Neal and Helen Dempsey ran the Betws trail 10k canicross event at the weekend running with Banana and Sydney on a very muddy and technical course. They all ran well, despite the testing ground conditions.
At the Lancashire Day trail half marathon consisting of 10k laps, Steph Attenborough crossed the line in 3:06:24 after a very hard run in muddy and slippery conditions.
Meanwhile at the Great Dalby Dollop (another muddy, hilly cross country event!) near Melton, Rob Mace finished 2nd non-canicross runner in 29:43 and 3rd overall.
With Kingsbury parkrun cancelled due to flooding, ‘touristing’ was the order of the day. Mike Shelton (22:16) at Coventry; Mark Boffey (25:18) and Michael Hughes (26:47) at Shipley, nr Derby; Jackie Tierney (28:01) at Brueton, Solihull; Mick Stevenson (34:09) at Northallerton; Steph Attenborough (33:50) at Gedling, Nottingham; Garth Cox (26:51) at Sutton Park; Tim Mudd (26:33) at Wollaton Hall, Nottingham and Joy Sykes (30:29) at Beacon Park, Lichfield.
Peel Road Runners sent a strong team to North Derbyshire to take on the Clowne Road Runners half marathon on Sunday. The race is a classic autumn half marathon, extremely well organised by a running club over an undulating and quite challenging course. Racing home to get his mint coloured sweatshirt first for the club was Phil Neale, who finished in a time of 1:40:53 and 9th out of 58 M55 runners. Luke Collins was close on his heels in 1:41:16, with Allen King the next Peeler to cross the finish line in 1:46:21. Craig Smith ran well to finish in 1:50:29, with Darren Truman also clocking in at 1:50:29. In form Mark Boffey continued his good run of form to finish in 1:51:17, with Richard Satchwell finishing in 1:53:42. Lorna D’Silva was first lady home for the Club in a time of 1:53:44 and 9th out of 44 F35 runners. Natalie Walker was second lady Peeler home in 1:55:10, with Michael Hughes 1:56:35; Simon Gordon 1:56:40; Ian Orton 2:00:18; Stuart Hatton 2:03:55; Gemma Pritchard 2:04:04; Sophie Galloway 2:07:33; Jason Church 2:07:13; Chris Bennett 2:11:39; Sarah Boffey 2:12:32 and Emma Whorwood 2:21:28. Sarah Boffey’s race result was probably the ‘standout’ for the team, as she knocked over 13 minutes of her previous half marathon best from 2014, but it was a day of personal best times with Darren Truman, Allen King and Gemma Pritchard all knocking minutes off their previous best times.
As if running one marathon in a weekend wasn’t enough, Steph Attenborough ran two last weekend! On Saturday, Steph took part in the Saturn Running Save the Rhino charity run at Lee Valley White Water Centre at Waltham Abbey running 4.37 mile laps on the flat trail course. She completed 6 laps to cover the marathon distance in 5:36:59. Following on from this, on Sunday she ran the Zig Zag Running ‘Easier Said than Run’ trail marathon at Hinchingbrooke Country Park at Huntingdon. This was a trail run over a mixture of muddy paths and light trails around the lakes and woodland, which Steph completed in 6:34:41.
At the third round of the Dark & White Events Autumn trail race at Grindleford, Val Lawson took on the 9.1 mile course with 1168 ft of ascent, finishing in a time of 2:11:22 and 3rd out 7 FV60 runners. Following the recent heavy rain, ground conditions were very muddy and slippery but the sun was shining and the views were far-reaching making for a memorable run. She also finished 4th out of 8 FV60 in the Series results.
Meanwhile at the Canicross Midlands event at Locko Park, Spondon Neal Dempsey ran in the long and short course events, coming third in the two dog long course running with Banana and Paddington and Minstrel (short course). Helen Dempsey also ran in the long and short course events, running with Hugo, Pickle and Pine.
Despite so many Peelers racing this weekend, there was still a good turnout at the local parkruns. At Kingsbury, Mike Shelton was first home for the club in 22:58 with Jackie Tierney (28:30); Ann Hill (33:41); Joy Sykes (35:14); Claire Guffick (41:06) and Lee Guffick (41:12) also running. Parkrun tourists included Michael Hughes at Dudley (40:42); Garth Cox (23:15) at Walsall; Tim Mudd (26:26) at Rushcliffe, Nottingham; Emma Barley (32:03) at Chasewater; Mark Boffey (25:27) and Sarah Boffey (29:10) at Severn Valley Country Park, Bridgnorth and Mick Stevenson at Warwick Racecourse (31:32).
