Race Reports from 2003

LRRL 2003 FINAL SCORE

Striders results and the final LRRL league positions are here. Winter League results are here.

Huncote Hash

Steve Dewick was first Strider home in the Huncote Hash on Sunday 28 Dec, finishing 51st in 49:21. He was followed by Mick Jelley, 57th in 50:28. Karen Farall was 166th (29th lady) in 1:06:13. Results here. (I have info on race photos available for purchase - contact Tim Hicks)

Millennium Runs on 10k

Four Striders braved the icy roads and biting wind to run the Southwell 10k at Caythorpe on 28 Dec. First Strider home as usual was Chris Southam in 34.17 for a terrific 5th place. Next was cross country specialist John Cresswell, who left his walshes behind to finish 16th in 35.59. He did say that if we provided him with spiked wellies he would run off-road. On for a team prize except the other Striders were Neil and Gary. Neil Jaggard clocked 43.50 for 131st place with Gary Christmas finishing 183rd in 45.34. Despite the terrible weather, there was a field of 484 hardy souls.

Gaddesby Gallop

A good effort from Steve Dewick, leading the Striders home in the Gaddesby cross country race on Sat 20 Dec. But did Clive Wright struggle with the runs over Christmas, taking on the Gaddesby Gallops so soon after the Turkey Trots. Finishing positions were:
23 Steve Dewick 43:51
25 Neil Jaggard 45:10
34 Gary Christmas 46:57
38 Richard Cox 48:16
41 Ron Grove 48:42
47 Clive Wright 52:12
Full results here.

Keyworth Turkey Trot

Five Striders had a go at the Turkey Trot half marathon on Sun 14 Dec. Chris Genes probably would have run a personal best, but pulled up with a calf injury after four miles :-) Finishing positions were:
162 Alastair Eperon 96:43
201 Peter Majer 99:05
254 Stewart Owen 101:36
295 Clive Wright 103:45
Full results here.

Mortimer Forest Hill Race, 14 Dec, a report from Neil 'over the hill' Jaggard

When I say fellrunning I don't mean that I fell running although at today's race the conditions were very wet and slippery. Obviously I am not talking about that exciting road race the turkey trot, no I am talking about the Mortimor forest hill race near Ludlow in Shropshire (a 230 mile round trip). The race was a 10 mile fell race around the Mortimor forest completely off road with 1750 of climbing. Heavy rain over the last few days meant plenty of mud and swollen streams to wade through, loads of tough hills and the notorious three valleys - an up down up down up down section that sorted everyone out after about 5 miles. I finished strongly in 1 hour 40 dead (the time, not me) and I think I was in the top half of the field of over 200 runners.

Nene Valley 10

John Creswell put in an excellent run in the Nene Valley 10 on 7 December, finishing 21st out of 365 in 58:55. John was a very close 2nd in the M50 category. Results are here.

Midland Cross-Country Relays update

Results are now available here.

Men
22nd Stilton Striders A 89:55
Mick Stevens 21:37
Stewart Owen 24:27
Chris Southam 21:05
Tim Hicks 22:46

33rd Stilton Striders B 97:22
Mick Jelley 23:17
Phil Douglas 25:14
Danny Keightley 24:39
Steve Dewick 24:12

Women
14th Stilton Striders 86:09
Rachel Jelly 28:01
Zoe Phillips 29:42
Gail Warner 28:26

Wreake Challenge

On Sunday 30 Nov, a large number of Striders competed in the Wreake Challenge at Swithland, hosted by Barrow Runners. This year the event was run as a 9.1km cross country race across woodland, grassland, muddy tracks and a number of stiles. Unfortunately, the Striders could not hold onto the trophy that they have won for the past four years, losing out this time to the hosts Barrow, with Wreake Second. Chris Southam finished in a fine second place, with the rest of the team consisting of Tim Legge (11th), Craig Robinson (15th), making his mark in his first senior event, Andy Robinson (22nd), John Chapman (26th), making a fine debut despite racing in road shoes, Chris Genes (27th), Phil Douglas (32nd), Neil Jaggard (39th), Gary Christmas (41st), Ron Grove (45th), Clive Wright (48th), Steve Dewick (58th), Vicki Lowe (60th), Kate Kaczmarczyk (63rd), Anne Brindley (77th), Julie Dooley ( 78th) and John Stares (84th).

