!
Wendy crossing the finish line
Wendy was second, the clock at the finishing line stated 1hr and 5 seconds, so she was over the moon to receive the official time of 59 minutes and 26 seconds!
Matt and Wendy then found a good finishers photo position to take photos of their team mates as they returned.
Official times were:
Matt Newton – 45:52
Wendy Hewitt – 59:26
Kelly Smith – 1:07:49
Olivia Berry – 1:09:06
Leanne Flesher – 1:12:52
Special recognition goes to Kelly, Leanne and Olivia who usually run in groups 5/4 at an average distance of 3 or 4 miles. To sign up and complete the tough 10k race was truly inspirational… well done girls!
Amazing Pumas in their finishers t-shirts
The next 10k race in Bradford is the Epilepsy Action Bradford 10k to be held on Sunday 19 March 2017. If you are looking to smash your personal best or try out your first 10k race, this flat race is perfect . The Club will be arranging transport to the race so what are you waiting for, start your training today!
Our fantastic running commentator Johnny Meynell gives us the low down on the first ever (well, first ever for the Pumas) WYWL race!
Football Vs Running
As the start of the new football season brings with it much excitement and anticipation, then so does the opening fixture in the West Yorkshire Winter League. Added to the fact that Northowram Pumas were entering this particular event for the first time, why, it’s likely that some of our runners hardly slept the night before.
But whereas the football season usually kicks off in baking hot sun, the would-be runners on Sunday awoke to a cold and dreary October morn. Still, undeterred, they dragged themselves out of bed and made for the meeting point up at the club. Most of us travelled in relaxed style aboard the minibus kindly loaned to us by Salterlee Primary School, and driven with due care and attention by Neil Coupe, donned in 1920s fashionable flat cap. Our destination was Lower Hopton Cricket Club, Mirfield, the venue chosen by hosts Dewsbury Road Runners, and we arrived in good time. The journey over gave me chance to reflect upon days of yore; I hadn’t really done anything like this since my cross country days running for Todmorden Grammar School, though the two-lapped course of Savile Park and Manor Heath I tackled on my last outing in March 1978 was pretty tame in comparison with the route we were set to endure.
We were met at the course site by our lovely team organiser Tracey, who supplied us all with our race numbers (and safety pins) that we would need for all six races (Lest anyone loses or destroys theirs, the culprit must apply for a new one AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, we were warned!). There had been several late withdrawals for varying reasons, so our team was twenty-three-strong. Those that had made the trip in cars joined us in the carpark.
Most of the Pumas team – plus mini Puma mascots
Thereafter, we spent much of the waiting time milling around the edge of the cricket field along with runners from the other clubs before making our way further up the road to the start and herded into a field populated by cow pats (the story goes that Neil lost his cap and tried on at least three before giving it up as a bad job).
At the start line
Clustered together, was anyone else slightly startled when the starter, seemingly without any prior warning, simply shouted “Go!”? Before we knew it, we were off:
Milling around the start line
Up around the field which served not only to spread out the field of runners, but also to indicate how tricky conditions were to be underfoot. Mud, mud, and more mud. One lap of this field
A bit of downhill around the field before the hills started
then back down the tarmacked road before being directed right for the first real test, a steep uphill climb through the woods. Little did we know it then, but as bad as this seemed, things were going to get a whole lot harder. We were less than a mile in, but already those around me were having to walk.
Tim – looking a bit wary at the sight of the first hill
I managed to pass Matt Newton (who was seemingly to endure a torrid time) and Johanne Clay, though I was passed in turn by Jenny Hopkinson. I later caught up with her once we’d reached the top of the hill and snaked our way across the top of the woods before descending down through muddy fields. There were several hold-ups at these stiles we kept having to negotiate, but if it meant getting the chance to catch up with others then I wasn’t complaining. Every little helps. Jenny soon enough pulled away and I wouldn’t see any more Pumas until the latter stages of the race. What was going on ahead of me or behind me, I had no idea.
“What goes up must come down,” sang the aptly named Blood Sweat and Tears in 1969, and the downhill stretches were most welcome, even if they were, in parts, quite hazardous. We negotiated our second serious climb, then it was flat and downhill once more. Over vales and hills, with Dewsbury Golf Club apparently to our left. This was the life. We must have looked an impressive sight, too, as we wound our way through the woods. We were directed to a flat section of track, but this was so muddy that I found myself zig-zagging for where the grass looked greener.
We’d run around four miles of the 5.3 mile course, I reckoned, and our descent from here gave us a chance to stretch our legs once more. In the distance I could hear cheering. Blimey, we were almost home, I thought. Soon enough, I could spy the cricket field and the finish, and as we were reacquainted with tarmac I recognised the field in which this ordeal had begun. Any minute now, I reckoned, we’d be directed left towards the finish. Suddenly, there was a spring in my step.
Hills. Hills. HILLS
It proved to be a false dawn.
As we made our way along the road, the next thing we knew, we were directed right and began climbing once more. How deflating was that? “We’re not going round again?” I joked with a few spectators, but believe me, this was no joke. I’ve no idea if this particular section has a name, but I could certainly give it a few choice ones. Behind me, Neil Coupe and Paul Hopkinson were closing, but this was in some strange way quite heartening for me, as I’d assumed they were well ahead of me by this stage. Perhaps I was running better than I thought. But there’s irony here, for by now, nobody was running up this hill. We were almost at breaking point, and this path seemed to have no end. Neil and Paul in turn passed me with their faster and in some cases, longer legs (Paul’s, obviously) but I kept them in sight. The happiest sight, however, was that of the top of the ‘mountain’. There was a sense of relief as we turned left and began the charge down the track which, as it happened, was the first hill we’d climbed. It was a whole lot easier going back down, that’s for sure, and I even managed to gain a couple of places. I also found myself making up ground on Neil and Paul, and there was hope of joining them on the run-in.
