Daniel

231 posts

Results Roundup

RR_11112013aThis weeks racing highlight for Romsey Road Runners was the organising and supporting of the second cross country race of the CC6 series at Kings Enclosure, Stoney Cross with fellow Halterworth Harriers.

A total of 77 ladies and 117 men turned up on a bright sunny Sunday morning to complete two laps of a gravel and forest track course looping through the enclosure. Rain during the week and heavy down pours on the preceding day had made conditions muddy underfoot, adding to the fun and excitement of completing the undulating 6.5 km course. All runners were cheered on by the many marshals from both clubs who stood at strategic positions along the route to avoid anyone getting lost.

RR_11112013bThe race was won by Tottons, Nick Buis and first lady home was Valeria Sesto from New Forest Runners. Romsey fielded a ladies and mens team and stand in 7th position after the second race.

RRR Ladies: Shantha Dickinson 5th, Tam Ryan 14th, Lynda Brown 17th, Becky Tovey 19th. RR Men: Ian Nixon 3rd, Toby Burrows, 14th, Christopher Brown 24th, Neil Jennings 39th and Steve Reed 54th.

Results Roundup

A pair of Romsey Road Runners braved mud and high winds to complete The Stickler – aka the Dorset 3 Peaks Challenge on Sunday 27th October. Overnight rain cleared giving runners a sunny but breezy start. The wonderfully scenic 10-mile route, which starts at Shillingstone near Blandford Forum, takes in some glorious countryside, a hill fort, and three steep climbs. The highest, less than a mile from the start, involved a 800ft climb, and is followed by Hod Hill at about 500ft and Hambledon at just over 600ft.

With a cut-off time of 21/2 hours, the field was pursued by the terrifying spectacle of the Grim Sweeper, who turned back those who didn’t reach the halfway point in 75 minutes. Mark Adams and Di Cross avoided his attentions, finishing in 1hr 31mins and 1hr 45mins respectively. This was the second time Di has completed the course, shaving 13mins off her 2010 time.

Just under 30,000 people took to the streets of Portsmouth and Southsea to participate in the Bupa Great South Run, on Sunday 27th October. There was a strong contingent of RRR, 9 in total. They battled against the strong winds, especially throughout the last 2 miles of the course which took runners alongside the sea front. Thankfully, the weather remained dry.

First home was Christopher Stocks in a time of 1:16:13 and first Romsey lady was Becky Tovey, finishing in 1:22:00. They were followed by Andrew Archibald 1:22:48, Stuart Mullen 1:21:17, Sarah White 1:23:00, Colin Wood 1:30:46, Alison Solomon 1:46:09, Lindsey Dunford 1:47:38 and Wayne Windebank, in just under the 2 hour mark (1:59:25).

RR_04112013And finally, the duo of Paul Burnage and Frank Ourique completed the Lordshill 10 mile road race last Sunday. A flat course set in southern Test Valley is now well established, attracting 500 or so local runners. The route is pleasant and well organised, consisting of distinct parts, taking in part of the Broadlands Estate but also includes a lap around the Nursling Industrial Estate. Runners finish on muddy grass of 5 Acres, Redbridge Lane, cheered on by family and friends. Paul Burnage finished in 1:15:13 and Frank Ourique in 1.28.26.

Results Roundup

RR_201013aThe rain stayed away during the Minstead Stinger on Sunday. This local event organised by Totton Running Club starts at Ocknell Campsite, Stoney Cross in the New Forest. The undulating route takes runners on a 10 mile course made up of forest trail and track and throws in a stream crossing near the finish, guaranteeing wet feet all round.

Finishing in 3rd place overall and 1st Senior Male was Toby Burrows, he was followed by Neil Jennings 1:13:56, Stuart Cripps 1:28:48, Joanna Weguelin 1:29:01, Penny Jennings 1:31:53 and finally in little over 2 hours, Naomi Farrington.