With the weekend being a time to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live with freedom to run and race, it was fitting that some Peelers took part in the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Run at Sutton Park on Saturday. Sarah French, Alison Dolphin, Claire Guffick, Joy Sykes, Lee Guffick, Ann Hill, Stephen Andrews and Roger Eastaff ran round the untimed course together so that they could reflect on the occasion.
Meanwhile new Peeler, Steph Attenborough, ran the Phoenix Running ‘Lest we Forget’ marathon on Thursday 11th November at Walton on Thames. The marathon consisted of 3.28 mile laps with athletes choosing how many or how few laps they wished to run on the out and back trail course. Steph completed the marathon distance in a time of 6:54:11.
The Peelers travelled far and wide at the weekend’s parkruns. At Kingsbury, Tim Clark was first home in a time of 23:41 followed by Darren O’Leary in 24:15; Tim Mudd (26:20); Neal Dempsey (28:16); Jackie Tierney (28:15) and Helen Dempsey (32:57) whilst Phil Neale volunteered. Meanwhile Allen King was first over the line for the club at Walsall Arboretum in 22:10 with Chris Bennett (22:19) close behind and Garth Cox (23:15) and Darren Truman (23:38) making up the Peel contingent. At Windy Nook parkrun in High Heworth, Newcastle Ben Dorkins finished 7th overall in a time of 23:22, whilst at Dishley, Loughborough Mark Boffey ran the 5k course in 26:18 with Michael Hughes hot on his heels in 26:32. At Babb’s Mill, Solihull Ian Orton finished in a time of 25:45 and at Sutton Park, warming up before their Poppy Run, Claire Guffick finished first for the Peelers in 30:27, followed by Joy Sykes (32:38); Roger Eastaff (40:24); Ann Hill (40:24); Stephen Andrews (40:37); Sarah French (41:08); Alison Dolphin (41:09) and Lee Guffick (41:10). Finally at Warwick Racecourse, Mick Stevenson galloped home in 32:53.
With the autumn marathon season well under way, Peel Road Runner George Hope flew over the Atlantic to take on the challenge of the New York marathon this weekend. This race was the first in his ‘Marathon Majors’ challenge (the other future races being Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo and London). With preparations for New York being derailed by the Covid epidemic, it has been a long build up for George to this race requiring strong nerves and devotion to training. George crossed the finish line in a creditable 4:44:51 on a course that is renowned to be difficult and in unseasonably warm weather conditions (24 degrees).
Training during the winter months can be challenging, so it’s good to try out something new which is exactly what Claire Guffick, Lee Guffick, Alison Dolphin and Sarah French did when they took on the Bluetits Nipper Dipper at Lake 32 near Cirencester at the weekend. They completed the 100m swim, then took part in the inflatable race with ‘Mr Dolphin’ and came 5th out of 6 teams. A great way to build up core strength for running!
Meanwhile, running the 4th leg of the Peak Running Starlight Relays at Markeaton Park in Derby (a 2 mile trail relay race held in the dark), Val Lawson brought her team home in a lap time of 20:25.
At the weekend’s parkruns, the cool and damp weather did not deter Peelers from their weekly fix. At Kingsbury Martin Hollamby was first home for the club in 21:00, closely followed by Ben Dorkins in 21:52. Next over the line was Garth Cox (24:46); Neal Dempsey (26:56); Darren O’Leary (27:30); Tim Mudd (27:42); Stella Taylor (28:00); Jackie Tierney (29:33); Joy Sykes (31:21); Ann Hill (33:57); Helen Dempsey (33:59); Roger Eastaff (34:01); Wendy Bowyer (59:19) and Chris Norris (59: 23).
Parkrun tourists included: Michael Hughes at Braunstone (25:23); Mark and Sarah Boffey at Forest Rec, Nottingham (24:56 and 28:06 respectively); Allen King (22:23); Chris Bennett (23:08) and Ian Orton (23:41) at Babbs Mill, Solihull and Mike Shelton at Beacon Park, Lichfield (20:07).
