Race

Reports

London Marathon 2023 - Daniel Maddock

I did it. I completed the 2023 London Marathon. What an incredible, crazy, and emotional experience. The London Marathon is unlike anything else on earth, an event that epitomises the very best of what society has to offer. It was a day I’ll never forget, and I loved every second of it.


As most of you will know, the road that led me to the start of this race was a rocky one, and in many ways completing the marathon was a loose end I wanted to tie up. Throughout my illness, fitness had been high on my agenda, and distance running served me well. When you’re sick, it is all too easy to allow the sickness to dictate your whole existence, and to neglect everything else. However, when you’re training for a marathon, it is essential to consider health and fitness in its broadest sense; both the physical and the mental require attention. To fail to do so is a recipe for disaster. By entering various distance running events over the years, my hand was forced… it was whole fitness or nothing. It paid off, and my relatively speedy recovery post-transplant was testament to my very good underlying level of fitness.


I have many fond memories of distance running over the years, with my club (the mighty Trentham RC), at Thunder Run where I have made some amazing friends, and of the London Marathon in 2014 – the highlight of my running career to date. However, my last marathon effort was in Manchester 2019, which was a disaster on various levels. Despite finishing under my own steam, I confidently declared that my body had betrayed me. I crossed the finish line horribly sick, exhausted, and thoroughly miserable. It was the first time my illness had stood between me and my goals. That harsh reality was difficult to accept, and I didn’t want to let that experience be my abiding memory of something that had served me so well. Four years later I am very much a changed man. I realised that if I were to entertain 26.2 miles one final time if I didn’t listen to my body, I would in fact, be betraying it.


I still don’t remember entering the official ballot for the London Marathon, but when the email arrived saying ‘YOU’RE IN!’, I knew that Lady Luck was once more on my side. The London Marathon is the crown jewel of all running events, a huge international spectacle, and I knew it was an opportunity I simply could not miss. I also realised that April 23rd 2023 was exactly 1,000 days since my transplant… It had to be done! Over the years Kidney Research UK have been a constant source of information, advice, and support, so I decided to put this opportunity – which is afforded to so few – to good use. I set about increasing my miles and began fundraising for this small charity that benefits the lives of so many people like me. Training for a marathon is never easy, and this has been the most difficult of all my marathon efforts. By the time I reached the start line in Greenwich, I was feeling unprepared, but as ready as I would ever be.


We had left the hotel Brentwood at 7:30am after a huge breakfast. I knew that if I were to assemble at 10:00 at Greenwich, be in my pen at 11:00, set off at 11:15, and running at or below my training pace, it would be at least 16:30pm before I got any proper food into me, so I made sure I was full. The coach dropped us off at Blackheath Common at about 8:15, and we started making our way to the various start points. Me and Alison were in red start, the furthest from the drop off, and we had a few hours to kill. The day had started off sunny, but it soon started to drizzle, and then rain. Spirits weren’t dampened, and it appeared that most competitors were grateful that it was not shaping up to be a hot one. The mammoth queues to the portaloo’s kept us occupied for a lot of the time, and we chatted with other runners, before finally wishing each-other luck and making our way to our respective start points. I was in wave 12, and I started right on schedule.


The first two miles-or-so are residential streets particular to the red start. The event is so large, the different starts have to take separate routes out of Greenwich before merging. The locals were out in force cheering, but it was not until the three streams of runners merged at mile three, that the madness really started. Thousands upon thousands of runners, all thundering along in fancy dress, club shirts and charity tops… It was quite a sight. The route initially heads East, towards Woolwich, before turning back West, towards Greenwich and the first of the landmarks, The Cutty Sark. By this point the streets were lined either side several people deep, all cheering, playing music, and banging drums. Kerry had made her way here and had secured a great spot at the bow of the ship. I saw her from about 100 yards away, which was a huge emotional boost. I stopped for a comedy photo (see below) before continuing on towards Rotherhithe and Tower Bridge.


Tower Bridge is a major landmark, and the marathon offers a unique vantage point. As far as I know, there is no other (safe) way to stand beneath these grand arches and see the bridge from the centre of the carriageway. I was momentarily awe-struck, and a fellow runner said ‘I’m walking so I can take this in!’. I agreed… we walked briskly together towards the brow, taking in the spectacular scenes, before picking up the pace again for the TV cameras and turning left, heading East once more. This is where we saw the faster runners returning from their tour of the Business District. Some of them looked pained, the effort telling on their faces. I wondered what they made of us, all fresh and bouncy! I saw the ‘Kidney Research UK’ cheering point and did a load of High-Fives. I was half-way and the going was good.


Miles 16 to 19 took us around the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf, which is where the GPS went a little haywire. At mile 17, I spotted a chap walking who had a CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably) T-Shirt on, so I walked for a few minutes, and we had a chat. I told him about my Donor Chris, and how his family had raised money for CALM since his death. His name was also Dan, and he told me about his uncle who was on dialysis awaiting a transplant. It seems the universe really does have patterns to it – we are all connected somehow. I forced some money into his sweaty hand, we wished each-other luck, and I made my way onward. At Mile 18 I saw Kerry again. She had somehow made it through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel and had been waiting on the Isle of Dogs. I was relieved, as I thought we had missed each-other. I accepted the wine-gums with enthusiasm before scurrying off, slightly reluctantly, I could quite happily have stayed put.


Around mile 20, my friend and fellow club-mate Jane came bounding up behind me. I was at a stage when I really need a boost, and I was very glad to see her. Jane and I ran the last 6 miles of the race together. I was starting to flag, as I had anticipated… My quads were on fire and felt detached from my legs, but I knew from prior experience that it’s the final 10km of the marathon that makes us. This is where it counts. Jane and I chatted, and she pep-talked me along the way. I encouraged her to go on, as she was clearly in better shape than me, but she insisted on teaming up. As club mates, we know that we’re stronger together. Once we were headed back in the right direction i.e. towards Westminster, the crowds were getting seriously loud… the constant cheering, music, and drumming was like nothing else you’ve ever experienced. Groups of strangers screaming your name and telling you you’re awesome, children high fiving runners and offering sweets, people and communities of every variety, crammed together and cheering you on. This is what makes London unique… the very best of humanity, on display.


The final four miles took us past the Tower of London to the south, the City of London to the north, and along the sweeping Victoria Embankment towards the finish. Across the Thames the London Eye hove into view, and then ‘Big Ben’. As the crowds roared, we were surrounded by equally exhausted runners, and we made progress as best we could. We knew we were on the home stretch and that times were not important. Finishing was. We grabbed a quick selfie with the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben in the background, before turning right into Parliament Square. There were even more people here, which only added to the uniquely grandiose backdrop. Now on Birdcage Walk, Buckingham Palace appeared, and we could almost taste the flapjack. As we rounded The Spur onto The Mall, the course opened out and we could finally see the finish. We crossed the line together, and I have never been so relieved in my life. We had done it, and I never had to do it again!


All runners sometimes hear that inner voice that questions what on earth we’re doing, and why the hell we’re doing it. But for every time my mind posed that question, I knew the response. There was a point in time, not very long ago, when I thought I would never be able to do this again, but thanks to the kindness of others and the brilliance of our beloved NHS, I found that I could. With all that has been gifted to me, when combined with the opportunity to help those less fortunate than me (whilst also tying up that Manchurian loose end) it was an easy decision to make.


Ultimately, the reason I took part was because wellness is a gift, which is transient and sometimes fleeting, and I intend to make full use of opportunities as and when they arise. Together we raised £2,563 for Kidney Research UK (Including Gift Aid), which exceeded even my wildest dreams. I was simply overwhelmed by the generosity of you all, and my gratitude is deeper than I can ever say.

My take-away from this experience is that 26.2 miles is never something you should attempt on a whim. But, as with any challenges we face, if you believe you can do it, you most probably will. And if you believe you can’t, then you most certainly won’t.

Whether or not you should? Well, I’ll leave that one up to you…


P.S. I have decided to hang up my Marathon Shoes. So has Sir Mo… Coincidence? I think not!

My London Marathon 2023 story… Jane Steele


Entering the London marathon ballot in 2023, I didn’t expect to be accepted for years to come, but on my second attempt I had the email to say “I am in”.


I was in complete shock but full of joy and so treated this as a birthday present to myself and having never been to London was so excited to be experiencing this. 


It was something I needed to help me stay focused and to have purpose to keep going as I suffer with severe mental health and it was good to have some luck.

Through my marathon training I had struggled not only with my mental health but also physically with low iron causing low energy, being ill and tired and causing me to have more panic attacks leaving me struggling to breathe and raising my heart rate. All of this being exaggerated by eating problems, so when it was getting closer to the big day, I had thoughts of backing out of the marathon but reminded myself why I was doing it.


It was not just for myself but for others too, and the charity I had chosen which was Changes Health and Wellbeing (mental health and distress services) as this charity has helped me through the years, and I wanted others to be aware that they are not alone and there is help out there. I also didn’t want others to feel the way I felt and what I was experiencing and wanted this to help them, so I kept at it.

Through my marathon training I had struggled not only with my mental health but also physically with low iron causing low energy, being ill and tired and causing me to have more panic attacks leaving me struggling to breathe and raising my heart rate. All of this being exaggerated by eating problems, so when it was getting closer to the big day, I had thoughts of backing out of the marathon but reminded myself why I was doing it.


It was not just for myself but for others too, and the charity I had chosen which was Changes Health and Wellbeing (mental health and distress services) as this charity has helped me through the years, and I wanted others to be aware that they are not alone and there is help out there. I also didn’t want others to feel the way I felt and what I was experiencing and wanted this to help them, so I kept at it.

The day of the marathon was exciting but also made me nervous in case I would not be able to finish, but at same time if I walked or crawled, I was determined to make it to the end and not wanting to disappoint anyone, but I surprised myself because I was okay and doing better than I thought I would do. The crowd really helped me to get around London with their cheering, singing and supporting us all, and made me feel amazing.  I hope all my friends get the opportunity to experience this.