That soon disappeared as we returned to the road and headed for the finish. Tired legs found it hard to push themselves up this gentle incline and the gap between me and the runners in front steadily grew. We were directed off the road onto a path which led to the bottom side of the cricket field, and then there it was, in the distance, the finish line.
Luke #FPH coming into the finishing fieldJohnny – enjoyed it more than it looks
As I turned into the home straight, someone shouted, “Don’t let him catch you,” and I gave it one last push, only to discover that there had been no one there at all! I could hear fellow Pumas shouting me in, and I crossed the line in a near state of collapse. Did anyone else feel the same?
An outstanding performance by SimonJenny – the first female puma home
Results roundup
In total there were 337 finishers from the thirteen participating clubs, so Luke Cranfield’s position of 29th was noteworthy. Tim Brook’s 54th-place finish was also commendable, and the third top scorer for the Pumas was Adam Standeven, who came in 85th. Our first female Puma home was Jenny Hopkinson, who finished 192nd, beating husband and Super Vet Paul by twenty-eight places. Paul, in fact, had beaten Neil Coupe in a sprint finish. I recovered sufficiently to see other Pumas finishing, and as we waited, many took up the opportunity to grab a drink in the adjacent hut. We were on our way back by 12.50, after Jo had redeemed her winning ticket in the raffle – a pair of yellow football socks, obviously not first prize. Back in our home village, many of us congregated in the Yew Tree, where we could relax and contemplate the race. The general feeling was just how much they’d enjoyed the day, so much so, in fact, that club secretary Johanne Clay has it on record that she didn’t want to go home!
As the Winter League suggests, we are in competition with other clubs, but I won’t go into the vagaries of the scoring system. It does seem quite complex, but all we need to know is that, as Neil Coupe put it, “We ain’t bottom.” And there’s a long way to go. We’re officially ninth at the moment, but with many other runners to join up with us, we could climb higher. And that’s the point; it’s not necessarily about the top competitors. The more runners a club enters, the more points they stand to get. I would encourage anyone at Northowram Pumas to give one or more of these races a go. Just ask any of those who took part last Sunday. They’ll tell you just how much fun it is (those pained expressions as they crossed the finishing line were just for show anyway).
Full list of Pumas who were on duty, with finishing places;
29 Luke Cranfield (M)
54 Tim Brook (MV)
85 Adam Standeven (MV)
149 Richard Ogden (MV)
166 Tom Moran (M)
177 Richard Baker (MV)
192 Jenny Hopkinson (FV)
220 Paul Hopkinson (MSV)
221 Neil Coupe (MV)
229 Jonathan Meynell (MSV)
239 Jane Cole (FV)
250 Simon Wilkinson (M)
251 Johanne Clay (FSV)
255 Ally Canning (F)
265 Matt Newton (M)
268 Shana Emmerson (FV)
271 Carine Baker (F)
285 Mike Hartley (MV)
294 Nicola Pennington (FV)
297 Vicky Owen (F)
298 Jo Allen (FV)
308 Jennifer Lees (FV)
328 Tiffany Lewis (FV)
The results for the league place pumas in the following positions out of the 13 clubs taking part:
Read all about the Pumas half marathon fun, excellent words by Johnny Meynell
Sunday morning – early o’clock
There can’t be many reasons for wanting to crawl out of bed at 6.00am (or even earlier depending on where you resided) on a Sunday morning, but the call of the Manchester Half Marathon was probably about as good a reason as any. With instructions sent out to all Pumas to be at the club by 6.45 ready for the coach to leave at 7.00am prompt, there could be no dallying.
All told, there were thirty-six who boarded the coach, made up of the nervous, the worried, the excited, the plain mad, and in the case of Helen Jackson, the exhausted, so much so that she needed an extra forty winks. The numbers were made up of 31 running Pumas, one Stainland Lion in Claire Louise (who obviously wanted to travel in style), two other guests and two family members who were there to support. Frivolity abounded, anything to take the minds off the thought of having to run 13.1 miles.
Pumas looking ready to run
We arrived in Salford around 8.10, the coach driver pulling up on Warren Bruce Road, leaving us with a decent walk to the starting pens (0.7 miles was the distance quoted), but on the plus side, it did give us all a chance to limber up, as well as take advantage of the handily placed loo stop en route.
The startline
The starting pens were just around the corner, on the top of Chester Road. Numbered A-G, we funnelled into our own designated areas, the elite runners (Luke Cranfield, Andy Haslam, Liz McDonnell near the front), the rest, mingled somewhere between them and the back groups. There were just a few moments to gather one’s thoughts as they set about achieving their own personal goals. For those who had run this distance before, perhaps a personal best (hitherto referred to as a PB) would be uppermost in their minds. Many that I came across were looking to run under two hours, then there were those who were happy just to get round. One runner was asked what he was hoping for and the answer came back, ‘To finish.’ (This story I know to be true; I was that soldier).
A selection of our start line selfies:
The crowds towards the back of the startlineSimon, Grace, Holly and Julie…all smiles before the pain…and rainPumas raring to go
Set for a 9.00am start, sure enough the gun exploded on time leading to an inevitable charge from the front… as well as the downpour from above which had looked threatening for a while. In layman’s terms, yes, it threw it down just as we started. The field of runners in turn shuffled its way to the start line (in my case, a good three and half minutes) but the personalised chips attached to our running numbers meant our start time (and finishing times) were accurately recorded.
