Welcome back, Crofties! Christmas is now done, the New Year has been rung in and our runners are readying themselves for another year of brilliant running! But, despite the Winter Break, it hasn’t stopped our members from racing and socialising in numerous events in the local area and beyond. Shall we take a look at what they’ve been up to?
We’ll kick things off with our annual Winter Break Social Runs. This year we would run on the evening of Monday 23rd December around the Bringewood side of Mortimer Forest, before coming together again on Boxing Day at Bircher Common for a recce of our upcoming cross-country route. Our runners got very lucky on this day, experiencing a beautiful cloud inversion from the top of the common. Saturday 28th December saw Tim take a small Croft group over to Church Stretton to conquer the “Choc-o Challenge,” with our final gathering coming on New Year’s Eve around Shobdon Wood! Pictures can be found below, even more can be found on our Facebook and Instagram pages!
We’d also like to give our own Ali Benwell a big thank you for taking the time to set up our own Choc-O Challenge around Titterstone Clee in which several Crofties have already attempted. If any Crofties are yet to give this a go, get on it! It’s a good and fun 5 mile route and the views are that added bonus!
How about Parkrun on a… Wednesday?! Yup, that’s right, several Crofties took to Hereford Parkrun on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day for a festive morning with fellow runners. There were two course PBs on Christmas Day morning for Eric – who finished in 2nd, and Steve. Saffi was first female. On New Year’s Day, Sam J finished in 1st position, with Saffi, once again, first female.
And, of course, not forgetting the usual Saturday Parkruns! We’ll start off on Saturday 28th December with Sam taking the win at Hereford Parkrun. Saffi would record a new PB of 21:24. Over in Ludlow, our home Parkrun, Henry would be first Croft runner to cross the line. He would also get a new PB of 22:06. Steve also finished in the Top 10. Molly was our first female. Frank, Jamie, Neil, Tim W-H, Guy and Huw volunteered. At Groe Parkrun in Builth, Eric finished 1st, very nearly breaking the course record. The following Saturday (4th January), Simon and Steve finished 3rd and 4th respectively at Ludlow Parkrun. Tom D volunteered. Back in Hereford, Scott would bring it home for CARC as well as new PB of 16:44 for himself. Saffi finished 2nd female and first in her age category. We also had a couple of tourists on this very chilly Saturday. Sam J took on Aberdare Parkrun for the first time, finishing 1st in a time of 16:11, while elsewhere, Oli C-S ran at Aberystwyth. His time was 27:08.
Now on to the racing and, despite it being the “off season,” our runners have done plenty of it!
Starting over in Worcestershire, Saffi ran in the Alfrick and Lulsley 10k on Sunday 29th. This is a festive fun run event located in Lulsley, a small village between Bromyard and Worcester and has the option for anyone to take part in a 10km run, 5km run or 5km walk. As mentioned above, Saf took part in the 10k race, where she came home 5th overall. Oh, and she was the only Under 18. Not a bad day at the office for this Croft Junior.
Sticking with Sunday 29th, a large group of Sky Blues took the country lanes of Breinton, Hereford for the annual Christmas 10k, hosted by our good pals at Hereford Couriers. And, as always, we had a lot of fun taking on the twists and turns, and ups and downs! Well done to all Crofties who took part. Sam and Scott both finished in the top 10, with top 3 age category finishes for Jo M, Liza, Jamie and Sue W! Full CARC results are:
Sam Juson – 33:39 – 4th overall and 2nd Senior Male
Scott Jones – 35:09 – 10th overall
Toby Austin – 38:18
Simon Norwood – 40:40
Steve Partridge – 41:54
Oscar Austin – 42:36
Paul Parker – 45:58
Stuart Austin – 46:49
Joseph Lynch – 47:38
Jo Marriott – 48:15 – 3rd VF55
Roland Preece – 52:25
Liza Austin – 53:01 – 1st VF60
Jamie Symonds – 54:14 – 3rd MU17
Bronwyn Preece – 54:14
Mike Hayward – 59:11
Anna Bromley – 59:44
Alison Benwell – 59:45
Sue Purvin – 59:51
Sue Wood – 1:00:27 – 2nd VF65
Rob Wood – 1:01:11
Nicola Luscott – 1:01:13
Steph King – 1:02:59
Frank Luscott – 1:03:44
Clare Preece – 1:05:02
Crispin Marriott – 1:05:04
Michele Parker – 1:06:48
Come New Year’s Eve and Saffi was busy again, heading down to South Wales to compete in the Junior Nos Galan race. She finished in 5th position after a highly competitive race against other up and coming young runners. Eric was also racing there in the Male Elite Race. He finished in 15:43 and 7th position.
