Month: April 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Peel Road Runners Scott Frederick, Michael Shelton & Robert (Bob) Donovan were amongst the 41,000+ runners who braved the heat and ran the Virgin London Marathon last weekend.

For Scott this was his first marathon run and his efforts were rewarded with a finishing time of 6:04:04hrs. Michael was once again joined by Trevor the Bear for his 26.2miles and it was Trevor who carried him through (or was it the other way around?) and they finished with a time of 5:07:39hrs.

For Bob this run signified his 30th Marathon in 12 months (London 2017 to London 2018) and edges him closer to his 100 Marathon target. His time for this year’s London Marathon was 5:35:29hrs.

Parkruns are always well attended by members of the Peel Road Runners and last week was no exception. Running solo at Conkers last week was Liz Morgan who ran a 30:46min 5k. At a busy Kingsbury Water Park, it was Lee Rickards (aka Team Yoshi-Power) who was first across the finish line for the Peel Road Runners with a time of 19:35mins. Darren O’Leary was next home with his time of 20:49mins closely followed by Phil Neale with his run of 21:37mins and consecutive PB’s in his last 2 park run outings for Phil.

Rachael Rickards led the Peel ladies home with her time of 22:29mins followed by Robert Hirst with his time of 24:11mins. George Hope was next to finish with 24:37mins, ahead of Tim Mudd (25:37mins), Stella Martin (26:32mins, Stuart Hatton (26:54mins), Michael Stevenson (29:27mins), Darren Keenan (30:33mins and a new PB), Christine Keenan (32:26mins), Vickie Gilks (34:21mins) and Wendy Bowyer (34:22mins).

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm at the Snowdome in Tamworth.

New members are always welcome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Peel Road Runners launched the BDSL Spring / Summer 2018 racing season with the ‘Run in the Forest’, a 5-mile mixed terrain race held at Conkers last weekend.

Following a successful winter Team Cross Country season, the Peel Road Runners head into the summer season with high spirits and an influx of new members eager to impress on both individual & team levels.

For the men it was Ashley Baldwin who was the first Peeler to cross the finish line in 4th position overall with his time of 29:11mins. Lee Rickards was next to finish in 14th position with a time of 30:49mins. Behind Lee was Michael Shelton who ran a 34:11mins for his 43rd place finish. Malcolm Bembridge 35:53mins (58th place), Phil Neale 36:13mins (62nd place), George Hope 39:03mins (95th place), Dave Fern 39:42mins (101st place), Richard Finnegan 39:57mins (105th place), Rob Hirst 41:29mins (123rd place) & Marcus Fairburn 42:23mins (133rd place) complete the Peel Road Runners mens times & placements. The results leave the mens team in 4th place overall.

For the Peel Road Runners womens it was Rachael Rickards who lead the team home with her time of 38:01mins, 16th fastest female on the day and 80th place overall. Lisa Jones-Bignell ran a terrific 39:12mins to finish behind Rachael as the 23rd fastest female and 98th position overall. Sandra Ingram finished with a time of 42:08mins to finish in 129th place overall followed home by Christie Rosser 42:32mins (136th place), Laura Cox 43:35mins (153rd place), Val Lawson 45:30mins (180th place), Stella Martin 45:45mins (183rd place), Helen Manton 47:56mins (209th place), Lisa Fletcher 49:40mins (220th place), Caroline Evans 51:38mins (231st place) & Moira Twiggs 58:56mins (265th place). The results leave the womens team also in 4th place overall.

Last weekend was also the date for the re-arranged Stafford Half Marathon which saw Peelers breaking ducks and setting new Personal Best times. The previous cancellation due to the weather conditions allowed a little extra preparation time for the participants. Running her first (and last?) ever H/M was Emma Pick who made best use of the extra time to break her 13.2mile duck and finish with a time of 1:39:42hrs. Carolyne Browne also ran at Stafford and was the first Peeler to set a new PB on the day with her time of 1:56:40hrs. Jo Insley was delighted to break the 2hr barrier with her new PB time of 1:59:17hrs finishing just ahead of Helen Chyla with her time of 1:59:19hrs.