Hereward Relay

On Sunday 23 Nov, Stilton Striders entered two teams in the Hereward Relay - a four stage multi-terrain race across the Fens from Peterborough Cathedral to Ely Cathedral, covering 38.4 miles of road, farm tracks and drovers trails.

105 teams set off on the 6.1 mile stage to Whittlesey with Steve Dewick (46:17) in front of Gary Christmas (47:38) at the change over. By the end of the 11.6 mile second stage Neil Jaggard (1:27:47) had overtaken Peter Majer (1:29:53) to put the Vet's team in front.

At the final change over, 10.3 miles away at Welney, Chris Genes (1:21:17) increased the lead over Francis Sykes (1:24:50) giving the Vet's a three minutes advantage starting the 10.4 mile stage to Ely Cathedral. But Tim Hicks (1:11:00) could not hold off the challenge from Chris Southam (1:01:36) who powered through to produce an overall time of 4:42:36 to put the Junior team into 32nd position overall, with the Vets finishing in 4:47:52 for 36th place.

Photos here.

Results here.

Leicester 1/2 Marathon

The third running of the Leicester full and half marathon took place on 16 Nov with over 1000 runners starting on the grid at Mallory Park racing circuit. The field headed out towards Desford and Peckelton before looping back at Merry Hills to start the steep ascent back to the racing circuit. Chris Genes was the only Strider competing the 13.1 mile distance. Chris ran an even paced race to keep enough in reserve to tackle the tough final third of the course. The tactic paid off with a personal best of 1:34:48.

Heanor 10k

Theresa Coltman competed in the multi-terrain 10k event at Heanor on 16 Nov, which took in the slippery paths and tracks up and around Shipley Park. She finished in 43:39 as 12th lady home.

Shepshed 7

Several Striders competed in the Shepshed 7 on 2 Nov, an off-road race covering two laps of the DeLille Estate in Loughborough. The field of 530 runners started on grass, with Chris Southam soon moving off with the leading pack. Southam (40:22) came home in 5th position. Next in was John Cresswell (42:58) to take the award of first over 50. Ron Grove (48:14) showed good form to take top over 60 spot. In the final quarter mile Phil Douglas (49:18) just managed to pass Chris Genes (49:24pb). Following behind were Steve Dewick (50:09), Clive Wright (50:22), Theresa Coltman (50:23) and 12th lady overall, Gary Christmas (51:56), Kate Kaczmarczyk (57:06), and Hazel Younger (59:37) making a useful debut over the testing undulating course.

Results here.

Worksop 1/2 marathon

Chris Southam finished 11th out of 1060 runners in the Worksop half marathon on 26 Oct, with a pb of 1:15:43. John Cresswell was 25th and 1st V50 in 1:20:05. Steve Dewick was 289th in 1:35:00.

Amsterdam Marathon

On Sunday 19th October, two Stilton Striders competed in the 28th Amsterdam marathon. Starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium, the runners followed the course of the 1928 Olympic race, which follows a large section of the Amstel river out to Ouderkurk, before returning to take in the sights of the city including the renowned Nieumarket district, Rembrandtplein and Vondelpark, returning to the stadium filled with whistle blowing spectators. Peter Majer ran an even paced race to produce a fine personal best (3:32:53) in his third marathon in eleven months. Chris Genes was on course for a personal best but unfortunately twisted his knee at a sharp turn just beyond the 25km mark and struggled (3:52:02).

Ropsley 10

On 12 Oct, five Striders entered the Ropsley 10. In almost perfect conditions, a large field took to the undulating course along narrow country lanes before hitting the final mile uphill straight to the finish outside the village hall. Leading from the gun, Chris Southam did all the hard work on the hills, taking the leaders through to the last half mile, where Mark Atkins from Lincoln AC put in a sharp 100 metre spurt to win. Chris finished in a fine second position in 58:12. Next Strider home was Steve Dewick (70:45) followed by Chris Genes (72:47), Clive Wright (73:32) and Neil Jaggard (75:53).

