Saturday 3rd September
Westbury Harriers – Weekly News
Editors Piece
Please see my section about the Midland Road Relay’s. This weekend is the closing date for entries so if you’re interested do let your team manager know.
Some interesting Panda facts. A Panda spends 12 hours a day eating up to 38 kilos of bamboo and poo’s 28 kilos per day (every 15-20 mins)! Pandas have 6 ‘fingers’ the 6th digit is like a human thumb. Very interesting indeed but why on earth am I wittering on about Pandas, well see below for more!
Tuesday and Thursday Intervals
Yate track and Coombe Dingle Intervals will be posted on facebook nearer the time although I think the plan for Thursday is to include a Bleep Test, although this time it will include a shorter interval session as well.
Nightingale Nightmare Returns!
The Halloween themed 10k race returns on Sunday 30th October. The trail event starts from the towpath but then heads up the steep incline of Nightingale Valley into Leigh Woods. Southville Running Club work really hard to make this a great event and the cakes afterwards are the best you will see and eat. Fancy dress is not obligatory but 99.9% of runners do wear something a little spooky!
It’s a very popular event and entries sell out fast. For more details use the link below.
Cleeve Road Relays incorporating the Avon Road Relay Championships
We had six full Men’s teams and some excellent performances. The A team (James Harrod, Artie Swaine, Finn Goodhew and Ben Rawlins) were 2nd overall with a high class performance – and an average age of just 18 !
It was no surprise though that the V40 A team (Anthony Glover, Matt Ellis, Robin Phillips and Oli Beale) won easily, emerging with two of the fastest times of the day. This is an impressive group of runners of national standard.
Our Senior Men B team (Jack Derrick, Sean Lee, Tom Reed, Ben Stone) were impressively quick as were the V40 B (Ewan Paton, Ian Gawinowski, Dan Davies and Alex Miller). No surprise that our V50s – Ian Ruck, Matt Swaine and Mark Andrews – produced a winning performance.
There was a great return to racing for Mike Clark in the V60 team, who battled to 2nd place behind Team Bath, with Richard Hughes displaying his amazing competitive range (100 metres to marathon !) and David George fighting hard to maintain his unbeaten 6-year record in this event. Young Jay Hunt was our lone U20 but produced a high class run that shows real potential. Full race results are on the Avon County AA website. http://s250914043.websitehome.co.uk/avon/RRChamps.html
Thank you to everyone involved and especially to the team captains Ben Rawlins, Ben Stone, Mark Andrews, Alex Miller , David George and Anthony Glover.
We wish Anthony our Best Wishes as he competes in the Masters World Mountain Running Championships in Ireland this weekend.
Best Wishes also to our young athletes – Seamus Robinson, Freddie Cooper, Rhiannon Paton and Tilly Spinney – as they represent Team Avon Track & Field Team in the Youth Development Finals in Manchester on Sunday.
Men’s report by Mike Mewse.
Midland Road Relays
URGENT *** Entries close on Sunday ****
The Midland Road Relays take place on Saturday 24th September at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham (the venue for the Commonwealth Games triathlon).
This is for Senior Men and Masters Over 35. We aim to have two teams in Senior Men (6 stage) and two in Masters.
All runners are welcome to put their name down to run. Entry Fees are paid by the club. We will try to coordinate transport and will confirm details.
If you are available to run on the 24th please email: manager.vet.men@westburyharriers.co.uk with NAME, AGE (on 24 Sept), and estimated 5K time
Senior Women. Tamsin asks ‘are there any other senior ladies wanting to run the 4 stage Midland RR on Saturday 24th September at Sutton Park?’ Please let Tamsin know as she will be submitting the entry TODAY (Saturday). Could do with two more seniors/u20s and a master reserve. Please reply to:manager.Women@westburyharriers.co.uk
Member of the Month Winners
Congratulations to Mike Mewse for winning this month. Mike was nominated for all the hard work he put in to make the mens teams’ at Cleeve Road Relays such a success. With runners in many different age groups and some A and B Teams you could say we dominated the event. On the day we had complete complete teams and no late arrivals, all in part to Mike’s regular and informative updates leading up to the big day.
The junior winner this month was Elen Ruck, just because she overtook her dad at Cleeve making Ian feel really old! Actually Elen won her nomination because of her contribution in making the under 20 women a winning team (along with Laura and Abbie) at Cleeve last weekend.
She also had a great run at the Welsh Track and Field Championship in Newport, Wales a few weeks ago. She achieved a bronze medal and PB in the under 17s 1500m with a supersonic time of 4:58:84.
Well done to you both, Up and Running vouchers will be on there way to you soon
Monday Night Training – Return to Coombe Dingle.