New Year’s Day, and where most “normal” people would be in some unconscious hungover state from the night before, Croft runners were out and about in Church Stretton, taking part in a very cold and very muddy, The Morning After Fell Race. Despite this, our runners did us proud. Eric and Gareth both finished in the Top 10, with several other Crofties finishing in the top end of their respective age categories! Read Neil Taylor’s excellent write up on the race here. Full results can be found below:
Eric Apperley – 41:50 – 6th Overall & 4th SM
Gareth Leek – 42:13 – 7th Overall & 5th SM
Grant Womack – 46:46
Nigel Taylor – 50:02 – 2nd M55
Tony Howsam – 56:17
Paul Parker – 56:38
Tim Jones – 59:02
Stuart Austin – 01:00:01
Neil Taylor – 01:00:43 – 2nd M65
Howard Verran – 01:01:48
Liza Austin – 01:02:57 – 2nd W60
Flora Gunner – 01:05:52 – 4th W60
Guy Whitmarsh – 01:06:50 – 1st M80
Steph King – 01:12:15 – 5th W60
Alison Benwell – 01:14:19
Hayley Colebatch – 01:24:22
Clare Preece – 01:24:25 – 2nd W55
Lisa Gray – 01:24:36
Claire Verran – 01:41:36
There is no stopping our runners, with a small group heading over to Rhayader on Saturday 4th January to take part in the Long Distance Walking Association’s Reservoir Roundabout. This race is described on the LDWA’s website as “21 or 12 mile routes, ranging from from very wet bogs, trails & some tarmac.
Although the route is waymarked in parts, map reading skills are required.” Based on some of the pictures of our runners, they looked as if they enjoyed their little outing around the dams!
Sunday 5th may have been full of cold, snow, rain and slush but that didn’t stop Saffi from going at it again. This time she took part in the Runningmonk’s Midway Trail in Bishops Castle. Her mum said: “Saf battled the elements at the Midway Trail in Bishops Castle earlier today. Just over 10miles/16.3km (with reroute by organisers due to snow) and Saf placed 6th female/1st U17 female.”
Finally in the racing department, Reachel took part in the Oundle 10k in Cambridge also on Sunday 5th. She said: “Unscheduled vist to Cambridge.. Entered Oundle 10k with Best-Bestie running friend. 1.10.25.. A bit of snow /slush. LOVED IT. Pleased with time.. NO HILLS. Furthest I have run this year and it’s only The 5th. Sorry no Croft top didn’t know I was taking part till 8pm last night!” Well done, Rach!
Believe it or not, but we’re not done just yet as our weekly training made a return back on Thursday 2nd Jan! The session was taken by Tim J who took our runners – including several new faces, into the depths of Croft Wood to practice their hill reps.
We welcomed even more new faces on Saturday 4th with the return of our Prepare for Parkrun sessions! This is an 8 week course aimed at helping beginning (or returning) runners become Parkrun ready! A big thanks to Sam H for taking time out of her Saturday morning’s to coach. We look forward to seeing the journeys these runners take!
I think we’re about ready to wrap this bumper report up! Before we do, take a look at some snaps that some of our runners took when out in the snow on Sunday morning!
Well done team for a fantastic and festive couple of weeks! Training sessions will now be back to normal, with the upcoming training schedule going live on our Facebook on Monday morning. In the meantime, don’t forget, we’re always on the look out for your race reports for the website, so get posting them on Facebook or send them to either Sam H, Huw or myself (Bronwyn).