And so we were off, all eight or nine thousand of us, along thirteen miles of tarmac which we were all told to enjoy. The course took us around the Salford area, up the A56 named Bridgewater Road and looping all around Stretford via East Union Street, Henrietta Street, St John’s Road, King’s Road, Seymour Grove, Talbot Road, then rejoining Chester Road for the long run due south west all the way to the Crossford Bridge and into Cross Street and Washway Road. Then we negotiating several back streets to join Hope Road, Broad Road, Dane Road, before run for home back down Chester Road. The course veered off into Talbot Road to the finish line just outside Lancashire County Cricket Club. Written down like this, it all seemed so easy.
The first few miles
I can’t speak for everyone, but the first three to four miles seemed like a breeze. By then, of course, we’d looped around Old Trafford and were now on the long haul out down Chester Road. We were cheered on by several thousand local residents, something which always helps, particularly when you hear your name being called out, as the spectators identified you from the name on your running number. Nearing five miles in, I was passed effortlessly by Claire Louise, well on the way to a sub one hour fifty in what was her ninth half-marathon, the first sign, perhaps, that I wasn’t moving as freely as I would have liked. Just after the five-and-a-half-mile mark, the elite runners, having looped their way around the Sale area, were now heading back for home the opposite direction down Chester Road, which made me wonder just how far ahead of me they actually were. A quick look at the route planner suggests the distance was, in fact, nearly five miles!
Johnny scoping out the crowds
Somewhere between the six and seven-mile mark, I was caught up by Jane Cole, who despite telling me she was feeling (in her words) ‘knackered’, you wouldn’t have guessed it. We ran close to each other for around four miles, but at the ten-mile mark, my legs were beginning to feel it and she pulled away. Ah, the ten-mile mark. Only three more to go. That’s just a parkrun equivalent, and the thought should have given me some heart, but the muscles in my legs were beginning to tighten, and in all fairness, the run for home became something of a struggle.
Liz and her now infamous turquiose shorts
The end is in sight
We’d just done our own trek around the back roads of Sale, and rejoined Chester Road with two-and-a-half miles to go. But as far as I was concerned, the finishing line couldn’t come quick enough. I knew I was nearing it because the crowds got bigger and louder, though the cry of ‘You’re almost there’ wasn’t exactly helpful – they were shouting the same thing over the last mile. I wanted more clarity. We turned into Talbot Road and suddenly, in the distance, I could see the finish line. The only trouble was, as much as I put the effort in, it didn’t appear to be getting any nearer. The fact I managed to pass a number of runners suggested they were in a worse state than I was, but eventually, the line was within touching distance, and I, along with others around me, crossed it in an exhaustive state.
It was then time to join the throng collecting their souvenir goody bags which included a weighty medal, and catching up with fellow Pumas to see how they’d done. We were funnelled into the grounds of Lancashire County Cricket Club, then it was the walk back to the coach. It was still 0.7 miles away, but with legs now feeling much heavier, it seemed twice as far. At least it had stopped raining, and even the sun was contemplating putting in a guest appearance. By 12.30 we were on our way back home.
Homeward bound
Of course, the journey home gave us all time to reflect on our own particular runs, and swap stories. Each had their own. Luke Cranfield took the honour of being the first Puma home in 1hr 28:18, whilst Andy Haslam, in his own words, was ‘quite chuffed’ to finish in 1hr 31:20.
Andy crossing the finish line, in an amazing time
Of the girls, Liz McDonnell was first past the finish line in 1hr 39:20, though not far behind her was Kirsty Edwards in 1hr 43:48. Julie Bowman, who’s had her own injury problems of late, excelled herself with a time of 1hr 51:06, crossing the line hand-in-hand with Matt Newton and Catherine Sweeney. Ally Canning was keen to get a time sub 1hr 50, but she should still be pleased to have completed the course in 1hr 54:01. And whilst I don’t have everyone’s personal tales of satisfaction or other to hand, there are some runners who deserve a mention. Vicky Owen, running her first half marathon, was so delighted with her time of 1hr 58:49 that she rang her mum. Also running inside two hours in what were their first half marathons were Holly Parry, Shana Emmerson and Debbie Fox. And what of Simon Wilkinson? Proving that if you put the effort in over the weeks and months leading up to the event, you too can be rewarded with an amazing time of 1hr 57:32. Further down the field, special mention should be given to Laura Fairbank, who’s made great strides since she joined the Pumas. She was helped in no small way by Alison Shooter, her running buddy, who contrived to sing her way around the course. Well, it helps to take your mind off what’s in hand. There were other personal success stories, of course, and the overriding thought from everyone was that they were ‘Proud to be a Puma’.
We arrived back at the club at 1.50pm and posed for our post-run photo, one that would fit nicely alongside the pre-race one we’d had taken on Warren Bruce Road (don’t you just love these before and after shots?)
Pumas still looking happy…possibly the thought of a beer though
before we clambered the steps to the bar. Evidently, Matt Newton and Simon’s job wasn’t finished as they gleefully served the drinks. Neil Coupe had kindly put on a decent spread of pizzas, chips and (for those watching their weight) salad, followed by cakes galore. Appreciated by everyone.
I got away at 3.00pm, shuffled into my car and drove home. What a day. Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent in a slumber, though as I ran the course over in my head once more, secretly satisfied that I had run my second half marathon almost three minutes quicker than my first, I couldn’t help but think there must be easier ways of spending a Sunday morning.
Alison tells us all about her Yorkshire marathon experience. So if you’ve got a ‘No’ from London why not see if Yorkshire could be the 2017 marathon for you!
Marathon Morning
6am alarmcalls in my house can only mean that it’s race day, this morning , it is because it is the Yorkshire Marathon.
This isn’t my first Marathon, but there were a couple of firsts for this race; first time a friend (Erica) had flown in from the USA to run this race and the first time I had a running partner at this race.
There was also a non first; not the first time I have run a Marathon without sufficient long run training (not recommended – see later)
Prior to getting a foot injury – which contributed to the lack of long run training, I had hoped to break 5 hours for the Marathon. Paul Hopkinson had offered to pace me to a sub 5 hour. Which considering his usual pace was probably more like a steady Sunday morning stroll for him.