Midland Cross Country Relays

Stilton Striders entered two men's teams and one ladies' team in the Midland Cross Country Relays on 4 Oct. Each 6 km leg was run over two laps, which incorporated a horse cross country course at Brooksby College. The 'A' team of Chris Southam, Mick Stevens, Stewart Owen, and Tim Hicks (22:45) finished some 7 mins ahead of the 'B' team of Mick Jelly, Phil Douglas, Danny Keightley, and Steve Dewick. the ladies' team comprised Gail Warner, Zoe Phillips and Rachel Jelly.

Waltham Winder

The Waltham Winder also took place on 4th Oct. Starting and finishing from Waltham Village Hall, runners had a choice of three cross country distances, 10, 16 or 26 miles.

Ron Grove (1:29) and Gary Christmas (1:30) ran the 10 mile event finishing in 3rd and 5th positions respectively. Peter Majer (2:05) chose the 16 mile alternative as part of his final Amsterdam Marathon preparation, to finish in 10th position. Also running in Amsterdam in two weeks time, Chris Genes (4:30) came home in 5th position over the 26 miles course, which took in large sections of The Mowbray Way, Viking Trail and Jubilee Way. However, due to some difficulties over one part of the course Chris ran in excess of the official distance. Fortunately for all runners the recent dry weather made for easier running across the ploughed fields.

Sandstone Trail Race

Neil Jaggard ran the Sandstone Trail race in Cheshire on 4th Oct, a 9.5 mile cross country/fell race, incorporating a 950 foot climb. Neil finished in 46th position out of 112 in a time of 81:50.

Kibworth 1/2 marathon

Chris Southam ran the Kibworth half-marathon on 28th Sept, a race that included a railway foot bridge at 1 mile, a mountain to climb at 4 miles, and a little bit of cross country too. Chris finished in a fine 3rd place in 1:16:58 - a pb by 3 secs.

A couple of blokes fell running

Neil Jaggard ran two races in the lake district recently: the Rusland 5 - a 750ft climb in 'phew what a scorcher' weather - finishing 29th in 50:29; and later in the same week, the round Latrigg race in Keswick - 5.5 miles, 800 ft climb, with the last two miles along an old railway line. Neil finished 83rd in 45.25 - his best run for a while.

Next up, Neil and Steve Dewick travelled to the peak district to run the Chelmorton Chase - a 5 mile fell run with 1000 ft of climbing with a vertical climb of at least half of that up the Chelmorton Low coming in the last mile. A hot day, free bacon butties and a t-shirt with the correct distance printed on it - the most fun you can have for three quid. Steve was 31st in 44.59 and Neil was 46th in 50.45.

Robin Hood Marathon and Half Marathon

On 14 September, several Striders ran the half and full Robin Hood marathon. Starting along the Trent Embankment, the first half of the course ran through the centre of Nottingham before passing through Wollerton Park. The undulating course then passed the central TV studios before following the Trent back to the finish. Those completing the full marathon distance crossed over Wilford Toll bridge on route to the National Water Sports centre at Holme Pierrepoint.

Most runners found conditions too hot for distance running. However, Chris Southam (3:02:55) finished the marathon in 37th position overall. Following him were Zoe Phillips (4:19:38), making her debut at the distance (47th female), and Andrzej Dziemianko (4:51:15).

In the half marathon, Mick Jelly (1:32:25) was first Strider back (334th male), followed by Alistair Eperon (1:38:21 in 634th position). Theresa Coltman, also making her debut at the distance, recorded 1:40:09 in 63rd female position. Next in was Chris Genes (1:45:13), returning to form after a long injury layoff, ahead of Clive Wright (1:46:48), Vicki Lowe (1:53:10) and Adrian Knightall ( 1:56:10).

OWLs 10

Peter Majer ran the OWLs 10 on 7th September, finishing 70th in 74:34.

Grimsthorpe 10 k

Chris Southam ran the Grimsthorpe 10 k on 25 August and finished 5th in 36:57. Alan Brook finished 99th in 46:48. For results click here.

Chris Ingram Memorial 10 k results and photos here.

Race winners Ian Grime of Newham and Essex Beagles

and Tara Krzywicki of Charnwood AC

and congratulations to Carl Rutt (No. 33) of Desford Striders who won the Prize Draw of a weekend for two in Rome.

Charnwood AC Open Track & Field Meeting
13th August 2003

A large contingent of Stilton Striders' junior athletes travelled to Loughborough University to take part in an open graded track & field meeting hosted by Charnwood AC.

