Sunday Morning Run

A few of us are doing a steady 10 miler on Sunday morning.

Meet at the Gin Pit at 9.30

Everybody welcome - all abilities

Nobody gets left behind, so come and give it a go.

Fell News

This Sunday is the 5th Run the Moors race..

Sun 3rd Jun 2012 – Edenfield - Change Of Start Time (R)

Date & time: Sun 3rd Jun 2012 at 10:30

• Region: South/West Pennines
• Category: BM
• Distance: 10.3km / 6.4m
• Climb: 477m / 1565ft
• Venue: Edenfield Cricket Club, Gincroft Lane.
• Grid ref: 802192
• Skills & experience: PM, LK

I will be doing this race so if anybody wants to join me I can arrange a meet up at the train station.

 

 

Also we have the 3rd club grand prix fell race

Thu 7th Jun 2012 – Henderson's End (R)

Race details

Date & time: Thu 7th Jun 2012 at 19:30

• Region: South/West Pennines
• Category: BS
• Website: lostockac.co.uk
• Distance: 9.4km / 5.8m
• Climb: 300m / 984ft
• Venue: Rivington Hall Barn.
• Grid ref: SD634145
• Skills & experience: PM, LK
• Entry on day fee:£3.00

meet at train station at 6pm to leave at 6.15pm

thanks Michelle

Swinton\Burnden Challenge

Just a reminder that this coming Wednesday 30th May is the Swinton\Burnden challenge starting at 7.30pm from Clifton Marina (postcode M27 6NG)

Could you please try to arrive before 6.45pm so that teams can be sorted on the evening as trouble free as possible.

I suggest that those wishing to travel in the convoy to arrive at Atherton station car park for a 6.15pm departure.

Also for those wishing to get there early and do a warm up on the course. Here is the course map http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/RouteViewer.asp?RouteType=S&RouteID=272699

If you're not already down on the list to take part it is still not too late to join in the fun. Just let me know as soon as you can whether you're available to take part. It's more the merrier! You know you want to!
Email p_basnett@hotmail.com or facebook me

The names I have so far are

Alex Foster
Carole Baines
Garry Baines
Peter Chan
Rob Chan
Jean Mann
Terry Gardiner
Marjorie Leigh
Anne Garvey
Michaela Shaw 
Clare Unsworth 
Christine Farnworth 
Tracy Waterfall-Chadwick 
Suzanne Gregory  
Ian Bushrod
Brenda Wane  
Shaun Moran
Michelle Fuller 
Scott Christey 
Kim O'Neill 
Steve Eldridge
Ray Taylor 
Mark Lysycia 
Josie Maley 
Mark Riches 
Michelle Garvey
Andy Coates
Joan Cooke 
Steve Foster 
Dale Kenyon
Lewis Eccleston
The Baron

Gill Pimblott Memorial Race 2012 (incorporating A&T Internal Half Marathon) – by Mark Riches

As most of you know Gill lost her battle with cancer several years ago & it was in her memory that the Club hosted its very first race, a 5K around the GP trails. The race continues to be held annually & raises much needed funds for a local cancer charity

As previously discussed, this year we are going to do something slightly different – we are going to have 2 races!

 The event will be held on Sunday 19/08/12

The Gill Pimblott Memorial Race will be 1 single lap (4.37 miles) of the Gin Pit Trail Marathon course; starting & finishing at the Miners Welfare Club

Entry fee is £5.00 with all proceeds going to charity / entries on the day only from 10:00 at the Welfare Club / race start time 11:00

The Half Marathon (3 laps of the Gin Pit Trail Marathon course) is an internal club event, to be held along side the Gin Pit Trail Marathon and is open to A&T Club members & guests only

Entry fee is £10.00 with all proceeds going to charity / the entry form can be down loaded below.

http://www.malcsblog.net/?p=1935

No entries on the day & closing date for entries is 11/08/12 (race limit 30 competitors)

Race numbers can be collected from 09:00 onwards at the Welfare Club / race start Time 10:00

If you have any questions etc please contact me on mark.riches@talk21.com

Dunham Massey 5k

On a very warm and breezy Friday evening 4 A&T athletes made their way to Dunham Massey for the 1st of 5 races of the North Cheshire 5k Grand Prix series. The course being just under 2 1/2 slightly undulating laps starting from the mansion house. The surface consisted of mostly park paths with some trails which were very dry for the race with the recent weather. There was also a stiff breeze in your face to contend with on the home straight, which made it a bit of a battle to the finish.