Anyway, to reduce the stress on the morning of the race, Erica and I went to the Park and Ride facility at Elvington Airfield.
Early morning, at an airfield , somewhere outside York
Once we parked up, we ate our porridge and bananas and headed for the bus. Erica was hoping we would get on the double-decker bus but it didn’t happen. The journey to the race village at York University was short and the weather was fine .We went to the Macmillan Charity tent and met Paul, then moved along to the start zones.
At the start line
We started in zone 5
Alison, Paul and Erica at the start line
with so many runners it took a while to actually cross the start line, then there was a brief downhill towards the City of York.
After a mile or so we entered the city walls
Still all smiles at this point…
across the cobbles and passed Betty’s Tea Rooms . Erica wanted to stop for a scone but we managed to convince her to carry on towards the Minster . The crowds here are usually large and vocal and the approach to the Minster always makes me proud to be a Yorkshire lass. We soaked up the atmosphere and managed to find a friend in the crowd who took our photo.We moved on and then the team from channel 4 who were making a documentary about the race stopped Erica to interview her. Not long after that Paul and I said bye to Erica to follow our own agreed race plans. The course is pretty flat and we headed out into the countryside . At about mile 5 you pass through the village of Stockton on Tees , where the Vicar stands in the road and high fives the runners if you need any spiritual support.
In the Countryside
The countryside is beautiful but in some parts support is scarce so it is good to have a running partner to help stay motivated .At half way we clocked 2 h 31m and were feeling good. At 14 mile there is an out and back and I hate those. There is then a long straight stretch to a turnaround at mile 18 with a 2 mile out and back. I kept motivated by trying to run away from the guy in a Minion suit , which rustled as he ran and by cheering all the other Macmillan Runners as they came towards us.
Just before we turned off to the 20 mile mark we saw Erica, she was doing ok, enjoying herself and making friends on the way round. Paul and I hit mile 20 around 3h 55m, so if I could pull a 65 minute 10km then the dream time would be mine. Unfortunately, by the time I got to mile 22 the “wall” that you hear people talk about came to meet me, the next 2 miles were very tough and I was wandering across the course at times (this is what you get for the lack of long run training). By the time mile 24 appeared I was getting it together but the pace had dropped massively. At around mile 25.5 there was a hill and it was a battle to get up there but then it was a steady downhill to the finish.
Happy that there’s a downhill and also a finish line in sight
The Finish
Paul and I finished in 5h 25m. I was very relieved and thankful for Paul’s support.
We collected our medals and bags and then went to get coffee and biscuits at Macmillan tent before returning to meet Erica.
A well deserved finishers medal….and foil blanket
Erica finished in 6 h 30m which was a massive achievement given that due to issues with her Transatlantic flight she only arrived on Friday morning.
On the return to the Park and Ride, Erica got her wish, as we winced our way upstairs onto the top deck of the bus, followed by much laughter from all the other marathoners on the lower deck!
So, would I do run this race again….you bet your life I would.
Next time I hope that I will be able to prepare better and that I can achieve that sub 5 hour target, but If I don’t, it doesn’t matter. Running a Marathon is a huge accomplishment and that make me a member of an elite group and you could be too!
If Alison has inspired you to take on 26.2 countryside miles, sign up for next years Yorkshire Marathon
Johnny Meynell recounts the events of the Stainland Trail.
Last Sunday (25 September) the Stainland Lions hosted their own Stainland Trail, an event designed to push each and every runner to the limit. Personally, I hadn’t given this much thought, but when Luke Cranfield was asking on social media if anybody else from Northowram Pumas was up for doing this with him (he was also after a lift!) I stuck my neck out and agreed to give it a go. Expecting a flood of other willing participants, they sadly were not forthcoming. Yes, it was just the two of us. Many fellow Pumas had already pledged the long run on the canal in preparation for the Manchester Half Marathon, whilst others either simply didn’t fancy the Stainland Trail, or perhaps they’d done it before and decided better of it this time around!
Yes, it’s a toughie, but the clue’s in its name: trail. What would you expect? When Ian Marshall’s using descriptive words such as “killer”, then the warning was clear enough.
The morning of the race
Nevertheless, I’d committed myself to it, duly picked up Luke at Stump Cross and headed up to Stainland Recreation Ground. I must quickly interject at this point to say that at any given time, I could have had second thoughts; after all, by 9.30 (an hour before the start time) I hadn’t even registered. That soon changed, however, and in the comfortable settings of the 1885 bar (formerly the Red Lion) and amid the wafting scent of freshly ground coffee and bacon butties I filled in my application, handed over a wad of cash, then took twenty minutes trying to fix my race number to my running shirt – where’s Tracey when you need her?
Outside, I bumped into someone I knew from junior school (that’s over forty years); Wayne Ogden. He wasn’t running, nor there as an interested spectator. He was, in fact, part of the Calder Valley Mountain Rescue Team, which I can assure you, was very reassuring to know, if not a little foreboding.
The racing conditions were near perfect; slightly overcast but dry, and in time, the runners were called to order at the top of the park above the cricket field. The field was 128 strong, made up of the elite, the hopeful, the nervous, the hardy and the foolhardy, and after we’d all been briefed, it was time to go. No turning back now.
And they’re off…
The best runners were off in a flash, and as we headed down past the cricket field, I noticed Luke was already up there with them.
