With so much in the news that can be quite depressing and worrying at the moment, running is seen by many as hugely beneficial for their mental health and general wellbeing. For many Peel Road Runners the ritual and routine of a Saturday morning parkrun can mean so much more than a 5k run around a local course. Every Saturday at 9.00 am, at events all over the country, people young and old line up on the start line of a parkrun aiming to earn a new personal best, or ready for a steady run without the worry of traffic to contend with, or just a run and chat with friends. Parkrun is all encompassing and welcoming to everyone, whatever their ability …. a philosophy shared by the Peel Road Runners!
As usual Kingsbury drew the largest number of Peelers with Mike Shelton first home for the club in a time of 22:01, closely followed by Rob Mace in 22:51 (who was running with Mollie, his 12 year old collie!). Other runners included: Chris Bennett (23:26); Darren O’Leary (23:40); Stella Martin (25:37); Mark Boffey (26:24); Ben Dorkins (26:39); Simon Gordon (26:55); Clara Walton (29:14); Claire Guffick (34:13); Emma Whorwood (34:27); Roger Eastaff (34:37); Ann Hill (35:08); Nicola Bannister (39:29); Sarah French (39:39); Alison Dolphin (39:39); Ian Grigg (40:02); Lee Guffick (42:02); Christine Norris (47:11) and Stephen Andrews (47:12).
Parkrun tourists this week included: Ian Cooper (28:41) and Tanya Murphy (30:17) at Brueton; Garth Cox (23:54 at Walsall Arboretum; Andy Pickard (23:12) at Concord, Sheffield; Tim Mudd (27:19) at Sandwell Valley; Jackie Tierney (28:36) at Sutton Park and Michael Stevenson (30:39) at Warwick Racecourse. Meanwhile, Joy Sykes volunteered as a tail walker at Beacon parkrun in Lichfield.
After a recent busy period of racing, this weekend saw things a little quieter on the racing scene for the Peel Road Runners.
Emma Pick made an emphatic return to racing by crossing the finish line of the Eton Dorney half marathon on Sunday in a time of 1:35:23. This finishing time meant that she was third in her FS age group in a very competitive field and fifth female finisher out of fifty five females overall.
At the Sneyd Runners Christmas Pudding 10 mile race in Bloxwich, four Peelers were lured to the West Midlands by the promise of a fast course and a Christmas pudding when finishing! Martin Hollamby ran a strong race to finish in a time of 1:03:37 and 20thover the line out of a field of 228 runners. Kathryn Adams was first and only lady home for the club in a time of 1:17:41 making her the 11th female finisher and 4th in age category. Garth Cox finished in a time of 1:25:39 with Darren Truman hot on his heels in a time of 1:26:09.
The Peelers were well represented at Kingsbury parkrun on Saturday with Wayne King the first Peeler to cross the line putting him in second place overall in a time of 19:06, only 27 seconds off his best ever parkrun time. He was followed by Chris Bennett in 23:01; Darren O’Leary in 23:35; Lisa Stretton in 24:49; Mark Boffey in 25:53; Simon Gordon in 26:12; Stella Martin in 27:44; Jackie Tierney in 28:35; Joy Sykes in 29:19; Ben Dorkins in 31:29; Emma Whorwood in 33:29; Alison Upton in 33:45; Alison Dolphin in 38:31; Christine Norris in 48:00 and Stephen Andrews in 48:01. Meanwhile Garth Cox volunteered his time as a “hi-vis” hero at Kingsbury, one of a group of volunteers who enable the parkrun to happen each week.
Parkrun tourists this week included: Tim Mudd in 27:30 at Leamington; Rob Mace in 19:49 at Cannock Chase; Andy Pickard in 23:31 at Hillsborough, Sheffield; Tanya Murphy in 31:02 at Babb’s Mill and Michael Stevenson in 31:09 at Warwick Racecourse.
Peel Road Runners pride themselves on being a friendly and enthusiastic group of runners, willing to take on a variety of challenges and this week has provided plenty of opportunities to do just that!
On Saturday evening, a group of Peelers joined Santa and his Sleigh Team as they travelled around Wilnecote collecting money for local good causes. Despite initial dry weather turning to squally winds and heavy rain, the Peeler spirit prevailed and Santa was able to safely and successfully complete his whistle stop tour of the area.
