It may be the week that we started meteorological Autumn and the schools restarted but its been back to (mostly) dry and sunny running conditions and wow, everyone has been making the most of it with a wide range of activity.
With the Juniors enjoying a rest on Bank Holiday Monday, the first Club event of the week was on Tuesday evening with the sixth and final race of the Bryan Markham handicap series. 38 runners assembled on Bircher Common to take on the 3.6 mile loop around Oaker Coppice. With most runners now familiar with the course. Only Karen C, first across the line was a debutante, there was some hard racing and another 9PBs were set as well as two age group records and (drum roll) Sam J. set a new course record to match his course record on the Leinthall Starkes loop – a stunning achievement. With many runners finishing in very close order, Mike B. and his trusty team of time keepers led by Clare P. was tested….but they came through and produced the overall Series results in record order.
Before the awards presentations Chairman Huw spoke very movingly about our ‘absent runners’ that were all in our thoughts that evening – Mick Ligema, Bryan Markham, Dave Blenkharn, Susan Davies and Tom Davies. This was followed by a minute’s silence.
The presentations then followed. First it was the first three across the line in Race 6 – congratulations to Karen C. Adrian C and Dawn H.
Then there was the announcement that Henry Eastman has won the overall series and Lisa Juson presented him with the Bryan Markham Handicap Trophy with Bryan’s wife looking on. Luckily our tech team have been able to teleport Henry (who was sadly absent that evening) into the presentation photos!
There is a wonderful race report from Mike B on the website here. We are working on updating the overall series records etc.
Of course this event couldn’t happen with all those that support Mike across all six races, not only with time keeping but also helping with the finish funnel, marshalling, marking the course, updating the risk assessments, making sure the defib and first aid is on site, putting up and down the gazebo, taking photos, liaising with the landowners/village, the chocolate buyers, the list could go on. There are too many to name individually but you know who you are so a big thank you from the whole club.
The evening was also an opportunity for Mark Paviour to present the Susan Davies Uphill Time Trial trophy from the inaugural running on Thursday 13th August. The trophy itself is a beautiful carved profile of the race course made by our very own Dawn Hargadon. Mark explained how the results were based on age grading and how close the results for the top five runners of Eric A, Sam H, Steph K, Guy W and Nigel T were and that by a ‘squeak’ Eric had triumphed. Mark also commented that “I remember the first evening that Eric came to Croft Ambrey Running Club, to a training session being coached by myself and Sue, appropriately being held at Croft Castle. Presenting him with the trophy honouring Sue as the inaugural winner feels something of a full-circle moment. Well run Eric”. Congratulations to Eric and everyone who ran on that hot evening in August. The standard has been set for next year!
Wednesday was track day led by Hereford Couriers although doesn’t look like any Corfties were there.
On Thursday Emma led a session focused on sprints making use of the track at Wigmore.
Also on Thursday night Lucy raced the Run the Wharf 5KM with On in the SportsShoes Podium Elite Wave in London and ran 18:30. Over 5000 people in the race from across everywhere – an amazing community race and incredible standard of running. She was 24th female!
Setting off early on Saturday Hay Hotfooter’s Black Mountain Relay was underway. This is a 50km ish event with teams able to plot their own route across the Black Mountains. Each team has to pass through a number of virtual check-points. As long as the ‘baton’ (a tracker) registers at each point it’s up to each team where and when they pass it to the next runner. Croft’s team comprised Nina and Sam W, Natalie C, Joe L., Irina D and Greg J. It was by all accounts a great fun day of challenges, adventures, scrambling and cakes! They finished second team.
Well done to everyone, certainly worth all the planning. Nina has written a great race report which is now on the website here.
A few hours later lots of Crofties were out Parkrunning.
There were 18 running at Mortimer Forest with Karen & Adrian C, Clare P, Paul L and Angus K all volunteering. However the main event of the morning was Jamie S. 18th Birthday celebrations and fittingly he was RD also. Happy Birthday Jamie.
There were Just 3 Crofties at Hereford.
At Queenswood we had 5 runners – one of our Juniors Jonny F (not on list below) ran a PB of 24.07 as did Hayley Millichap reocrding a PB of 41:44. Well done to both of you.
Other parkrunners were Janet Hill finishing Haughmond Hill (35:20), Sam Harper finishing an inaugural run at Hay Riverside finishing in the top 10 (24:25) and Bryan Davies ran at Newent (49:30).
On Sunday, Reachel Kenny was ‘out east’ and joined her old running club Sawtry RC competing in their 10 mile race. Reachel reports that thinking ‘ah great it’ll be a bit flatter than our local runs, but not so, still some long hills. She wanted to go under 1:50 but just missed it coming in 1:50:02 and finishing 4th out of 8 in her FV60 age group. But very pleased that 7 minutes faster than the 10 mile at Rhayader earlier in the year. Well done Reachel.
Five Sky Blues ran the Waun Fach fell race at Pengenffordd – this was a Club Championship race. Flora reports “Waun Fach fell race results 06/09/2026 (distance 6.56 miles and 2218 feet total ascent) according to my watch. We’re 83 runners who participated in the race. It’s good to see 5 runners from our club taking part. Tough but it’s a great race.
Our time results:
Michael B.= 01:20:57 came 6th place out of 8 in his age category.
Kath H. = 01:29:08 came 5th place out of 6 in her age category.
Flora G. =01:25:21 came 3rd out of 6 in my age category.
Stephanie K. =:01:31:19 came 4th place out of 6 in her age category.
Gary G.= 02:05:22 he’s the only in his age category.”
On Sunday Sam J was slightly further afield running Cardiff 10k – he finished 9th overall in a blistering time of 30:20 in a race attracting top runners from across the region and further afield. Below is a clip from the organisers results page. Well done Sam.