RR_201013bSlightly further afield, Stuart Liesnham completed the Abingdon Marathon in a time of 4:13:39. Starting and finishing on the track at Tilsey Park, runners were greeted by a number of spectators in the stand alongside the track raising sprits as runners completed the last 400 metres, making up for the intermittent rainy conditions. Many runners were cheered on and were awarded with a personal best.

Mark Stileman took part in the first Hampshire Cross Country League race of the season. The race was held at Reading and Mark finished 10th M40, 72nd overall.

And finally, 3 RRR’s participated in the Thruxton Mass Attack Duathlon. The event took place on the Thruxton race track and comprised of a 5km run, 35km bike ride and final 5km bike ride using the wide, smooth tarmac track – free of all motorised traffic, just those on foot and bike to be negotiated. Tamatha Ryan 1hr 42mins, Chris Stocks 1hr 44mins and Becky Tovey 1hr 45mins.

Results Roundup

Tam Ryan and Wayne Windebank recently competed in the Ferndown Sprint Triathlon, consisting of a 400m pool swim, a 11.5 mile bike ride on an out and back road course and finishing with a 5k run made up of 4 laps around the sports field and multi surface pitches at the Ferndown Leisure Centre.

It was Wayne’s first triathlon and only Tam’s second yet she finished 9th lady in a time of 1:55:22. A total of 161 competed in what must be one of the last triathlons of the year, with the winter duathlon season about to start.

Elsewhere, Hardley Runners organised the Solent Half Marathon. This is a picturesque single lap road race starting from Gang Warily Community Centre. It takes runners out towards Beaulieu and then to Exbury and the coast at Lepe, where runners are greeted by crisp sea breezes before heading inland via Fawley and back to Gang Warily. Romsey’s Stuart Cripps finished in 1:48:23.

London Marathon Club Places

The club has two entries for the London Marathon next year. If you are unsuccessful with your ballot entry and want to be considered for one of the club places, please drop Amanda an email and hand in your rejection slip to one of the Committee members. Please note in the email or mark on the slip whether you have run the London Marathon before.

The draw to allocate these places will take pace at the AGM on 6th November.

Results Roundup

RR_071013aThe last week has been a busy one for Romsey Runners, a mix of triathons, half marathons and full marathons scattered all over the place. First, Tam Ryan completed in her first triathlon and won her age category, in 1.16.23 seconds. The Southampton Fast Twitch Triathlon, is a sprint tri consisting of a 400m pool swim, 12.78 mile bike ride and 3 mile run out and back from Applemore Leisure Centre in the New Forest. Also finishing was fellow club member, Jo Weguelin in 1:24:03.

The Clarendon Way half and full marathon took on Sunday 6th October and was unusually dry underfoot. Starting from Salisbury for the full marathon and Broughton for the half participants follow the Clarenden Way cross country to Winchester. The route is undulating but rewarded with stunning views.RR_071013b

First home was Neil Jennings in 1:41:13, followed by Penny Jennings 1:58:23, Hannah Richardson 2:05:29, Ken West 2:07:29, Alice Lane 2:15:25, Robert Gold 2:41:11. Mark Stileman completed the marathon distance,coming in 3rd place overall in a very impressive 3:11:05.

The Great Scottish Run Half Marathon attracted 29,000 runners including Romsey’s own Anna Duignan. Starting in George Square in the centre of Glasglow, runners headed out and crossed the Clyde before heading back to Glasgow Green. Competitors past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including the Riverside Museum, Finnieston Crane, Clyde Arc, the new Hydro venue, and Bellahouston Park. Anna finished in 2:10:47 and raising money in support of Cancer UK.

And finally, 6 RRR’s took part in the Wiggle New Forest Sportive 70 Mile Cycle Ride. Riders could chose routes of 41, 70 and 102-miles around the New Forest National Park. Around 6,000 cyclists signed up for the Hampshire event, selling it out well in advance of the day. Ian Ralph completed the 70 mile distance in 4 hrs 22 mins, Paul Cutbill, Hannah White, Tam Ryan, Becky Tovey and Sarah White all finished together in 4 hrs 43 mins, whilst Jimmy Hunt completed the 100 mile distance in 5 hours 28mins.

