Bramley Newspaper Articles

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

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!