On Sunday, the annual St Giles Rudolph Run in the Castle Grounds drew in a group of intrepid Peelers who completed the event dressed as unicorns! Representing the Club were Chris Norris, Nicola Peace, Alison Dolphin, Claire Guffick, Lee Guffick, Sarah French, Moira Bucknell, Wendy Bowyer, Roger Eastaff, Steve Andrews, Jeanette Faulkner and Ann Hill. Club Secretary, Alison Dolphin, said that the costumes were not easy to run in and made it one of the hardest events they had done! Mini Peelers Sally and Emma (plus mum Zoe Schnepp running in her famous Rudolph costume) also completed the run.
Also on Sunday, another group of Peelers competed in the second round of the Derby Runner (Staffs & Derby) Cross Country League race at Anslow near Burton upon Trent. After overnight rain, the going was definitely “soft” and an icy wind made the 5.5 mile course energy sapping but this did not deter the runners. First Peeler across the line in the men’s race was Rob Dyjak, finishing in an impressive third place in a very competitive field. Next Peeler home was Wayne King in 10th place, followed by Rob Mace in 14th place, Mike Shelton in 31st place, Scott Chapman in 34th place, Darren O’Leary in 68th place, Chris Bennett in 69th place, Roger Lloyd in 73rd place, Darren Truman in 77th place and Tony Bryan in 88th place. In the Ladies’ race, Sophie Galloway was first home for the club in 35th place, closely followed by Sandra Ingram in 39th place, Jackie Tierney in 48th place and Val Lawson in 54th place.
At Kingsbury parkrun, Zoe Schnepp made a solid return to parkrun completing the 5k course in a time of 24:38, closely followed by Garth Cox in 25:01. Other Peelers running on Saturday included: Stella Martin in 28:02; Jackie Tierney in 28:45; Chris Taylor in 28:57; Joy Sykes in 29:18; Ann Hill in 36:59; Sarah French in 37:03; Lee Guffick in 38:18; Alison Dolphin in 38:30; Stephen Andrews in 41:32; Nicola Bannister in 46:56 and Chris Norris in 46:58. Parkrun tourists included Rob Mace at Cannock parkrun finishing in 10th place and a time of 20:33; Tim Mudd at Rosliston in 28:10; Andy Pickard at Concord, Sheffield in 23:34 and Mick Stevenson at Warwick Racecourse in 30:37.
The indomitable V75+ Peel Road Runner Bob Donovan has been out running another marathon to add to his impressive tally of well over 100 marathons run since the age of 75. On Thursday he took on the Big Bear Events ‘Big Foot’ Challenge at Daventry, an event where runners have 6 hours to complete as many (or as few) 5k laps of the trail course as they wish. Not wishing to waste a minute of the opportunity, Donovan used 5 hours, 52 minutes and 28 seconds of his 6 hours to cover a distance of 27.8 miles. He commented that in sections where a loose chipped path had been laid, his feet really suffered but that the cool and sunny weather compensated for the pain!
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On Saturday at the Betwys-y-coed trail challenge in North Wales, canicross runners Helen and Neal Dempsey with their dogs, Banana and Sydney, took on the “most technical run we do” as Helen described the course. However, the scenic course and sunny weather conditions compensated for the toughness of the route and made for enjoyable running conditions. On Sunday, Team Dempsey moved to Newborough Forest on Anglesey to run the 5k course paired with their other dogs, Minstrel and Hugo.
On Sunday, three Peelers travelled to Clowne in north east Derbyshire to compete in the Clowne half marathon. This iconic race organised by the Clowne Road Runners is renowned for its undulating course and excellent organisation. This year proved to be no different, although the very cold temperature (around 2° at the start) and exposed parts of the course made for a very chilly run. Chris Bennett was first back for the club in 1:59:59, with Darren Truman crossing the line in 2:02:46 and Val Lawson in 2:19:18.
Also on Sunday at the Sphinx AC Coombe 8 mile trail race at Combe Abbey near Coventry, Kathryn Adams ran a great race under difficult conditions. Having gone off course at one point and having negotiated the infamous water crossing, she rallied round to finish in a very impressive time of 1:04:00.
