The minutes for this year’s AGM are now available from the AGM Page.
Yearly archives: 2015
46 posts
Romsey Road Runners’ Annual Awards Night dinner was recently held at Ampfield Golf & Country Club and was a lively affair, with more than 40 members turning up to congratulate this year’s top performers. Following a three-course meal, Chairman Tony King presented the winners with their trophies, plus an engraved tankard as a keepsake. In addition to the regular awards, a special award went to Wendy Couper for her category win in the 2015 RR10 series. Keith and Lesley Stone were winners of the Chairman’s Award for their role in establishing the club 30 years ago this year, receiving customised running jackets to accompany the trophy and Penny Jennings also received a special award for having run the most ever RR10s (an impressive 172). Penny also won the Chocolate Trainer Award, for having lost a record number of shoes whilst racing!
RRR PRIZE WINNERS 2015
- Best club runner in CC6s (Men): Neil Jennings
- Best club runner in CC6s (Women): Tam Ryan
- Best club runner in RR10s (Men): Neil Jennings
- Best club runner in RR10s (Women): Becky Tovey
- Special Award: Winner of RR10 FV70 category: Wendy Couper
- Special Award: Most RR10s Ever Run: Penny Jennings (172)
- Club Time Trial Champion: Vicky Pelling
- Men’s Pentathlon: Ian Ralph
- Women’s Pentathlon: Tam Ryan
- Vets’ Pentathlon ‘G’ Cup: Paul Burnage
- Chairman’s Award: Club founders Keith and Lesley Stone
- Sally Sillence Award: Julie Shanker
- Road Runner of the Year: Becky Tovey
- Special award for racing with one shoe: Penny Jennings
In addition to socialising, a number of RRRs have been in action in recent weeks. On 29th November James Battle (1:29:51), Kelly Fairbrother (1:47:55 PB) and Alice Lane (1:55:09 PB) took part in a hilly, wet and windy Downton Half Marathon.
6th December saw the Dorset leg of the Endurance Life series with Tamatha Ryan (5:13:27) finishing 1st in her age category and 4th lady overall, Stuart Leishman (6:06:15 PB) and Becky Tovey (6:11:32) completing the 27 mile marathon. Marie Duignan completed the 16.3 mile “Half Marathon” in 3:39:14. Finally Anna Duignan (1:25:11) and Wendy Couper (1:40:58) completed the 10k.
Well done to all.
After the CC6 in Dibden Enclosure on the 22nd of November we received a complaint from a dog walker with her young child alleging that a Romsey Road Runner swore at her during the race. While there were no other witnesses, and we have been unable to identify the runner in question, as a club we have to take this kind of incident seriously and I would like to take this opportunity to remind us all of the need to demonstrate good behaviours when running on shared use land.
Both the CC6 and RR10 races make use of land owned by the Forestry Commission and race permissions are only granted on the grounds that it doesn’t interfere with other users of the land. Incidents like this could lead to the withdrawal of permissions and the end of CC6 and RR10 races at some of the venues we enjoy regularly.
I know that the vast majority of races pass off without incident and I struggle to believe that anyone in our club could behave this way but please do make sure that even in the heat of a race we display the right behaviours to those around us.
Julie Shanker and Francesca Hough completed the Riverside Marathon in Walton-on-Thames on 22nd November.
The route is run along the Thames River towpath between Walton-on-Thames and Hampton Court with the runners of the full marathon having to do four laps.
Both ladies finished together in a time of 4:51:55. Well done to both!
Last month, on 11th October, Steve Reed, Paul Burnage and Brenda Topliss ran the Chalke Valley Challenge 10k in times of 44:52, 46:00 and 54:11 respectively. This race is run on quiet, undulating country roads through some magnificent scenery, starting and finishing at Broadchalke sports field south west of Salisbury. A small, very friendly race, it comes recommended, albeit not for PBs. Congratulations to Brenda for winning her age category.
Just a reminder from the session leaders that it may be necessary, from time to time, to make late changes to the advertised training session. This is usually for safety reasons – a recent example of this was changing the Industrial Estate session following the opening of the new climbing wall. Our usual congregation point for this session is now a car park.
While changes are rare, they are more likely to happen in winter months so please be aware of this if you are planning to join the group at the session itself (rather than at Woodley Hall or the Sports Centre).
Romsey Road Runners Brave the Elements
The bad weather didn’t put off our intrepid RRRs last weekend. Anna Duignan and Wendy Couper smashed the 10k Endurance Life event on the Gower Coast. Hurricane Kate meant that the event came very close to being cancelled but, as with all Endurance Life events, giving up is not an option and the event went ahead.
To say the conditions were pretty awful is an understatement but Anna and Wendy ran together and were delighted to finish first and second in their age category with times of 2:13:49 and 2:13:52 respectively. The event was described as strenuous – very hilly with lots of mud and rivers to run through – and actually measured 7.7 miles which is good bit longer than a 10k. Well done to both ladies.
