Bramley Newspaper Articles

SRC is back

It was with great joy that Southwell Running Club could return to group training as of 30th March.

Like so many other sporting groups/clubs, we have certainly missed the sport we love to take part in, but I know as much as anything, we have missed the great social aspect that being part of this running club brings.

Whilst I have been running around the streets and fields of Southwell over the past few months, I have seen a higher number of runners doing the same thing. I hope that some of these people have caught the running bug and decide to join us at the club, whether to be competitive or to enjoy running with a great group of like-minded people; either way I know it will not disappoint.

We are celebrating our 35th year as a club and as well as our infamous grand prix events, cross-country and other races, we will be lining up other in-house events to celebrate.

So if you want to know more about joining us then please visit www.southwellrunningclub.org or join us at 6.45pm on a Tuesday or Thursday night by the Southwell Leisure Centre where our one hour training sessions commence.

The Obsessive Runner

Festivities at Southwell Running Club 

Southwell Running Club provided their members with some of their annual festive fun, which was much more needed this year. First up was the return of the infamous Halam Hat Chase, but this year there was no hat involved. For those of you who do not know about this event, here is a brief overview. Runners are set off at staggered times, the more moderate runners set off first with the faster runners following. The first person to set off usually wears a santa hat and the aim of the other runners is to catch the person with the hat before completing the course. The first person back is the winner of this club event. The course certainly isn’t flat and usually muddy and this year certainly did not disappoint. 14 members took part, but it was an old stalwart, Paul Grogan who took the honours this time round. Question marks have been raised about the handicap time he was given, but nothing can be taken away from Paul’s feat, particularly after a challenging year for Paul. Second up was the annual festive run, which replaces the usual Tuesday night training session before Christmas. This sees runners working in small socially distanced teams, following clues and answering questions set in and around Southwell. 15 members took part and the Christmas pudding team took first prize. Unfortunately these are the last of the events SRC will be able to put on for a while and our club training is also suspended until further notice.

Plenty To Look Forward To At SRC 

When I first took over writing this article for Southwell Running Club I never envisaged that we would have months in a year where practically no running events would have taken place, that is except for virtual events and ‘virtual’ might be one of the most over used words of the year certainly within running during 2020! However not long after I write this article we will soon be back amongst friends being able to train and run together on a Tuesday and Thursday evening and Saturday mornings. We will also be able to carry on with some of our in-house club events, starting with the infamous Halam Hat Chase in December. In the New Year we will continue with the club Grand Prix Series, starting with a 5K event and wrap up the series with a 10 mile race. These events will bring an end to the series, which currently sees Ben Parker taking the lead in the men’s category and a joint lead in the ladies held by Sam Hatton and Pam Dutton. However, there is still plenty to play for and it will be very interesting to see who comes out on top. I can’t wait to be able to share more details and information from upcoming events and members achievements, but please visit our website www.southwellrunningclub.org for any further details on our amazing club.

The Obsessive Runner

It is with great regret that I share with you the extremely sad news that Mick Turley, Southwell Running Club's oldest member at 82 years of age, passed away on 18th October.

I do not think my words or this article can fully describe or justify what a great man Mick was, but I want to share with you a little bit about him and his irreplacable role at SRC. Mick first joined the running club in 1997 and became an active and very important member and remained this way until very recently. Mick had an impressive race history, often finishing first in his age category. He was twice awarded the Chairman's Shield and was the inaugural recipient of the Mary Cochran Award.

In 2015 Mick was made an honorary life member of SRC for his lonstanding contributions to the club. As previously mentioned, Mick was very active within the club and was still running with the Saturday morning group this year. Not only did Mick run but he was often out supporting events and SRC runners with his wife Ann. I can recall many occasions receiving their support. Similarly, Mick was well known and loved for having a great sense of humour and I remember lots of his jokes that always brought a smile. The club would like to pass on our condolences and very best to Ann and I know that Mick will be sorely missed by all members of the club.

Obsessive Runner

Different Challenges, Same Focus! 

 There has been a change of focus for runners over the past 6 months and definitely a different way in how we can race at the moment, when that is even possible. Even though there have been limited opportunities to test a runners’ ability in a race, there has been an emphasis for runners to test themselves, on challenges that they can attempt on their own or with a small support team. Our very own Dan Wheat was no exception to this as he set out to follow in the footsteps of three of our other members: Rich Andrews, Ian Haigh and Paul Orton, to attempt to complete the Bob Graham Round. For those of you who are thinking what is this and what does it entail, then I can tell you that it means running 66 miles, reaching 42 peaks and ascending 27,000 ft of hills in the Lake District in a 24 hour time limit. This covers some of the toughest fell running ground this country has to offer and not only this, but some tough weather as well if you are unlucky. Dan completed his round in 23 hours and 18 minutes with the support of six Southwell runners. Not bad for a club with no proper hills near them! We have also been fortunate enough to see the return of our own in-house race series, setting off runners in groups of six. Adam Carney was the fastest on the 1 mile race and I cannot wait to tell you about the rest of the races in this series.

We Are Back!

In terms of events and achievements by SRC club members there is inevitably not much to tell you about. However, since you last heard from me something much more important and significant has occurred; club training has returned to Southwell Running Club on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Saturday mornings! I certainly took turning up to run and train with friends on a weekly basis for granted, and whilst running is a sport that you can go and do on your own, it is definitely more enjoyable when you can share that experience with others. The club has put new procedures in place surrounding covid-19 to ensure that all runners remain safe whilst training. Details about this and when we train can be found at www.southwellrunningclub.org. So if you fancy running with a friendly club then definitely come and join us and you will be made to feel very welcome. The Obsessive Runner