Luke leading the field
Actually, he’d told me that he had a score to settle with a certain runner who’d beaten him in the Helen Windsor 10k, and I did wonder throughout how he was getting on. For my own part, it was a case of settling down and facing whatever the course threw at me. The early stages seemed easy enough, down through the fields then into the woods. Often we had to run single-file, but once we’d spread out, the major obstacle to negotiate wasn’t so much the steep inclines, more the MUD. Loads of it, big thick mud, and none of it glorious. Trying to run at speed whilst staying on your feet isn’t easy in those conditions, but just as I thought I’d managed it, I stepped onto a stone as we passed through a broken wall, lost my footing, and fell. A faller at the first fence, you could say, but for those of you who run regularly with me, the sight of myself landing on my backside isn’t necessarily an unusual one. Still, I picked myself and carried on. We’d gone less than a mile.
Luke and a lot of Lions
The race application form suggests a 10k multi-terrain “through the stunning Yorkshire countryside”. This may be true, but believe me, when you’ve another five miles to go and the course proving as daunting as it was, you’ve no time to enjoy it. And not being familiar with these parts of Calderdale, I’ve no real idea exactly where I was at any given time. I guess the first wood was Fall Spring Wood; next we had to negotiate, Milner Wood, which I think was a tough climb. At some point we came back down onto land and my favourite bit of the course; flat tarmac.
Johnny loving the tarmac
There was also a watering station and the Mountain Rescue team. Soon, we were back climbing up the woods before a long stretch of open road, though this was still testing as it was a gradual incline. There were times when I’d look ahead, see a marshal and willed them to signal left down the hill rather than right up it. And it’s always nice to see a friendly face, in this case Tim Neville, a runner with Stainland Lions of similar age to myself but of rather more ability. Here he was acting as a marshal about to direct me up the steps into the next woodland, a particularly hilly section. Hey, I surpassed myself. I actually overtook someone, though, I hasten to add, it was at his bequest. “You know you want to,” he said, invitingly. (Needless to say, he later overtook me and I never saw him again).
Mountain Rescue
We must have run some sort of loop, because eventually in time, we were back at the same watering station, and the Mountain Rescue team was directing us back up the woods. I was on familiar territory, but this was the hardest part of the course. Limbs were aching and the thought of climbing and climbing must have tested even the most resolute, let alone myself. Many of us took to walking. I wasn’t on my own. We climbed to the top of the woods and into a field. There was one kilometre to go and my legs were just about moving. As we approached Stainland Recreation Ground, I could hear the crowds cheering runners in, a heartening sound, but as we still had to run up the side of the wall to the top of the rec, there was still a quarter of a mile to go. Behind me, there were two girls, chatting and giggling, clearly enjoying the run far too much. Nobody in those spirits was going to beat me. As I entered the top side of the rec, I managed to speed up, down beyond the bottom side of the cricket pitch, then up the other side to the finish. There was a cluster of runners in front of me and I made up some ground but not enough to worry them. As I entered the finishing funnel, Luke was there with his camera to capture the moment for prosperity, and then my race was over, just as near exhaustion overtook me.
The results
Luke, to his credit, had finished a commendable fourth, and had vied for third place around halfway before losing ground. His time was an impressive 48:52, some two minutes faster than his previous year’s effort. And hard on his first sub nineteen-minutes Parkrun at Brighouse the day before, it made for a satisfying weekend for him. As for me, I finished 75th in a time of 66:42. Good or bad, I’m not sure. But I gave it a go and that was the most satisfying part.
Johnny smiling as he knew it was over
I must end by congratulating Stainland Lions on organising the event. Superbly marshalled, there was little hope of anyone getting lost, even if they’d wanted to in favour of an easier way back home. Who knows, perhaps I’ll see you all next year. I can still hear it now: You know you want to.
It was a 5:30am start for myself and Andrew Tudor as we left Northowram heading for Newcastle and the start of the Great North Run 2016.
A pleasant journey up to the North East and before you know it we were parked up in South Shields and heading to a local B&B to meet the rest of our gang running for the charity Theirworld.
We had our breakfast, changed and pinned on our numbers before getting the Metro across to the start line. The Metro was not as busy as in previous years and it was quite a pleasant journey across to the start.
At the Start
A couple of toilet stops and then we walked towards the starting pens. This for me is where the sheer size of the Great North Run really hits you. 55,000+ runners all nervously trying to congregate into their respective pens and prepare themselves for the off.
It really is a sight to behold and a great experience.
A lot of runners getting in their pens
We caught a glimpse of Lord Coe on our way to the start, and looked out for Mo Farah but he was nowhere to be seen. I bet he doesn’t need to use the woods for the toilet either…
We kept an eye out for the other Pumas taking part…
Lizzie Jones, Lyndsey Grix, Stephanie Coyle,
Lizzie, Lyndsey and Stephanie
Susan Burlison, Paul Pickering and Janine Dyson
Paul and Janine
but the chances of spotting anyone you have not agreed to meet beforehand are very limited!
We were both in Zone B, which was nearest the start line (apart from Elites and Fast Paced Club Runners). Several selfies later (he loves a selfie does Andrew…)
Andrew and Andy at the start line….and again, looking pretty excited about it all
and we were off. It only took us around 40 seconds to cross the start line which was a real bonus.
a lot of people getting to cross the start line
The Race
My race went okay, certainly up until the half way point. I set off quick (it’s difficult not to as the first mile or so is downhill).
I had aspirations of 1 hour 35 minutes, and when I passed the Duracell pacer at 5k I felt good and thought the time was achievable.
When the same pacer went back past me at about 10 miles I was already slowing down quite rapidly and didn’t have the legs or the energy to stay with them. The coast was a very welcome sight (as always) and the last mile was tough but enjoyable. I even managed a bit of a “sprint” to finish in 1hour 37, which not quite what I wanted it was a minute off last years’ time.
Andrew on the other hand had a fantastic race. Unlike me he took the sensible option of pacing slightly slower at the beginning which left him with the energy and legs to finish very strongly. He finished in an amazing time of 1 hour 42, knocking an astonishing 20 minutes off his time from last year. A massive contender for Pumas performance of the year if ever I saw one!