In a strong field of 247 runners the winner, Dave Norman of Althrincham and District AC, completed the race in 15.48. Scott Christey was the first A&T runner back with a time of 18.45 and taking 38th position. Colin Kay finished under a minute later with 19.25 taking the first V55 prize and 50th position overall. Well done Colin and looking good for his category at the start of series. The Baron followed Colin home a few minutes later with 22.24 and 142nd position. And our only female competitor Bev Tickle ran well to finish in 210th with 27.45. The next race in the series is at Hollins Green on Saturday 2nd June.

Sunday Morning Run

There is a steady 10 mile run from Gin Pit on Sunday at 9.30
Everybody welcome

A&T take first prize at St Anne's Tri!

Well done to Alex, Mike and Dan on winning 1st team prize at St Anne's Triathlon last week. There was a mix up with the results on the day but just heard that they've been corrected and A&T Team came in first place!

CLGP Latest Standings

The latest CLGP Standings after Horwich can be found by clicking here

Thanks to Chris Greenall for compiling the results.

Wednesday 23rd May Session Times

Trails
Warm
3 hills hard up hard down (to level of ability markers)
4 x 800's
3 hills hard up hard down

Shaun 6.48 / 2.51 /. 2.58 / 2.52 / 2.56 / 6.30
Scott 6.40 / 2.50 / 2.57 / 2.51 / 3.00 / 6.31
John 6.47 / 2.52 / 2.58 / 2.49 / 2.54 / 6.30
Clare 6.41 / 4.20 / 4.46 / 4.40 / 4.30 / 7.01
Gary 6.27 / 2.50 / 2.56 / 2.51 / 3.01 / 6.17
Kim 7.10 / 4.30 / 4.42 / 4.38 / 4.45 / 8.00
Mark R 6.22 / 2.44 / 2.50 / 2.44 / 2.47 /6.08
Carole 7.06 / 3.20 / 3.26 / 3.16 / 3.26 / 6.47
Josie  ??  / 3.05 / 3.13 / 3.10 / 3.16 / 6.34
Jackie 7.07 / 3.24 / 3.24 / 3.22 / 3.27
Mandy ?? / 4.10 / 4.11 / 4.10 / 4.11 / ??
Suzanne 6.53 / 3.20 / 3.27 / 3.21 / 3.23 / 6.39
Michaela 7.06 / 4.20 / 4.40 / 4.30 / 4.45 / 8.00
Marjorie 6.06 / 4.10 / 4.11 / 4.10 / 4.11 / 6.22

Blog

I won't have any Internet access at all between Friday 25th May and June 4th so if anyone needs anything adding to the blog please could you contact Clare, Terry G or the Baron.

