Yorkshire Veterans Grand Prix at Middleton

26th March 2019 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

By Andy Flynn

This morning we climbed aboard the fun bus for fun and frivolity at the opening race of the YVAA Grand Prix Series at Middleton Park, Leeds. There were a full array of ages on display from the ever youthful Tim Brook to a gent who was running in the 80+ category.

A 5.3 mile (8.5km) course awaited us and luckily for roadies like me it had dried out nicely for this race. We set off for a lap of the field then roughly two laps off the woods with a couple of decent hills involved. #FPH in a very respectable 10th place was Tim Brook followed by the evergreen Andy Haslam in 34th.

89th place was Thomas O’Reilly followed by Andrew Mellor in 104th. I saw Andrews shirt for the whole race but just couldn’t get any closer. Andy Flynn(me) came in 110th for his first victory over club legend Neil Coupe who came 122nd. Mark Kirkby then followed closely in 134th.

On the ladies side a great run by Jo Louise to finish 56th and a gritty determined run from Tiffany Emma Lewis in 68th who wasn’t feeling her best today.

Full results at website www.yvaa.org/grand-prix/

Next event is at Honley on Sunday 14th April hosted by Holmfirth Harriers. For those who’ve raced today keep your numbers and take a fiver with you to race. Those who haven’t, make sure you register at least the day before then do the same to collect your number. I’ll be away but no doubt there’ll be a fun bus thread in the days leading up it.

Uncategorised

Liversedge Half Marathon

19th February 2019 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

By Dawn Higgins

Sunday 17 February marked the final race of the Northowram Pumas 2018-19 Championship Series. Whilst some had opted to run the Great North West Half Marathon in Blackpool, a dozen or so ‘point chasing’ Pumas gathered in Robertstown for the Liversedge Half Marathon (at a very civilised 11 am race start)!

The course at Liversedge was described by some Pumas (who had done a recce some weeks earlier) as a toughie, with lots of up and some down and which the race organisers Robertstown Road Runners described as a route “mainly through rural areas which is testing in places”. Previous years’ events had seen snow, hail and freezing temperatures, however, the weather was forecast to be kind, with a dry and sunny day and perhaps just some wind to contend with.

After gathering for the obligatory team photo at Race HQ (minus Shaun who has already set off for the start line) we were off. Starting at Commonside, where the road was closed to traffic, the 468 runners embarked on the initial downhill stretch, lasting about a mile. The course then steadied out a bit, up through Liversedge, passing newly muck-spreaded fields to get to above the motorway. Passing the Old Pack/New Pack pubs, we settled in at four miles for the descent into Bailiff Bridge and the slog on Bradford Road. Crossing the Ford, it was the beast of a hill up to Clifton that showed who hill trains around here!

A steady plod up the hill (no stopping) and we picked up a small section of Leg Six of the Calderdale Way Relay at Clifton before a water (and jelly babies) stop around mile eight. Thus followed the ‘mad mile’, a steady incline up past Willow Valley Golf Club to head back past the poo fields! Returning towards Robertstown, you can see all the runners in front, aware that there are still two miles with a last push uphill! A final push and a left turn back on Commonside, the finish is in sight (albeit, farther away than you’d like) but then comes the Rock Star Moment!

Commentary over the PA system, with your name and club announced like you’ve won the blummin’ thing! Awesome! (Even if your race number did say you were Simon ‘he’s had major surgery you know’ Wilkinson!, they got it right!) What can I add? Yes, it’s hilly, but that’s the challenge! It’s almost scenic in parts! It stayed dry and bright! It was windy! It was well marshalled by friendly folk, giving up their time and their jelly babies! Lots of clubs are represented from all over! It’s a great race! (And that’s from me, who doesn’t even like running!)

Some fantastic results from the day;

Leading the Pumas Charge, Tim Brook in a brilliant 1.25.51 and 17th overall!
Jude Roberts in 1.32.47 and being modest on Strava
Andy Sales showing off his marathon training at 1.38.52
Matt Newton being lazy in 1.42.04
Shaun Casey coming back on form in 1.44.22
Diane ‘Machine’ Cooper leading the ladies in 1.45.03
Kirsty Edwards in a not too shabby 1.47.34
Andrew Mellor knocking a sensational 18 minutes off his previous HM PB in 1.47.34
Andy Flynn in only his second HM with a PB of 1.55.18
Dawn Higgins (me) getting round in 2.03.44
And Helen Charles with a fantastic race at 2.17.34

So that’s the 2018-19 Championship Done…. new format for 2019-20 with it all to play (run) for!
Go Pumas!