I did start to get tired round 18/19 miles but got almost to 20 mile and saw Daniel Maddock, and I thought something wasn’t right and I shouted over to Dan, we had a hug and I asked if he was ok, he said he was struggling, so I decided let’s finish this together.

He told me to carry on but I insisted that we should finish this together so I ran and walked the last 6 miles supporting Dan, making sure we got water and sweets to keep his energy up and plenty of pep talk. This was extra special for me because we finished together and seeing all the sights including the best bit of Big Ben! 


It was also extra special for Dan because he was running for charity (Kidney Research) to raise a lot of money. Dan is one of those amazing guys who went through poor health with his kidneys affecting him mentally as well physically and he has pulled through. Dan is a strong, brave and amazing guy and is an inspiration to many people. I felt I wanted to support him and help him through it but we helped each other and it was special because we both wanted to finish for our charity’s, with no time or pace in mind, just to complete and show others that it’s important not to give up no matter how you feel.

When we got to the finish line, we had an amazing picture together, Dan was very emotional which is very understandable as he’d just achieved such a big thing after what he went through with his kidney transplant, and also raising so much money. 


I was also so happy that I did it for everyone and raised some money too.  The first thing I did after I got my medal was to ring my dad and tell him all about it. This was my highlight of the year and I thought I could share this and give a message, that no matter what you are going through whether mentally, physically or more is not to give up. 


There is purpose even if you don’t see it, and it’s ok not to be ok sometimes, but keep on going and being as strong as you can be, and if you love something like running then keep doing it.

Stafford Half Marathon (19/09/2021) - Kayleigh Fowler

"How to beat a race that's previously beaten you"

In 2019, I ran Stafford Half for the first time with my lovely friend Lisa. I was overjoyed when we reached the finish and I really couldn’t have done it without her. I had moaned most of the way as I was too spent by mile 4, mile 6 reminded me of lovely trail countryside runs but I just couldn’t get my legs up to follow the winding roads and all I could think was I’m not even half way! Then came Beaconside, which I decided was horrid no matter what others had said. It just felt so long, and then as we were almost done the hail started. It was cold and I was grumpy.

So why I decided to go again this year, I’m not entirely sure 😊 It’s always been a race with a big Trentham presence so you really feel like one of the team and there’s the obligatory team photo before we start so I just couldn’t miss out. I’d planned to start training with Thunder Run then be race fit and raring to go, but I pulled my back so had to have a few weeks out while that settled. Our social life restarted and it was so nice to see people and so it wasn’t until one day my friend said “You’re doing Stafford aren’t you, when is it?” I checked my calendar, “3 weeks!” But what about my time to train!

I got in touch with KT Coaching to see if a 3 week plan even existed for those of us who panic train, with my only intention to get round and not hurt too badly. I had been doing Improver runs and had joined teammates on a 10 miler covering much of the Potters ‘Arf route so knew the distance should be ok. The plan helped me to focus on keeping my pace steady so I could keep going and feel comfortable.

Race day arrived, I’d completely misheard what time our lift was coming so there was no time for pre race nerves as I rushed to be ready thinking I’ll take my new cap as it’s helped in the rain during training. That was a great shout as it was so sunny, more than I think anyone expected for mid September. We were all ready to go and run our own races, as across the groups we all have different times and experiences we’re hoping to achieve. I waved everyone off and wished them luck and tucked into the starting pen.

Mile 1 was lots of fun but quite a bit too quick for my 12 min mile pace. This is easily done as you get carried off by the crowd and I felt comfortable which has been my gauge all through training. This time at mile 4 I was aching but not spent, and felt good on the few hills covered as I’d purposely trained on a few inclines to prepare. Mile 6 was just the lovely countryside, the sun was out and I loved following the bends. Still feeling good, it was time for Beaconside. With being in a better mindset this time, I was just grateful for the fact that I just needed to keep going in a straight line. I was almost at the top when a woman came alongside me “stick with me, you’ve been my focus for the last 2 miles” she said. I never thought I’d be helping someone else to keep going, so this was a lovely boost. 

As we headed back into town I decided I was having a pint of Lemonade and a pint of Beer once I was done, this would be reward enough. I knew my teammates would be done by now so was wondering where they might be, right on cue I spot them 😊 The cheers were loud and very much needed to get me through the final 500m. I hadn’t thought I had enough left for a sprint finish but this was the boost I needed as I came through the finish. 2.33.04 over 5 mins off my previous time here. This was not part of the plan at all, but in keeping steady and positive, I really enjoyed it and the time was just a bonus. Now I’m already thinking ahead to the next half!

Conti Thunder Run 24 (July 24-25, 2021) - Laura Morris

"I don't camp and until recently, I didn't run !!"

Ignoring the school sports days, I have completed one race in my life (and that was by fluke as I thought it was a club run so I didn’t even realise until I arrived!) I knew I wanted to try a few more but after lockdown I hadn’t ran for so long. 


It was at our usual club run when someone happened to mention they had a place at ‘Thunder run’. I’d heard of it but wasn’t sure if it was for me (I don’t camp, and until recently I didn’t run.. so why would I do either for a full weekend!) They convinced me by mentioning the social, and the drink and before I knew it I was signed up to a relay team of 8. 


The WhatsApp group we had for our team was great, with suggestions on what to take – I’ll come on to that. They set a running order and I was pleased they’d looked after me with just two runs planned, neither in the middle of the night (I laugh now as I thought this meant I’d get more sleep… how wrong I was!)


As the days got closer I began to realise just how social the event was. People talking about families and taking their dogs, so I dragged my daughter and husband along, reluctantly (As they too had no idea what it was )

If I’m honest I thought the weekend was for crazy fit runners who love camping. I couldn’t believe how family/social focused the event was!

I arrived at Catton Park and my team were lovely making sure I had a space and helped me set up (I stood out as a ‘none’ camper with my pop up tent and my clothes all on hangers… looking where to hang them up!)

Once we’d set up Sarah (My team mate) made us our first brew in the field… let me tell you how good that tasted! The afternoon fell into the evening. 

At 7pm the Cauldwell Children team organised a Pyjama run for the kids. My daughter had met some friends, so they all entered together. It was lovely to see the charity had made it very special with medals, certificates and even hot chocolate. I was super proud of my daughter who was thrilled she ran her first race – and had one more medal than me at this point. 


The main event area was so much more than I thought it would be. With food stands, a bar, shops etc. I was quite excited that even on a camping weekend I could get my shopping fix!!

Before I knew it, it had gone dark and we were sat around a camp fire as one big team all chatting and laughing. I actually took a second to take in that moment. After the past 12 months it felt very special to see so many people enjoying themselves. 


I didn’t drink, as I was quite nervous about what the rest of weekend had in store. I regretted this! As I tried to sleep two things became very clear,  1.Whoever designed tents chose the nosiest zip in history – my senses were on overdrive. 2. Once people get into their tents they forget how thin the ‘walls’ are (Especially after a few drinks!) So the realisation kicked in that I wasn’t getting much sleep. 

At 4am I needed the loo so here came the dreaded ‘dart across a field in my pjs’ moment! It’s funny what you remember from Thunder run. My team mate Sarah (The barista from earlier) was also doing the ‘dart across the field in pj’s’ at 4am. So we had a quick meeting at 4am outside the portaloo’s! I vented about how loud the tent zips are and generally asked how I was going to get through the night.



I couldn’t get back to sleep after that so tried to make a brew as quiet as I could. I’d never used a bloody gas stove before so could not get it to light. I tried for about an hour until I decided to give in and sat in the dark, with a blanket on me, waiting for morning to come, trying to be at one with nature, think about how lucky I am but secretly contemplating where I had gone wrong in life to be sat in this field!

Saturday morning flew by with everyone doing different preparation for the event. Everyone’s race preparation was different, the team made a joke about me having a full face of makeup. I rarely go out without any on and I joked that wearing lipstick would make me feel like I had my s*** together! 


I spent a little time talking to ‘Bog’ he was telling me his plan for his solo race. He explained heart rate tracking/food intake and generally how he was going to get through it. It was really inspiring and I was excited to watch his journey over the 24hours. (Fast forward 24 hours and Bog won the race with 19 laps completed… incredible!!!!)


The race started at midday and the atmosphere was great. Trentham running club had a gazebo / area so everyone grabbed their seats to support runners. So I sat with them and cheered people on. This made me incredibly nervous! I was running third and watching everyone else do it was making me more anxious/excited.

I took my place in the ‘pen’( an area you wait to have the baton handed over) I waited for the person who was running before me to arrive. I was way too early but I was super nervous about not being there on time. The sun decided to come out (In general we were super lucky during the weekend with the weather) but gosh was that midday sun hot! Before I knew it I was running the first 10k of thunder run. 


I actually found the first lap quite hard. A combination of the sun being so hot and not knowing the route (I got the marshal position numbers mixed up with the km markers – so let me tell you marshal position 8 is not 8km…. it’s probably 4km!!!!) The course was a mixture of woodland paths, narrow with many a tree roots to catch you out and open fields that can only be described as the desert when the sun is out!. It’s quite harsh on your shins and legs as the ground is so hard. It was an interesting run compared to my canal and pavement runs! I believe the route is very different dependant on weather, ask anyone that attended in 2017 – they are still scarred and shudder if you even mention it!

The rest of the day was spent supporting others, going for random walks, eating from the food vans and just soaking up the atmosphere. Everyone was so supportive regardless of how many laps / how fast you were going / what club you are with – the environment was lovely. My daughter loved the climbing wall and activities they had for the children. 


I had a shower (They were very clean and the water was lovely, not what I expected) and then I spotted what can only be described as ‘heaven’ – the sports massage tent! They were doing 15minute massages for a donation.. I mean at that point I would’ve paid £100 for one. I felt guilty taking the spot at the table in case a ‘proper’ runner needed it… but I figured they’d all be too busy running!  

My evening run came and I was really excited. The head torch was ready (I did have to question at what point in my life I thought I’d be stood in a field, wearing a head torch, about to run 10k….)