The first event on the track was the 100 metres where, in race 2, Tom Adams finished 2nd in 16.4 s, with Sam Woods 4th in 16.7 s. Craig Durrant recorded a time of 14.6 s for 2nd place in race 6, while Jamie Bowes crossed the line in 5th in 14.8 s in a blanket finish to race 7. Jamie later went on to record a distance of 4.16 m in the long jump. Assistant coach Andy Robinson, taking part in one of the senior men's races, showed a good turn of pace to finish 4th in 13.5 s.

Competing in the open 3000 metres against both male and female competition, junior lady Alison MacDonald ran a determined race to finish 12th in 11:34.6.

Striders had 2 competitors in the 70 metres hurdles, brother and sister Sam and Olivia Woods. Sam finished 2nd in his race in a good time of 17.3 s, with older sister Olivia coming in 6th in the next race in 20 s.

Due to the number of entrants for the 800 metres, competitors were divided into 9 races, graded according to age and previous experience. In the first race, 3 Striders made their competitive debuts for the club. Kate Spicer had the confidence to lead on the opening lap and, although she faded a little towards the end, battled all the way to the line to finish 2nd in an excellent 3:09. Lauren Devoto paced herself well to finish 6th in 3:17.2, with Rachel Adams coming in 9th in 3:31.7. Three more Striders took part in race 2 with Laurent Robinson slicing almost 8 seconds off his previous best time crossing the line in 2:56.9 for 3rd place. One place behind was Briony Bendle also recording a pb of 3:06.8, an improvement of 4 seconds over last season. Emma Brown finished 7th in 3:13.3, just 2 seconds outside her best despite a season disrupted by injury. Race 3 saw Iman Barlow competing against athletes all at least 2 years her senior, but a typically battling run saw her equal her pb as she crossed the line in 5th place for 2:49.3. Finally for Striders, under 15 girl Sarah Jane Halford competed in race 6 also against older athletes. Despite being short of training she put in a good effort to record 2:37.3 for 11th place.

The final event of the evening was the 200 metres where again several races were held to accommodate the number of competitors. Tom Adams rounded off a good night by winning his race in a time of 34.9 s. His older sister, Rachel, was next to go and she acquitted herself well to finish in 39.7 s. Sarah Jane Halford made a rare outing over the shorter distance and clocked a time of 30.7 s. Last but not least Andy Robinson completed the sprint double in an impressive 28.2 s.

Huncote 5

Four Stilton Striders were among the 364 finishers in the Huncote 5 mile LRRL race on Wed 6 Aug. On what turned out to be an extremely hot and sultry evening, Chris Southam was in good form, finishing 14th in a time of 28:06, and Tim Hicks produced his course best finishing 51st in 30:38. Phil Douglas was next Strider home in 124th place in a time of 34:11, followed by Peter Majer, 145th in 35:15. This was the last of the LRRL events for the year, with Tim Hicks having enjoyed competing in all eleven.

Full results are here.

Church Langton 7.5

Four Striders turned out for the Langton 7.5 mile LRRL race on 20th July (surely a record low point for the club). The runners were greeted by another warm day and a course that was fairly flat until some tough hills over the last couple of miles. There was a more competitive edge than usual to the ladies event, starting as it did, ten minutes before the men's, which helped Theresa Coltman to a fine 11th place in 55:42. Tim Hicks, Peter Majer, and Del Ashberry flew the Striders flag in the men's race. Tim put in a strong run finishing in 28th place with a time of 48:01. Peter recorded a time of 57:43 and Del finished in 64:08. Full results are on the Owls website.

Hungarton 7

Six Striders set out to run the extremely hilly LRRL Hungarton 7 on Wed 9 July in hot and humid conditions. Illness forced Chris Southam to drop out around half way. That left Tim Hicks and Mick Jelley to battle to be first Strider home. Mick eased up (he claimed later) to let Tim take that honour for the first time. Tim finished in 36th place in 45:01 with Mick 37th in 45:08. Phil Douglas was next Strider to sample the isotonic drinks at the finish, crossing the line in 69th place in 47:56. Ron Grove made a welcome but cautious return to racing, finishing in 118th place in 51:36. Peter Majer completed the Stilton contingent finishing 134th out of 299 runners in 52:46. Full results are on the Wreake website.

