Bramley Newspaper Articles

Southwell runners brave the mud!

A hardy group from Southwell Running Club mastered the Stamford St. Valentine’s Day 30k, braving rain, snow and flooded roads to achieve fantastic results.

The pleasant, scenic, rural course, which passes through Careby, Pickton and Little Casterton provides a perfect route for those training for spring marathons such as London, Tokyo, Paris and Leeds.

The six runners from Southwell achieved the following amazing results in very difficult conditions: Steven Rice 2:16:43, Nigel Whitmore 2:27:38, Stephen Holt 2:34:27, Mel Duffy 2:35:07, Nicola Blatherwick 2:36:37 and Ben Parker 2:42:18.

Several members of the club joined the monthly pub run in Oxton, which proved to be one of the muddiest ever, with muddy water knee high within the first mile and most of the group falling over at least once. Well-deserved chip cobs were enjoyed by all at the pub afterwards!

Meanwhile another team from the club are working extremely hard to prepare for the club’s own 10k event, Southwell Summer Scamper which takes place on 14^th June and is proving popular with over 30% of the places already sold.

All runners are welcome to participate and raise funds for The Reach Charity. If you need some additional training, join us on a Tuesday evening for intervals.

Sign up for the Scamper at https://my.raceresult.com/371600.

Ruby Runner

For Southwell Running Club

Southwell Running Club members assembled at The Old Theatre Deli to celebrate this year's running achievements.

With wine flowing freely, wonderful food and a hilarious quiz, the evening provided a welcome change from the road and trail running usually enjoyed by members.

The club's annual awards recognise both athletic success and outstanding contributions to club life.

The Ladies' Grand Prix title was won by Nic Blatherwick, with Nigel Whitmore taking the Men's Grand Prix. The Mary Cochran Award, presented to a member who has overcome adversity, was awarded to Steven Rice, who has continued to run consistently while dealing with significant personal challenges..

The Cregg Cup for cross-country running went to Michelle Hall, who completed her first ultra as well as the Gritstone Trail series. Megan Mulraney received the Most Improved Award for her remarkable progress over the last year, including completing both marathon and Ironman events.

The Richard Durance Award for Outstanding Achievement was presented to Carol Hayward for completing the World Marathon Majors and for her wider contribution to the club. The club's Runner's Runner Award , voted for by members went to Ben Parker, who also received the Chairman's Trophy for his work on the committee. 

The club's London Marathon place was awarded to Kayne Rukas who was overjoyed after several unsuccessful attempts in previous years.

The final club event of the year was, as always, the Halam Hat Chase, won for the second year running by Steven Tomlinson, who managed to hold onto the 'hat' despite strong challenges from Nigel Whitmore and new member Paul Speirs.

We wish everyone a very merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the new year - ready to run off that Christmas pudding!

Ruby Runner

Seasonal Challenges at Running Club

Continuing the Autumn Half Marathon challenges several club members took part in a Halloween favourite event - The Worksop Half Marathon. Steven Rice finished in 1:25:14, Nigel Whitmore grabbed a new PB in 1:35:18, Laurens Du Toit finished 1:38:42 Mel Duffy in 1:42:35, and Michelle Hall in 2:01:03

The Yorkshire Marathon provided a quick tour of the city centre before heading to more rural roads, for Ben Parker and Stephen Holt, including a run past the grand, gothic York Minster. Stephen Holt finished in 3:51:19 with an 8 minute PB while Ben completed in 3:20:50 coming first in his age group.

The Dukeries 10-mile race with its challenging hills and woodland trails, is usually knee deep in mud, but was surprisingly dry this year for Rachel Cook and Pam Dutton who enjoyed the event despite the 10 miles distance being 11.4 miles.

Markeaton Park in Derby hosted the first race of this season’s North Midlands cross country series. The vet ladies team consisted of Nicola Blatherwick, Pam Dutton and Sarah Mckie, Vet men were Steve Tomlinson and Ben Parker. The series continues with the next race at Wickstead Park in November

If you spot our club members out running on local roads at this time of year, you’ll probably be blinded by the lights and hi-vis as we see this as an essential requirement for safety when running at night. If you’re thinking of joining us, we have hi-vis you can borrow. See you on a Tuesday, Thursday evening or Saturday morning.

Ruby Runner

Southwell Running Club.

Ever fancied trying interval running but weren't sure where to start?

This October, Southwell Running Club is inviting newcomers to join our friendly Tuesday evening sessions. Covering speed, tempo and hill work, these workouts are suitable for runners of all abilities. Interval training helps build both speed and endurance by strengthening the fast-twitch muscles that give you power.

Our session begins with a gentle warm-up run of about a mile, followed by a main workout led by one of our session leaders. You can do as much - or as little - as you like, and you'll quickly see that we're not all super-fast sprinters! You will be fully supported during the session by a trained run leader. For more information email southwellrc@hotmail.com.

Looking to current members, our runners have been enjoying local races. Steven Rice, Stephen Holt, Jo Harcombe, Carol Hayward and Neil Merritt ran the Newark Half Marathon, with special congratulations to Jo for finishing first in her age group. Meanwhile Ben and Guy Parker and Michelle Hall completed the 30k Belper Rover, taking in the beautiful trails, footpaths and ancient woodlands of the Midshires Way. Steven Rice and Stephen Holt also ran the Derby Running Festival Half Marathon, finishing 3rd and 4th in their respective age groups.

Ruby Runner

Amazing Achievements

Over the past few weeks some members of Southwell Running Club have been pushing the boundaries by taking on more extreme challenges.

Kat Hall, Lauren Birkbeck and Megan Mulraney travelled to Les Sables D’Olonne in western France to complete the Ironman. Beginning with a 2.4 mile swim which started on the Grande Plage in Les Sables d'Olonne they then completed the 112 mile undulating cycling section of the event which took them  through 17 districts of the region and then finally took on the 26.2 mile run which began in the harbour near the lighthouse in Les Sables d'Olonne and followed 4 loops via the Lac de Tanchet to the Puits d'Enfer, finishing on the Place du Palais de Justice. All three performed amazingly with Lauren completing in 12hrs 23mins, Kat in 12hrs 53mins and Megan in 14hrs 21 mins. Well done ladies we are all in awe of your achievements!

Travelling to one of the most scenic areas in our own country Carol Hayward and Neil Merritt took on the Lake District Ultra, running 100k with over 7,500ft of climb. The steep, challenging course combined rocky mountainous terrain with grassy hillsides, woodland trails and steep downhills on winding roads. The stunning views and natural beauty of the area made the challenging climbs well worth the effort. They completed the route in just over 18hrs, finishing in joint 14^th place with Carol coming first and Neil coming second in their respective age categories.

Whether you are training for your first 10K, half or full marathon, an ultra or ironman or indeed if you just love running, we welcome you to our sessions on a Tuesday or Thursday evening and Saturday morning.

Ruby Runner

Southwell Running Club.