Competitive Running

Northowrun5 2023: Enter Now!

28th November 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

NorthowRun 5-Mile Road Race!

4th June 2023

Our yearly road race will return once again in 2023, taking in the very best areas of the village and the surrounding areas.

Entry website: Enter Here

Prices:
£11 (UKA affiliated runners)/ £13 (UKA non-affiliated runners)

On the day prices – £13 (UKA affiliated runners)/ £15 (UKA non-affiliated runners) ONLY IF PLACES ARE REMAINING

Price includes chip timing and a medal

We’ll be making a donation from the profits to our chosen charity The Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

Registration: Opens 9:00am, Northowram Sports Club, Westercroft Lane, Northowram, Halifax, HX3 7EN

The Race starts from the Northowram Pumas Running Club

Race numbers are to be collected on the day from the race HQ/sports club!

Start times: 10:30

2022 RESULTS

Course Records

Male: Tom Collinge (Queensbury Running Club) – 28:08 (2019)
Female: Sarah Cumber (Halifax Harriers) – 32:18 (2022)

Competitive Running, Half marathons

Great North Run 2018

17th October 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

The Great North Run is one of the few iconic yearly running events that brings together 1000’s (about 43,000 actually) of runners from the length and breadth of the country. After the London marathon it is the most publicised and popular run in the country, indeed as of this time it is the largest Half Marathon in the world. Even the BBC with Steve Cram & Paula Radcliffe dedicate an entire morning of live broadcasting to it one Sunday every September, relegating Match of the Day and Andrew Marr to BBC2 so it must be something special.

They even manage to get some blokes called the Red Arrows to fly around until they get dizzy. In short, The Great North Run is big; very big. If the biggest race you’ve done is a Parkrun in Shroggs Park on a cold Saturday morning in the middle of winter, nothing is going to prepare you for this.

With such a large family of Pumas, it’s odds on that there’s going to be a few doing it every year and this year was no exception. In order to get a place in the run, each hopeful must either enter a ballot or try to get one of the many charity places available. There are over 40 charities to run for and each one is allocated a set number of spaces so if the initial ballot is unsuccessful, the lucky few might just be able to get a place supporting their favourite.

This year 28 lucky Pumas managed to blag a place, some just running for themselves but a lot for running for dedicated charities that were dear to their hearts. With everyone running for different reasons, there were numerous groups travelling up at different times. Some had booked rooms for the night before and the night after the race to enjoy the delights of Newcastle’s excellent drinking holes (guess who.!) whilst others had decided to get up before the crack of dawn and travel up on the day. Regardless, as the start of the race grew ever closer, the various little groups migrated to a single point and a mass gaggle of Pumapeople were ready for the photo opportunities and a spot of celebrity spotting.

Whilst Lara Croft (or some woman called Nell McAndrew) was more than happy to be mugged by a group of our intrepid runners, unfortunately Mo Farah had photo-fatigue by that point. As Britain’s most highly decorated & most famous long-distance runner it seems that everyone wants a selfie so I don’t think anyone could blame him for finally decided enough was enough on the morning (albeit with a smile)

Just getting to the start point at the Great North Run is a feat in itself. Despite the Newcastle Metro running at full load and sending trains every 5 mins, each one is packed with runners and spectators from at least 7:30 in the morning and once at the final station, there is still at least a 30 minute walk through a vast sea of bodies to reach even the closest starting pens. This walk will inevitably lead past one of the traditions of the Great North Run, the casting off of jumpers which are then rounded up and distributed to local charities.

The pens are laid out in traditional style with the fastest runners at the front and the slowest at the back although I suspect the guy dressed as a fridge who was near the front might have been pushing it a bit.

But the scene was now set and thankfully the sun was shining and as the start got ever closer, the irritatingly jolly compere introduces an even more irritatingly jolly fitness guru to lead the 43000 sea of competitors through a series of warm up exercises.