Running solo for the Peel Road Runner men was Lawrence Williamson who finished his run with a superb time of 1:23:08hrs.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”897″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]‘Marathon Man’ Bob Donovan successfully ran the Boston Marathon last weekend, however, it wasn’t the one over in the USA, instead Bob travelled to Boston in Lincolnshire to run the lesser known, but just as tough, Boston Marathon. He completed the 26.2 miles in a time of 5:04:14hrs.

With other events / races taking place over the weekend it was a smaller than usual turnout for the Peel Road Runners at Kingsbury Water Park for the Saturday morning 5k Parkrun.

Owen Slater was the first Peeler to finish with his time of 25:46mins ahead of Adam Chyla who ran a 27:25min 5k and smashed his previous best time. Lisa Fletcher was the first Peel female finisher on the day with her time of 30:20mins, ahead of Wendy Bowyer who ran a time of 35:41mins and Jo Insley putting the finishing touches to her pre- Stafford HM training who finished with a leg loosening time of 39:36mins and is now only 1 Parkrun away from the 50 runs milestone.

Michael Stevenson was the sole Peel Road Runner tourist when he went running at the Basingstoke Parkrun last Saturday and finished with a time of 29:07mins for his 5k.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”898″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Individual Awards:

Peel Road Runners were amongst the individual prize winners for the Derby Runner Cross Country League 2017/18 XC Awards. In the Derby / Staffs Division it was Robbie Baden who won the award for being the 2nd place male runner over the whole season. Emma Pick went one better with her first-place female award across the whole series of races and Val Lawson won the award for the first female in her age category.

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm at the Snowdome in Tamworth.

New members are always welcome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Peel Road Runners took on challenges (ULTRA) Big & Small last weekend up and down the country and overseas.

For his introduction to Ultra Running, Martin Hollamby took on the mother of all ULTRA Trail Runs as he faced ‘The Oner’ – an 82mile ultra trail run held along the Jurassic coastline in Portland, Dorset. The seriously tough race has over ten thousand feet of ascent and a strict 24hr time limit with only 50% of the participants normally making it to the finish line. Martin has been putting in some serious training for the challenge which he ran to raise money for the charity ‘MIND’. Taking time out at each checkpoint to post updates to followers on social media as well as take on much needed food for energy, Martin managed to reach the last checkpoint at Lulworth Cove with a full 11hrs left to complete the closing section of the race which he managed with time to spare. In the end it took Martin 22hrs 15mins to complete the full 82-mile route.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”885″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Michael Shelton was another Peel Road Runner to take on an Ultra Race at the weekend as he took on the Coventry Way Ultra Race. The Coventry Way is a 40-mile circular footpath route around the Warwickshire countryside with lots of mud, stiles and kissing gates to pass over or through. Troubled slightly with an ankle injury during the run, Michael went on to complete the 40 miles in a time of 9hrs 58mins.

Also running down in Dorset was Paul Scholte as he ran the Exe to Axe Fell Race, a grade B fell run along a 22-mile route taking in the gorgeous Jurassic coastline, starting at Exmouth seafront and finishing at the Esplanade at Seaton. Paul’s time for the 22 miles was 4hr 13mins.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”884″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Lee Rickards was overseas in Majorca to run in the Pollenca half marathon. The warmer weather certainly suited him as he ran a new H/M personal best time of 1:25:35hrs for the 13.1miles.

Val Lawson was in the Peak District running in the Meerbrook Trail Race with over 1,100ft of ascent and 16.8km around the Tittesworth Reservoir and a steady climb up to the crags of ‘The Roaches’ for an awesome view of the surrounding area before descending back down towards Roche Grange and the finish at the Village Hall for tea & cake.

Staying with the ‘off road’ theme, Peeler Emma Livingstone was at the Warwickshire Wolf Run held at Welsh Road Farm, the home of the notorious and rather chilly ‘Alpha Lake’, where competitors take on manmade obstacles through some of the county’s best landscape over a 10k distance. Emma managed to complete the route in a time of 2hrs 5mins.

Laura Cox was in Sutton Park for the Birmingham Run. With many distances on offer on the day, Laura ran the 10k race with the route around the heathland and ancient woodland and finished with a time of 55:25mins.