With many local parkruns cancelled due to Storm Arwen, only one Peeler managed to run on Saturday. Michael Stevenson crossed the line at Warwick Racecourse in 31:56.
Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the Skate Park car park at 6.45 pm
A quieter week this week for most Peel Road Runners with fewer local races to tempt our club runners. However, parkrun still had a good turnout of Peelers with Kingsbury luring the most to run 5k at 9.00 am on a Saturday morning. First home was Club Chairman, Lee Rickards who finished in 5th place in a time of 18:45. He was followed by Rob Mace in 19:43; Mike Shelton in 21:29; Malcolm Bembridge in 22:13; Ben Dorkins in 22:31; Judith Matthews in 26:21; Marcus Fairburn in 26:22; Sophie Galloway in 29:00; Darren Truman in 29:02; Jackie Tierney in 29:12; Clara Walton in 29:34; Sandra Ingram in 29:41; Lee Guffick in 36:09; Alison Dolphin in 36:21; Chris Norris and Nicola Bannister in 46:59.
Parkrun tourists this week included: Roger Lloyd at Cannock Chase in 45:07; Ian Cooper (28:21) and Tanya Murphy (30:11) at Brueton; Garth Cox in 23:39 at Walsall Arboretum; Wayne King (19:08) and Sarah French (35:51) at Conkers; Andy Pickard in 22:01 at Concord, Sheffield; Michael Stevenson in 32:25 at Northallerton; Stuart Hatton in 25:18 at Holkham, Norfolk; Joy Sykes in 29:34 at Milford Waterfront, South Wales and Tim Mudd at Dallas Burston Polo Club, Southam.
Emma Whorwood acted as a ‘hi-vis hero’ at Kingsbury parkrun by volunteering to help run the event.
In Durham on Sunday 14th November, Peelers Natalie Walker and Craig Smith took part in the Saturn Running Remembrance Run (a 3.28 mile multi lap course along the River Wear). The race was stopped at 11.00 am so that runners could pay their respects during the two minute silence. Walker and Smith managed to cover 31.5 miles in a time of 5:10:51, whilst raising an amazing £2530 in aid of the Royal British Legion. This is the first event before Walker takes on the Arctic Survival Challenge in aid of the Royal British Legion in 2022.
At the KP Events Tamworth 10k on Sunday the start of the race was delayed until after the two minute silence, which all runners and spectators respected. Running conditions for the race were pretty near perfect with cool and overcast weather and no wind. The two lap course took in Peelers Way, the canal towpath to Fazeley and then back into town via the Ladybridge before finishing in the Castle Grounds. Wayne King was first home for the Club crossing the line in 13thplace and a time of 37:45 and 2nd in M40-44 category. This on its own would be a good finish time, but was even more impressive as King had run the Rutland 10k night run on Friday, finishing in 5th place and a time of 39:45. Chris Bennett was second Peeler home in a time of 46:49 and 13th in the very competitive M40-44 age category. Stella Taylor was the first lady home for the club in a time of 52:11 and 3rd in the F45-49 category. She was followed by Clara Walton in a time of 58:32; Helen Manton in 59:00 and husband and wife team Neal and Helen Dempsey in 1:08:22.
At Kingsbury parkrun, Mike Shelton was first over the line for the club in a time of 21:21, closely followed by Ben Dorkins in 21:50. Other Peelers at Kingsbury included Darren O’Leary in 24:24; Stella Martin in 25:49; Sophie Galloway in 26:36; Jackie Tierney in 29:27 (her 100th parkrun at Kingsbury); Joy Sykes in 29:48; Roger Eastaff in 31:12; Alison Upton in 33:53; Ann Hill in 37:29; Lee Guffick in 37:39; Sarah French in 38:08; Alison Dolphin in 38:11; Wendy Bowyer in 39:11; Stephen Andrews in 39:58; Emma Whorwood in 42:12 and Chris Norris in 44:57.
Parkrun tourists this week included: Marcus Fairburn in 26:11 at Conkers; Andy Pickard in 22:53 at Rotherham; Mick Stevenson in 30:51 at Hove Promenade; Garth Cox in 24:23 at Bedworth; Roger Lloyd in 43:26 (running with daughter, Alicia) at Beacon and Tim Mudd in 26:25 at Watermead near Leicester.