To say he ran at a supersonic pace, Andy’s still standing at the end (and smiling too!)Andrew, rocking a finish line selfie, and an amazing new PB
The Great North Run truly is a fantastic event. It’s difficult to appreciate until you have taken part, but being one of over 50,000 runners, many with very personal and touching reasons to be running, really is inspirational. We can also say that we have been in the same race as Mo Farah although he paced his race better than I did but perhaps not as well as Andrew!
I would encourage any Pumas to give the Great North Run a try – you won’t regret it and I will be back for my 12th year in 2017.
On Sunday 4 September, Leeds Road Sports Complex played host to the Kirkwood Hospice 10K. Northowram Pumas were originally to be represented by four strong-willed participants, in Melissa Hall, Vicky Owen, Carine Baker and yours truly, but after this particular scribe suffered an horrific toe injury on the Wednesday prior to the race – the injury was so bad, in fact, that several dosages of Ibuprofen needed to be administered – the contingent was down to three. However, at the last moment, Matt Newton (who else?) stepped into the breach having being coaxed, seemingly, by Carine, to the point where Matt simply couldn’t refuse.
Having being alerted to my non-availability by certain members of the Pumas, it was put to me that perhaps I could give some coverage to the performances of our runners, so armed with my Kodak EasyShare DX7630 – a state -of-the-art- model when it was purchased in 2005 – I was on hand to take some jolly snaps to help illustrate my report. Which is as follows.
The main event
Pre-race, and myself and the four ever-willing runners met up to discuss the run. The course itself was straightforward enough and none too tasking; two laps of the field (thereby completing the first mile), out on to Leeds Road heading in a north-easterly direction for a few hundred yards before turning back on themselves along the canal. From there, it was around another half-a mile before taking the bridge (the only inclined section) to join the cycle path. After another half-mile the course rejoined the canal, the route taking the runners back towards the sports complex and out onto the road to begin a second circuit.
The Pumas posed for the obligatory pre-race photos before joining in with a nifty warm-up routine, one in which Matt showed some lovely hip movements, doubtless honed from his time spent in the discos with Neil Coupe. But just as they were getting in the groove, the runners were told to make their way to the start. I can’t be certain, but the words ‘taking it steady’ were overheard coming from the Pumas, something which bore testimony when the fab four took their places towards the back of the assembled throng, which mustered over two-hundred.
The runners walking over to the start line
The race began, with the Pumas all smiles for the cameras, Melissa and Vicky giving reassuring waves.
Pumas at the back to ensure there’s no cheating
After two laps of the field, the run was developing. Matt and Carine had stolen a march on Melissa and Vicky, and the runners headed out onto the road.
Matt Newton and Carine Baker just about to complete their second lap before heading out onto the roadMelissa Hall and Victoria Owen still smiling – after all, there’s only another five miles to go
A quick sprint (despite aching toe) meant that I could catch up them again along the canal, Matt and Carine still leading the way for the Pumas. Not far behind, Melissa was striding out, though Vicky was running comfortably and still able to give us another smile.
Carine Baker obviously speeding up for the camerasAlways a nice smile for the cameraAnd again…
The runners disappeared from view, giving myself and mascot Bella time to peruse the facilities. The burger bar looked tempting, but being a disciplined athlete, I managed to refrain, much to Bella’s dismay.
Bella wants a burger
The finish of the 10K involved running three-quarters of the adjacent athletics track, which, before I knew it, was welcoming in the first of those running the 5K.
In due course, the Pumas appeared from their first trek along the canal and cycle path to begin the second lap. Matt was leading the Pumas along, Carine was next, then Melissa, and finally Vicky. Again, from a distance, through the trees as they ran along the canal, it seemed a case of ‘as-you-were’. It wasn’t unreasonable, then, to expect Matt to be the first Puma to enter the final section of the course – the athletics track. But events out in the sticks meant that things were not so clear-cut. As the leading runners entered the car park and through the funnelled section which led them to the track, this intrepid reporter positioned himself handily to capture the first Puma.
Soon enough, they appeared. But wait; those were not the long legs of Matt. Who could it be? Well, distinctively, it could only be Melissa, now leading the charge for the finishing line.
Melissa Hall is the first Puma to enter the arena, putting on a sprint not realising she now has to run another three-quarters of the track
She had a smile on her face when she entered the funnel, but that seemed to disappear when she realised there were still 300 metres of the track to negotiate!
Oh, she’s just found out
Mel stuck to it, and crossed the finishing line in 59:42.
A big cheer for the first Puma home – Melissa Hall
Who would be next? It was Carine, putting on a spurt to finish in 1h 01.08.
Carine Baker is the second Puma home
Vicky followed, looking so relaxed nobody would have thought that this was only the second 10K she had tackled. Her finishing time was 1h 02:42.
Victoria Owen finishing in style
And around 200 metres further back was Matt. He made it to the finish clearly in some distress and was on the verge of collapse as he crossed the line. Six weeks of inactivity through injury (Achilles) had taken its toll, and the final 3-4K were perhaps a few steps too far. But full credit to Matt, and indeed, all our runners for completing the course.
Everyone was smiles after the run, and experiences and stories were exchanged. Food and (non-alcoholic) drink was consumed. Bella was exhausted after all the excitement.
Matt Newton collapses…oh sorry, that’s our Bella
And Matt, Melissa, Carine and Vicky all seemed delighted to have taken part. As indeed, would this roving reporter have done. A quick check of the results might suggest that, as a matter of fact, he did, in a time of 1h 03:48. For after all, why should Matt do all the worrying?!
Having heard so many great things about the Northowram Pumas, this great big pink tiger cat thing insisted on having a photo
Massive thanks to Johnny Meynell, reporter extraordinaire.