I LOVED my evening run! My husband had found a way to get to the midpoint of the race and took a few of the running club guys with him. So when I arrived in the woods not only were they supporting me but it was also where they had a DJ and singer (Shout out to the stunning Victoria Gotham) and in that moment I was living my best life! 


I stayed up supporting others until 3am before trying to get some sleep. The company was brilliant at that hour of the morning with Kaye keeping me laughing about ‘The café’ she popped along to during her run (Hydration station) and a house she found along route that she was tempted to pop in for a brew... the positive energy and laughs we had made the weekend! I waited until I was super tired knowing that was the only chance I had to get to sleep. 


I have to say it, and I don’t think I am bias, but Trentham running club really did put their heart into the event to support others. We had at least one person positioned between 9k-10k to support every runner. I watched people sit for hours at a time cheering others on.

At 6am I was woken by someone else’s phone alarm. They had set a 6am alarm to make sure they were up in time for their run, but left their phone behind, so the alarm woke the entire camp… you know who you are and you know you’re not living that one down!

So it was time to get up, put a face on and go and support people on their last few laps!

It came to the end of the event and we waited to run in with our last runner – again this was an awesome moment. We watched solo runners, pairs, teams of 4/5 all coming to the finish of their 24hour challenge. 

The drive home was painful. Can I suggest a takeaway coffee or snacks at the ready to keep you awake! 

Monday morning I was back at work (I now realise this is a thunder run no no) I was telling anyone that would listen about my weekend; I looked like a walking zombie and the post thunder run blues were kicking in. 

So even though I was still very tired I went to club run on Tuesday knowing I could reminisce some more about the weekend.

So if you’re new to Thunder run here are a few things I can tell you… 


Everyone takes different equipment for thunder run. Some people had full bbqs, stoves etc... I even saw a pizza oven. Take as little or as much as you want. You can buy everything there. I would recommend taking lots of snacks (So you don’t have to always walk to the main event arena). 

We took two pop up tents and this was fine. Some people had a full village with tents the size of my actual house – again it doesn’t matter. My pop up was fine as a bed, walk in wardrobe, makeup station and a quiet place to have a word with myself sometimes! 


You don’t need many clothes. Maybe because it wasn’t muddy or wet, maybe because I didn’t work hard enough to sweat enough, but I didn’t use the 20 outfit changes I took. The dry robes people had looked very useful. I had my ‘oodie’ and I hardly took it off. 


Take power banks to charge phone and watch. 

Take a chair. 

What I wish I’d took… ear plugs or headphones to sleep in!

I am sure a solo runner or a team of 4 would have a completely different take on the weekend! They would suggest items I didn’t even think of (Real runner’s tools like creams, bands, energy gels) I went for the social and it was awesome!

Thank you to every single person who cared and supported my journey. I was overwhelmed by people on their 6th lap that still got excited for me and congratulated me on my two. Well done to everyone who organised the event, took part, supported a loved one, provided food and drink for us. 

Twelve in Twelve - Phil Thomas

November 2018. Jim convinces me it would be great if we ran 12 half marathon races in 2019, one a month.


So on the 6th of January 2019 we both lined up on the start line of the Central Lancs New Years Half Marathon and when I say lined up I actually mean sprinted over the start line as some of the last runners in the race!

We got stuck in a queue for the loo when the starting gun fired, oops!

And so we were off, half marathon number 1 was a flat and pleasant opening run, I wasn’t feeling particularly fit and had low running confidence.

Jim and I ran together and paced each other (Jim mostly dragging me round)

I was thrilled with 2:10 (my aim was 2:15 / 2:20ish).

The medal for this race was off the charts of massive and chunky, a good value half marathon with PB potential. I’d do it again; the only draw back is that it’s a few days after most of us have finished eating our own body weight in food for the best part of 10 days.

So the bench mark was laid.

My aim for the year was to go for a course PB at the Great North Run in September which would mean running sub 1:54.

I needed to take over 15 minutes off by the time the 9th race rolled around.


Race 2 saw me make a run for the boarder for my very first race in Wales and a return to my old uni town of Wrexham and a chance to meet up with an old uni pal who’s recently started running himself.

I felt a little fitter by the time the February race came and I also had a more confident mindset after the surprise time at the Lancashire race a month earlier and ran a hard race in 2:03 which I was very pleased with.

Two years living in Wrexham and this was the first time I ate Welsh cake and it was nice. Sorry to all my Welsh friends; another good race that I’d recommend.
And so my confidence was improving and my fear of injury started to subside, after 3 to 4 year of constant injury after injury and more comebacks then Elvis Presley had number 1 hits I really wanted to see how far I could run without any niggles or worse still an injury.
I’d spent a lot more time in the gym over the winter and worked hard on ‘trying’ to injury proof myself.

So it was onto race 3 and one I’d looked forward to running for a long time. The Iron Bridge Half Marathon. I was keen to try to run around the 2 hour mark again and felt good going into the race, all went well and I was loving life as I ran through the early spring sunshine in the leafy Shropshire countryside. However, by mile 6 I could feel something pulling on my right calf and then at about mile 8 I hit the wall, the mountainous Matterhorn like wall; this broke my will and I ended up walking most of it and at the top I just couldn’t get going again, and I ran / jogged / walked the rest of the race with a limp from a clearly over stretched strained right calf muscle which later turned out to be sciatic nerve pain in my lower back.
I limped over the line in 2:15 and was gutted, I really thought I could get close to 2 hours but a sharp hill showed up my lack of cardio fitness big time; I guess I’d picked up a niggle too but how often do we use this as an excuse despite it being more honest and genuine. I just knocked myself down and spent a few days beating myself up. Luckily I’ve always got good people in my corner to pick me up and let me know if I’m being a knobber and helping me to put things into perspective again. 

So after getting fixed by Hannah at Coles I plodded on to Droitwich Half marathon. I had no idea how this would go but I’d carried on with gym work, swimming and running (obviously), this was a two lapper and was a nice day and fairly warm. I much prefer warm weather running and the course was undulating but had nothing as ridiculous as the Shropshire Matterhorn and I cracked on with the race.
There was one slightly serious hill and as I got to the base of the hill I could hear gun shots! I commented to myself that they might be shooting the slower runners who couldn’t get up the hill quickly.
Needless to say, this little bit of an internal motivational pep talk propelled me up the hill at a steady speed. The gun shots got louder as I got closer to the peak of the hill.
Please note that I didn’t see any runners with gunshot wounds during or after this race.
Thanks to Jill P for recommending this one. It was a lovely local race and it’s always fun for me to go out of my area and mingle with runners from clubs that I don’t often see. I was happy to get 2:03 on this race and proved to myself that I was still making progress.
It had been 3 years since I last ran a half in under 2 hours and that was my next aim at race 5.

Lichfield had been on my radar for a number of years and I was super keen to test myself down in the south of my home county.

I had a plan and it went swimmingly, until mile 10 when the route become more undulating and I remember earlier in the race thinking “so long as there’s no major hills I’ll get my first sub 2 since 2016” so of course there had to be a hilly last 3 miles to really push me.

I will admit to a little panic as I saw my pace slowing but I got there in the end and ran over the line to record 1:57:17 on my watch.

A great race in a lovely part of Staffordshire and one I’d go back and run again.
Next up was a return to my home half, the Potters Arf marathon! A race I have always had a love hate relationship with. However it was the half way point in the challenge and I was genuinely looking forward to taking part and being with my club mates and friends from all the other local clubs.
It’s always a great atmosphere and as in most years I’ve ran this iconic Potteries race the weather was hot and sunny; there’s no middle ground with this race. You either have to contend with monsoon like conditions or get boiled alive by the heat of the mid summer sunshine!
I was over the moon with 2:02 minutes, which on any other flatter race would have been sub 2 again but it is always your running friends, and the crowd support which make this such a special race.

Following on from the Potts Arf came a point to point half marathon and the first time I’ve raced on a Saturday.

The Black Country Half Marathon is something of an icon in the west Midlands which is run entirely on canal tow path from Wolverhampton to the centre of Birmingham and has a long tunnel at about 4 miles in. I think this sent my Garmin into a spin but more on that later.

I had a cunning plan for this race. I would get a train to Wolves so that once I’d finished at the Mail Box in Brum I would meet up with friends for a few drinks and get a late-ish train home!

As this is run on tow paths you go off in waves so you don’t swamp the tiny narrow path with 100s of runners and my wave went off at 10.30 which gave me time to fit in Wolverhampton parkrun.


So I ran to Stoke station, ran to the parkrun from Wolverhampton station, did the parkrun and jogged over to the start of the race. By the time I crossed the line in Brum I’d ran 17 miles in total.

I knew club mate Ian was also running this one but I didn’t see him until the end when he got me a beer in (I haven’t forgotten I owe you one).

As I settled into my pace I become aware of the people around me, you have to be little more spatially aware on the tow path so people can overtake you and you don’t fall in or run into a walker or someone fishing, and I was aware of someone behind me but not trying to over take me. Then came a voice asking me if we could run together.

I was delighted to have some company on what is a very long and lonely run into the UK’s second city.

And so Santa and I would run the rest of the race together with me leading the way and just hearing the odd grumble from Santa complaining that she’d never ran this fast in her life, I was aiming for my 2nd sub 2 of the year as GNR and my only real target wasn’t too far away now.

I looked at my Garmin watch to see we’d ran into mile 12 so I kept Santa (yes that’s her actual name) up dated with how far we’d got left. Little did I know that the 300m long tunnel had sent the mileage into a spin and as we hit mile 13 we were still a long way from the centre and my sub 2 hours vanished into the murky waters of the Black Country Canal.

At 13.5 miles on my watch we both crossed the line together in 2 hours 4 and Santa was over the moon with her 10 minute PB and got me a pint in, then Ian came over and got me another pint and I was hammered!


I was a little disappointed with my time from this race but happy to have helped someone else get a cracking PB and it was a big test to run a total of 17 miles that day.
The next race was another joint venture with Jim over to the east at Newark Half marathon and we bumped into Mark G there too. The Newark half was always going to be tough as I wanted to run sub 2 and get close to my target time for the Great North Run a month later, but everything in my life suddenly became a whole lot tougher when my brother passed away a week prior to this race.
I knew from experience how running has got me through other difficult times in my life and so I channelled everything I had into this race. Jim and I ran the first half together but he edged away from me during the final miles of the race.