As with the London Marathon, the starting times for each pen is staggered so that the 1000s don’t all fall over themselves at the same time. First off are the Elite Wheelchair racers then each zone behind at set intervals until the very final zone gets underway. Such are the numbers that the last runners start nearly an hour after the Elite guys leave the start line so by that time, just about the entire 13.1 mile route is nothing but a sea of runners and wheelchair athletes.

I wasn’t running this year so joined the equally vast crowds who decided to cheat and take the Metro from the starting point in Newcastle to the finishing point in South Shields. I did think that there would be lot more wriggle room on those trains than there had been in the efforts to get to the starting point; how wrong I was. By the end of the line we were hot and highly intimate but the thought that our lot was so much easier than it was for the competitors kept us going through the hardship. Leaving the train was another long walk to the finishing line with thousands of people looking remarkably like a North-Eastern zombie apocalypse.

But anyway, enough of my whinging and back the really important people who were doing the trip the hard way. Starting from the central motorway in Newcastle city-centre the race runs slightly downhill for the first mile before reaching one of the most famous view of the race, the Tyne Bridge. If you’re lucky you might just get there in time for the Red Arrows first appearance of the day. If you’re even more lucky, you might even get you picture taken.

Where’s Wally (Simon – he’s there, honestly)

By this time the runners around you should have spaced out a little bit and you should no longer be blocked by people who are walking, having optimistically suggested to the organisers that they could do the course in 1:30 and started in a zone way ahead of you.

Slight uphill into Gateshead on the other side of the Tyne the route turns right to follow the river down to the coast. En-route and towards the quarter point of the race, the Gateshead stadium with music stands lining the route and joining the crowds in urging the runners on. No doubt along the way you’ll be shocked that some random stranger knows you before realising your name is written on your bib.

Mile 4 heads upwards on a gentle drag to the highest point of the race at Black Bull. The next 3 miles head relatively downhill till eventually the large crowds on the Tyne Tunnel come into view.

Heading through miles nine to eleven, along the John Reid road are usually described as the hardest of the race and a chance to take one of the many cold shower stations to cool down (that’s apart from the hundreds of kids squirting water from the crowds).

Past the Nook shopping complex and getting close to the Coast with a stand on the side of the road offering free pints of beer run by the local Hash House Harriers. If you’re planning a run/walk, that’s the time to walk..

By the end of mile 11 the course is right by the coast with the fresh sea breeze in the air and one final climb up to Marsden Inn before a sharp drop down to Coastal Road Bank.

By the last 2 miles the crowds at the huge cheering points are three or four deep right to the finish line the end of the world’s biggest half-marathon. This is the time to feel a huge sense of pride, not just at finishing but also at managing to catch and overtake someone dressed as a banana (even though you did get overtaken by at least three Pandas and a Honey Monster along the way). Once again if you’re lucky, the Red Arrows will be doing their thing just for you as you cross the finishing line.

Such is the size of the race, trying to find everyone at the end of the race really was almost impossible, even with well-made plans. As already suggested though, each little group of Pumas had their own plans for the rest of the day and the evening so it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that once again, people had come together to represent themselves and the club and the Facebook feed for the Pumas group was full of pride & congratulations. Fast, slow or in-between doesn’t matter in this group, none of that ‘we only want to be represented by our elite runners’ rubbish here, which is just as it should be.

Mo Farah warms up before a 00:59:27 finish

Pumas Great North Run Times 2018

Deke Banks 01:36:13

Kirsty Edwards 01:46:45

Andy Haslam 01:47:38

Julie Bowman 01:49:05

Simon Wilkinson 01:53:03

Andrew Tudor 01:53:06

Sarah Haigh 01:59:02

Christopher Ellis 02:00:29

Victoria Owen 02:00:29

Dawn Higgins 02:11:17

Paul Bottomley 02:11:37

Jodie Knowles 02:11:55

Andrew Barnes 02:14:25

Peter Reason 02:16:25

Tiffany Lewis 02:17:56

Sarah Firth 02:20:48

Melissa Hall 02:22:32

Alison Shooter 02:28:44

Brett Swiffen 02:41:33

Gillian Holmes 02:49:59

Emma John-Baptiste 03:04:58

Dean James 03:07:47

Rachel Calvert 03:16:42

Fiona Averill 03:21:54

Katharine Barnett 03:56:05

Cathy Farley 03:56:06

Competitive Running

Leeds Endure 24 2018

15th October 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

Ok, ask yourself a question, what’s worse:-

Running relay race for 24 hours or,
The thought of running a relay race for 24 hours.