Cheers, Gary S

My BUPA Manchester 10k by Gary Stevens

I've lost count of how many races I've done over the years, probably over 200 now, but this was a first even for me, a big city race.  Thanks to Mark Riches i got a late entry to this years Bupa Manchester 10k and was pretty excited about doing it.  I was in two minds if i should race it or just enjoy it as normally when i race i just remember the pain and not much else.
I got in to Manchester bright and early and made my way to the 'orange' start area which was almost empty, so i decided to go for a 10 minute jog and make a toilet stop.  Close to 10am i made my way to the front of the orange zone right next to the barriers where to my surprise i saw a few familiar faces in Peter & Robin Chan, Jean Mann and Mark Lysycia who were all marshals.  It wasn't long before the latter got his favourite gadget out, his camera, and was happily snapping away at everything that moved!
The elite runners were at the front, then there was a small section of "fast" runners, and just behind them behind a metal barrier was the orange zone.  I was hoping Mark would let me in the "fast" runners bit but he was being very strict.
Man Utd legend Bobby Charlton and some fella who played for a little know blue team called Tony Buck started the race bang on 10.34am.  They let the elites and fast runners go before unleashing the orange zone.  I've known some fast starts in my time but this took the biscuit with some runners sprinting just to get over the start line.  Even i got carried away and set off quick. I've never had 'race rage' before but i couldn't help throwing out the odd expletive as i passed a lot of the so called "fast" runners who had clearly cheated their application to get a good start position.
As we made our way down Chester Road i was moving very well, first mile 5.47, 2nd mile 5.53 and 3rd mile 6.02 which was my PB pace.  As we turned at the theatre of dreams at 5k i started to realise i maybe had got a bit excited and tried to hold my form for the final few miles which felt a little uphill and in a very slight head wind.  As i hit the 5 mile mark the time was 30.04, 2 seconds outside my 5 mile PB set in 2006.  At this point it was hurting, 800 mtrs to go, 400 mtrs to go, i heard a familiar voice "come on Gary, nice shorts", it was Anne Garvey, thanks Anne!
As i crossed the finish line my time was 37.47 (187th), not a PB but still a very pleasing performance.  Later i looked at my garmin and it measured the course long at 6.26 miles which was probably down to dodging a few of the cheats.  I took comfort in knowing if i had been in the "fast" section i would have run close to 37.30 if not under, which gives me lots of encouragement for the rest of the year.

On picking up my goody bag i saw someone who over the past couple of years has become an inspiration to lots of runners, Nell McAndrew.   She is now 38, but is running some fantastic times, clearly showing if she had been a runner at an earlier age she would almost certainly of been an international runner.  I took this opportunity for a picture with her, she was very happy to do so, I'd like to think she reads the A&T blog and was excited about having her picture with the inventor or more likely i was just in the right place at the right time.

A big well done to all the club members who did the race and to the other 40,000, whom most were just happy to get round, raising millions for charity in the process.

Gary S

Manchester Marathon Donation

Manchester 10k by Paul Beardsworth

Manchester 10K

 

I decided at christmas despite not having run for 15 years and being overweight to run the Manchester 10k. My motivation is due to my son having Autism and because of all the help the National Autistic Society have given me I wanted to run this and raise some funds for them as a way of thanking them. Fortunately a family friend Brenda Wane pointed me in the direction of A&T running club and the Tuesday night sessions for beginners. I remember the first Tuesday night I ran - if you call it running. Nothing like a bapism of fire, just to the top of Newbrook Road and back again!! I did 3.2 miles with 8 stops in about 50 minutes!! I realised then that I had a lot of work to do. Fortunately thanks to all the Tuesday night runners I have improved and also lost quite a bit of weight - 25 pounds so far, I have come a long way. In fact I have come so far that I have changed my mindset since January where just to complete the 10k would have been a massive achievement, but now I wanted to run under 1 hour for the 10k. In order to get used to racing I did my first parkrun last weekend at Pennington Flash, and made the massive rookie mistake of going of ridicously fast and struggled home in 28.26 for the 5k. A week of recovery and today was the big day. Before the start I was very nervous and unfortunately have also been suffering with a sore calf. I knew at some point on the course it would give but hoped it would be later to give me a chance to get under the hour. I set of fast, but fairly controlled and went through 3k in 14.44 which I would have been pleased with in a 3k race!! The pIan was to try and get enough ahead of 1 hour pace in case I had a problem. I then went through 5k in 26.19 - I slowed a little through getting a drink. Disaster struck just after 6k when I felt the twinge in the calf I had been waiting for. At 8k I had slowed considerably and went through in 45.27. I battled hard through the last 2k I had to stop at one point as the pain was so bad, but then the crowd spurred me on and I managed to start running again. I went through the finish in 59.14 to not only complete but get the time under 1 hour!!

 

I was absolutely elated and to get this time in my first 10k run was amazing even more so with my friends and family watching. I think I may take a week of, but will be back soon on Tuesday nights to continue my running. As with most people, what starts with a mad Idea, turns into a love affair with running.