In Gosport, three RRRs took part in the 30th running of the Gosport Half Marathon which was run in very challenging conditions with some mighty headwinds to contend with. The Gosport Half is part of the Hampshire Road Race League and attracts a strong field. The three Romsey finishers were Sue Sleath, who won her age category in 1:33:02; Tony Peelo whose time of 1:45:04 was only 26s off his effort four years ago and finally Brenda Topliss who also won her age category in a time of 1:58:18.
Well done to everyone that ran last weekend. Don’t forget to send your results in to [email protected].
Romsey Runner, Richard Vie with his daughter Charlotte finished a sunny, dry Great South Run in Southsea on Sunday. ‘It was a great day out with perfect weather and we both did better than our respective target times which was nice!’ said Richard after the event. Richard finished in 1:37:31 and, just a little behind Charlotte who managed 1:12:36.
Great South Run Results
- Jackie Bailey 1:32:47
- Richard Vie in 1:37:31
- Lindsay Dunford 1:40:33
The week before had seen a number of RRRs heading to Oxfordshire to complete the Abingdon Marathon. The event has a tradition for fast times, as the course is one of the flatter courses. The weather assisted runners and the many finishers were rewarded with good times. Becky Tovey managed a ‘good for age’ time, guaranteeing a place in the London Marathon 2016.
Abingdon Marathon Results
- Toby Burrows 3:09:25
- Becky Tovey 3:43:16 – AG spot for London accomplished
- Tam Ryan 3:43:19
- Alice Lane 4:20:01
Elsewhere, Angela Burnikell completed the Thruxton Duathlon and was first lady home in 1:06:02, coming 10th overall. This event used the race circuit in Thruxton, north Hampshire for both the run and cycle, making it traffic free and ideal for those wanting to try a duathlon for the first time.
8 RRRs took part in the New Forest (formerly Minstead) Stinger organised by local club, Totton Runners. The Stinger offers a variety, views and mixed terrain.
Runners have a choice of distances, 5 or 10 miles which consist of a mix of trails, gravel tracks and paths in a looped course through undulating open forest. Runners are afforded in places, long views of open heath land with dense forest in the background. This is a tough route, as the name suggests, challenging runners with several steep ‘stinger’ inclines.
The weather was perfect on the day and with firm and dry ground underfoot, conditions were good.
RRR results
5 Miles:
Anna Duignan 3rd in age category in a time of 51:41
Wendy Couper 6th in age category in a time of 63:48
10 Miles:
Mark Stileman 1:06:08 – 6th overall
Mark Adams 1:13:44
Jim Wright 1:14:54
Daniel Lurcock 1:18:38
Lynda Brown 1:20:43
Penny Jennings 1:32:36
The Annual Awards Night will soon be upon us. Please fill in the following form if you would like to attend.
Last weekend was just perfect for running and enjoying the outdoors; many RRRs did just that.
The Clarendon Marathon, stretching from Salisbury to Winchester, using as the name suggests, the off road Clarendon Way to transverse across from Wiltshire to Hampshire. Runners were afforded some stunning long views as they negotiate the undulating route. The half way point is Broughton in Test Valley, Where the half marathon starts. There is also the option of a marathon relay.
Marathon results:
Mark Adams 3:32:18
Sue Sleath 3:42:38
Both Mark and Sue took a wrong turn at Broughton and had to cover an extra
0.4 of a mile.
Half Marathon results:
Mike Roberts 1.48.50
Becca Lurcock 2.05.19
Penny Jennings 2.05.41
Hannah Richardson 2.12.15
Lindsey Friedman 2.20.27
Marion Kelly 2.31.28
On the South Coast participating in the Bournemouth Runfest 10km were:
Trevor Band, finishing in 51:18 – 6th in his age group and Elaine Band, finishing in 1:10:36 and 7th in her age group.
At the longer marathon distance were Dave and Sue Gardener, who finished in 4:24:16 and 4:51:07 respectively.
And finally, Anna Duignan ran the Great Scottish Run half marathon on Sunday in Glasgow. Anna got a massive PB with a finish time of 1:59:51, breaking the magical 2 hour mark. Anna came 2nd in her age (F65-69) and 1095th female out of 3520. Her family were very proud.
The club AGM is being held on Wednesday the 11th of November, 7.30pm at Crossfield hall (opposite Aldi). It would be great to see as many members as possible – there will be Pizza afterwards!
If you have any items you would like considered by the club at the AGM please send to me or have a chat with one of the Committee members
There are a number of committee vacancies that need to be filled at the AGM:
Treasurer; See Mark Stileman for more details but the role involves keeping track of the club’s finances. The club is set up with on-line banking and Mark has some excellent spreadsheets.
Press Secretary: The role of press secretary involves collating any race results or news items from club member’s together with photographs and drafting them into a short article for both the web and Romsey Advertiser.
