Bramley Newspaper Articles

London – Cornwall - Chicago

Members of Southwell Running Club definitely like to explore their options when it comes to choices for races. The London Marathon is a popular choice for many runners but entry via the main ballot is almost impossible so having gained a very good time on Milton Keynes marathon last year, Ben Parker entered the London Good for Age ballot and secured a place.

Following months of training, Ben arrived at the start line on good form. With perfect running conditions and the cheering crowds Ben had a great time running the marathon finishing in 3:23:10. Club members Andy Thorne and Richard Whitehead also completed the marathon. Paralympian Richard is a double amputee who runs with prosthetic legs and frequently sets world records for double amputee athletes. He completed this year’s London marathon in a time of 3:48:20 while Andy finished in 3:58:53.

Taking a trip further southwest, Kat Hall took on the Atlantic Coast Challenge with friend Karen Nix, to raise funds for the John Eastwood Hospice. Participants run, walk or crawl a total of 78.6 miles over 3 days along some of the wildest coastlines in Britain beginning in Padstow and finishing at Land’s End.

Finally, Carol Hayward decided to travel overseas for her marathon adventure. Gaining a Good for Age place for the Chicago marathon led to months of gruelling training but Carol arrived at the start line feeling strong and ready for the challenge. The windy city can have unpredictable weather but the day dawned bright, clear and cool with perfect race conditions. The flat course combined with amazing crowd support allowed Carol to achieve a 13-minute marathon PB in a time of 4:28:01.

If you are planning on running a marathon and need support for your training, join us on Tuesday/Thursday evenings or Saturday mornings.

www.southwellrunningclub.org.

Ruby Runner

Members of Southwell Running Club were very sad to hear of the death of long-term club member George Pass. George joined the club many years ago when he moved to Southwell and was an active participant in many club events achieving impressive personal times. He was particularly fond of running with the Saturday group often leading the runs from Caunton around the surrounding countryside. He took on the role of club treasurer for many years and, following this, diligently and professionally checked the annual accounts for the club. In more recent years, George set up and organised the Southwell Swine race, which took place for several years. His greatest contribution however was arranging the Notts AAA Summer league at Hexgreave Hall - one of the most popular and well organised races in the series, gaining glowing tributes from many running clubs across the county.

George was a friendly, approachable guy who was extremely reliable and would always take the time to chat to anyone, especially new members. He was an incredibly well respected club member who will be sadly missed by us all.

We send our thoughts and prayers to George’s wife Sharon and their family.

Ruby Runner