Results Roundup

The Test Way Relay took place on 14th September. Organised by Totton Runners and transcending the Test Way, this off road event is very popular with local running clubs. A total of 8 runners; male, female or a mix team complete 8 legs of distances varying between 7.1 km to 11.2 km. The event starts at Inkpen Beacon early in the morning and runners head south, finishing leg 8 in Totton.

The Romsey mixed team finished 3rd in a total time of 5 hours 40 minutes and 59 secs; behind Stubbington finishing 2nd and Totton who were the winners.

Taking part in the New Forest half marathon a week later were Christopher Stocks, completing the course in 1:49:33 and Max Dawson in 2:21:34. Finishing the full marathon was Elaine Armstrong in just over the 4 hour mark in 4:06:51. The weather was warm and humid; with little breeze, perfect for a long Sunday run with friends through the picturesque New Forest. This undulating route starts and finishes from New Milton with loops out to Sway and Burley on-route.

RR_30092013Lynda Brown ran the Eton Man 10k – a fast flat course around Dorney Lake, at the Eton Rowing Club in a personal best. Lynda finished in 44:12, securing her in 3rd place lady and 1st in age category.

Also out competing, Jimmy Hunt finished the New Forest Middle Distance Triathlon (half Ironman) in 4 hrs 55 minutes, finishing 19th in a field of 230. Hunt completed a 1.9km open water swim, followed by 56miles on 2 lap route around the northern part of the New Forest, taking in Fordingbridge, Rockbourne and Sandleheath and ended with a tough and undulating out-and-back run of 13.9 miles on bridleways.

Awards Evening 2013

Awards 2012Kick off those trainers and peel off the Lycra, it’s nearly time to don dancing shoes and party gear for our Annual Awards Night. This year, we’ll be teeing-off at …Ampfield Golf and Country Club Winchester Road, Ampfield, Romsey SO51 9BQ, Friday 15 November at 7pm (for 7.30pm).

Ticket price will be £25 per person (partners welcome), which will include a three-course meal in the club’s restaurant. See the booking form for menu choices and the Social Events page for further details.

Results Roundup

RR_150913Five Romsey Road Runners headed to Portsmouth last Sunday for the Victory 5, hosted by Portsmouth Athletics Club. Arriving in sunshine, the sky had clouded over before runners started the five mile race with a lap of the running track at Mountbatten Leisure Centre. From here, the course headed out alongside the lake before looping round and then heading back, by which time runners faced a strong head wind. The course finished as it began, with a 400m lap of the running track.

Chris Stocks was the first Romsey runner to finish, placed 189th overall and 19th in category (MV45) in a time of 35:22. Lynda Brown came in next in 35:38, a personal best, 197th overall and 13th in category (Senior Female). Mark Adams, still recovering from injury – and not helped by a collision with a bike in the final mile – came in alongside Lynda in 198th (35:36). They were followed by Di Cross, who ran a personal best in 38:33 and was pleased to be placed 2nd in category (FV50). The final finisher for the club was new member Kirsty Saxton, who had a good run to finish in 41:44.

In contrast to the smooth surfaces of Portsmouth, The Bounder sees runners scurry across the undulations of the lovely Test Valley and is described as ‘challenging’. This nine mile trail race, organised by the Broughton Bounders Running Club, is now in its third year and attracts a good many local runners including four from Romsey.

Matt ‘The Bounder’ Hammerton won the race for a third consecutive year, finishing in 54:12, a little outside the course record which he set in 2012. Fellow Romsey runner, Toby Burrows, finished in second place in 59:58. Becky Tovey and Naomi Farrington completed the Romsey contingent in 1 hour 21 and 1 hour 50 respectively.

Finally, Chris Stocks was on a roll this the weekend, completing the Eastleigh Park Run (5km) on Saturday in a personal best of 21:51, using it as a warm up for the Victory 5 miler.

