Bramley Newspaper Articles

Still Running! 

 I usually sit down and write these articles thinking about how I can possibly share all of our members’ achievements from the previous month in just 250 words, and I rarely succeed. Now though we are in very different times, but there are still plenty of members who are actively running and making things happen to continue to make this a great club, so writing this today is made easy. Currently the days of races and organised events have gone and have been replaced by ‘virtual’ events. SRC and in particular Ian Haigh and Paul Orton have been fantastic with organising virtual races that have seen several members eagerly go up against each other over set distances. Andy Thorne has certainly had the bit between his teeth as he took a clean sweep of 5 races, although Adam Smith was not far behind Andy across all 5 events. Members of the club have also been brilliant in sharing virtual training events on a weekly basis. This has replaced our usual training sessions on a Tuesday to help people have a structure and plan for their training if they want it. We are lucky that the sport we love and take part in has been able to continue over the past few months, even if at a reduced level. However I believe that SRC members are even more fortunate to have this community support that has helped us all keep focused and able to feel a part of something. We look forward to you joining us!

Keep Running! 

 It seems a strange time to be writing an article about Southwell Running Club and unfortunately, but definitely for the right reasons, the club has suspended all training and events until the government issues advice that we can do otherwise. So, for a while you will not be hearing about the great achievements our members undertake each month, but I know that I and we will all still be running for as long as we can. As runners we are fortunate that we can still carry on with the sport/hobby that we love, whilst gym goers team sports and other activities aren’t so lucky. Therefore now is a great time to start running. You can really take advantage of the one physical activity per day that the government is allowing. Not only is this a great way to get or stay fit, it is also proven that running offers many mental health benefits and I am sure this will be of much benefit to many over the coming weeks or months. There are many ways to start running and you can find podcasts such as Couch to 5k if you’re a beginner. For those more experienced runners there are virtual 5k races that you can find online and other activities to keep things interesting. So, if you don’t run then now is the time to start and if you run already, then keep going! It’d be great to see new faces at the club when things get back on track.

Southwell Running Club Still Shining 

 It seems we’ve had storm after storm or just wind or rain during February, but it’s no surprise that Southwell Running Club members were still out in force training and taking part in events. One of the East Midlands XC races was cancelled due to Storm Ciara, but the Colwick XC still took place at the beginning of the month. This course is the hilliest of the XC courses and can be notoriously muddy, this year did not disappoint. Paul Grogan who never seems to miss a XC or summer league race, represented the club, was first home for the men, finishing 26th place. Adam Smith took part in his first XC for the club and he finished just behind our very own Ben Parker in 71st place. There was a good turnout for the ladies team too. Jane Matthews was first back in 28th place and Pam Dutton and Lorraine Fozzard were also not too far behind. During February SRC put on the second of its XC series, the Pit Hill Predictor. This a great event where competitors have to complete a 5 mile hilly XC course. Runners have to estimate how long the run will take them, but no watches are allowed during the race to help them achieve their respective predicted times. Six club members took part in spite of Storm Dennis, but it was Brian Jobe who blew everyone away by completing the run closest to his predicted time. Let’s hope for better weather in March and more great running.

Before I share some of the feats and achievements of some of our runners, I want to congratulate Brian Jobe for taking on the role of chairperson for the club.

The committee and other members have done a fantastic job over the last several months, but it is a great start to the year to have such a fantastic person taking on such a pivotal role within the club. We all wish Brian the best of luck and I know he can help take the club forward. January saw the start of the East Midlands cross country league and two races have already passed out of the four event series. The first race was at Bramcote and we had a great turnout, four men runners and three ladies representing the club. There were two 21st place finishes, Adam Carney for the men's team and Pam Dutton for the ladies. The next race took us to Holme Pierrepont. Whilst this is a flatter cross country course, it certainly isn't any easier. Again we had a great turn out including Adam Carney, Paul Grogan, Ben Parker, Loraine Fozzard, Michelle Hall and Nicola Blatherwick, who all did a fantastic job representing the club.

On top of having a new chairperson we also have some exciting things happening at the club including social pub runs, track session training and the Pitt HIll predictor. So if you want to know more please go to www.southwellrunningclub.org and find out how you can get involved.

The Obsessive Runner

SRC Christmas Celebrations 

Another year has passed and Southwell Running Club held their annual Christmas dinner where all members and partners were welcome to celebrate festivities and some of the achievements of their fellow club members. This year we had a fantastic turnout and 40 people enjoyed the great food and hospitality given by the Admiral Rodney and their staff. Thankfully I do not have to get involved in making any decisions when it comes to who gets the awards as there are many deserved winners, but I do not think there can be any arguments with who actually won the awards on the night. Paul Grogan won the Chairperson’s award and Ian Haigh won the Runners Runner award. Both awards recognise all the help Paul and Ian give to the club with training, encouraging others, always turning up for the team events and being great assets to the club. Steven Rice won the Outstanding Achievement award for a great year of running and several PB’s. Paul Orton won a Special Recognition award for completing the Dragon’s Back race. Dick Durance won the Mary Cochran award, given to someone who inspires and continues to achieve so much in the face of adversity and Dick definitely more than deserves this award. There were also awards for our grand prix and Halam Hat Chase winnners Steven Rice, Michelle Hall and Pam Dutton. A special thanks goes to Sam Hatton and Kat Hall for organising this night and here is to another year of inspirational moments!

Weather for Ducks, Not Runners

Despite the wet and miserable weather in recent weeks (and there has certainlnly been plenty of wet weather), Southwell runners have still been busy on the roads and on the trails taking part in events and training.

This includes the cross country season, which is now in full swing. The latest event in the four part series was held in Corby. The North Midlands League is highly competitive and sees some of the best runners take part from as far south as Northampton up to Buxton.

To finish in the top 100 is a great achievement in these races and James Stubbs had an excellent run to finish 96th on the day. Paul Grogan, Ian Haigh and Ben Parker also took part. All of them did exceptionally well, finishing high up within the field.

Also in November was the last of the club Grand Prix series. The last event to count in this series was the hilly Parkrun at Gedling Country Park. The turnout was amazing and 10 Southwell runners took on the lungbusting 5km course. Both Brendan Parkinson and Ben Parker finished first in their age category.

Tueday evening training session attendance has been staggering , with over 30 runners taking part. We would still love to see more people join us and experience this welcoming club which can offer something for everyone. Please visit our website www.southwellrunningclub.org or join us at 6.45pm in the Southwell Leisure Centre car park.

The Obsessive Runner