Barrow Classic 10
(aka the Sunday Roast)

For the first time this year Striders failed to field a Senior Men's team for a LRRL race, with just seven braving the withering temperatures and relentless hills at Barrow on 29 June. (CORRECTION - Striders did have a team with Alan Brook running). But a full quota of vets and ladies took up the challenge.

Of the 483 who made it to the end of the road before collapsing in a heap, first Strider home once again, even though nursing a knee injury, was Chris Southam. Mick Jelley was next Strider to finish, running a strong second half of the race, in which he pulled ahead of Tim Hicks. Gail Warner was forced to pull out early in the race through illness. Full results:

17 Chris Southam 1:00:48
53 Mick Jelley 1:05:12
62 Tim Hicks 1:06:24
123 Phil Douglas 1:11:03
177 Clive Wright 1:15:12
190 Richard Cox 1:16:05
206 Peter Majer 1:17:25
245 Theresa Coltman 1:19:42
303 Alan Brook 1:23:21
344 Vicky Lowe 1:26:19
471 Zoe Phillips 1:47:22

Full results are on the Barrow and Owls websites.

Crome Hill 4.5

Neil Jaggard ran the Crome Hill 4.5 mile race on Saturday 28 June. The race involved a 700 foot climb and Neil finished 37th position recording 46:03.

Edinburgh Marathon

Only one Stilton Strider raced on Sun 15 Jun. Peter Majer travelled north of the border to compete in the Edinburgh marathon on a hot summer's day. A combination of tough hills and the hot and humid conditions took its toll, but Peter recorded a respectable time of 3:55:26 over the 26.2 mile course.

Warwick to Kenilworth Castle 10k

On Sun 8 June, Julie Duley competed in the Warwick to Kenilworth Castle race, finishing in 57:42.

Corn Dolly Challenge

Chris Southam was out on his own in the 8.5 Mile Corn Dolly Challenge at Hickling on Sun 8 June, winning in 46:46. Mick Stevens was next to finish as first vet in 49.15. Other Striders on the course were Phil Douglas, who was 5th in 53.44, and Gary Christmas, 17th in 61.11.

Notts 10

John Creswell was 3rd V50 in the Notts 10 on Fri 6th June, finishing 41st overall in 62:43. Peter Majer was 115th in 72:30 and Gail Warner was 181st (19th lady) in 79:15.

Ropsley 6

Tim Hicks crossed the A1 to run the Ropsley 6 on 4 June and finished 10th in 37:24. A pleasant outing in the evening sunshine through the countryside around Ropsley village.

Winkle Trout Run

Neil Jaggard took to the hills to compete in the Winkle Trout Run on 1 June - a demanding 7km fell run, crossing woodlands, river and high moorland (500ft climb) in the picturesque Dane Valley. Neil's time of 50:20 was affected by the delays in queuing to climb the styles due to the number of runners competing. However, Neil was rewarded with a fresh local trout for completing the course.

Swithland 6

The Swithland 6 LRRL race took place on Sunday 1 June. The course took competitors around Swithland Reservoir and included some long hills, which were especially testing under the warm conditions. This did not deter the ever-impressive Chris Southam, who recorded another personal best time of 33:49 in eighth position. Next Strider home was Mick Stevens in 35:09, followed by John Cresswell (36:28), Tim Hicks (38:13), Mick Jelley (38:24), Phil Douglas (39:59), Steve Dewick (39:54), Francis Sykes (40:01), Clive Wright (42:32), Peter Majer (43:54), Gary Christmas (44:05) and Del Ashberry (50:33).

In the ladies section young Rachael Jelley made a very impressive debut recording 48:15, with Sui Cushing the only other lady Strider home in 49:18.

Results are on the Birstall website.

Rockingham Speedway 5

A rain-drenched speedway circuit at Rockingham was the venue for the third East Midlands Grand Prix road race on Wednesday night (21 May). The circuit presented an unusual but spectacular setting for the two lap, 5 mile road race. Tim Hicks took advantage of the flat course (and a new pair of Puma Cell) to record a time of 28:18, although it turned out that the race was 400 m short! Results via the Simply Running website.