Robert BOB Donovan ran the Runnymede Magna Carta Marathon on Saturday and finished in 69th position with his time of 5:45:40hrs for the 26.2miles.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”883″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]However, it was the Cathedral to Castle 10 mile run that attracted the most Peel Road Runners at the weekend with over 20 Peelers entering and volunteering as Marshals along the route (Lisa Fletcher & Raymond Rogers).[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”886″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_column_text]Garth Cox was the first Peel Road Runner to cross the finish line with a superb time of 1:12:31hrs for his 10 miles just pipping Darren O’Leary with his 1:12:35hrs with Malcom Bembridge, Craig Smith and Phil Neale not too far behind with their times of 1:15:27hrs, 1:15:44hrs & 1:15:55hrs respectively. Simon Smith was next to finish with his time of 1:18:53hrs.

Lisa Jones Bignell was the first Peel Road Runner female finisher as she ran a superb time of 1:23:35hrs and finished just ahead of Dave Fern with his time of 1:23:44hrs. Behind Dave was Owen J Slater with 1:26:04hrs, Natalie Walker 1:26:52hrs, Jenna Wilson 1:26:54hrs, Marcus Fairburn 1:27:35hrs, Helen Chyla 1:29:33hrs and Sandra Ingram with 1:29:43hrs. Carolyne Browne crossed the line in 1:30:00hrs followed home by Jo Insley 1:30:40hrs, Christie Rosser 1:30:57hrs and Richard Finnigan with his 1:30:59hrs. Joanne Harvey crossed the line in a time of 1:32:35hrs ahead of Darren Cotton 1:32:40hrs, Sophie Galloway 1:38:03hrs, Helen Manton 1:38:26hrs, Stella Martin 1:39:21hrs, Annie Wilson 1:42:44hrs, Moira Twiggs Bucknall 2:00:01hrs, Vickie (Gilks) Bowyer 2:03:50hrs and Alison Dolphin 2:03:56hrs.

With all the different weekend races lined up it was a quieter day for the Peelers at the weekends Parkrun events with only half a dozen runners running at Kingsbury Water Park.

George Hope made the most of the lighter attendance and finished as the first Peel Road Runner to cross the finish line with his time of 24:46mins. Behind George was Tim Mudd with his time of 26:39mins for his 5k. Joanne Harvey finished as the first Peel Road Runner female to cross the line with her time of 26:58mins ahead of Michael Stevenson 28:59mins, Lisa Fletcher 29:14mins and Darren O’Leary out for a gentle jog with his 35:57mins.

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm at the Snowdome in Tamworth.

New members are always welcome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]PEEL ROAD RUNNER Val Lawson turned back the clocks last weekend as she returned to the venue of her very first race – The Chasewater 10k.

Whilst not having the best of weeks leading up to this years race the venue certainly made Val feel very nostalgic on the day as she battled around the course in a time of 59:19mins. The time earned her 2nd best in her age category and brought all those old memories flooding back.

Peelers own “Marathon Man” Robert Donovan spent Good Friday running the Enigma Easter Marathon down at Caldecote Lakes and clocked up a time of 5:29:23hrs for his 26.2mile run.

Saturday brought the Peelers out for their weekly Parkrun 5k and Debra Prime made the weekend even better with a new PB of 38:08mins for her first Parkrun at Cannock Chase, her 7th Parkrun overall.

Kingsbury Water Park attracted the most Peel Road Runner’s as usual but the weeks weather leading up to the weekend made the conditions under foot for this weeks run very wet indeed – indeed wellington boots would have been the best choice of footwear on the day!!
Still the conditions didn’t slow the runners down too much as Darren O’Leary was the first Peeler through the finish tunnel with his time of 21:24mins. Not far behind Darren was Michael Shelton with his 22:11mins. George Hope was next to finish with a time of 24:55mins ahead of Darren Truman 25:48mins, Tim Mudd 26:36mins & Jason Church with his 28:06mins.

Jo Insley was the first Peel Road Runner female finisher with her 5k time of 27:32mins, now just 2 Parkrun away from the 50 milestone. Behind Jo was Lisa Fletcher 31:04mins, Caroline Evans completed her 50th Parkrun at Kingsbury with all the 3’s (33:33mins) followed home by Wendy Bowyer with her time of 37:26mins

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm at the Snowdome in Tamworth.

New members are always welcome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]