Running is a funny sport that has grown in popularity immensely over recent years. It doesn’t really matter whether you consider yourself to be a “racing whippet” out to get a personal best at whatever distance you choose, or a “back of packer” happy to chat to other runners, whilst taking in the sights and sounds around you. The Peelers are such an eclectic mix of people and the races and events that they get involved in reflect this!
On Thursday night (4th November) and Friday morning (5th November) Mike Shelton ran in the Market Harborough Tunnels Run. This is a unique 5 mile out and back race which required competitors to run through the dark and atmospheric 422 m long Oxenden tunnel. The race on the Thursday evening started at 7.30 pm and Mike Shelton completed this in a time of 35:47 and 21st place. The Friday re-run on the same course started at 6.30 am and he completed this race in a time of 36:47 and 25th place. Very consistent running!
Also on Thursday 4th November, superstar V70 runner Bob Donovan completed the Enigma Running Caldecotte Lake trail marathon at Milton Keynes. The race required runners to complete multiple laps of the path around the lake up to marathon distance, which he completed in a time of 5:47:46. “It was very cold and windy today!” was his only comment after the race …
On Sunday, Val Lawson ran the Dark & White Events Grindleford trail run, which had been postponed from earlier in the year due to Covid. The 9.1 mile run included 1168 ft of ascent and covered very varied terrain. She completed the course in a time of 2:09:04 and 4th out of 5 runners in the F60 category.
At the Canicross Midlands 5k event at Marston Lodge, Rob Mace ran with Axis finishing in 4th position and then ran the 3k course with Molly where they finished in 2nd place. Neal Dempsey also ran the 3k course with his dogs, Banana and Hugo, also finishing in 2nd place in his category. Helen Dempsey competed with Minstrel and Sydney, gaining good experience at the distance.
Disappointed not to be able run the New York marathon that he had trained so hard for (travel restrictions to the USA were lifted the day after the marathon was held), George Hope ran his own version of the marathon around the streets of Tamworth! He completed his 26.2 mile course in a time of 4:31:22, all the more impressive due to the lack of supporters and refreshments out on the course!
There was a brilliant turnout of Peelers at Saturday’s parkrun, perhaps because there were fewer local races to tempt them this weekend. Running at the club’s parkrun “home”, the first Peeler to cross the line was the ever-reliable Ben Dorkins in a time of 21:50. He was followed by Chris Bennett in 22:58, Richard Satchwell in 23:16, Darren O’Leary in 24:23, Stella Martin in 26:22, Simon Gordon in 27:34, Darren Truman in 28:46, Chris Taylor in 29:00, Sophie Galloway in 30:09, Sandra Ingram in 30:27, Jackie Tierney in 30:31, Clara Walton in 30:39, Claire Guffick in 30:57, Roger Eastaff in 31:47, Sarah French 35:26, Nicola Bannister in 38:27, Alison Dolphin in 38:32, Wendy Bowyer in 39:31, Stephen Andrews in 41:22 and Christine Norris in 45:55. Club member Mike Shelton was Race Director for this parkrun on Saturday.
Parkrun tourists this week included Marcus Fairburn with a time of 26:47 at Conkers; Andy Pickard in 26:18 at Concord, Sheffield; Garth Cox 23:36 at Chasewater; Ian Cooper 25:57 at Babb’s Mill and Tanya Murphy in 31:24, also at Babb’s Mill; Joy Sykes in 28:36 (course pb and 1st in age category); Lisa Vickery in 32:34 at Beacon and Michael Stevenson in 31:11 at Dallas Burston polo club in Southam, Warwickshire.
Finally, a keen and enthusiastic group of Peelers were able to take part in some formal structured training at Tamworth Athletics Club on Wednesday evening, lead by Tamworth AC coach Derek Bolton. The Peelers relished the opportunity to run on the quality track at the athletics club and all benefitted from Derek’s coaching expertise.
Light rain? The BBC weather forecast didn’t quite match up to the reality of the weather on Sunday morning, but that did little to deter those hardy Peelers from racing.