Gaddesby 10k (17/05/03)
1 Chris Southam 35:17
30 Ron Grove 47:12
39 Rachel Jelley 49:18
40 Mick Jelley 49:20
66 Julie Duley 55:56

Half Marathon
26 Steve Dewick 1:36:43
33 Clive Wright 1:39:23
63 Richard Cox 1:46:02

Hinckley Half Marathon

The Leicestershire Road Running League leapt back to life on 11th May with the first of six summer races. Starting and finishing at the Bosworth Water Park, eight men and three ladies competed for Stilton Striders amongst the 610 runners in the Hinckley half marathon. Run over an undulating course, the conditions were made tougher with warm weather and a head wind during some of the up hill sections. Some excellent running from the team saw:

Chris Southam 9th, 1:17:31
Tim Legge 23rd, 1:21:07
Tim Hicks 66th, 1:27:48
Phil Douglas 92nd, 1:29:51
Steve Dewick 98th, 1:30:13
Francis Sykes 103rd, 1:30:33
Clive Wright 163rd, 1:36:00
Peter Majer 189th, 1:37:29

But with only three veterans turning out for the club and four needed for the team, the chances of success in the vets league were severely dented.

It was good to see a ladies team running for Striders. Anne Brindley suffered a hamstring injury during the later stages of the race but hung on to finish as first Stilton lady. Gail Warner made an impressive debut for the team and Vicki Lowe produced a personal best time:

Anne Brindley 253rd, 1:42:43
Gail Warner 263rd, 1:42:59
Vicki Lowe 375th, 1:50:07

Results are on the OWLs website.

Barrow Bruiser

Several Striders were amongst the 70 runners who competed in the four mile Barrow Bruiser on 26th April, a tough two-lap cross-country race which included 13 hurdles and a gruelling wade through a stream on each lap. Tim Hicks started strongly, lying in second place after the first lap, but tired on the second lap to finish sixth in 26:37, one minute behind the winner Tom Parker of Wreake. Club coach Richard Cox put in a great run in a rare appearance for the club, finishing in 25th place in
30:17. Clive Wright was next Strider home in 39th place (32:34), closely followed by Neil Jaggard (41st in 32:57) and Gary Christmas (45th in 33:58).

Earlier, young Stilton Strider Craig Robinson ran impressively to win the two mile single lap race by just two seconds in 13:12 after a great battle with second placed Stephen Shanks of Rushcliffe AC. Jed Jaggard also put in a good run for Stilton, finishing in 24th place in 20:09.

Full results on the Barrow website.

London Marathon 2003

Tim Legge 2:53:05
Chris Southam 2:56:21
Phil Douglas 3:09:52
Anne Brindley 3:33:23
Tim Hicks 3:36:22
Sui Cushing 3:42:01
Kate Kaczmarczyk 4:10:31
Vicki Lowe 4:19:09
Nick Steans 4:59:12
Sue Whittaker 6:01:00

Belvoir Half Marathon

Several Striders ran in the Belvoir half marathon on 6th April. Results were Darren Glover sixth in 1:18:11, Tim Legge 1:24:30, Phil Douglas 1:27:20, Steve Dewick 1:29:15, Clive Wright 1:38:10, Anne Brindley 1:42:02, Sarah Manning 1:47:12.

Asfordby 7

Full Asfordby 7 results are here.

On 23 March, Stilton Striders hosted the fifth and final LRRL Winter League Race. In almost perfect running conditions some 250 competitors set off along Welby Road, Asfordby Hill, before turning left and along Welby Church. At the top of the steep hill they turned left dropping down into Asfordby Valley. The hill up to the school took its toll with many runners finding the extreme climb challenging. At the top they turned left along by Holwell's football ground to repeat the circuit again to cover the full seven miles, finishing at the entrance to Holwell Works. First Strider home again was Chris Southam (40:07) in an excellent 7th position. Following behind were Darren Glover (41:40) in 15th and Tim Legge (42:58) working hard over the final half mile to take 26th position. Tim Hicks (44:50), Phil Douglas (45:17), Steve Dewick (46:03), Francis Sykes (46:29), Alastair Eperon (49:00), Clive Wright (51:00), Peter Majer (51:12) and Gary Christmas (53:36) completed the men's line up. In the women's section Teresa Coltman (49:56) powered herself up the hills to finish 13th with Anne Brindley (58:00), who had run for two hours prior to the race as part of her marathon training. Next home was Julie Duley (65:03) in 62nd postion making her debut as a Strider, followed by Sue Whittaker in 74:00.

