WESTBURY HARRIERS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 01/12/24
Wow it’s December already! Well done to everyone who ran, organised, marshalled and supported at the Gwent league yesterday. Westbury hold a great fixture and I’ve heard numerous people comment on what a great day the club put together. I even braved my first XC race in 5 years and actually enjoyed it thanks to all the fantastic support from my clubmates, including Olivia and a brand new Westbury supporter 🙂
RACE REPORTS
Gwent reports to follow but for now, some fab pictures from Louise Pretty. What a fabulous day!
Brent Knoll Race –
by Mike Clarke
Well done to everyone at the Brent Knoll Race last week.
Lovely conditions, Westbury runners provided 3rd Male and 3rd Female runners – Ben Wood and Rebecca Lee respectively, and First Lady in her category Kate Hoffen.
Well done to everyone who took part
Brighton 10k
Congratulations to Lyn Jenkins who came 2nd in her age group (V70) at the recent Brighton 10km in 52:51, not far off her PB. This fantastic performance qualified Lyn to represent England in the 2025 International Representative Masters 10k which is part of the Great North 10k on 6th July 2025. Such a great achievement. Well done.
CLUB NOTICES
Christmas Lights Run, Monday 16 December 2024
The annual run to the Brailsford Christmas Lights will take place on Monday 16 December.
For those that haven’t taken part before the lights are well worth a visit!
Runners are encouraged to wear Christmas fancy dress. We run in our Groups as usual from Coombe Dingle at 6:30pm, taking in the lights as part of our Monday run.
As well as enjoying the lights there is the photo opportunity, who will be the best dressed group this year?!
Booking in the usual way through Run Together.
This will be the last formal Monday run of 2024, so let’s celebrate the end of another great year of running with a drink at the Black Swan, Stoke Lane BS9 3SP after the run!
For more information on the lights or to make a charity donation please see the link below
https://www.brailsfordlights.co.uk/
UPCOMING CENTENARY EVENTS – SAVE THE DATES & BOOK NOW!!
What a great start we had to our Centenary Year, with the brilliant Centenary Supper at the White Lion on the 8th February and the ITV West Country feature.
Those events kick-started a great year for the club with success – at local, regional, national and international level.
As we move towards the last few months of our Centenary Year, the club has organised two further events which we hope all club members will support and enjoy. Full details will be emailed out to members but here is the basic information.
We’ve hired BAWA Club, Filton for The Westbury Harriers Centenary Lunch mid –Â January 2025.
This informal social event will bring together current and former members, partners, families and friends to celebrate 100 years of Westbury Harriers.
The Westbury Harriers Centenary Challenge is an event that will run in conjunction with the Gwent League Cross Country on Saturday 30th November. It offers a chance to become a “once in a hundred years” winner – with prizes for all categories in the overall competition and there’s a Westbury Harriers club competition as well (with separate prizes for club members only).
Full details have been sent out to all members.
Our brilliant Communications Team will be updating information on these events regularly so look out for emails and Facebook posts.
South West Cross Country – Saturday 4th January 2025 – ENTRIES CLOSE 15TH DECEMBER 2024
RNAS Merryfield (8 miles south-east of Taunton)
11.10 – Senior Women – 7130m
(Including Under 20 Women and Masters – W35, W45, W55)
11.45 – Senior Men – 7130m
(Including Under 20 Men and Masters – M40, M50, M60)
You need to ENTER YOURSELF for the SW XC which takes place on Sat 4th Jan. So please note the closing date. SW XC has ample free parking.
Entry fees can be reclaimed from the club, we encourage you to do this as this is a benefit of being a club member, when you complete the event as these are championship races. Complete an expenses form –Â https://westburyharriers.co.uk/documents/
Please contact myself (ladies), Mike Mewse (men) to let us know you have entered so we know how teams are shaping up – via email, text, WhatsApp as it difficult for us to see who has entered.
Race information http://s250914043.websitehome.co.uk/avon/CCSouthWest.html
Entries https://form.jotform.com/242756451292359
The South West XC is a great event. It is most suitable for people who run in groups 1-4. Men and women run the same distance at this event.
Support Whitchurch Track
NOTICE FROM ANNE DOCKERY
I am wondering if there is some way to ask Westbury Harriers members to sign this petition if they agree that Whitchurch track should be regenerated rather than houses being built on it.
We are so lucky with Yate, UWE and Whithall tracks but in South Bristol there is nothing except Whitchurch.
I spoke to several WH ers today who were very supportive, had trained on the track when young  and had not heard about the present situation. They need another 900 signatures to reach 5,000.
Kind regards,
Anne
In 1973, Whitchurch Athletics Track opened, and for many years, countless up-and-coming athletes from South Bristol and the wider area trained and achieved great success through the facilities it offered.
Today, it stands empty of athletes, empty of competition, and offering no opportunity to the local athletes of the future. We want to change this and not only see the track fully restored but also used to benefit the community and wider area for present and future generations.
Regenerating Whitchurch Athletics Track will provide a much-needed space for physical activity, fostering talent in young athletes while promoting health and well-being in our community.
Please sign this petition to support our proposal to regenerate Whitchurch Athletics Track.
THIS WEEK’S TRAINING
MONDAY – TEMPO:
Group tempo runs from Coombe Dingle at 6.30pm, with Wellbeing run at 7.15pm
TUESDAY – TRACK:
Track session at Yate 7pm – Seniors book on via RunTogether.
WEDNESDAY – HILL SESSION:
Adults, all abilities. Meet every Wednesday at 12pm at the traffic lights by Saville Road on the Downs. Book on via RunTogether. Coffee in the Downs Café at 1pm for anyone that wants to come along.
THURSDAY – INTERVALS:
Coombe Dingle at 7pm.
5 mins (90 secs), 4 mins (1 min ), 3 mins (1 min), 3 mins (1 min), 4 mins (1 min), 5 mins
4 mins/5 mins @ 10k effort, 3 mins @ 5k effort
On grass.
UPCOMING RACES
A reminder that we have an events calendar on our website where you can keep track of dates for training, events and races. (Thanks, Vicky, for keeping this updated). https://westburyharriers.co.uk/events/events-calendar/
Club Championship info and rules on this link:Â https://westburyharriers.co.uk/events/club-championship/
Sunday 8th December: Gloucester Cross Country League Bath (incorporating the Tri-Counties Cross Country Championships)
Saturday 14th December: The 12kss of Xmas – Club Championship
Sunday 15th December: Weston Christmas Cracker 10k
Thursday 19th December: Weston Prom Race #4 – Club Championship
Saturday 4th January: South West XC http://www.avon-aa.org.uk/
Sunday 19th January 2025: Kymin Winter Fell Race – Entry price of ÂŁ8 includes sausage and chips in the pub afterwards! Plenty of parking at the Monmouth Prep School. A few Westbury Harriers have already signed up. https://sites.google.com/site/welshfellrace/individual-races/kymin-winter-race
Saturday 8th or Sunday 9th February: Margam Park (TBC), Gwent League XC
Saturday 1st March: Venue TBC, Gwent League XC
Have a great week,
Sophie Voller