Results Roundup

RR_09092013aOn Sunday 8 September, Six Romsey Road Runners entered the local Valley Leisure Triathlon (VLT), stretching the length of the Test Valley and organised by Valley Leisure. Participants completed 3 disciplines, including a 600m indoor swim at Andover Leisure Centre, a 30km cycle ride down the Valley of the River Test from Andover to The Rapids in Romsey, and a final run to the Knightwood Leisure Centre totalling 7.5 km.

The cycle ride was undulating following quiet lanes to the west of the river and the run was largely flat and on road, taking runners along Botley Road, through North Baddesley and onto Castle Lane. There was an unusually cold start to the day, with a downpour of rain on the undulating cycle ride making riding conditions difficult for some through the standing water, however the sun did appear on occasions for later riders.

First home for Romsey Road Runners and achieving first overall place in the Woman’s category was Becky Tovey in a time of 1:51:05. Chris Stocks was the first Romsey man in a time of 2:03:55, which included the time taken for the extra 4 swim lengths he swam by mistake! He was followed by Alice Lane 2:07:48, Joanna Weguelin 2:09:46, Derek Kelly 2:11:06 and Julia Abab 2:21:40.

RR_09092013bJimmy Hunt was also competing but in Henley-on-Thames, taking on Challenge Henley – an ‘Ironman’ distance triathlon. Hunt, competing in his first Ironman, finished in a remarkable time of 10:45:45, finishing in 39th place out of a field of 356 competitors.

The triathlon consisted of a 3.8 km swim, a 112 mile bike ride and finished off with a run of marathon distance, 26.2 miles. Hunt’s split times were impressive; the swim was completed in 1.21.50, followed by a cycle ride lasting nearly 6 hours (5.51.56) and to cap it off, Jimmy completed the marathon in 3:19:50. The marathon time alone is impressive, but as this followed two other disciplines back to back it showed great endurance.

Relay September 2013

Autumn Front CoverThe latest issue of Relay, our club newsletter, is hot off the press! You can view Relay online, or for those who have opted to receive a paper copy they will be ready for collection at club sessions until 12 September, after which any remaining will be posted. Happy reading!

Results Roundup

RR_13082013aA total of 13 Romsey Road Runners travelled to Catton Park, Staffordshire, for the Thunder Run 24 hour event on the weekend of 27th July and 28th July.

The TR24 course is a 10km cross-country circuit set in the picturesque Staffordshire countryside. The track twists and turns across varied terrain from bogs and forests to steep hills and open fields. Individuals or teams run laps over a 24 hour period to see just how many they can complete – demonstrating endurance or just plain madness?

RRR entered a mixed team of 5 consisting of Toby Burrows, Matt Hammerton, Jimmy Hunt, Ian Ralph and Tam Ryan. All finishing 6 laps (60km) except Burrows who did 70km, starting and finishing for the team. A live leader board was discovered early on, showing the Romsey team of 5 in the lead; the pressure was then on to stay there for the duration.

The race started at 12 midday when the weather was really hot and sunny, but by early evening the heavens opened and a monsoon coupled with thunder and lightening ensued until dawn. Continue reading

Romsey Road Runners’ Google Group

Members can keep up to date with club matters, informal sessions such as Saturday runs, social events and car shares to races by using the club Google Group. Once you are approved as a member of the Group you can post your own club-related messages and receive emails when new messages have been posted. Find out how to join the RRR Google Group.

Results Roundup

RR_15072013Sunday 14th July saw the New Forest 10 Mile Road and Forest Track Race take place, organised by New Forest Runners. The race started and finished from New Park Farm, Brockenhurst. The route is very nearly all off-road, using gravel tracks and paths within the National Park. It is essentially flat, but can get warm within the shelter of the enclosures, little breeze getting through to cool the runners. There were 4 events, 3 children’s races and the main 10 miler.

Five Romsey Road Runners participated in the 10 mile route. First man home was Neil Jennings in 1:16:08 and Penny Jennings made it a family affair, finishing as first Romsey lady to finish in a time of 1:23:10.

Christopher Stocks finished in 1:21:11, followed by Anna Duignan in 1:58:59 and Alison Soloman in 1.58.59.