If you feel the answer is ‘1’, then perhaps you need to take the plunge and give it a go, just like a group of suckers for punishment did at the height of this summer in the picturesque landscape of Bramham Park just outside Leeds

Endure24 is advertised as ‘Glastonbury for Runners’. Now I’ve never been to Glastonbury but I’m sure they’re not exaggerating that up at all, I’m sure it’s *exactly* like Glastonbury. Except for the running & the drugs & the bands. What it most certainly does have in common is the sleep (or lack thereof) and the fact that you’ve got the kind of camaraderie that can only be replicated when you get 1000’s of people all in one place with a common interest and a common goal.

The rules are quite simple. Get yourself or a bunch of yourselves into groups of between 1 & 8 people then attempt to get a wristband around an 5 mile semi-trail course as many times as you can in 24 hours.

A lot of the Pumas had already done the event in 2017 so knew what to expect and this year there was a concerted effort get as many members as possible to participate, ensuring the club was represented en-masse and to try to make our own little area of the campsite a true home from home; or as much of a home as a campsite with no electric, crap showers and portaloos could possibly be.

To this end Peter Reason took over the mantle of team organiser and promptly wished he hadn’t; without going into too much detail at times it looked like the task of organising 29 Pumas (& honorary Pumas) into teams proved more difficult than the Brexit negations. All credit to Pete though, it all worked out in the end and everyone managed to do the laps they wanted on the day and everyone came out of the weekend with a massive buzz; but more of that later.

Home from home

The first Pumas started to arrive fairly early on the Friday to help set up camp. Gazebos were erected, cooking areas designated and an area marked out with tape to accommodate the later arrivals. Unfortunately Chris wasn’t at work so the crime scene tape couldn’t be utilised but after a period of erecting tents for some of the Pumas arriving later, the motley crew of early arrivals gave up the will to live and in traditional Pumas fashion, broke out the alcohol.

This theme continued through into the evening with more people arriving to take in the glorious evening sun. A few hardy individuals decided to walk the course to see what they would be up against the next day; the rest decided to keep getting drunk. I’ll leave it to the reader to determine who did what and when.

Stargazing became quite popular

As morning broke the camp became a real hive of activity with the Pumas designated foster parents for the weekend (Sharon Reason and Rob Bowman) cooking up a real feast of a breakfast to fuel the intrepid group for the next 8 hours until tea time.

Rob’s famous bangers

There were a few more stragglers turning up ready to run till about 11am but come the 12 o’clock start, all teams were as organised as they were ever going to be and the first runners ready for the countdown. Some decided to wear their Puma tops but then promptly regretted it as the swarms of insects rushed to them faster than flies round a freshly dumped cowpat.

The Final Countdown

The 8k or 5 mile loop started with largely downhill 1K through woods followed by a drag uphill before flattening out past the Temple of the Lead Lads. Then an open section leading downhill to Temptation Corner, where the SKAbus was parked with a couple of the Reading Roadrunners dancing around to Madness for the whole event while handing out shots of energy drink.

The Ska Bus

Up a rise to the first gazebo where marshals in hula skirts danced urging runners on towards The Deep, Dark Wood – the only really cool area and welcome break from the dusty gravel that most of the route followed. Slight downhill to Shambles Café & a water station offering Shot Blocks just over half way. The fastest descent followed before a sharp little incline to a copse then out onto a long stretch across the Festival Field. One more descent and incline into a tree lined path and the finish was in sight with a dip and cheeky, highly annoying little rise to the end of the lap.

As the race started, we all knew it was going to be a hot one, but I don’t think anyone realised quite how bad it was going to be. As each person took over the baton (wristband) from their previous teammate, all began to be clear. Whilst a lot of the course was run through woodland, just as much was exposed and with temperatures on the day hitting 26 degrees in the shade, the area over the Festival Field was akin to a fire walk in a sauna on the 9^th level of hell.