The Helen Windsor 10k is a yearly event organised by the Halifax Harriers. This year we thought it’d be a great one to get a load of Pumas involved in.
Two Pumas completed the race in 2015. Last years course was the reverse of this years, and it was tough last year as it was around 30 degrees.
Thankfully the temperature was much more bearable this year, and the course was being run in the opposite direction. Which meant that even though there were still some tough climbs, they were generally shorter than if you’d have run it in the other direction.
So, we arrived, en mass. This was probably the biggest turn out of Pumas for a single race, we almost equalled all the Stainland Lions there! In total we had a pride of 23 Pumas running, and two awesome Pumas supporting. Thanks for being there Sarah Firth and Simon Wilkinson – I know we can attribute our awesome times to your cheering skills!:
A pride of Pumas ready to take on the Helen Windsor 10k
The course
The course is all run on road up and around Norland. The roads were fairly nice and quiet which allowed the runners to pretty much take over one side of the road without running the risk of being run over.
As routes go, it’s nice. The scenery down into the valleys below is lovely (if you get chance to enjoy it!). There are some hills, and tough ones at that. but these were always met with nice downhills afterwards.
A water station was placed halfway round, and was much needed as it was quite close weather wise.
The Harriers had placed km markers all the way round the route, and a few of us (ok, maybe just me and Neil) were pretty impressed that they had got these spot on! Well done guys, best ones we’ve seen!
The sting in the tail of the course was that the finish was an uphill, and personally, I struggle with an uphill finish as it’s hard to push yourself up a hill, at a sprint, when you’ve run hard for 50 minutes.
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Results
We had some absolutely fantastic results on the night.
A full list of times is available, but a couple of standout mentions for:
Luke Cranfield – 40:37 – First Puma home
Roxanne Armitage – 44.56 – First female Puma home
Mike Hartley – 55:22 – Knocking down his PB 10k by over 5 minutes!!
Debbie Fox – 50:57 – An amazing time in its own right but also the first female over 40!! She got a prize and everything.
Georgia Bottomley – 1:01:48 – For beating her dad Paul!
Wendy Hewitt – 1:02:46 – Who didn’t think she’d beat 1:10 and then smashed it in just over an hour.
And all the other Pumas who took part for just being down right awesome and showing other runners what an amazing team spirit we have.
Where: Sheffield When: Sunday 26 June Terrain: Mixed. Road and trail Distance: Multi stage race – 12 miles running, 14 miles in total
The Round Sheffield Run was a first for me, I’d never done a race like this before. Basically it was an 11 stage race, each stage was timed and then you had a ‘rest’ between each stage that wasn’t timed, and you used this to walk from the end of one stage to the start of the next one.
You could either run as an individual or as a pair, so when we signed up myself and Luke agreed we’d take it on as a pair. We had a team name and everything.
We arrived at Endcliffe Park in plenty of time for our wave to start (we were the second to last wave and started between 10am and 10.15am) because as well as picking up our standard race number we had to collect our timing chip. This was like a little dibber attached to a lanyard that Luke ran with. This little dibber was what we used to check us in at the start of each stage and out at the end of it. So it recorded how long it look you to do each one. We also got a handy little card that told us how many kilometres each stage was and how long we had from the finish of each stage to get to the start of the next one. If you took longer the additional time was added to your stage time.
It might sound a bit complicated, but once you got into the swing of it it was really easy, and there was a marshal at every stage start and finish to make sure you did it correctly.
At the start line – the blue rope is what the ‘dibber’ was attached to
So the stages…
Stage one – 2.9km – gentle
The race started from Endcliffe Park and followed some paths though the park before crossing a road and starting to follow some more trail like paths through some woods. So far so good, this was fairly flat and we were able to set an ok pace.
Each time you came across a road crossing while you were running, you could use your dipper to check in and out, so you didn’t lose any time waiting for traffic, but we found the roads were pretty quiet so we could just get across without needing to do this.
With the first 2.9k down, I was feeling pretty confident, consulting my map I saw the next stage was 2.5k, half a Parkrun, how hard can it be?
So I asked Luke, what does KOM/QOM stand for next to where it says stage 2…
Stage two – 2.5km – KILLER
As all Tour de France aficionado’s will know KOM (or QOM) stands for King of the Mountain. Oh. Bugger.
They weren’t lying. It started off pretty gently, and I thought to myself, ahhhh they mustn’t have hills like we do. But they do. The hill was a killer, pretty steep and one of those unrelenting ones that never seem to end.
Our pace took a bit of a dent on this stage and we slowed right down (as did a lot of the people around us!).
The route was lovely, through some nice wooded countryside with a stream running through it. If my legs hadn’t been screaming at me, it would have been very pleasant!
But finally the 100 meters to go sign came into view and we could enjoy the fact that that stage would soon be over. At the end of this stage there was a water station with bottles of water and bananas! Very nice!
Stage 3 – 2.5km – Lovely bit of down
An awesome bit of trail to make up some time from the last section (offftttt a lot of walking in that stage). This was possibly my favourite section of the whole race, you can’t beat a good downhill section and it’s lovely running trails that you haven’t run before.
Stage 4 – 1.8km – Mud!
After quite a lot of rain (’cause you know it is summer!!!) the previous three days this was quite a muddy section. There were a fair few times I thought I’d be ending up with a fairly muddy bum!
I have to say my favourite bit was probably racing through the middle of the mud while watching some of my fellow competitors gingerly pick their way round the edges of it!
Stage 5 – 2.5km – Knackered before the start
To get to the start of this leg involved a ‘lovely’ climb up steps through some woods. Suffice to say, my legs were burning before we even started this one! After a couple of minutes plucking up the courage to start again we were off.
Happily the lovely surroundings made this leg seem a bit less harsh. The route described it as undulating. I think I’d just call it up!
