Two week round-up - to week ending 9th October 2022
What a week to try to capture the last 14 days of awesome achievements!
Media City
It all started way back on 29th September at Media City where Kayleigh Hadfield achieved yet another PB in the 5k race.
3 Towers Ultra
The 3 Towers Ultra was a highlight of the Howler Events calendar that has now been taken on by Tough Trails UK.
Ultra-regular Dean Corrie was out on Saturday, visiting Darwen, Rivington and Peel Towers on a route that pretty much follows the West Pennine Way. It’s a rewarding route taking in some of the best local viewpoints, but these are separated by unforgiving, boggy, energy sapping terrain and some little used rights of way.
Manchester Half Marathon
First Ram home at the Manchester Half Marathon on Sunday was David Lowe. He was quickly followed by Andrew Hill, Andrew Patterson, Nicola Stewart, Joe Hughes, Richard Hanson, Leigh Roberts, Sarah Owen, Sam Booth (f), Rachel James, Cathryn Gawthorpe, Adrian Campbell, Jessica Redfern, Bev Dobson, Andrea Sidebottom, Colin Olajid, Kaleigh Hadfield and Isabel Thorpe.
Glasgow to Edinburgh Ultra
Matt Carmichael, Richard Thatcher and Sam Booth travelled 56 miles on lowland trails and cycle paths between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The race follows navigable waterways between the two cities including the Forth and Clyde canals.
London Marathon
The benefit of 2 years of deferrals was a super turnout of Rams at the London Marathon and a weekend to remember for all who took part. After some very anxious weather watching as the forecast of rain was repeatedly issued and withdrawn, we had perfect conditions with welcome sunshine at the finish line.
Our runners on the day were Isaac Cox, Victoria Frost, Nigel Hartley, Christine Howes, Rick Madden, Julia Marten, Ali McKittrick, Zoe Molyneux, Catherine Shield, Emma Stacey, Paul Sumsion, Tom White and Kevin Wright.
There were a marathon PB’s for James Thomas, Sarah Sutcliffe who maintained her Good for Age qualification, Karen Rothwell and a Boston PB qualifying time for Katy Whitwell.
London Marathon weekend provides enough distractions to make the darker moments of marathon running much more manageable. Not the least of these being the support of non-running friends and family.
Getting around on marathon day is challenge in itself and special mention goes to Dan Stacey, Neil Rothwell, Jacob Stacey, Marie McKittrick, Matt Whitwell, Brighda Thomas and Luisa Shield who popped up all over the course.
Chester Marathon
Alice Bernstein left her club kit at home to represent England Athletics following her fantastic qualifying time at Milton Keynes. Alice achieved her second marathon PB of the year with a time of 3:06:48 which was the fastest by any Ram at any of the weekend’s marathons.
Our other competitors at Chester were Matt Felton, Kieron Myles, Lee Entwistle and David Brennan.
Chicago Marathon
Beci Cartridge travelled all the way across the pond to take on the Chicago Marathon on Sunday 9th October, there was some impressive bling on show and a marathon major ticked off for Beci!
Loch Ness Marathon
Martin Chepner was our sole representative at the Loch Ness Marathon. A wonderfully quirky road race in which competitors are transported by bus from Inverness to a windswept start point high above Loch Ness.
There’s plenty of time to make new friends on the bus trip and during the wait for the start which takes place to a backdrop of a full pipe band. It’s as much a test of race management as it is of endurance as the undulating course saves its worst for the 18-mile mark just as fatigue really kicks in.
The finish is truly welcoming as you finally hit the comparative metropolis of Inverness and the late hairpin turn over the River Ness means that the finish line announcements can be heard for the whole of the final mile.
Cross Country
The first of the Red Rose Cross Country races took place at Todmorden back on 1st October. Dean Corrie, Simon Jones, Paul Marshall, Andy Norman, Paula Pilling, Cecilia Woods, Emma Johnstone and Sarah Clarke all took part in the muddy fun. The next fixture is provisionally set to take place in Hyndburn on 12th November.
parkrun
RRC was represented at 17 different parkruns this weekend.
Chris Swainson went sub-20 at Warrington whilst at Newport, James Thomas, Ali McArthur and Rowan Ardill were promoting parkrun's new parkwalk campaign.
Stephen Yates went solo at Fellfoot and Paula Pilling’s 74.7% age grading at Bolton was the highest on the day on a hilly course.
Congratulations to newlywed Paul Jenkins who celebrated with a run at Stirling. Our other long-distance tourist this week was Alan Blagburn who travelled east to Kings Lynn.
Sarah McGrath has run four times at Alexandra and improved on each occasion and Ben Smith’s 21 minutes at Stretford was also his fastest at that location.