I ran my heart out that morning and the rains that came down in the last few miles mixed with a few tears.
“The hardship of running somehow softens the hardship of life” Dean Karnazes, Outrunning the Demons ‘Phil Hewitt’. 2019
I hit my time of 1.54 and though it was my best time in 3 years it wasn’t how I’d have wanted to get there. That race was for Steve.

I kept up my longer distance running as it helped process things; it still is a source of comfort to go out alone and just run.
With a slightly heavier heart then usual I made my annual pilgrimage up the A1 to one of my favourite parts of planet Earth, the Great North East and my favourite running weekend of the year. 
With all that had happened I did my best not to pile on the pressure for what had always been the target race of 2019.
The first 9 miles of the 2019 Great North Run had gone completely to plan and I was bang on pace, a little like the Potts Arf this race tends to be on the warm side and the sun was out in full force that day and as mile 9 became 10 I could feel my speed slowing and I felt my target time slipping away. I walked up 2 sections of the John Raid Road and try as I might I couldn’t pick up the pace.
My head fell apart and I stopped, slumped over some railings and felt the sting of a tear roll down my check. Then I did the only thing I know, I ran on. I know I’d blown my target time but I still felt a sub 2 was just about achievable if I could get my body, brain and soul all to work in harmony again.
I ran as fast as I could (still a long way off my original pace) but I gave that last mile the urgency it required. I crossed the finish line past the 2 hour mark and crashed. I was helped through the finish funnel and then got cramp and was carried over to the medical tent.
I eventually limped off into South Shields and found my way to a beer garden where I allowed myself half a pint. I’d been teetotal for a while in the build up to the race and promised myself a pint at the finish if I hit my target.
The half was because I was happy with 2:02, I’d feared it would’ve been longer based on my short walks and stopping once. 
It was still my best time up there for many years. See you in 2020 GNR.
After the Great North Run came a 7 week break and on the final Sunday of October I lined up for another tough race and my only trail half of the 12 in 12 challenge. I meet up with Helen and Paul H who were also running that day. Paul and I chatted away for the first couple of miles before he started to pull away and I settled into a comfortable pace.
After GNR I felt a little more relaxed and having only 3 halves left took some pressure off, my main aim at the Cannock Chase trail half was to survive, my off road Salomon running shoes got a rare run out that day and it was chilly but bright and gave for some splendid views over the Chase.

This was always going to be my slowest and hilliest run of the year but I was still happy enough with a time of 2:23 and even happier to have got home without a fall or slip on the muddy tracks.


Then race 11 came a week later at a very foggy Tatton Park where Jim and I ran together and helped to pace a couple of ladies around, though they did great and we had a job to catch them in the final sprint finish. 

I was happy with my 1:55 time, it’s just a shame I didn’t get to see the beautiful Tatton Park due to the fog which of course cleared to reveal a lovely sunny day as we drove home!


“Blink and an entire year can fly by” was I how I felt as I approached my final race of the 12 in 12 at Oulton Park race way. It seemed only a few shorts weeks ago that I was running for the start at the Central Lancashire race and now here I was about to run a 5 lap half marathon course on a cold crisp December morning.

I felt good and wanted to end the year with another sub 2 hour time. I was joined by my top friends from the north east at this race and also met up with club mates Lee and Warren and saw Mark out running the marathon.


It was a cold day for a race but a sunny one and I must admit that I wasn’t too keen on this course, I’d never ran a multi lap course and for some reason I couldn’t settle into a nice even pace. I also found the steep hairpin bend a nightmare to run around and all but slid off onto the grass on my first lap
The hills are what people mention when you enquire about this race and though they’re nothing like Heartbreak Hill at Mile 12 of the Potters Arf the smaller 2nd hill knocks the wind out of your sails. I well organised race and certainly something different but I’m not sure it’s for me.
I hit my time goal of going sub 2 again with another 1:55 so I was happy and ended the year on a high but I also managed to go the whole 12 months without picking up a significant injury that required weeks of rest.
My hope for doing this 12 in 12 month challenge was to have fun and find my love for running again; it was also to act as foundation training for something I had up my sleeve for a new challenge in 2020.
I made the point of finding races I either hadn’t done before or races I’d always wanted to have a crack at and I think this helped enormously to revitalise my running and helped me to fall in love with running all over again.
This is my first race report in years and it was an epic so thanks for reading it.
All the best with your running and racing in the 2020s - Phil
Race to the Stones 13 & 14 July 2019 - Sarah Jackson-Hedges
A tale of blisters, knees, & mind over matter.


It’s safe to say that Dan, Ali, & I had never taken anything on like this before. The furthest we had run was marathon distance, so Race to the Stones-a 100km trail run along Britain’s oldest path, The Ridgeway, was our biggest challenge yet. We had chosen the 2 day option of 50km a day with camping in between.


I was pretty apprehensive about the challenge we had set. I’d learnt from my marathons that anything can happen on the day & anything can affect how things go; small things can become big things.


So day 1 started by arriving at the Start area. The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation. We handed our overnight bags in, and queued up for our ‘temporary’ tattoos (mine still haven’t washed off, so glad I didn’t put any on my face!). Shortly afterwards it was time for us to head to the starting area. We were due to set off in the 8.05am wave. This was it, we were about to set off. I was petrified & hoped that I would relax once we got going. The race starter was like a DJ, whipping up everyone with excitement telling us how wonderful our legs were!

8.05 arrived & so we were off into the fields. The sun was already out so we were set for a warm day. Pit Stops along the route were roughly every 10 or so km. Pit Stops 1-5 were on day 1, & 6-9 were on day 2.


At each Pit Stop we stocked up with some serious calories-crisps, gels, & chocolate galore. The Pit Stop crew were amazing at keeping folks stocked up & upbeat.


The route on day 1 was very busy with a mixture of runners & walkers so at times when the paths were narrow progress was slow.


As the day went on I started to suffer with blisters. I was cursing as I was wearing kit that I’d trained in & been fine but the heat was playing havoc with my feet & so at each Pit Stop I had to have my blisters lanced & dressed by the very kind medics.


At various points along the route our support crew Kerryann & James were waiting for us. It’s amazing how uplifting it is seeing familiar faces when the going is tough. Thanks guys for all the waiting around!


Pit Stop 4 came & went & we were on our last leg of the day. Eventually we could see Base Camp in the distance. Like a mirage it never seemed to get any nearer. We had a bit of a sing song to gee our spirits up & pass the time.


We finally arrived at Base Camp & passed through the 50km finish line. Base Camp was like a mini festival including tents & flags, music & a bar if you fancied it, & later on an amazing sun set.

On arrival we were allocated our tents & a sleeping mat. Time for a shower which was surprisingly warm, then food which was in abundance. Now it was time to queue to see the medics to get my feet sorted ready for tomorrow & then a massage. My blisters were lanced & dressed-very painful & there were a few yelps & grimaces. Then it was off to bed or rather the camping mat which I kept sliding off when I moved.


We got up at about 4am & the camp was already getting busy. Getting up out of tent with stiff legs was interesting to say the least!


We packed & headed for breakfast & then we were off back over the Start line. Day 2 here we come.


We set off at a pretty good pace & the first Pit Stop came & went with ease.

The terrain was really rutty & rocky, & I started to get the beginnings of knee pain. Hoping to shrug it off we continued. At around 10 miles in my knee was really painful. The pain was like 2 bones in my knee scraping against each other. I later found out that it was my IT band.

Kerryann & James were not too far away so we sent Dan ahead to spend some time with them as I knew I was struggling to walk, never mind run. I’d had some paracetamol, but it hadn’t touched the pain in my knee. I could hardly walk & discussed with Ali the possibility that I wasn’t going to finish, or that she went on ahead with Dan & I would continue alone. I was in bits about the possibility of not finishing, but there was over 20 miles left, which is a long way when you can hardly move & are in pain.


As I hobbled along another runner caught us up & asked if I was ok. After explaining the pain I was in she produced some tape & taped my knee up. I was later to learn that this was the same runner who then gave a donation to Dan...amazing.


We caught up with Team Maddock & I was feeling pretty broken. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the event for Ali & Dan. I knew that if I was to continue, there was a strong possibility that I would be walking at best. We agreed to stay together; we’d trained as a team & were to finish as a team. Ali & Dan-thank you x


As an after thought we had left some walking poles in Kerryann’s car. I decided to give them a go as I had nothing to lose & so we set off again. I managed to move a little easier with the poles although I was still in a lot of pain. Down hill sections which were supposed to be the easier parts of the route, today were not my friend. The pain was worse & I had to resort to going downhill sideways with much grimacing & cursing. On one downhill section another runner was going sideways too & was being half carried by her companion. I gave her a knowing look & asked if she was in the same pain as me & indeed she was.


The kilometres ticked slowly by & every so often I had to stop to try & massage my knee. We were saying very little to each other, fighting our own personal battles to keep going.


Pit Stop 8 was at about 79km-only 21km left. ONLY! Usually we would run this in a few hours but not today. It was tough thinking that what normally would be a distance completed in a few hours or so, would take much longer.


So we continued.....Pit Stop 9 arrived & the pain in my knee was wearing me out both physically & mentally. A Pit Stop crew member asked if I was ok. I told her the pain I was in & I was ushered to a medic who taped my knee up & gave me an Ibuprofen tablet the size of a horse pill. The crew member came & spoke to me & offered me a lift to the finish saying I’d already done 2 ultras which was an achievement & that the next down hill section was pretty tough. Boy was that lift tempting, but I couldn’t pull out with 12km to go! I hadn’t done all the training or 88km of the route to not finish; I wanted that medal.

