Month: June 2023

After a busy year of running and racing, Peel Road Runners were able to reward the hard work and achievements of club members at their annual Presentation Night held at Bolehall Swifts on Friday evening. Prizes were presented by Club President, Ray Rogers and Club Chairman, Lee Rickards in the following categories: Best Male Runner of the Year – Wayne King; Best Female Runner of the Year – Emma Pick; Best Over 40 Male – Luke Collins; Best Over 50 Male – Phil Neale; Best Over 35 Female – Rachael Rickards; Best Over 45 Female – Carolyne Browne; Marathon Award – Lee Guffick; Most Improved Male Athlete – Allen King; Most Improved Female Athlete – Sarah Boffey; Best Potential (Male) – James Stretton; Best Potential (Female) – Catherine Tierney; Club Members of the Year (an award voted for by Club members) – Sandra Ingram and Mark Boffey; President’s Award – Sophie Galloway and Emma Whorwood.

At the Peel Road Runners Gate Gallop race (in aid of St Giles Hospice) on Sunday, with many of the club members and their families on marshalling duties, Peel were only able to put out a smaller team to brave the very hot and humid racing conditions. The first Peeler home was Wayne King crossing the line in 39:32 and 1^st M40. He was followed by Emma Pick in 45:54, 3^rd FSEN and 5^th overall. James Stretton showed great promise to finish as 3^rd MU20 (48:03), followed by Tony Bryan (61:58); Chris Bennett (who threw away his chances of a faster time to help another injured runner – 63:28); Sarah Boffey (65:52); Gemma Pritchard (67:19); Claire Guffick (72:11) and Clara Walton (74:15).

Meanwhile, at the Leamington Spa half marathon in aid of Myton Hospice on Sunday, George Hope completed the one lap 13.1 miles route on closed roads in 2:11:51. As with many other events this weekend, the hot and humid weather took its toll on runners’ results with many achieving slower times than normal.

On Saturday, Val Lawson ran the hilly, but very scenic Big Bear Cannock 10 trail race on Cannock Chase finishing in 2:14:48 and 27/56 runners.

At the weekend’s parkruns, Mike Shelton was first home for the club at Kingsbury in a time of 22:44, followed by Garth Cox (25:58); Dave Fern (30:38); Alison Perry (33:22); Matthew Shaw (35:25); Martyn Candy (36:41) and Chris Norris (60:28). Parkrun tourists included: Sarah Boffey (31:10) at Valentines, Ilford; Steph Attenborough (61:49) at Southport; Mick Stevenson (34:20) at Warwick Racecourse; Ben Dorkins (28:14) at Edgbaston Reservoir and Tim Mudd (24:47) at University Parks, Oxford. A group of Peelers supported Lichfield’s Beacon Park parkrun’s 100^th event, made all the more special as it coincided with Michael Hughes (37:15) 100^th parkrun! Running at Beacon Park were: James Stretton (19:17); Tim Clark (22:54); Chris Bennett (23:25); Ian Orton (23:28); Lisa Stretton (24:22); Mark Boffey (27:51); Darren Truman (28:00) and Jackie Tierney (29:39).

As an inclusive club which welcomes runners of all abilities, Peel Road Runners were keen to put out teams at last Wednesday’s Washlands Relays hosted by Washlands Women Runners in Burton on Trent.

The relays, always strongly contested by eleven local running and athletics clubs, consisted of two mile laps around the Trent Washlands and on a beautiful sunny evening, the route was particularly scenic had the runners time to look at the scenery! 

Peel RR put out 8 teams with 4 runners in the male and mixed teams and 3 runners in the female teams. The first female runner to finish the two mile route was V35 Abigail Halcarz from Tamworth AC in an amazing time of 11.51.

The Peel ladies finish results were: SL Emma Pick (13.30); SL Catherine Tieley (15:51); V45 Lisa Stretton (15:58); V40 Gemma Pritchard (17:03); V50 Judith Matthews (17:04); V45 Sarah Boffey (17:39); V40 Steph Attenborough (18:15); V45 Caroline Evans (19:09); V50 Helen Manton (19:25); V50 Sandra Ingram (19:40); V60 Val Lawson (19:50) and V50 Jackie Tierney (20:15). In the men’s overall results, Matthew Orford of Lichfield Running Club was first home in a staggering time of 10:30!

First Peel male runner home was V45 Wayne King (12:13); V40 Luke Collins (12:46); V35 Allen King (14:14); V45 Ben Dorkins (14:33); V55 Phil Neale (14:34); V50 Mark Boffey (14:58); V35 Ian Orton (15:02); V45 Chris Bennett (15:09); V50 Tim Mudd (15:18); V50 Darren O’Leary (15:30); V45 Simon Gordon (15:57); V35 Michael Hughes (16:00); V50 Tony Bryan (16:08); SM Billy King (16:16); SM George Hope (16:56) and V70 Dave Fern (18:47). 

At the weekend, Steph Attenborough completed two back to back marathons over two days at the Phoenix Denbies event. Her first marathon was completed in 7:14:26 and the second in 9:46:01. She also celebrated receiving her 52 marathons in 52 weeks running top!