At the rescheduled Coventry half marathon, Wayne King ran at an amazing pace considering the weather conditions to finish in a personal best time of 1:22:00. Also running at Coventry, Ash Goodman and George Hope finished together in a time of 1:53:00.
Postponed from last week, the first race in the Derby Runner Derby & Staffs Cross Country League was held on Sunday at Poplars Farm, Anslow near Burton Upon Trent. The League draws in teams from the Derby, Burton, Tamworth and Lichfield and always provides for healthy competition and a great atmosphere between the clubs. The course at Anslow, based on an equestrian cross country course, is always challenging as it includes a log jump, hills and descents and a knee deep water splash, none of which were made any easier after the torrential rain. Despite the change of date affecting the numbers attending, the Peelers were still able to field teams in both the men’s and women’s event. First to cross the line in 5th place and a time of 33:29 was Robert Dyjak, running as a second claim runner closely followed by Club Chairman, Lee Rickards in a time of 36:54 and 13thplace. Rob Mace was close on his heels, finishing in 15th place and a time of 37:24 whilst Mike Shelton finished next in 39:42 and 28th place. Other runners putting in great performances included second claim Scott Chapman in 32nd place, second claim Andrew Pickard in 41st place, Chris Bennett in 55th, Roger Lloyd in 58th , Darren O’Leary in 60th and Lee Guffick in 69th place.
Representing the Ladies, Lorna DSylva was first back for the club finishing her first ever cross country race in 27th position. She was followed by Sophie Galloway in 41st place, Val Lawson in 44th place, Claire Guffick in 48th place and Jackie Tierney in 50th place.
On Saturday, Peelers Claire Guffick, Kelly Porter, Roger Eastaff, Lee Guffick, Stephen Andrews, Wendy Bowyer and Alison Dolphin not content with running a 5k parkrun in torrential rain at Sutton Park also ran the Royal British Legion Poppy Run 5k in the same location. Luckily, the earlier rain had been replaced by glorious sunshine in time for the run, which made for a much more enjoyable experience.
As usual lots of Peelers kicked off their weekends by running at parkrun. At Kingsbury, Ben Dorkins was first over the line in 23:10 followed by Mark Boffey in 25:05 and Jackie Tierney in 30:57. Parkrun tourists included: Mike Shelton and Claire Guffick, Kelly Porter, Roger Eastaff, Lee Guffick, Stephen Andrews, Wendy Bowyer and Alison Dolphin (a warm up before the Royal British Legion Poppy Run 5k!). At Babb’s Mill, Ian Cooper finished in 23:49 whilst Tanya Murphy was a “hi-vis hero” at the same venue, volunteering as a marshal. Finally, Mick Stevenson ran at Warwick racecourse in 32:08, Rob Mace had an impressive finish at Edgbaston reservoir in 19:41 and Andy Pickard ran at Concord, Sheffield finishing in 23:23.
An enthusiastic team of Peel Road Runners were under starter’s orders for their first cross country race of the winter season due to be held at Poplars Farm Equestrian Centre near Burton on Sunday, when news came through that the event had been postponed for a week. Sadly cross country spikes and trail shoes were put back into the cupboards, while road trainers became the order of the day.
On Sunday, Carolyne Browne represented the Peelers at the last ever Rock ‘n Roll Running Series Liverpool half marathon. Runners on the 13.1 mile course were entertained by live music and bands every mile, which made for a great atmosphere. Carolyne finished in an excellent time of 1:57:29, not far short of her club record for FV50 at this distance.
With cross country cancelled this weekend, many Peelers were drawn to the Saturday morning challenge of a 5k parkrun. Once again Kingsbury parkrun proved the most popular venue with Ben Dorkins being the first Peeler to cross the line in a time of 21:59. Other Peelers at Kingsbury included: Chris Bennett (22:58), Phil Neale (23:13), Darren O’Leary (24:34), Mark Boffey (25:06), Stella Martin (27:21), Claire Guffick (29:16), Joy Sykes (29:40 – course PB), Chris Taylor (30:24), Jackie Tierney (30:49), Roger Eastaff (31:40), Emma Whorwood (34:44), Alison Dolphin (36:50), Lee Guffick (37:05) and Stephen Andrews (44:10).