But whatever the conditions, everyone just kept on going. Some walking, some defying the odds and running the whole lot. Solo runners were particularly obvious to spot thanks to a big “Solo Runner” sign on their backs, but that just encouraged the rest of us to support them as we inevitably went past (some faster than others).

As evening set in our Sharon & Rob provided us with a hearty meal of pasta to try to build up some of the carbs lost during the day ready for the push through the night. Although the night stints were initially looked at with dread they actually produced some of the best times as temperatures tumbled and breathing became easier. With it being mid-summer the sun was only down for a few hours and some even had time to stop and enjoy the beauty of the pre-dawn as the sun began to light up the morning mist.

Andrew Mellor pauses for what is probably the best photo of the weekend

Once the morning broke the atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the previous evening. The excitement and upbeat attitudes had given way to a mass of tired and aching bodies who were just happy that the end was now in sight.

Trying not to set light to the field

It wasn’t long before temperatures started to rise again but at least it brought another slap up cooked breakfast from Rob & Sharon to try to replenish the tired calorie drained muscles.

Just 3 hours to go now and the leading Men’s and Women’s teams both had prestige targets in their sites. The lead men ‘We Will Destroy you and Burn your Village’ were in 2^nd place and whilst beating the leading team might have seemed like a massive effort, they were defiantly determined not to let the Mo Farriers in 3^rd place catch them. Likewise ‘Not fast Just Furious’, the lead female Pumas team were flying high in 3^rd place with the ‘Sole Mates’ snapping at their heels, this despite losing a key team member in Elizabeth McDonnell who could only commit to 2 laps before leaving the site. This left just 4 Pumas ladies hammering round and trying to stay ahead.

As the last laps came around the organisers encouraged all the members of each team to cross the line together. Tiff was the first Puma to cross the line for ‘Ha Puma Matata’ after the 24 hour cut-off at 7 minutes past 12. Despite her best efforts she didn’t manage to beat that 12 noon target which meant I couldn’t do another lap (shame..!). Next were the lead guys who had decided to let Tim do their last lap as he was the best chance they had at keeping hold of that second place although we were denied the classic Tim Brook sprint finish as he stopped to let the rest of the team catch up and cross the line together.

C’mon Lads

One by one, all the teams came in until the very final Puma, Lisa crossed the line accompanied by the entire Puma family (and supporters) at 12:53.

The last few yards

At the prize giving it was confirmed that our lead Male and Female teams had managed to hold onto 2^nd and 3^rd in their respective categories but each member of all the teams felt a huge sense of pride and achievement at having completed the 24 hours. All this despite the furnace of the day, the cold in the dead of night, the drained bodies and the lack of sleep.

Selfie Pride

Whilst endure 24 does fill a lot of people with dread, what it certainly does create is an undying sense of camaraderie not just within teams but across teams as well. Whilst running round the course, the amount of encouragement to and from fellow runners was very uplifting and as I’ve already mentioned on Facebook, where else could some random bloke I’ve never seen before, in the middle of a wood in the dead of night ask me if the Pumas might be putting on the Coley Canter this year? Best not answer that but at least at Endure 24, it was all above board.

Massive thanks go to all the supporters and helpers who turned up and camped with the runners:-

Sharon Reason, Charlotte Reason, Rob Bowman,Hollie Bowman, Paul Trudgill.

Your intrepid teams

We Will Destroy you and Burn your Village – 2^nd place Male 3-5 members

40 Laps, 200 miles , 00:36:27 Average Lap, 00:32:34 Best Lap

Tim Brook

Luke Cranfield

Rick Ralph

Jude Roberts

Andy Barnes

Not Fast Just Furious – 3^rd place Female 3-5 members

32 Laps, 160 miles, 00:46:07 Average Lap, 00:40:36 Best Lap

Elizabeth McDonnell

Julie Bowman

Jane Cole

Vicky Owen

Ally Canning

Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies – 6^th place Male 6-8 members