So we left Pit Stop 9 for the last leg. Ali had started to suffer with her knee too. The terrain became very rutty & was obviously a mountain bike route. It was uneven & slow going. We had to watch every step as it was ankle breaking territory. We exchanged conversations with various runners as we plodded on. There were lone runners whose team mates had had to pull out. This made me feel a little better as we were were still a three. We spoke to a runner called Alena. She had entered the race originally thinking that she was heading to Stone Henge! This provided some amusement.


Eventually we reached tarmac. I’ve never been so pleased to plant my feet on a road. A little further & we were closing in on the Avebury Stones. As we continued our approach to the Stones, folks were coming from the other direction. On this section of the course, the route takes you to the Stones & then double backs on itself as you head to the finish.


We arrived at the famous Stones, had our photos taken & headed back the way we came. It was the last section & we could see the Finish a few fields away!


Shortly after, the final stretch was ahead & we could see the Finish. We shuffled as quickly as we could over the Finish line together as a three, where we were given our hard earned medals. We had done it! We had started this journey together & had finished it together.


A few thank you’s....

To Dan & Ali, Kerryann & James for starting & finishing this journey together even when the going got super tough.

The medics & crew staff were amazing.

Threshold Sports know how to organise a well supported event.


Race to the Stones has taught me that mind over matter really does work! Also you can tape your feet with rock tape, walking poles are pretty useful, you learn to march up hills, & anything really can happen on the day.


Would I do it again?-well now that my knee is easing & the blisters are healing, I’m already casting an eye over another event in the series...Race to the King.
Race to the Stones 2019 - Daniel Maddock

Grab yourself a coffee and a biscuit and click on the link below to see Dan's account of our teams epic two day adventure.
The JustGiving page is still open for anyone wishing to contribute to this great cause.

#R24TRC
Pennine Barrier Ultra 50 mile. Saturday 22nd June 2019 - Chris Hardman

I’m often told I’m mad for doing these things. Most people wouldn’t even entertain the thought and I totally get that. They’re not the weird ones, I am. As is anyone else who gets up at 3.50am on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales on a Saturday to go and run 50 miles over some of the biggest hills in England (are they mountains?) outside of the Lake District.
Anyway, back a step. Most who know me know I run Ultras nowadays (I say “run” in a very loose way) and I’m happy to go with my motto “I’m not built for speed but I can go all day". In the run up to this one though I’d been thinking that I might need to go all day and all night. I’d bounced from race to race for 2 or 3 months – the odd Ultra, a few road half marathons and even a trail half the week before so it was fair to say even though I’d been on my feet a bit, I wasn’t feeling properly trained or prepared. I’d not been feeling too confident – this was a big race with big miles and big hills – so I’d needed a few stern pep talks during the week from my usual sources of inspiration (and one unlikely one – thanks Laura!). That, and the weather forecast combined with the location had all led to me deciding to just go out there and enjoy myself. Remove the pressure (it was a pretty generous 18 hr cut off) and just have a day out in the hills. And that’s pretty much what I ended up doing.
As with all the GB Ultras events I was able to get over to race HQ (also the start and finish) on the Friday night to register, get kit checked and familiarise myself with where I needed to be at 5am the next morning. It’s always great to see some friendly faces at registration and I always do with the GB Ultras community. A fellow Trentham RC member checking in peoples kit on my left (Hi Nic!). A GB Ultras ambassador signing their waiver behind me shouting hello (Hi Nicola!) and the man himself, Wayne, race director extraordinaire, making sure everything was running smoothly ahead of his 50-60 hrs of no sleep while looking after 200 or so runners and co-ordinating something like 30 or 40 volunteers.
So, back to the Saturday morning. A quick couple of coffees in our weekend cottage, then leaving the long suffering running widow Mrs H in a cosy warm bed I jumped in the car and drove the half hr or so to Malham for the start. A few more friendly faces, Andy and Andrew from Stoke Fit, Ian from GB Ultras and the usual familiar folk from the Ultra community and it was time to wave off the mentalists who were doing the 100 mile version. 2 minutes later we were off on the 50!
Within 5 minutes I was glad I’d ignored the desire to layer up as even though the chilly morning was still bracing, I was warm enough trotting up the gentle rise into and out of Malham Cove. A few hundred steps out on to the limestone pavement at the top warmed me up even more as I settled into my usual place near the back of the field. Already the views were amazing, the early morning sun ahead slightly blinding me but popping in and out of shadows just enough to not annoy.
After a short few miles of climb and fields/trails we hit a bit of tarmac for the out and back section obviously put in to make the miles up to a nice round 50! I think you either love or hate these sections - me, I love them. I enjoy seeing the runners come the other way, anything to take my mind off the task in hand! It also gave me the chance to see fellow TRC runner Preet coming the other way. We’d ran all of Chester Ultra together back in March but I wasn’t surprised to see him a few minutes ahead already after only a few miles this time. We said our hello’s and that was the last time we saw each other that day!
Once we’d completed the out and back we left the tarmac and headed onto paths and trails, firstly around the side of Malham Tarn then through the back and up onto the flank of Fountains Fell. Up and over here and we had our first view of Pen y Ghent, the first of the 3 big Yorkshire Peaks we would be hitting. It loomed in our view as we descended Fountains Fell, there was no way of not seeing it! Once off the fell it was a gentle trot along a track to the first checkpoint, 12 miles done.
This wasn’t one to linger at though. I was still feeling pretty fresh and with Pen y Ghent off to our right waiting formidably I wanted to crack on. So after a quick top up of water and with a couple of Haribos in hand I headed off to follow the line of runners heading up to the top. As Pen y Ghent is the usual first climb for hikers doing the Yorkshire 3 peaks this is where we started to encounter the first of the “crowds”. In reality, it was never really too busy but if you had expected peace and tranquillity in the Yorkshire countryside you would have been disappointed. 
I was surprised at how easy the ascent of Pen y Ghent was, a gentle climb along a well laid path then a few minutes of scrambling near the top and we were up. I was expecting worse but that was still to come! 14 miles done, I was feeling ok, taking it easy and well within the time limits, life was pretty good!
I bounded down the other side, the path down was mainly slabs of rock making it easy to keep running and keep the miles ticking over. The path here was well marked, and there was no navigation needed to follow the steady stream of hikers and runners heading over to Whernside for the next of the 3 Peaks. The usual 3 Peaks route takes you close to Ingleborough (the final Peak) after Pen y Ghent before heading right towards the Eastern side of Whernside where you turn 90 degrees and head up along it’s long ridge. This is exactly what we did too after a quick stop at CP2 to try and cool down, replenish water and munch on a couple of Peanut butter sandwiches. We were something like 21 miles in now, around 5 hours of moving, the weather was hot and mostly clear but fortunately there was a cooling breeze that stopped it getting too bad. The picturesque Ribblehead Viaduct to our immediate left took my mind off things for a minute or two but the novelty soon wore off!
It had been a long slog from Pen y Ghent, no real hills but a solid 7 miles or so of varying terrain so I was starting to feel it in my legs now. I had used my walking poles (Wimp sticks/Cheat poles etc etc) up Pen y Ghent but kept them stowed away for Whernside for no other reason than I couldn’t be bothered to take my pack off to get them out. I think this was my lowest point, the long gradual climb up Whernside kept going and going and the distant summit didn’t seem to move much closer. It was something like a 4 mile climb in total and I started to have my first doubts during the hour and half or so it took to reach the top. As it flattened out I allowed myself a few minutes to look out to the left and take in the outstanding views. The viaduct way below, Pen y Ghent off in the far distance (had we really come that far?) and nearer, rising steeply, the big mound of Ingleborough, our next challenge once we were down off this one.
Along the top ridge I spied a GBUltras Tshirt and more importantly a camera so I did what anyone else would and started running! I was commended on being the first competitor they had seen for quite a while who came through there actually running. I’m too honest for my own good though so did admit it was only because I’d seen them in the distance and then soon broke into a walk again!
The descent down Whernside was horrible. New rocks had obviously recently been put on to the path and it had turned into a really steep, really tough staircase. Not made for someone with my short stumpy legs. This was the worst I felt physically over the whole day, every step made my knees scream and as much as I wanted to run down them and use the momentum they were just too steep and painful to do anything other than follow the hikers down in a steady walk/hobble.
Once it levelled off and spat us out into the valley though the pain subsided which was a good confidence booster – maybe I could get this finished without too much drama.
I carried on past a very busy Ice Cream Van, then an equally busy café/snack shop onto the road and up to CP3 and the friendly face of Nicola, a fellow TRC runner (and probably the biggest inspiration for me in Ultra Running – but don’t tell her, she’ll get embarrassed!). I got the gossip on how some of the others that I knew were doing (suffering, grumpy, moaning etc) and hoped that if anyone asked Nic how I had been at the CP she would have been able to say “happy, fairly comfortable and enjoying himself” as that’s pretty much how I felt.
I’d been told that Ingleborough was the polar opposite of Whernside – a short shop shock of a climb and I was fine with that. Give me half an hour of pain over the gradual lingering death I’d had previously any day! And it was. A tough old climb, steep rocks, hands needed a couple of times, but worst of all, squadrons of massive midges swarming the path for the last few minutes of the climb making it impossible to breathe – but also removing any desire to stop and rest – just get me up there away from them! A couple more minutes of a more gentle climb and the top opened up and the trig point came into view across a rocky plateau. Over to the trig for the obligatory photo and a chat with Gary who runs these events with his Husky “Storm”. I was amazed to find out that Storm would do these 50 miles, get home then want to go out again with Gary’s other dogs for another walk! 
This is about when it starts to become a mental thing. The Yorkshire 3 peaks were done – that’s an achievement in itself yet I still had another 18 miles or so to go. So, the elation of another big climb and the completion of the 3 peaks had to be put to one side as I knew that realistically I had another 6 or 7 hours on my feet to contend with. From my limited experiences in Ultras, these are the moments that can break you. If you let your mind wander and contemplate the fact that you’ve got to keep going for a lot longer than it takes most people to complete a marathon for example, that can hurt! You can really start to question what you are doing and the doubts really creep in. Luckily, it’s also one of the most important things I’ve learned in the last couple of years too. My head’s pretty good at this stuff now. It’ll take me as long as it takes and I’ll put up with it. So a brief well done on so far, then head off Ingleborough, down in to the valley and off to CP4 at around 34 miles.
A few more peanut butter sandwiches, more water into me and my bottles, a couple of paracetamol to keep the aches at bay and brief sit down on the floor to stretch out then I was off again. Only a few short miles to CP5 (which was CP1 on the way out) and then the homeward stretch.
After the loop of the Yorkshire 3 peaks route we picked up our outward route again and re-traced our steps back to Malham Tarn. By this stage it’s all a bit of a blur. The climb up to Fountains Fell was horrid, the descent down the other side equally so due to the usual stomach and sickness issues I get late on in races. I need to sort this out but I don’t think anything other than trial and error will help, so great – more races!
One way I have of coping late on when everything’s hurting that little bit more is to allow myself some music after the last checkpoint. It’s a treat. It’s something to look forward to. It takes my mind off the job in hand. As always this worked really well this time too. Earlier that week something had reminded me of a band I’d not listened to for absolutely years so I’d set about adding them to my running playlist and made sure I didn’t listen to it in the meantime, saving it for the race. So, with a combination of my usual eclectic running tunes (Greatest Showman, ACDC, Erasure, Shed 7 etc) I had the welcome addition of PWEI to power me home!
I eventually hauled myself over the finish in something like 15 hrs 47, but like I said at the start, it wasn’t about that this time. I wanted to enjoy myself and I had an absolute blast, so mission accomplished.
I could go on about how friendly everyone is – I spent long periods with other runners chatting about all sorts of stuff and even walked down off Ingleborough with a couple of random hikers talking about anything and everything.
I could go on about the feeling you get when you’ve been moving for 45 miles and you’re almost semi-conscious, moving automatically without effort, then you jolt yourself “awake” and have a brief moment of amazement that your body can do this.
I could go on about the brilliant Ultra community, not just GB Ultras but the wider one too, and the amazing volunteers that all these events need as the only way of making them possible. 
I could (and should) go on about having a brilliant wife and family who not only let me have the time to do these things but openly welcome it as who I am now, and much more importantly, what I need to do.
But I won’t. This time.
So that’s pretty much that. I guess this isn’t really a race report – more a story of my day out in the hills – so I apologise if it’s not what you expected when you started a fair few minutes ago!
One final thought – Beef Pepperami – the food of champions! Who knew!
Potters ‘Arf 2019: Not For Wimps - 9th June 2019, Daniel Maddock