The summer season at Blaise is over for another year. We will be back at Coombe Dingle on Monday 5 September.
The various groups will continue to meet at the same times as before, Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 at 6:30pm, Group 5 at 7pm. We will try and get back into Blaise or other local off road locations for as long as we can, but as the nights draw in we will increasingly return to the roads.
The 6pm Group 3 is going to continue from Blaise for a few more weeks, the leaders of that group will let runners know when they return to Coombe Dingle. Please can all runners ensure that they arrive in good time to start at the advertised time.
Avon Schools Volunteers Needer
More helpers are required to support Avon Schools Athletics (including the position of Treasurer) and this would ideally be a teacher, or somebody associated with teaching, either active or retired. Neil Miller can provide more information and I can forward on your details if interested.
Pandamonium at Thursday Intervals
A tough out and back session this evening, made much more fun by having a Panda running with us! Pandas have a poor sense of balance and restricted vision so their ability to do drills and stretches is limited, but they can run at a decent pace! Kento Taoka is running the Bristol Half Marathon in his panda costume and they do say that you should train in your race kit!
He is running to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK, both the charity and the panda having a strong personal connection for him. The link to his Just Giving page is below for anyone who would like to support him. By Mark Andrews. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kento-the-panda?
Bristol Half /10K Volunteers
Run Bristol are looking for Marshall’s so if you’re not running and would like to cheer on your fellow club members then this is an ideal opportunity. Jim Murphy is taking names and if you’re interested let me know, I’ll forward on your details.
Gwent Cross Country League – Blaise on Saturday 12th November
Westbury Harriers will be supporting the Gwent Cross Country at Blaise on Saturday 12th November. Do please note this date in your diary as nearer the time we will be requesting volunteers to help. There will be plenty of roles available and even if you’re running there will be slots for you to fill. Setting up, marshalling, car parking duties and clearing away are just some of the jobs available.
Strava Segment of the Week
Well done Abigail Oliver on her evening run last night, with a quick loop of the Down’s. Abi has now become the Local Legend on Strava segment Down Berkeley Road with the most efforts in the last 90 days.
Diary Dates
Sunday 4th September, Bridgwater Half Marathon
Sunday 11th September Wells Festival of Running. http://www.wellscityharriers.co.uk/wells
Sunday 11th September Avon Track and Field League, Yate
Sunday 11th September Beat the Bore
Thursday 15th September Weston Prom Race 1 5 miler, by Weston AC
Saturday 17th September, Relish Running Cheddar Gorge Downhill 10K. https://tinyurl.com/2p9yrsvk
Sunday 18th September Chippenham Half Marathon
Sunday 18th September Oldbury Power 10 miler (new club championship event, replaces Beat the Bore). A classic distance over a flat and fast course. This year they have a Kenyan runner attempting to break the 12 year old course record!
Sunday 18th September 10k Wotton Lions, a multi terrain event in the Cotswolds
Saturday 24th September, Uphill to Wells Relay. An off-road relay race starting at Uphill beach and finishing at Wells Cathedral. The route is 90% off-road and follows the West Mendip Way along footpaths and bridleways. The race is a ‘hand-over’ relay, run without marshals, water stations or other assistance. Teams are responsible for their own safety and for researching the route although their progress will be monitored at check-points at the end of every leg. https://www.uphilltowells.com/default.aspx
Saturday 24th September Midland Counties Road Relays at Sutton Park
Sunday 25th September Great Bristol Run 10k and Half. https://www.greatrun.org/events/great-bristol-run/
Thursday 6th October Weston Prom Race 2 by Weston AC
Sunday 9th October Keynsham Dandy. About 12.5 miles, starting in Keynsham and including a welcome revival of the Compton Dando route, complete with stream!
Saturday 15th October Cardiff Cross Challenge and first Gwent League race
Sunday 16th October Bath Half Marathon
Sunday 16th October Mendip Muddle (Club Championship)
Sunday 30th October Nightingale Nightmare by Southville Running Club
Sunday 27th November Chepstow Racecourse Half Marathon (Club Championship)
Saturday 12th November Gwent League Cross Country Blaise Castle
Sunday 13th November Sodbury Slog (10 miler trail event)
Thursday 17th November Weston Prom Race 3 by Weston AC
Sunday 27 November AVR Wiltshire Half Marathon (10 year Anniversary Special!) BA13 4NT http://www.avrwiltshirehalfmarathon.org
Thursday 15th December Weston Prom Race 4 by Weston AC
Sunday 5th February Doynton Hard Half, a horrible cross country hosted by Emersons Green Running Club
Editor this Week
Ian Gawinowski is Westbury Harriers Communications Officer and can be contacted via communication@westburyharriers.co.uk