Helen Dempsey ran the Rise of the Solstice race at Beacon Hill park near Loughborough after her canicross event was cancelled due to the hot weather. She completed the 5 mile trail run in 64 minutes.

At the weekend’s parkruns, Peel results for this week included: Tim Mudd (25:25) at Gloucester North; Claire Guffick (27:39), Sophie Galloway (28:09), Roger Eastaff (31:57), Lee Guffick (34:51), Laura Bowyer (35:05), Martyn Candy (36:10), Wendy Bowyer (38:22), Sandra Ingram (38:53), Chris Norris (61:56 – 1^st V75+) and Alison Perry (62:03) at Kingsbury; Mick Stevenson (34:43) at Horton Park, Bradford; Ian Orton (24:01), Chris Bennett (24:23), Mark Boffey (24:32), Allen King (26:21), Darren Truman (26:37), Sarah Boffey (29:24), Jackie Tierney (31:15) and Michael Hughes (38:14) at Sherwood Pines and Garth Cox (24:48) at Babb’s Mill, Solihull.

Finally, a group of irrepressible Peeler Pips took part in the St Giles Soltice Safari walk starting at Lichfield Rugby Club on Saturday.

Many runners would tell you that they don’t like running in hot and humid weather, so this weekend has proved a difficult time for those Peelers racing and running at different events throughout the country!

At the Two Castles Run 10k race (starting at Warwick Castle and following a scenic, undulating road route to finish at Kenilworth Castle), Ian Orton crossed the finish line in a time of 52:20.

Nearer to home at the Aldridge 10k (another undulating road route), Claire Guffick was first Peeler to finish in a time of 64:49, followed by Helen Manton (68:22) and Lee Guffick (80:54).

Further north, Joy Sykes ran well at the Blaydon Race and finished in 58:47. (The race was first run in 1981 and follows the route in the words of the Geordie folk song, the Blaydon Races). She also completed a sprint tri this weekend with an overall time of 1:56:49 (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run).

Meanwhile at the Swansea half marathon, undeterred by the hot weather, Helen Dempsey ran a season’s best time of 2:50:06 whilst Steph Attenborough took on the Outrun half marathon at Caldecotte Lake, Milton Keynes finishing in 2:53:32.

At the weekend’s parkruns, Peelers were represented all over the country! At Kingsbury, Darren O’Leary finished first for the club in a time of 23:31, followed by Lisa Stretton (24:50); Jackie Tierney (29:11); Laura Bowyer (36:37); Wendy Bowyer (36:38); Ann Hill (36:38); Sarah French (56:56); Chris Norris (65:14) first in V75+ age category; Stephen Andrews (65:40) and Mike Shelton (66:36) tail walker. Parkrun tourists included: Luke Collins (23:42) and Garth Cox (25:21) at Rosliston; Tim Mudd (25:04) at Cannon Hill, Birmingham; Roger Lloyd (26:34) at Conkers; Allen King (22:15); Mark Boffey (24:32); Chris Bennett (25:13) and Sarah Boffey (28:13) at Sixfields, Northampton; Mick Stevenson (34:18) at Warwick Racecourse; Ian Orton (24:49) and Michael Hughes (25:38) at University Parks, Oxford and Ben Dorkins (23:24) at Market Bosworth. Steph Attenborough volunteered at the Swadlincote Junior parkrun on Sunday.

On Sunday, the Great Midlands Fun Run took place in Sutton Coldfield. This is always a popular race
with local clubs and the Peel contingent was as strong as ever. The 8.5 mile course in 20 degree heat
and the infamous Cardiac Hill took some of the ‘fun; element from the run but the fantastic
community support made up for it.

Scott Chapman (59:08) and Luke Collins (59:42) both ran brilliantly to complete the course in under
an hour. They were followed by Ian Orton (1hr:11:09), Darren O Leary (1hr:11:25) Stu Baker, Jude
Matthews, Sophie Galloway (1hr:20 PB), Jackie Sheasby (1hr:25), Claire Guffick (1hr:27), Sandra
Ingram (1hr:30), Alison Upton (1hr:44:), Roger Eastaff, Wendy Bowyer and Lee Guffick (1hr:53)

On Saturday Several Peelers hit the Parkrun tourist trail to visit Bushy Parkrun, the home of parkrun,
that still attracts over 1000 runners each week. Chris Bennet, Darren Turman, Allen King, Mark
Boffey, Sarah Boffey, Michael Hughes and Ian Orton completing who completed his 100 th parkrun at
this landmark event.

Phil Neale ventured even further to complete the Land’s End Parkrun in 22:39, while just up the
coast Wayne King came 4 th in the Minehead Parkrun in 18:24 and Emma Pick was first lady home at
Rosliston Parkrun.

Back at local Kingsbury Water Park, Chris Norris continued her training for her defibrillator
fundraising challenge by walking the parkrun route, supported by Parkwalkers Ann Hill and Sarah
French.