 

I think I will enjoy running for a while, before my next challenge

 

Paul Beardsworth

Swinton \ Burnden Challenge - by Paul Basnett

Information was posted last week regarding this challenge but now I'm starting to look for numbers. I'm looking for runners of all abilities and want as many people to come along and take part in the event as possible. For anyone who has not done the inter club challenge before they are a lot of fun, a chance to meet people from other clubs with a bit of running thrown in.

The event will take place on Wednesday 30th May starting at 7.30pm at Clifton Marina, which is between Swinton and Kearsley just off the A666. The event will be a 4 x 2.5Km Relay on a loop of the trail in the Marina. There is sufficient car park places for about 80 cars there, and if these get filled up there will also be Clifton Cricket Club, which has been booked for afterwards for pasties and peas. As last time at the Anglezarke event people will be asked to chip in with a couple of quid to cover the costs.

Let me know if you're interested by letting me know in person, messaging me on facebook or emailing me at p_basnett@hotmail.com 

Look forward to seeing the names roll in!

Names so far


Alex Foster
Carole Baines
Garry Baines
Peter Chan
Rob Chan
Jean Mann

Terry Gardiner
Marjorie Leigh
Anne Garvey
Michaela Shaw 
Clare Unsworth 
Christine Farnworth 
Tracy Waterfall-Chadwick 
Suzanne Gregory  
Alan Hilton 
Ian Bushrod
Brenda Wane  
Shaun Moran
Michelle Fuller 
Scott Christey 
Kim O'Neill 
Steve Eldridge
Ray Taylor 
Mark Lysycia 
Josie Maley 
Mark Riches 
Michelle Garvey



The Baron

IronmanUK

IronmanUK Bolton 2012 – be part of it! 

Volunteers are needed to help make this year’s IronmanUK  Bolton event a success.

Last year’s event saw thousands of visitors and over £2.5 million brought into the north west  economy. A large part of the success was down to the hundreds of volunteers who supported the day.

IronmanUK Bolton 2012 takes place on Sunday July 22 and will be one of the North West’s sporting highlights of the year.  More than 1500 competitors will start with a 2.4 mile swim in Pennington Flash; then cycle 112 miles including loops around Rivington, Chorley and Adlington; and finish with running a full marathon to Bolton town centre.

Volunteers are needed to help with:

§  Bike catching – taking bikes from the athletes as they complete the bike course.

§  Transition – helping athletes find their kit and also packing it away for them.

§  Aid stations – helping athletes fuel their race by handing out drinks, gels or other food.

§  Registration – athletes collect registration packs and timing chips.

§  Road marshall – ensuring that competitors can proceed safely whether cycling or running as well as being a point of contact for spectators viewing the event.

Whilst the majority of volunteering opportunities are on the Sunday, volunteers can also assist from the Thursday onwards, when competitors start to register for the event, through to the Monday when the Awards Ceremony takes place.

For more information on the roles available, and to register as a volunteer go to   http://www.ironmanuk.com/ironman-uk/volunteer/why-be-a-volunteer

or contact Geoffrey Bennette,  IronmanUK’s Volunteer Manager at geoffrey.bennette@worldenduranceuk.com  /  07531 1927971.

St.Annes Triathlon

I've entered for the St Anne's Tri on Sunday but I've come down with laryngitis

 and a respiratory tract infection, so I'm out of the game. Does anyone want to 

use my number? If so, please email me (no use ringing - I can't speak!!!) 

on tubalady@blueyonder.co.uk
 
Helen

Sunday Morning Run

A few of us are doing a steady 10 mile run from Gin Pit on Sunday.
Everybody welcome to join us, we are meeting at the club at 9.30

We will be going along the canal, either to the Flash or Worsley (we can decide on the morning)

It would be great to get some good numbers at the weekend runs again, so please come along.

All abilities welcome - no one gets left behind.