 Last Sunday I went into the Potter ‘Arf Marathon I with my eyes wide open. The reality of Stafford and Manchester had cut my bravado down-to-size and had given me a good hard kick in the nuts. The aim for the day was very clear. A) not to blow up part way round and B) to finish with a smile on my face. What ensued was a steady, respectful and (for the most part) enjoyable shuffle around mother Stoke, surrounded by TRC friends and thousands of fellow runner types.

Typically, the weekend had not started out particularly well. Junior had gone off to Scout camp, timed perfectly to coincide with the summer’s deluge and I was confined to my bed with a tummy upset. You should never run if you’re feeling poorly and it really was touch and go as to whether I would make the start. But mercifully, on Sunday morning I woke to the early alarm, feeling reasonably refreshed. We were on.

The Potters ‘Arf is a brilliant event, thanks to its legendary organisation, closed roads and abundant, friendly support. It is also hilly. Runners from far and wide talk about it in hushed tones: tales of Anchor Road, Beverley Drive and Heartbreak Hill whispered as if the very mention will jinx their efforts. Enormous contingents from local clubs crowded Hanley town centre for team photos and the air buzzed with anticipation. It was impossible not to be excited.

Me and Mrs M hovered at the back of the field near the 2.5 hr pacer. With the plan in mind we wanted space to run our own race and didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. The first half a mile or so weaves around the town centre and we were careful not to go off too fast, so we trotted along and high fived friends who were supporting and enjoyed the crowds. Soon we were clear of the town centre and swooping down Lichfield Street towards Fenton.

The first water station on the corner of Victoria Road was a welcome sight. After rain that had resembled the coming apocalypse, the sun was now high and I was parched. Part of the plan was to walk up the hilly bits (another good reason to be at the back) and enjoy the flat and downhill sections, so we guzzled water and trotted towards Longton. We saw more friends who cheered and waved before we turned onto Anchor Road, which is a hike at any speed.

Anchor road is steep and when you reach the brow, there is another climb beyond to test your legs. We weren’t the only people walking. On the other side, the residents of Adderley Green Care Home were lined up enjoying the sunshine and cheered as we passed. Next up was Beverley Drive which undulates nicely and was quieter than the rest of the route. Plenty of folk were out in their gardens, some in their pyjamas watching on. We had a chat with the Scouts on the water station and turned towards Abbey Hulton.

We got to Scabby Abbey, as it’s known locally, at about mid-day and the sun was at it’s hottest. There was no shade and we ran next to the stationary traffic on the road past the cemetery. Ash, the 2.5 hr pacer, was in our vicinity and he checked we were OK. We nattered with some of the other runners and made our way to Leek New Road. By now the field was thinning out but there were still plenty of support and as we trudged on, we knew that we still had heartbreak hill to contend with.

The start of the hill is alarmingly steep and it doesn’t really improve until you get to Sneyd Green, by which time the race is almost run. It was hot and still and the roads were beginning to open. We could see our club mate Zoe ahead of us but we couldn’t catch her. The tail car came through early and asked us to move onto the pavement, we duly obliged but as the roads opened, we were still moving faster than the encroaching traffic. Hanley was in sight and we could hear the crowds.
As we trundled back into town, we saw more friendly faces and our inspirational friend Chelsea who was standing out of her wheelchair waving to us. That was the all boost we needed to burn off the last few hundred metres. As the announcer declared that Darren (?) and Kerryann Maddock were finishing, we crossed the finish line and collected our Pottery medal. The plan had worked a treat. There had been no cursing, no breakdowns and no tears. There had been plenty of chatting, joking about and high-fiving and we were smiling. #Result.

The Potters Arf is not for wimps. It’s a long way, hilly as hell and taking place in June, prone to be freakishly hot. 2019 was no exception and no sooner had we finished then the heavens opened and the rain fell for another five solid days. If I’m well enough I’ll be back next year, simply because I can’t miss my local half. It is easily the most popular race of the local calendar and with good reason, but it was sea of green vests around me in my #TeamKidney vest this year made this race complete.
Mourne Way Marathon – 8th June 2019  Kathryn Taylor

Having done this race last year, I knew exactly how tough it would be, and the challenges that lay ahead. The glorious route through the Mourne Mountains, County Down, takes in approximately 4400ft of climb, over often inhospitable fell terrain. Last year, it was blazing hot, and the ground was bone dry as a result. This wasn’t always an advantage, however, as rocky ground often equals sore feet!

Lining up at the start, I was quite nervous, but I felt well prepared after a solid training block over the past few months, with a good performance at Dukeries 40 just three weeks previously. I hadn’t done as much specific hill training or preparation for the terrain as I might have liked, which can probably account for the slightly sick feeling in the pit of my stomach as we counted down from ten and then headed straight off up onto the fells.
The race itself is part of a big running festival in Northern Ireland, which also includes an ultra (in this case, a double marathon). These poor unfortunate souls (including my husband Roger) start at the finish in Kilbroney Park, heading across the Mournes to the start of the marathon, in Newcastle. They then make their way back again, which meant that we passed each other twice on the route. I knew that I would see Roger after about an hour, and I did – he was looking strong in second place.

Anyway, the run begins with a tricky climb up Slieve Donard, and already I could tell that it was going to be difficult underfoot. The large rocks, which I’m usually quite confident in hopping across, were really slippery after a few days of heavy rain earlier in the week. I knew from then that caution would be the order of the day – the priority wasn’t a fast time, but staying on my feet and hopefully a top 10 finish (after I was 11th lady here last year). One very technical fell section done, and then there were a few nice downhill miles through woodland. Then I hit the first really boggy field, and soon realised there was no point even trying to evade wet feet. Into the bog, up to the knees I went, not for the last time that day.
As I emerged from the first bog of doom, I saw the race leader in the ultra, followed fairly quickly by Roger. He stopped to warn me to be careful as the fells to come were really bad. Now, if the Mountain Goat himself tells you it’s bad, you should be worried!

The second checkpoint came around fairly quickly and without much drama, and then I remembered that one of the toughest sections was coming up. Here, from miles 10-12, you cross boggy, rocky fell, where there’s no distinct path, and most steps lead to very wet feet. I definitely made the right choice of shoes in the low profile Inov-8 Trail Talons – they drain really quickly and offer great grip. I was also glad I had worn long socks, as I was frequently in mud up to my knees! This section also included about four river crossings, which involve some amount of forward planning as to the best line to take. I personally prefer to stand on the riverbed instead of stepping on the rocks. I also try to assess where the river is flowing more slowly so I’m not swept away! By this point, the rain had started to come down quite heavily so I was wet all over, not just on my legs. I looked forward to the end of this section, which was signalled by the amusingly named ‘Fanny Dam’. Then it was a quick path through a forest, which was the muddiest bit so far (nearly lost my shoe, knee deep in mud) and then a short, sharp climb up a field to a long uphill drag on road. I pushed on a bit here, taking great care, however, as the clag had descended and the cars were coming at me quite quickly.

A fast downhill section followed the third checkpoint, where I made up a good bit of time before crossing Spelga Dam. Again, it was very muddy and I nearly took a tumble after I misjudged a jump from rock to rock. The leader of the ultra passed me here – he didn’t look to happy either! Thankfully, as I descended and crossed into the next valley, the rain abated and I started to feel my fingers again.
I then made exactly the same silly mistake as I did last year (sometimes my memory is short) and climbed up a hill when I didn’t need to! The course was marked by yellow posts, and there was one up the top of this hill. Not the right post, apparently. Fortunately, I quickly realised my mistake, but unfortunately, it meant I missed a hug and a hello from a bemused Roger on the path below. I could see he was still comfortably in second though, and he looked strong.