32 Laps, 160 miles, 00:46:00 Average Lap, 00:37:02 Best Lap

Chris Ellis

Matt Newton

Tom Moran

Peter Reason

Simon Wilkinson

Andrew Mellor

Scrambled Legs – 6^th place Female 6-8 members

27 Laps, 135 miles, 00:55:18 Average Lap, 00:44:33 Best Lap

Carine Baker

Lisa Aspinall

Anna Ralph

Carla Sharp

Claire Ramsbottom

Rachael Hawkins

Ha Puma Matata – 70^th place Mixed 6-8 members

25 Laps, 125 miles, 00:57:55 Average Lap, 00:46:02 Best Lap

Victoria Trudgill

Catherine Farley

Tiffany Lewis

Mark Kirby

Paul Pickering

Katherine Barnett

Kate Sheard

Competitive Running

March round-up

6th May 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

On Sunday, 25 March, mother and daughter Gill and Zoe Holmes travelled to Liverpool to take part in different events. Zoe took part in the Half Marathon, completing the 13.1-mile course in 2hr 17:23 to finish 1035th out of 2,563 runners. Gill completed her first-ever Ten Mile event, finishing 305th out of 358 runners in 1hr 53:06.

Gill and Zoe proudly show off their medals after completing their respective events.

On the same day, Alison Shooter took on the beastly Canalathon Ultra 50k race, a run along the Rochdale Canal stretching from Manchester to Sowerby Bridge. By her own admission, she hadn’t prepared as thoroughly as she might have done, so was mightily pleased to have the company over the last stages of Simon Wilkinson, Peter Reason and Tamara Gibson (on her bike) whilst greeting them all in was Laura Fairbank, who plied them with beer and cake. Alison completed the 31 mile route in 7hr 53:32, and finished 128th out of a field of 141 runners.

Half marathons

Canal Canter 2018

30th March 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

Canal Canter,

Kirkstall, Leeds, Saturday, 24 March, 2018.

On Saturday, Pumas Tiffany Lewis and Karen Matos took part in the Canal Canter at Kirkstall, Leeds. There were four distances from which to choose, ranging from the shortest at 10k, to the longest at 32 miles, but Tiffany and Karen opted for the half marathon, mindful of the fact that this would still give them a decent enough recovery time in the pub.

Tiffany’s raring to go, but Karen doesn’t look too sure.

Described by the It’s Grim Up North organisers thus; “A scenic, fast and flat, out-and-back route along the beautiful Canal tow path, great for achieving PBs.”

All the four distances started and finished at Kirkstall, but where Tiffany and Karen were concerned, their route initially headed out west, beyond Bramley Fall Park and to the outskirts of Farsley before turning back, hitting the four-mile mark and heading towards Kirkstall, then running beyond the start in the opposite direction, completing ten miles, then turning back just short of the Royal Armouries Museum and making the last three miles to the finish line.

As expected running along the canal, the route was as flat as any course you’re likely to find, though that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Said Tiff, “I was really surprised how hard it is to keep running on the flat. I am the first to complain about hills but at least there is the relief once you’ve reached the top of running downhill and getting your pace up. I finished but with my slowest Half Marathon time to date.”

The route was a straight out and back along the canal, so I’m not sure why Karen’s looking lost.

It was a pleasant day for it, and they both enjoyed the scenery on the run out towards Shipley but Tiffany later admitted that she was losing the will to live on the return stretch from Leeds to Kirkstall as it was such a long, dull stretch of canal.

Tiffany finished 213^th in 2:16:59, whilst Karen was four places behind in 2:19:52. There were 243 runners.

Karen and Tiffany have completed the Half Marathon, and have the medals to prove it.

Photos courtesy of Theresa Tate and Mark Kirkby.

Puma achievements

West Yorkshire Winter League Presentation Night 2018

24th March 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

West Yorkshire Winter League Presentation Night,

Wharf Chambers, Leeds, Friday, 23 March, 2018.

Four of our Pumas were among the honours when the West Yorkshire Winter League held its Presentation Night at the Wharf Chambers, Leeds on Friday evening.

Putting the Northowram Pumas on the map were;

Tim Brook 1st M35

Rick Ralph 2nd M40

Jane Cole 2nd F40

Diane Cooper 2nd F45.

Pumas and Proud. Showing off their gongs are, from left, Tim Brook, Rick Ralph, Diane Cooper and Jane Cole.

