Peel Road Runners were once again represented across a wide range of parkrun venues this weekend, with members taking part both locally and further afield. At Conkers, Mark Harriott reached the incredible milestone of 500 parkruns finishing in 20:58 and first in his age category. At Preston, Jonathan Allen completed his run in a time of 28:27. At Kingsbury Water, Ben Dorkins ran well to finish in 23:31. Darren Truman followed in 27:13, with Jacqueline Tierney recording a time of 31:16. Claire Guffick and Alison Upton finished close together in 33:24 and 33:25, with Wendy Bowyer completing her run in 36:33.
At Bushy parkrun in Dublin, Mark Boffey finished in 29:54, followed shortly after by Sarah Boffey in 30:05. At The Wammy, Emma Pick produced another strong performance with a time of 18:36. Over at Warwick Racecourse, Michael Stevenson completed his run in 44:38. At Oaklands, Stella Taylor and Chris Taylor both crossed the line together in a time of 38:10 and at Beacon, Mike Shelton ran a solid time of 21:42.
A strong group took on Tamworth Castle Grounds, where Jamie Abbiss recorded an excellent time of 19:32. Allen King finished in 23:03, followed by Chris Bennett in 24:09 and Roger Lloyd in 24:31. Christie Rosser ran well to finish in 27:02, with George Hope close behind in 27:19 and Tim Mudd completing the group’s efforts in 27:40. At Three Brooks, Michael Hughes finished in 24:47. Finally, at Perton Playing Fields, Ian Orton completed his run in 23:27, with Garth Cox finishing in 27:02.
Taking on a more challenging distance, Steph Attenborough and Jo Sharman completed the RunThrough Carsington Water Half Marathon in a time of 3:10:16, fulfilling their roles as tail runners at the popular Derbyshire event. Taking place around the scenic trails of Carsington Water, the race provided a challenging yet stunning backdrop for the participants. The occasion was made even more special as it marked Steph’s 99th half marathon, with her landmark 100th already planned for early next year.
On Sunday, Peel Road Runners were back in action for the second race of the cross-country season at Barleyfields Equestrian Centre in Etwall near Derby, and it certainly delivered everything a winter XC race should – mud, hills, slippery descents and plenty of hard-fought racing.
Underfoot conditions were typically challenging, with thick, clinging mud turning the course into a real test of strength and balance. The relentless sequence of hills made sure there was no hiding place, but as ever the team spirit shone through as runners encouraged each other around the course.
The men’s team was led home superbly by Wayne King with an excellent 10th place finish, followed by strong performances from Lee Rickards (27th), Danny Beardmore (48th), Matt Salisbury (55th), Mike Shelton (64th), Ben Dorkins (81st), Billy King (95th) and Chris Bennett (96th). Backing them up in the overall field were Simon Gordon (104th) and Mark Boffey (120th).
In the ladies’ race making a guest appearance from Perth, Australia Vici Richardson led the way with a determined run to finish 32nd, closely supported by Lorna Carlin in 47th, Sophie Galloway in 50th, and Lydia Knight in 61st place. They were followed home by Sandra Ingram (78th), Jackie Tierney (81st) and Lisa Barnes (82nd), rounding off another strong showing for the Peel women in tough conditions.
As always, the racing was followed by the best part of any cross-country fixture – warm layers, great camaraderie and a well-deserved spread of tea, coffee and cakes. With two races down and the season now well underway, the team spirit is as strong as ever and still strangely enjoyable!
The Peelers meet every Tuesday evening at the skate park car park at 6.45pm for a 7pm start with a choice of different paced running groups and a walking group.