There were a total of 775 finishers, enjoying the fine sunny weather, a sharp contrast to last year’s event which was cancelled due to the heavy rains and flooding of parts of the route. What a difference a year makes!

Mile of Miles Relay

Wednesday 3 July saw a bumper number of teams turn out from local running clubs to take part in the annual Mile of Miles relay event. Hosted by the 2012 winners Romsey Road Runners, the relay event took place on Southampton’s athletics track, the perfect setting for runners to complete a metric mile (4x400m) before handing on to the next runner in the team.

26 teams took part in the event, including three from new club Hedge End Running Club, and three from New Forest Runners Juniors section who gave all the senior teams something to worry about, finishing 8th, 14th and 15th overall.

Mile of Miles 2013Southampton Athletic Club’s A team won the event comfortably in a total time of 49:15, almost 4 minutes ahead of their B team who placed 2nd, and will host the event in 2014.

1. Southampton A 49:15
2. Southampton B 53:04
3. Eastleigh A 53:38
4. Lordshill A 53:39
5. New Forest Snr 54:12
6. Hardley A 55:08
7. Romsey A 55:17
8. New Forest Running Club Juniors A 57:09
9. Totton A 59:10
10. Southampton C 59:26
11. Eastleigh B 1:00:47
12. Hedge End A 1:01:04
13. Lymington 1:03:21
14. New Forest Juniors C 1:05:13
15. New Forest Juniors B 1:05:38
16. Romsey B 1:06:53
17. Lordshill C 1:07:29
18. Totton B 1:08:33
19. Hardley B 1:08:56
20. Lordshill D 1:09:16
21. Hedge End B 1:10:08
22. Lordshill B 1:10:45
23. Totton C 1:12:27
24. Eastleigh C 1:16:26
25. Hedge End C 1:17:22
26. Eastleigh D 1:20:30

Results Roundup

RR_17062013b20 Romsey Road Runners and partners headed to Plymouth over late May Bank Holiday for the club’s annual weekend away, which coincided with the final event in Endurance Life’s Coastal Trail Series.

Members competed in the 10k and half marathon races, which were held at the private Flete Estate in South Devon near Ivybridge. On a glorious day with a cool breeze, the half-marathon course followed the spectacular Erme Estuary and took the field through woodland awash with wild garlic and flowers, along the clifftops and fields before finishing by wading through the estuary (fortunately at low tide) before a 1.5 mile climb to the finish. Continue reading

5 Mile Beer Race – Results

Beer Race 2013_1Romsey Road Runners were delighted to hold the 5 Mile Beer Race yesterday in glorious sunshine and with a record 315 entrants! The club’s members turned out in force to support the event, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the runners around the roads of Braishfield, and making sure that the beer was flowing and the cake was in ample supply.

Check out the results 5 Mile Beer Race Results 2 June 2013 and photos taken by Paul Hammond of Easteligh Running Club.

Beer Race 2013_2Three runners made an early break away from the field, with James Baker of Chichester Runners finishing first in 25:59, swiftly followed by Andy Morgan-Lee of Thames Hare and Hounds in 26:28 and Stuart Holloway of Salisbury Athletics Club in 26:53. Hannah Bliss of Overton Runners was first lady home in 32:42, followed by Anna Smith-James of Hedge End Runners in 34:21 and  Anna Giles of Eastleigh Running Club in 34:58.

Whilst the race attracts lots of runners from local (and distant) running clubs, over half of yesterday’s finishers were not attached to a running club, proving the race to be a great event that attracts all runners.

Our thanks to our sponsors Fullers, Up and Running and Hildon Water, and to The Old House at Home, Braishfield Parish Council and the residents of Braishfield for their support of this race.

 

5 Mile Beer Race – Roadworks

Romsey Road Runners will be hosting the 5 Mile Beer Race in Braishfield tomorrow morning, Sunday 2 June 2013 at 10.30am. Please be aware of the temporary traffic lights on Winchester Hill and a possible road closure and diversion at the bottom of the hill which may overrun from night works tonight. Please allow extra time for your journey.

Entries are still welcome on the day. See you there!