The next section was really difficult and was the moment I was really cursing this time last year. There is a long and very boggy field, leading up to a long and even boggier hill, with no marked path and loads of tussocks. Although it was tough, I felt strong, and I reached the top to look back at the stunning view I had left behind. Another tricky and technical descent into the penultimate checkpoint, and I was starting to feel like the end was near.
The next part was also very wet, as went through a valley and over the most dangerous (fast-flowing and wide) river crossing so far. By this point, I didn’t mind the river, as it meant an opportunity to wash my shoes! Up and over another steep climb, then down to the final checkpoint, which I knew signalled 10K to go. There was just one final technical bit to negotiate, where I fell in 2016, so I was very careful. 

The last five miles are amazing, not least because they are all downhill, but also because they take you through stunning woodland trails. I also had the impetus to go faster, as the 10K race had started and they were whizzing past me. With a mile to go, I could start to hear the tannoy in the park, announcing the finishers. My thoughts turned to Roger, as I hoped he’d held on to second place. Turning into the park, I started to really turn the screw and nail the finish – onto the grass, around the trees, and the finish line was upon me. Roger greeted me joyfully (he was 2nd!) as I crossed the line in 7 hours, 47 mins and 29 seconds – this time, although it sounds painfully slow for a marathon, gave me 7th lady and 15th position overall. That should give you an idea of how hard it was, if I haven’t already! All in all, a great day out 

Reflecting on a Year of Running - Mark Gibson

Wednesday 25th April 2018, this was the day I finally got off my backside and decided to join the beginners group. Armed with some trainers I found in the garage I set out with the expectation that like a lot of other things in my life be something that wasn’t really for me and I probably wouldn’t enjoy it. 

After that first session I was pretty tired, we probably ran about 1.5 miles. Next day I could barely walk it was hilarious, hobbling around work and generally complaining about my discomfort. But, the following Wednesday I went back for more, and the next week, the one after that, in fact all 10 weeks plus another 4 that were put on. Throughout this time I improved, walking less, ditched the uncomfortable shoes for something more suited for running, got blisters, discovered running socks and in July did my first timed 5k event at the Festival of Running in a personal best of 37 mins 21 secs. I was really pleased with this.

Joining the club proper was a great decision and increasing my running activity helped me improve further. In September I did my first 10k around Hanley. It was the first time I’d run the distance non-stop in 1hr 11 mins. A few weeks later the Stafford 10k, Olympic Park 10k and Tatton Park. As my technique and experience improved so did my times.

Late last year I decided that as I was enjoying the running I wanted to push myself a bit more so signed up to the Stafford Half Marathon, my first crack at the distance. This was a real challenge, requiring more training to get used to running longer. A few others wanted to do this too so I set up and planned some ‘unofficial’ runs on Sundays which would allow us to build our distance from the 10-11km we were used to right up to close to the race distance. Come race day I knew I could do the distance, it was all about getting round without stopping, times were less important. I set myself an unofficial goal of 2hrs 20 and came in at 2hrs 14 so was very pleased for my first attempt.

The Stafford half was a defining moment in my first year as a runner. I’d gone from a totally devoted non-runner to a half marathon finisher in less than a year and someone who tries to plan runs when I’m away on holiday, either on my own or joining random groups around the world who have all been very welcoming. Plus I’m physically and mentally fitter than I’ve been for a very long time. I made the decision to move up from the Inbetweeners group to Middles after Stafford, challenging myself more but already I’m seeing results. A few weeks ago I ran Hanley Parkrun in a shade over 26 mins and the Newcastle 10k in 54 mins, huge improvements in really only a few months.

So what next? I’ve definitely been bitten by this running bug. I’ve got a few more half marathons coming up this year and I’ve also signed up for the Manchester Marathon next year. 

I would also like to give thanks to Laura and Charlie too who have been amazing along the way, we all had a great run at Newcastle last weekend.

So it’s been a busy year, I’m really enjoying my running, I’ve met some amazing and inspiring people and I’ve also expressed interest in becoming a run leader for the club so I can help motivate and encourage others. Looks like the next year is going to be even busier than last.
Asics Greater Manchester Marathon 7th April 2019 - Ali Jackson-Hedges

Back in early December 2018 running had slipped down my priority list in favour of planning and prepping for Christmas and holidays. My partner Sarah had been dropping hints about signing up for the Manchester marathon which I wasn’t keen on, but agreed to put my name in the club draw and leave the decision to fate. Lady Luck (aka Karl Latham) pulled my name out of the bag and Sarah was over the moon! Knowing that I had a club place gave me that missing motivation to train, as I wanted to be able to do my best for the club as well as myself. My training didn’t go as well as I had hoped, but fellow runners assured me that I had done enough to get round. My target was sub 5 hours, as was Sarah’s, but from experience we know that we are quite different runners so we don’t race together, and didn’t plan to for this one either.

So after months of training, and lots of planning and beetroot juice it was an early start on the morning of the race, leaving Trentham in convoy at 5.30am. This gave us time to reach the tram stop park and ride before the road closures were put in place. Organisation for the race was impressive straightaway with plenty of signs and marshals. Runners were split into lettered/coloured waves for the start, but it was much more relaxed than my experience of how this is done at the Great North Run. Runners and their supporters were able to mingle, and weren’t physically “penned” in, and each wave were edged forward and had their own countdown to the start, complete with coloured smoke and music giving it that big event feel.
Within the first half a mile, Sarah had gone ahead and I was taking it steady trying to stay just under 11 minute miles. It was busy, but not too crowded, and people around me were running at a similar pace. That was until the relay runners came charging past! But I quickly realised what was going on and didn’t panic. The miles passed by nicely, I was sticking to my pace and resisting going faster. The support was fabulous – there were locals and residents out in droves, churches and other community groups were providing water and sweets as well as the official water stations and bottle drop zones roughly every 3 miles. There was also lots of music – DJs and music systems, bands and choirs. I found myself turning my headphones off most of the time to enjoy the atmosphere.

I tried not to look at the total run time on my watch, and just checked my pace, with a rough idea that I was splitting the race into two 10 miles, and a 6 mile/2 Parkruns. With 10 miles in the bag and feeling fine, I decided to go a bit faster. It actually felt easier than holding back and it was a lovely part of the route around Timperley and Altrincham. Again, there was a good atmosphere of support, and there were a couple of sections where the course ran in a contra-flow so I was enjoying seeing the other runners and keeping an eye out for team mates. I was lucky to pass Team Maddock at about the half way point and we all high fived!(Heroic performance from them by the way) Seeing people I knew or connected with always gave me a boost; Kathryn and I passed each other a couple of times, and also some Stone runners. But even a stranger shouting “Trentham” or “Ali” was great. I saw an old friend at mile 15, and got a big shout from Bill Mac which took me by surprise. Someone also asked me to say hello to Dale Colclough for him but didn’t tell me his name so apologies to both!
I’d been looking ahead for Sarah for the whole race and wondering how she was doing. I saw numerous teal coloured backpacks and thought it was her but somewhere around mile 20 or 21 I suddenly saw her bright orange base layer. I managed to get to her and we both exchanged our stories of pain and woe. We both wanted the sub 5 and it was still within reach but we were struggling. My vision of the last 6 miles just taking care of themselves was so wrong! I knew it would be uncomfortable but this was horrible. I wanted to stop and almost gave up on the goal but knew I would be mad at myself, and I definitely didn’t want to have to run another marathon to get it. I kept plodding on telling myself that if I just kept moving I had enough time. The positive encouragement from the crowd was helping again… “I can, I will, I must”, “You are going to finish this”, “You are amazing”. 

I was sick of the sweet tasting energy gels, but was feeling dizzy and a little wobbly at times. My GCSE maths skills were also called in to question when I just couldn’t work out how far there was to go. My watch was hitting the miles before the course mile markers, and then they threw a 40K marker in to confuse me even more. Just keep going.

After a nice 5 or 6 miles of picking up the pace, things started to get harder both physically and mentally. My pace slowed and I struggled through the 18th mile where the route looped round and there was considerably less support. I was getting irritated at seeing the same banners… “tap here to power up” and “you are running better than our Government” just wasn’t funny anymore. I even thought I was seeing things when an actual tortoise came walking onto the road, which was quickly retrieved by a man with a parrot on his shoulder. True story! Mile 20 was my next mental goal but I ended up slowing for a short walk, and then stopped for a stretch. I felt a bit giddy but unexpectedly my watch buzzed and I hadn’t realised that it was on auto-pause! This was a disaster! The distance on my watch already seemed to be out of sync, what if the gps drops out? What if my timings are now completely inaccurate?! I had to get moving again! So I plodded on and it was tough.
I jogged and walked on and off, and Sarah drew level with me again a couple of times which made me keep going for us both, like I could mentally pull her along with me. I also ran with a lady from Stone MM who was in pain and had lost her running pal, and again it felt like we were able to keep going for each other if only for a short while.

The crowds were increasing, there was Bill Mac again and I waved at him like he was a long lost relative, there was music and dancers, and sponsor stations that made no sense to me. I heard on the tannoy that I was about to turn the last corner and would be able to see the finish. I could see the finish! But I couldn’t really tell how far it was and was worried about the time (I couldn’t trust my watch thanks to the auto-pause moment!) I heard Sarah shout me so I dropped back to her, and knew we had to get each other to that line. It was no sprint finish but the crowds were amazing shouting and cheering everyone home. We crossed the line together in 4hours 55mins 30 seconds! Job done, a PB for both of us and target achieved.