Parkrun tourists this week included: Kathryn Adams at Coventry parkrun, who was second lady and finished in a personal best time of 21:44. At Sandwell Valley Rob Mace also finished in second place in an impressive 19:53. At Conkers parkrun Marcus Fairburn finished in 27:24, with Ann Hill (39:35) and Sarah French (39:36). At Concord parkrun in Sheffield Andy Pickard crossed the line in 23:46, whilst Nick Neale ran at Seaton, Devon in a time of 21:11. Further north, Mick Stevenson ran at the Northallerton parkrun finishing in a time of 31:36; at Babbs Mill, Ian Cooper (23:58) and Tanya Murphy (29:42) were the sole club representatives. At Warwick racecourse, Tim Mudd galloped over the course in 26:32 and at Beacon parkrun in Lichfield, Ash Goodman finished in 22:28, followed by Sophie Galloway (29:00) and Lisa Vickery (31:59).
This weekend was a slightly quieter weekend for Peel Road Runners from a racing point of view, although many Peelers were out and about around the country flying the flag for Tamworth!
V75+ superman, Bob Donovan, ran another marathon! Two weeks after completing the London marathon, Donovan ran the Marston Mortaine trail marathon near Bedford finishing in 5:48:26. This was the fourth in the race series, requiring runners to complete as many laps of the four mile course as possible within a 6 hour period and by completing the marathon distance, he earned the fourth medal to complete the challenge.
The Oxford half marathon is always a “sell out” event with this year being no exception. It is estimated that 13,000 runners crossed the start line of the fast and flat course, which took in the buildings, parks and universities of the famous city. Clara Walton, the Peelers sole representative at the race, finished in a creditable time of 2:18:00. Asked about the route, she said that the “nice flat course had great spectator support and that she would thoroughly recommend it!”.
Further west at the Weston Super half marathon, Ian Cooper just ducked under the two hour mark to finish in 1:59:00, followed by Tanya Murphy in 2:29:00. The race is unique in that, whilst it takes in the glorious sites of Weston Super Mare and surrounding Somerset villages on closed roads, it is the only road race to finish a quarter of a mile out to sea on Weston’s Grand Pier!
After Kingsbury parkrun was cancelled last week due to flooding, a sense of normality returned this week for those Peelers who call Kingsbury “home”. First Peeler home was Mike Shelton, a member of the Core Team at Kingsbury, in a time of 20:53. He was closely followed by new member Ben Dorkins, who is showing huge potential and finished in a personal best time of 21:31. Other runners included Chris Bennett (22:52), Mark Boffey (26:58), Sandra Ingram (28:48), Darren O’Leary (28:48), Phil Neale (28:49), Jo Insley (30:43), Emma Whorwood (38:10) and Sarah French (60:00). Peeler Stella Martin, who is running 5k every day in 2021 to raise money for Cancer Research with the parkrun being her 289th consecutive day of running, also ran at Kingsbury and finished in 26:30!
Parkrun tourists this week included: Joy Sykes who achieved a personal best time of 28:10 assisted by her dog, Charlie Barkrunner at Blyth Links parkrun in Northumberland. At Cannock Chase parkrun, Rob Mace finished in third place in a time of 19:45, whilst at Walsall Arboretum Jackie Tierney crossed the line in 59:20. Other tourists included: Andy Pickard (22:08) who ran at Concord parkrun in Sheffield; Tim Mudd (26:24) ran at Perry Hall parkrun; new member Tony Bryan, who ran a personal best time at Conkers finishing in 23:57; Ian Cooper (25:31) at Burnham and Highbridge and Tanya Murphy (31:22) at the same event. At Newborough Forest on Anglesey, Neal Dempsey ran with his dog Banana finishing in 29:55.
At the same parkrun, Helen Dempsey and Sydney completed the course in 32:02. Closer to home at Sutton Park, Claire Guffick finished in a course personal best time of 29:24 and husband Lee Guffick scanned his barcode on 41:37. Mick Stevenson flew the Club flag at Warwick racecourse with a time of 31:46, whilst Club Secretary Alison Dolphin (38:57) ran at Sandhurst Memorial parkrun. Finally just the one ‘hi-vis hero’ this week, with Garth Cox volunteering at Bedworth parkrun.