Stage 6 – 0.9km – that’s only 900 metres
It’s funny how much further 900 metres seems when you’re legs are getting tired! Pretty thankful this was a nice short one!
Stage 7 – 1.4km – eughhhhhh. That is all.
An uphill slog. There’s no other way to describe it. This was hard. My legs were tired, Luke looked like he had barely broken a sweat and it was all uphill. I hate uphill. It sucks. But I was looking forward to the next water station to refuel and fill up my water bottle.
Looking a bit insane….
Stage 8 – 1.3km – what goes up must come down
Yay, a nice downhill! A fast trail section. Plus at the end of this one there was a water station with LOADS of Jelly Babies. So we took on board a few (handfuls) of them… purely to replenish our energy reserves, not because we love Jelly Babies.
Stage 9 – 0.8km – Quick one!
This stage was over with pretty quickly, mostly downhill through some woods but on a tarmac path so you could really ramp up the speed on this one. Another good stage to make some time back, especially with all the Jelly Babies for fuel!
Stage 10 – 2.2km – Sad face, more hills
Oh my god, I was not prepared for the hills on this penultimate stage. They floored me. It was up a steep road and then into some woods. Once we were into the woods the hill became a lot more gradual rather than straight up, but it was still a tough leg to complete especially with tired legs.
Stage 11 – 0.4km – THE FINISH!
Just 400 metres through the park to the finish line. It was flat, but my legs didn’t want to move so it definitely wasn’t a sprint finish!
Pretty chuffed to have finished! Good quality medals too!
Overall it was probably one of the most enjoyable races I’ve done in terms of the route and the stages. It broke the race up, and added an extra element of fun into the day! I think it made what would have been a pretty tough course if you ran the whole thing, into quite a manageable race.
Out of the 148 mixed pairs that completed the race, me and Luke came 37th, so not a bad effort. All of our stage times (if you’re interested) are here.
The Burner is an annual race held every year by a group of schools within Calderdale.
For the past two years the race has been hosted by Bolton Brow school and has negotiated the hills surrounding Sowerby Bridge.
But this year the race moved to the Pumas home turf! So we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get involved and help out.
Much of the behind scenes organising was done by our chairman Andy Haslam, along with the help of the rest of the Burner committee and a number of Pumas who, suffice to say, now know the route like the back of their hand!
The route
The criteria was simple:
Off road. We love our off road running us Pumas. So the route decided by Andy and Ian incorporated some of the best trails and scenery we have to offer. And obviously, it’s June, how treacherous could some off road running be?
And hills! You can’t escape them in Yorkshire, so we thought we’d pick some reet tough ones to run up. I’m certain the route was pretty much 80% uphill!!!
After all the organising, recce runs and more recce runs, the big day finally came around.
The first race of the day was the 2.5k fun run. There were over 450 runners. Most of them youngsters. The atmosphere was fantastic and we had a great warm up by Amanda Tuck.
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After the 2.5k, it was time for the 10k to get underway.
Again Amanda took us through a warm-up, with Puma Johnny taking it VERY seriously:
Johnny beasting the warmup
And then, after Andy’s safety briefing, we were off.
And they’re off… not before a final wave to the crowd!
The first couple of miles were a mixture of road and trail,
Thanks to the great British summer weather it rained pretty much constantly the days leading up to the Burner. This meant that the lovely downhill trail sections of the course started to resemble something from a Tough Mudder event!
The first few miles, although uphill (and including a bit of a slog up towards Queensbury), were mainly on roads so the pace was pretty quick and all the fellow runners seemed pretty happy.
The hill into Queensbury had most people looking a bit tired:
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The fun started on the descent down into the valley, I imagine those at the front of the race had an easier time than those of us towards the middle/back, as by the time we got to trail sections the ground had been thoroughly churned up by the 80 plus runners before us!
But, it’s no fun if there’s no mud! And even though it made it tough it didn’t seem to dampen anyones spirits. As with every race I’ve been to, you could hear all the competitors having a laugh and a joke about it, regardless of club, pace or ability. One of the reasons why running is such a great sport!
Once we’d passed the mud slide, and the mountain rescue man who was manning the stream crossing with a rope in case anyone got swept away, it was pretty much back to solid ground. A nice downhill and flat section gave everyone the chance to make up a bit of time. Before the dreaded Whiskers Lane.
To our Advantage (or possibly, actually, disadvantage, as we’d all spent the whole race dreading it) the Pumas knew what the finale of the race had in store. Whiskers Lane is a rocky, vertical (ok, not vertical, but it feels like it!) climb back up towards Northowram. It is a killer. If you’re ever in the area we’d definitely recommend giving it a go, if you get up it without walking you deserve a medal!
Thankfully after the climb the final stretch was flat-ish (it is Yorkshire after all!) back to the school playing field.
The winner was Joe Sagar with an outstanding time of 39:41
Winner Joe Sagar crossing the finish line
The first male Puma home was Luke Cranfield with a time of 45:14. Although he needs to work on his finish line face…
Luke, first male Puma home
And the first female Puma home was Liz McDonnell with a smashing time of 54:31
Liz, first female Puma home
Also a massive well done to all the Pumas who took part in the race, it was an amazing team effort!! As with every other event we’ve done the amazing team atmosphere and camaraderie between the Pumas makes me #proudtobeapuma.
Pumas!!
And finally we’d like to give a massive shout out to:
Andy Haslam – Race Director Extraordinaire
Ian Marshal – Just for always being there to help out
Henry Naylor – For some great race timing skills
Simon Wilkinson – for yet again pulling out some first rate organisational skills and co-ordinating the marshalling of both events
Sarah Rushforth – For helping to organise the whole event
The Burner Committee – for bringing the whole event together
All the other helpers and volunteers for working hard to make it a brilliant day!