The onus is on the club member to send any news worthy results, funny stories or anecdotes with a photo (makes it more interesting and likely to get in the press) by to the press secretary by Tuesday evening so that they can be included in that weeks copy of the RA. Very rewarding!!
Social Secretary(ies); Organising the social side of club life is a lot of fun – and it’s a role that’s made for sharing. The main activities over the year are: booking and organising the Pasta Party and Quiz Night ahead of the London Marathon in April; arranging the post-Beer Race barbecue in June; organising a club weekend away (optional); and booking and organising the Awards Night in November. There is also scope to organise social and home runs – or anything else you think will enhance club life. A more detailed crib sheet will be available for anyone taking on the role.
Session Leader Coordinator – coordinate and promote quarterly training schedule, organise regular meetings with Session Leaders, record time trial results and predicted times for handicap.
Newsletter editor; Di is happy to continue with this on a temporary basis but anyone who wants to take on the role would be very welcome. Ask Di for more details.
Feel free to ask Jo or other committee members any questions.
Marathon place; The draw for the (one) marathon pace will take place at the AGM. Please could anyone with a rejection e-mail/ letter (I believe they will all be sent by Wednesday!) who would like to go in the club ballot please show Jo your rejection letter, before the 9th of November. Jo will be at club nights more from this Thursday.
Missing the 30th Birthday celebrations, but representing their club at the New Forest Half Marathon on the same day were RRRs Anna Duignan and Keith Whitaker. Anna had a good run, finishing quicker than on previous occasions in a little over 2 hours – in a chip time of 2:06:15. Keith finished in 1:43:05.
Also at the New Forest, Mark Stileman, finished the full marathon distance in just over 3 hours and this was despite starting 15 minutes late due to traffic congestion reroute, he ran well and finished in a placing of 3rd Male V40 and 11th overall in a time of 3:09:51.
On Sunday 13 September, around 50 past and present members of the club met at the Mill Arms in Dunbridge to celebrate 30 years of Romsey Road Runners. Led by two of the club’s founding members, Keith Stone and Steve Lees, the group divided, some opting for the seven-mile run while others enjoyed a four-mile walk before returning to the pub for baguettes and chips then birthday cake. Great fun! The full story of the club’s history can be found in the current issue of Relay.
The full Mile of Miles results are available from the link below:
The full results of the club handicap are on the Club Handicap Page.
The latest edition of Relay is available from the link below:
FIVE RIVERS, FOUR HILLS…..
On a gloriously hot Sunday (9th August), several Romsey Road Runners crossed over into Wiltshire for Salisbury’s 5-4-3-2-1 – that’s 5 rivers, 4 hills, 3 country estates, 2 castles and, of course, 1 cathedral.
Certainly one of the most scenic races on the local calendar, the trail event – with distances ranging from 50k down to 10k, and open to walkers as well as runners – starts opposite the city’s fire station and then heads off around Wessex, taking in English Heritage sites as well as private land not normally open to the public.
Nick Day definitely checked off all the landmarks listed, finishing the Ultra – his first run over this distance – in 6:16:14. Mike Roberts ran the marathon (42k) in 4:40:57 with Di Cross following him in 5:09:08.
Three runners completed the half marathon (21k), with Anna Duignan winning the FV65 category. Mark Adams was the third M40 in 1:41:31 with Paul Burnage next home in 1:57:46.
“One of my favourite events of the year,” said Di, “though I looked like a bright pink panda by the time I’d finished – less chatting and admiring the scenery, more sunblock next time!!
Romsey Road Runners is 30 years old this year and we will be marking this occasion on the 13th September with a bit of a run followed by some lunch. Please see the link below for the flyer and further information.
The Braishfield 5km Times so far this summer are available on the Club Handicap page.
Romsey put out two teams at the Mile of Miles event on 15th July. Some 37 teams competed and RRR put in a very creditable performance. The event was won by Eastleigh RC in a time of 52:44. Top 5:
- Eastleigh – 52:44
- SAC – 52:58
- Lordshill – 53:10
- Stubbington – 53:52
- Hardley – 55:44
Romsey Rippers – our mens team finished in 58:44 while the ladies – the Romsey Rockets – finished in 72:45.
Rippers
1 NEIL JENNINGS 5:18
2 CHRISTOPHER BROWNE 5:53
3 JAMES BATTLE 5:14
4 STEVE GEARY 5:45
5 MARK ADAMS 5:50
6 JOE PELLING 6:12
7 JOHN QUAYLE 6:05
8 NICK DAY 6:33
9 MARK STILEMAN 5:28
10 DAVE GARDINER 6:26
Total 58:44
Rockets
1 BECKY TOVEY 6:10
2 TAM RYAN 6:29
3 LYNDA BROWN 6:17
4 BECKA LUCOCK 6:44
5 SUZANNE GARDINER 7:07
6 JULIE SHANKER 8:27
7 VICKY PELLING 8:48
8 PENNY JENNINGS 6:58
9 NAOMI FARRINGTON 8:21
10 ALICE LANE 7:24
Total 72:45