Wreake Stomp

Three Striders ran the Wreake Stomp cross-country race on 16 March. Mick Stevens finished 6th in 50:17, Darren Glover 7th in 50:20 and Steve Dewick 24th in 56:33. Full results available at the OWLS website.

Ashby 20

On 16 March, Stilton Striders had four runners continue their London Marathon build up by competing in the annual Ashby 20 road race. In ideal conditions all four were pleased with their times. 1st in for the club was Chris Southam in a PB of 2.08.08, 2nd in was Phil Douglas 2.18.38 just pulling away from Tim Hicks over the last three miles who also recorded a PB of 2.21.19. Striders' only lady Vicki Lowe recorded a PB of 2.55.22 and is on target for her London time of sub 3.45. Full results available at the OWLS website.

Markfield 10k

Several of our regular runners were unavailable for the 10k LRRL race at Markfield on 9 March. However, those who competed did not let the club down with everyone giving their all over an undulating course that was made more difficult by windy conditions. Chris Southam started well but had to pull out after 4k due to a very high fever. First Strider home was Mick Stevens (35:49) in 14th position, followed by Darren Glover (23rd), Phil Douglas, Tim Hicks, Steve Dewick, Alastar Eperon, Clive Wright and Vic Phillips. In the ladies section Theresa Coltman (44:32) continued her good form finishing in 14th, with Vicki Lowe in 32nd place. Striders are now fifth in the Men's Div 1 and are second in the Men's veteran league. Full results available at the OWLS website

Desford 10k

The ever youthful Mick Stevens was first Strider home in the Desford 10k on 23 Feb - an undulating course with a cruel climb over the last mile. Mick finished in 16th position (36:16), closely followed by Tim Legge (36:29pb) in 18th position and Darren Glover 20th. Next Strider home was John Cresswell (35th) ably supported by Tim Hicks, Phil Douglas, Steve Dewick and Hugo du Preez (41:14) making his debut in 89th position. Completing the lineup were Francis Sykes, Peter Majer, Clive Wright and Vic Philips. Only two Striders ran in the ladies section. Both Theresa Coltman (16th) and Anne Brindley (21st) recorded personal bests of 44:14 and 45:52 respectively. Full results available at the OWLS website.

Belvoir Challenge

Four Stilton Striders competed in the 16 mile Belvoir Challenge on 15 Feb. Starting and finishing at Harby School the course took in some of the most testing cross country routes through the Vale of Belvoir. The conditions were firm and sometimes very slippery underfoot due to the hard frost - conditions in the woods were quite treacherous. This did not deter Sui Cushing who romped round in 2 hours 44 minutes to finish second lady home. Next Strider in was Neil Jaggard (2:50), followed by Gary Christmas (2:53) and Vicki Lowe (2:55). Gary and Vicki even found time to take a quick tea break at one of the welcoming refreshment points.

Ashby 5 miles

Stilton Striders Men's team recorded an excellent second place result in windy conditions at the Ashby Leicestershire Road Running League race on Sunday 9 February run on a new 5 mile course. Chris Southam (27.37) led the team home and continued to make his mark on the league. He overtook two runners in a devastating burst of pace along the final straight to come in 8th in a field of over 300. A short way behind, Tim Legge (28.48) recorded a second consecutive personal best time finishing just ahead of Mick Stevens (29.21). Mick looked in excellent shape as he made a welcome return to racing after being hit by injuries in 2002. John Cresswell (29.41) was next in for Stilton proving he is heading back to form with a good performance and Greg Pettingill (30.54) also had a fine return to racing after a long absence. Tim Hicks (31.17) was sixth for Stilton knocking 15 seconds off his previous time and was followed in by Phil Douglas (31.42) and Francis Sykes (32.06) who also recorded another personal best time and is threatening to improve further through the season. Steve Dewick (32.15) and Ron Grove (33.33) were the next Stilton men home followed by the ladies team who came in well grouped. Theresa Coltman (34.46) was 15th amongst a strong ladies field closely followed by both Anne Brindley (36.08) 25th and new Strider Louise King (37.07) 31st running her first race for the club. Still not 100% following a bad cough, Clive Wright (37.37) was next Strider in followed by Chris Genes (40.28) and Vic Phillips (44.45). Chris was hit by a muscle injury during the second mile as he began to push on up a long hill. Although in pain, he managed to struggle home well ahead of many other runners. "There's a great team spirit in the club." Said chairman Tim Legge. "It's been good to see a lot of new runners of all abilities coming to training and fantastic for the club to return to the top with new and experienced runners getting in to form." Full results available at the OWLS website.