Horwich 5 (and a bit)

On Wednesday evening an excellent turnout of 32 A&T athletes competed in the 4th race of the 2012 CLGP, the Horwich 5. This race is pretty tough at the best of times but due to part of usual course being closed to access it was rerouted. The reroute entailed a long steady climb, on a mostly cobbled surface, before almost falling off a cliff to make the run down into a narrow gap. It then made it's way back to the usual course route and to the hill everyone loves to hate. Then we had it all to do again! The race distance in the end was slightly above 5 miles with most people measuring it on their Garmins at around 5.3 miles, so it was the Horwich 5 and a bit!

Alex Foster, who recently qualified to represent Great Britain in the 2013 European Triathlon Championships in Turkey, was first back with 31.51. He said he only came for a training run! Well done Alex. Next back and hot on Alex's heels was Simon Ford with 32.02. Mark Riches had another good race and finished just behind this duo with 32.19. A quartet of runners all finishing one after another came next with Scott Christey (33.44) just finishing ahead of Mike Reason (33.45) and Gary Stevens (33.57) just getting the nod ahead of Ian Newcombe (34.00). Steve Coleman, more accustomed to longer distances, must have just started to warm up as he finished with 34.50. Shaun Moran and John Lee on their first race back since the Manchester marathon finished a second apart with 34.57 and 34.58 respectively. Colin Kay, who I got the feeling later regretted entering the series, finished with 36.02. Dale Kenyon, who just about managed to make the start on time, had a good race to clock 36.22. Terry Gardiner (37.45) just about managed to pip our first lady back Josie Maley who finished with 37.47. It's good to see Josie back racing and I should stop the habit of being ahead of her for the first half mile as it's not good for me! Craig Bradbury finished not too far behind this duo with 37.58. Carole Baines had another good race to complete in 39.17. Steve Foster (40.02) managed to outrun an improving Susan Fletcher (40.09). Ian Hamilton had a decent race to finish with 40.41. Suzanne Gregory (41.32) finished just ahead of the Baron (41.43). Next came KellyAnne Towns who put in a good performance with 43.10. Ian Bushrod (43.27) had a good race to out run Nasser IsmanEgal (43.33). Garry Baines came in just behind this duo with 43.41. Kim O'Neil had a good race and finished with 44.23. Next was Louise Dobson running off her Sangria and double dessert belly with 45.46. Good to see Brenda Wane in an A&T vest again and she finished with 47.06. Michelle Fuller opened her 2012 road race account with 47.54. Michelle Fairclough stuck to the task, helped by Mark Lysycia taking pictures at the top of the hill we love to hate, and finished in 51.04. Catherine Hodgetts followed Michelle in shortly after with 51.56. And completing the A&T line up and sprinting in was Clare Unsworth with 57.30. I've never seen Clare move so fast but I think she may have set a dangerous precedence because we'll all now be expecting to see it again in the races to come!

The next race is a new addition to the CLGP calender being the Three Sisters 5k to be hosted by Wigan Phoenix on Wednesday 13th June. Hope to see another good turnout for this one. Pictures courtesy of Mark Lysycia.

Manchester Marathon - Thank you!

Firstly, apologies for the delay in getting this message out to you. There have been a lot of loose ends to tie up post marathon and you may have heard about the baggage problems we had at the finish area, repatriating lost bags to their respective owners has been a priority for us over the last two weeks.

On behalf of Xtra Mile Events I would like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers from A&T Road Runners that helped at the Marathon. The horrendous weather made it a hard day for everyone and we are very grateful for your groups help. We have received really positive feedback from runners about how well organised  and supportive the Aid stations around the course were.

Please can you pass my thanks on to the group. The conditions were extreme and all the A&T Road Runners volunteers went above and beyond the call!

We will be holding a debrief meeting next week and would appreciate any feedback your group may have from the event. As with any first year event there were some teething problems with this year’s event and any feedback received will be discussed fully in the event debrief.

The marathon will be taking place again next year and it would be great if your group can operate an Aid Station again.

Kind Regards

Tim Holdsworth

Relationship Manager

Xtra Mile Events Ltd

Tel: 0161 928 6795

Mob: 07533247675

email: tim.holdsworth@xtramileevents.com

website: www.xtramileevents.com

Blackpool 10k – Race for life meets Park Run!!

