Southwell Running Club
Notts Summer League and Spring Marathons
Southwell Running Club recently hosted the first of this season's Nottinghamshire AAA Summer League Races at the beautiful Hexgreave Hall Estate.
Before the race a tribute was paid to George Pass, who recently passed away; having been a key co-ordinator of previous races. The race route took 550 runners out over traffic-free roads to the Southwell Trail and back through the fields and paths of Hexgreave. Members of over 15 different clubs participated, including Mansfield Harriers, Holme Pierrepont RC, Redhill Road Runners, Beeston Athletics Club, Sutton in Ashfield Harriers and, of course, Southwell Running Club. Runners from Mansfield Harriers made their way around the course in record time, hot on the trail of SRC's Ian Haigh who rode the lead bike for the event. SRC had 19 members participating - two men's teams and a ladies' team, which was led home by Katie Simpson who came in as 8th lady. Southwell Running Club would like to thank Tony and Helen Strawson who kindly allow us to use the estate and who put in so much time preparing the grounds.
In other club news, congratulations to Lauren Birkbeck who ran her first marathon in Manchester in 4:22:18. Lauren commented that the crowd was superb and it was a really well organised enjoyable event, even though she discovered that a marathon is a very long way!
Brendan Parkinson, who suffered a fall breaking his elbow and cracking a rib in the last weeks of his training, amazingly overcame adversity and ran the London Marathon in 4:43:54, giving him a good for age time. Despite the wet weather, the crowd in London were also brilliant. It's accepted that getting to the start of a marathon is a feat itself, and that race day is the victory lap; Brendan certainly proved this to be true.
Ruby Runner
www.southwellrunningclub.org