Juniors Cross Country

Three Striders ran in the Midland Cross Country Championships on Sat 25th January. Sarah Jane Halford was 34th in the U13 girls race, Sarah Greig was 95th in the U15 girls race, and Alison Macdonald was 13th in the U20 race.Craig Robinson and Sarah Jane Halford represented Leicestershire Schools in an inter-county match with Cheshire and West Midlands in Cheshire on Sat 1st February. Sarah came 15th in the U13 girls race and Craig came 37th in the U17 boys race.Sarah Jane Halford will be representing Leicestershire in the Inter Counties cross country championships at Woolerton Park on 8th Feb and Leicestershire Schools in the English Schools Championships in Brighton on March 8th.

Charnwood Hills Race

Billed as the toughest course in Leicestershire, five Striders took part in the 17th Charnwood Hills Race. Starting at Anstey the 12.5 mile course climbed up through Bradgate Park towards 'Old John'. The course then continued towards, up and around Beacon Hill where, on the descent, a new challenging section through the woods was included this year. It was then a sharp climb up Broombriggs Hill, before descending sharply into Woodhouse Eaves and across the golf course toward Bradgate Park before heading back into Anstey. In almost perfect running conditions, Chris Southam was first Strider home in 25th position (1:33:57). followed by Steve Dewick (1:45:09), Chris Genes (2:05:34) and Sui Cushing (2:08:49) who took 13 and 10 minutes respectively off their times from last year, and Vicki Lowe in 2:13:00.

Wolvey 5 miles

26th January saw the opening road race in the Leicestershire Road Running League with the Wolvey 5 mile race hosted by Nuneaton AC. The race took place over an undulating course. Six personal best times were recorded by Striders.Fifteen Striders ran in the men's section with the first eight finishing in the top 100 places in a field of over 250 men. First home was Chris Southam in 9th position (27:28), followed by Darren Glover (28:26), Tim Legge (28:50pb), John Creswell (30:40), Tim Hicks (31:26), Phil Douglas (31:34), Steve Dewick (32:00), Francis Sykes (32:20pb), Ron Grove (32:26), Gary Coltman (32:26), Chris Genes (33:35pb), Alastar Eperon (34:00), Gary Christmas (34:58), Peter Majer (35:54) and Vic Philips (43:08). Theresa Coltman came 11th in the ladies' section (34:44pb) in a field of some 100 women. She was followed by Anne Brindley (36:07pb), Vicki Lowe (38:07pb) and Sue Whittaker (50:00), competing in her first race. Full results available at the OWLS website

The White Nancy Fell Race

On 25th Jan, Neil Jaggard was brave enough to tackle the 'White Nancy' Fell Race, near Macclesfiled in the Peak District. Racing over a 5.5 mile route, the runners climbed over 1200 feet before a descent. However, the course had a sting in the tail when the route turned into a 45 degree climb to reach the finish up White Nancy, an almost vertical rock face. Neil's time was a very respectable 59:00.

County Cross-Country Championships

On 4th Jan, five Striders enjoyed a trudge through the mud at Market Harborough in the county cross country championships. Chris Southam was the first Strider to complete the 10k course finishing 18th in 42:03. Tim Hicks and Nick Brown battled through the quagmire to be next Strider home, with Tim edging ahead at the end, finishing in 52nd place in 46:52. Nick was 53rd in 46:53. They were followed by Steve Dewick in 57th place (47:35) and Neil Jaggard in 85th place (56:46).Several juniors competed too. Sarah Jane Halford finished 8th in the U13 girls race (13:41) and has been selected to run in the inter-counties championships on 8th Feb. D Foster finished 16th in 15:19. Sarah Greige finished 17th in the U15 girls race (20:54).