This race holds loads of memories for me, it was where I ran my first ever race as a 16 year old, I broke 40 mins for the first time here in 2005, I got my PB in 2006.

If you have never heard the story of the Rose Café ask Shaun, John Lee, Craig Bradbury or Tony Battersby, I have never looked at a cheese and ham toasty in the same way since!! 

The weather is always unpredictable in Blackpool and today was no different, strong winds of up to 50 mph were forecast.

Clare Unsworth had decided to enter and bring her nephew Matt.

As we drove into Blackpool the first thing I looked for was which direction the wind was blowing hoping it would be in our faces for the first half, bingo it was! 

This is one of those special types of races where you feel an elite runner due to the amount of fun runners, not many races like this around but always good for the ego.   I advised Clare to start nearer the front of the pack than normal as I suspected she would finish in the top half.

5 mins to start time and I made my way to the line, literally I was on the front row.  There looked to be around 50 clubby types of runners, some I recognised from Wesham and Wigan Phoenix.

At 11am the gun went off, it never fails to amaze me how many people go off sprinting in these type of races only to be walking after 100 mtrs.  At the 1k marker I was 3mins 40 which is 36 10k pace and I was still around 50^th.  Between 1 and 2k I started to pick runners off.  I was on my own for much of the race and was being battered by the strong wind, which seemed to be getting stronger as the race went on.  I turned at half way around 30^th place; finally I could now start to push on.

Running out and back courses like this are great as you see all the other thousands of runners coming down as you’re going back.  At 6k I heard “come on Gary” which I recognised to be Clare, she was doing really well at this point to be still running as I’d seen loads of walkers.

Although being a flat course it does have a slight incline at 8k and I felt it in my legs as we passed the North Pier, at this point I was started to tire.  Finally the end was in sight as the course took a dog leg left for the final 200 metres back into the wind to the finish.  I was hanging on as I got passed by 3 or 4 runners which is never good but never the less came home in my second fastest 10k time and fastest since 2006 to clock 37.39.

I met up with Emma and Annabel and waited with Clare’s family to see her finish.  I was really hoping she could get under a hour.  As the clock ticked past 60 mins I saw Clare sprinting to the finish, my first thought was she missed out but then realised it must have took her at least a minute to start the race.  She had done it, smashed it in a time of 59 mins 07.

She had waited 18 years to get under 1 hour so to do it today in that wind is a massive achievement.

Results Gary Stevens 22^nd 37.39, Clare Unsworth 1507th 59 mins 07.

Horwich 5 - Another night out!

Seeing everyone appeared to enjoy the night out round Atherton the other Sunday I thought I'd let you know about the up and coming night out in Horwich! So it's time to get your best blues of A&T gear on and enjoy a couple of rounds of the Horwich 5! This is the 4th race in the 2012 CLGP calendar and is hosted by Horwich RMI. The race starts at 7.30pm this Wednesday 16th May where registration is at Rivington Village Club, BL6 7SE. Entries are permitted on the evening. I suggest those people wishing to travel in the convoy to meet at Atherton station car park for a 6pm departure in case of traffic problems.

Race Information http://ukresults.net/forms/120815jubilee.pdf

Cross-country 2012/13 season – by Mark Riches

Cross-country 2012/13 season – by Mark Riches

The dates & in some cases, the venues have been announced so please note you diaries

Red Rose League

Date	Venue
Saturday 29/09/12	Leigh
Saturday 20/10/12	Blackburn
Saturday 10/11/12	Hyndburn
Saturday 15/12/12	Bolton

Mid Lancs League

Date	Venue
Saturday 27/10/12	Tba
Saturday 24/11/12	Liverpool
Saturday 15/12/12	Tba
Saturday 12/01/13	Tba
Saturday 09/02/13	Tba
Saturday 02/03/13	Tba

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that there is a potential clash on 15/12/12 & is the date is confirmed, I will take this into account when drawing up the rules/scoring etc