Congratulations to all of you, and here’s to next year!

Competitive Running

Trimpell 20, 2018

21st March 2018 Northowram Pumas Leave a comment

Trimpell 20,

Lancaster, Sunday, 18 March, 2018.

It was a monumental task, and the effort required pushed them to the limit. There must have been times when they never thought they’d make it. But with sheer grit, determination, patience, and plenty of will-power, they persevered. It took an age, of course, but finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Amid huge sighs of relief, they’d done it.

There was much to do in preparation for the race. Here, Laura captures friend Becky Allatt clearing the car of snow so that they could get going. Of course, with it being Spring, there was no need to wrap up.

And then, having cleared away all the snow, they got in the cars and set off to Lancaster.

Meanwhile, up at Lancaster, Brett and Rachel find there’s no snow and wonder if they’ve come to the right place. Behind them, Lancaster Castle was, up until quite recently, one of HMS’ Establishments (prison). Brett and Rachel won’t be hanging around though.

Yes, the Trimpell Twenty asked much of three intrepid Pumas, not solely of the course itself, for with snow lying several inches deep in and around Halifax, there were serious questions as to whether they’d manage to get up to Lancaster at all, such were the conditions. But yes, they got there safely, only then to deal with the next obstacle, that of sauntering (in freezing conditions) around the city of Lancaster.

Laura finds her ‘Miss Motivator’ Gayle Forster and doesn’t want to let her go.

I have it on good authority that Lancaster and the west coast of Lancashire in general was bereft of white fluffy stuff, and the locals may have thought that Brett Swiffen and Rachel Calvert, and Laura Fairbank who, with her good friends Becky Allatt and Karen Hood, made up Team RLF, were making things up when they regaled the them with tales of drifting snow that had left many roads impassable. The aforementioned were all using the race as training for their London Marathon, which, as if they need reminding, is but five weeks away. It was cold, granted, but all-in-all, it was like a different world.

The runners gathered in front of the entrance to Lancaster Castle, a tourist attraction on a good day and perhaps a better option than having to run twenty miles on this, and at 11.00am they were heading off on their way, travelling along Castle Park, picking up Long Marsh Lane and meandering along the tracks through the trees before crossing the River Lune and following the path that initially runs parallel to Morecambe Road for a good two miles. The route, through a line of trees, then veered off left for a triangular clockwise circuit around Trimpell Sports and Social Club via Out Moss Lane then heading back towards the city centre, having accomplished five miles before they crossed the River Lune on the return. The runners then headed out north, across parks and woodland with the Lune on their left, then crossed the river on the A863, a dual carriageway that headed out for what seemed an eternity. The general consensus hinted that this was the hardest part of the course, the Bay Gateway, but they had to tackle it, almost two miles out before doubling back and making the return trip, passing the sixteen-mile mark along the way. The route crossed the river once more, then took the runners on a loop section before picking up the track that took them back to the centre, the Lune now on their right hand side. Everything by now was in reverse (possibly even the legs) and in time, having run through the familiar woodland and tracks, they re-entered Long Marsh Lane and headed for the finish back at Castle Park.

The pained look on Laura’s face was definitely not for effect. She climbs the last hill and the finish is just almost there.

Facing at times a gale force wind, and having to tackle a hideous hill just before the finish, you could say that the race was far from easy, and it was won by Martin Green of North Wales Road Runners in a time of 1:55:47. For Laura, the twenty-mile course was torture, particularly as, only two miles in, she was struggling with her knee. Fortunately, she had, in the form of Gayle Forster, a nifty runner by all accounts, but one that has been encouraging Laura via social media and a saviour on the day, running with her for the most part to help her through the ordeal. They met for the first time at Lancaster but her support for Laura was unequivocal. “Gayle has been so supportive to me and my running. She came to run at my pace in the freezing cold and she was absolutely amazing,” said Laura, who felt sure that she would have given up the ghost without Gayle being there. Laura dug in deep and finished the course in 4:26:50.

The relief is clear to see as Rachel and Brett surmount the final hill and now have the finish line in sight.

As for Brett and Rachel. They’d had two sessions of hypnotherapy in the build up to the Trimpell 20, and the sessions clearly paid off. Said Rachel, “I can’t tell you how amazing today felt! It was easier than the three half marathons I’ve run even though my body was battered and crying out in pain. My mind won over!” Brett’s had his own battles over the years, but as Rachel added, “He is my inspiration! We’ve had the toughest nine months and faced challenges no one knows about, but we are so strong together, there is nothing we can’t face now!” What did it matter that the pair brought up the rear of the 516-strong field? Their aim was to get around, and though it took them nearly five hours, they did it! And anyway, sometimes it pays. By the time they returned to Blighty late Sunday afternoon, the worst of the snow had gone!

All done and dusted. Brett and Rachel can’t wait to tuck into a hearty breakfast. In the meantime, their reward of pie and Wagon Wheel will have to do.

Pumas’ positions and times;

506 Laura Fairbank 4:26:50

515 Rachel Calvert 4:57:55

516 Brett Swiffen 4:57:55

Photos supplied by Sprint Finish Photography and Andy Forrest.

10k

Keighley BigK 2018

12th March 2018 Northowram Pumas 1 Comment

Keighley BigK,

Sunday, 11 March, 2018.

Sunday saw the annual Keighley BigK, an event held every Mother’s Day and once which has over the past ten years raised over £350,000 for the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Keighley. With 10k and 5k races on offer it’s one that attracts competitors from far and wide, and the 10K race this year saw 754 runners line up at the start, among them two Pumas, Katrina Wood and David Collett. Katrina ran this 10K race last year and finished with a time of 58:29, so she was hoping to go better this time around, whilst David, who was last seen running the coastal walkways in the Great North West Half Marathon at Blackpool in February, was continuing with his training for the London Marathon, now just over five weeks away.

Katrina is all smiles as she poses for her own selfie. She would have a bigger smile when she finished…or would she?

In a nutshell, the Keighley BigK is a challenging 10K (or 5K) which starts and finishes in Victoria Park off Bradford Road. It follows a clockwise circular route through the paths, parks and roads around the Keighley town centre, initially taking in Low Mill Lane, Great Northern Road, Worth Way, Mariner Road and Malsis Road before entering Lund Park. Exiting at Exley Street, the course continues on Arncliffe Road then left onto Fell Lane before climbing up Holme Mill Lane and entering woodland that rises to 154 metres, descends then rises once more. Crossing the fields at the top of North Peak, the course picks up North Dean Road, crossing West Lane and continues along Edensor Road, eventually picking up Cartmel Road and the drag that reaches its zenith at 166 metres. The course swings around and cuts through the greenery of Devonshire Park before crossing over Spring Gardens Lane and running through the grounds belonging to Cliffe Castle, circumnavigating the castle itself then into a nice downhill stretch that follows the line of trees and comes out at Skipton Road. Crossing this, the course continues on the other side of the valley, going over the railway line at Royd Lane, then there’s the run for home along the cosy tracks through the trees, along Royd Ings Avenue, then finally turning into Alston Road before re-entering Victoria Park and the dash towards the finish line.

David checks his watch and finds he’s good to go.

The race started at 9.00am, and both our runners were back well within the hour. David had the honour of being #FPH, in 49:47, a time which he tells us is a personal best for him over this distance. He’s well on track for that London Marathon, especially after recent training in sunnier climes abroad. Katrina had a fantastic run, too, and after all the hard work she’s put in was rewarded with a time of 53:38, almost five minutes faster than that of twelve months earlier. There were fifty-one runners in her age category, which (and I know you’ll find this hard to believe as she looks so young, is Female 50) and of these she finished FOURTH. Katrina obviously sets herself big targets, for while most would have been rightly proud of finishing so high up the order, she felt a tad downbeat by not finishing in the top three, thereby missing out on a gong. The general consensus was that she was been too hard on herself.

Almost there. David follows in Joanne Adams.

She’s not in her Pumas top, but that’s definitely our Katrina approaching the finish line.

I’ve a feeling there’ll be more Pumas tackling this event in 2019, and Katrina highly recommends it. “A great race,” she said, “well organised, and food, drink (and loos) at the start and finish. Variety of on and off road, uphill and down.” What’s not to like?!

Positions and chip times;

154 Dave Collett 49:47

239 Katrina Wood 53:38