This was my third marathon, and I thought the course (mainly flat, just avoid the potholes) the support and the organisation were really good. When we drove back along part of the route the roads had already been cleared of all bottles and litter. The weather was also perfect – dry, still and a pleasant 10 degrees-ish but that’s not always guaranteed apparently! Next year the route is due to change slightly so that it goes through the city centre which I imagine will improve it again. I felt extra proud to be representing Trentham RC due to being one of the lucky names picked out, and meeting up with others from the TRC gang, and seeing them all achieve great things made it more enjoyable all round.
Asics Manchester Marathon 7th April 2019 - Daniel Maddock

In hindsight, participating in a Marathon probably wasn’t the best choice of Sunday morning activity. The recent experience of wearing myself out washing the car should, perhaps, have sounded alarm bells. This type of thing is become an annoyingly frequent occurrence: I do a bit too much, my body shuts down and I am forced to sleep. It’s inconvenient more than anything, and once rested, I feel fine. I am used to being active and the prospect of ‘taking it easy’, if only to make it through the day, weighs heavy on my reluctant soul. I have been fighting back. And so, it was that ambition, stubbornness and good old-fashioned bloody-mindedness saw me on the starting line of the 2019 Greater Manchester Marathon.

Our mini-convoy left Trentham at 5:30am to beat the road closures and by 7am-ish we were in the race village. The air was warming and, as the sun rose higher, the village started to fill up. Streams people began to flow around Old Trafford cricket ground like the tide around rocks on the beach. We located some of our running pals and, after taking obligatory selfies, made our way to our respective starting pens. Me and Mrs M started in Pen H, towards the back of the 20,000-strong field, and it was a good half-hour after the initial start that we finally released onto the course. Mindful of our need to go slow, we kept a sharp eye on our watches and settled into a steady 10.5 minute-mile pace.

We had been standing around for some time and, sure enough, before too long nature called. There were supposed to be toilets at each water station, which were located approximately 5km apart. However, at the first station, there were none to be seen. Not wanting to break our stride, we decided to wait until the second station where, understandably, there was a queue. It was here that a lady approached me (dressed as a bee) to tell me that her husband had undergone a kidney transplant last year and she and her friends were also running for Kidney Research UK. We exchanged stories and she assured me that everything would be OK and got a selfie.
After advice from my consultant, I was very mindful to stay well hydrated, but the first sign that all was not well were my feet going dead… swollen appendages is symptomatic of kidney disease and as they swelled, the pins and needles set in. With dead feet it’s difficult to judge your footfall and before too long the discomfort in my shins and hips revealed I was running like a drunken man. I stopped and loosened my laces, acutely aware that we were only seven miles into the race and there was a long way to go. My hands were also starting to swell, so much so that I couldn’t close my hands into a fist, but as I hydrated my feet (mercifully) came back to me.

The Marathon follows a largely flat, suburban course that weaves through the residential streets and communities of Greater Manchester. We took in Stretford and Carrington, and as the course looped back at Altringham, we saw Ali and then Kathryn on the other side of the road, some 2km ahead. They were running well. Through Timperley Village and Sale, the locals offered support. Smiling children held their hands out for high-fives and offered boxes of sweets and chocolate. Grown-ups clapped and called our names. A team of firemen in full fire gear got a lot of love. I asked a man dressed delightfully as Wonder Woman to marry me – he said yes! At half-way, I was ready for some jelly-babies and scoffed more than a few as we went, but by this stage any dreams of a good time and marathon glory had been forgotten.

At the beginning of this crazy ambition had had made it clear that there would be no heroics and that ‘slow but steady’ would be the order of the day, but the frustration of my failing body was hard to take. There was nothing left to give, exhausted and in the heat of the moment, I was momentarily distraught. But I remembered my friends and sponsors and knew that if I could finish, I should. If there’s a sport that’s never short on support, it’s running… Mrs M had committed to stay by my side and there began the toughest 10 miles of my running career. Head down, one foot in front of the other, ploughing on we made slow but steady progress. By this point, four hours in, it was getting freakishly hot. The spring sunshine beat down and Mrs M kept up her gentle but persistent encouragement. The marshals kept up their banter and the locals continued to cheer.

As we approached mile 25, there was little indication that we were getting close to the finish, just a marshal on a megaphone who told us that, once we turned the corner, we would be able to see it. This was not untrue, however it was little more than a smudge on the horizon! We shuffled along, held hands and tried to not fall over our own feet. There were men with cameras everywhere so we tried to smile and look energetic, but after six hours out on the course, it took everything we had to make it to that finish line. In the final 100m or so, Mrs M spotted our team-mate, Matt, who had finished, gotten changed and been to the pub in the mean-time… He cheered and waved and this final lift saw us across the line to collect our medals. It was done!
The Frankie 5 Trail Race - 23rd March 2019 - Kerry Dixon

It was November 2017 when we heard the tragic news that Francis Hamlett had passed away suddenly whilst out mountain biking with friends. Frankie had previously been a member of Trentham Running Club before leaving to pursue his interest in triathlon, which later led him to found the Niteriders Triathlon Club. Frankie was well known locally for the support and guidance he would always give to others and was much loved within both the triathlon and running communities. It was no surprise, then, that when Rachel announced that she wanted to organise a race in his memory, she received the immediate support of everyone in making it happen; March 23rd 2019 was chosen as the date for the inaugural running of the Frankie 5 Trail Race at Hanchurch Woods in Stoke on Trent. 

It was a dry and bright morning as we assembled at the start and after some brief words reminding us all why we were there and an emotional round of applause for Frankie, Ken and Rachel got us underway. I was taking part in the race as part of my training for Manchester Marathon a couple of weeks later and it was planned to be a hard race effort, so I went off fast and quickly realised that I was leading the ladies’ race! Would I be able to maintain that for the whole 5 miles? There was, after all, a long way to go yet… we were only a couple of 100 meters in! “We’ll just see what happens”, I thought. 

The start of the race was a straightforward lap around the field. The week prior had been mostly dry so it was firm underfoot and I soon settled into a “comfortably hard” pace (whatever that means!). A bit of a drag up Whisper Lane and onto the track eventually brought us out into Hanchurch Woods where we encountered all the things befitting of a trail race – muddy patches, tree roots, steps and sharp turns. We finally reached our high point and then had the opportunity to enjoy a nice downhill stretch to the halfway point. I stole a quick look around me…. Still leading! “Just hang in there!”, I told myself. 

The second half of the race was… ‘undulating’… with some sharp climbs and steep, technical downhills. As we turned onto a track, it was one last pull up a long-ish hill before finally rejoining Whisper Lane for a fast downhill back to the field. Another quick look around… still leading! “I could actually win this!”. A final lap around the field and into the finish funnel confirmed it... my first race win since the 1500m at school! And I couldn’t be more proud than I was to get it at Frankie’s race. But what made this race really special was the way it brought so many of us together. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces, and also some that we haven’t seen for a long, long time on the racing circuit! I think that says a lot about Frankie and is testament to how much he is still missed; I hope this race will become a regular event
Stafford Half Marathon 17th March 2019 - Sophie Latham

This is my Stafford Half Marathon story, experience and I will start at the beginning… 
I have never really been into running. My Dad is, he has ran 2 marathons and so many other races and has tried to get me to run around the block, but I couldn’t manage that. 
That was until 2 years ago when my husband persuaded me to go to a beginners running club course with him at Trentham Running Club. 
I thought…we will never stick at this, its just a phase. So I kept turning up in my My Little Pony t-shirt and baggy tracksuit bottoms.
2 years later I am writing this run report after taking part in my first half marathon. After an eventful 12 months, which included taking part in a full marathon, which I promised I wouldn’t give into peer pressure….but with the support and excitement of the running club, they make it impossible to say no, and you don’t regret it!
It was roughly 2 weeks before the Stafford Half Marathon, on my one and only long run I had done in 11 months, that a fellow member, Jacquie, found me a Stafford Half Marathon place. I don’t think I was the first person she had talked into entering the Stafford Half Marathon, but like I said….you get swept away in the chatter and excitement of these races. I won’t lie, the Stafford Half Marathon had peaked my interest, but I didn’t feel ready, I hadn’t trained properly. I had not run for 4 months due to a serious health issue, and felt I was just making my comeback slowly in the past 4 months. When Jacquie offered me a place on my first long Sunday run, I thought if I can do this, maybe I can do Stafford? Well I didn’t have long to think about it as the next day I was in!
The morning of the Stafford Half Marathon came, it was a cold start to the day. There were so many fellow Trentham Running Club members grouped together, and we had a club photo before we all started. We all walked round to the start and stood with fellow running club members that were planning on doing similar paces to each other….and then we were off, as the sun came out and it warmed up nicely! I planned on taking it nice and easy, with no time in mind and just seeing what happened. I ran with a fellow member of Trentham Running Club that I have ran with quite often on training runs, under the impression we would take it easy. Now…I don’t know about Michelle, but the pace was quicker than I planned on going! We started off running and in the first 3 miles Michelle kept saying this is quick, I was hoping this meant we would slow down seen as it was the start and didn’t want to be starting off to quick, I thought I will never keep this up, but we kept going. Around mile 4 we ran round a housing estate, the road into the housing estate was the same road in and out, which was really nice, as you passed runners going the opposite way, an opportunity to support runners and fellow club members you hadn’t seen since the start, which put a smile on my face and gave a much needed boast. There were roughly 2830 participants, some individuals, some from running groups near and far, some in unusual attire for running, to list a few, soldiers in camo gear running in boots, a lady dressed as a blueberry, Ironman and Captain America. At mile 6 I passed my boss who was stretching up against a lamppost, so I nearly missed him at first, but I shouted, “Come along James” and he joined us to ask for stretching advice. I had heard a rumour from fellow running club members that had taken part about the infamous hill…. Beaconside, which was a long steady incline at about mile 10, with supporters along the way with high 5 boards to “power up.” When I reached the top at mile 11 I can honestly say I was done at this point, even though it went downhill, which I usually love, I couldn’t make the most of it, I was too tired. Michelle tried to drag me along and fellow runners around me were singing This is me from The Greatest Showman, and we would all join in at the chorus as it’s the only part everyone knew. The past 2 miles went through a housing estate and onto the Isobel trail where the weekly 5k parkrun takes place to Sainsburys and along the river into the town. Into the finishing stretch now, past the sign for 800m to go, (but I am sure it was way further than that, it sure felt like it!) Past familiar friendly faces that had come out to support or had already finished. Then round the bend to the final 100m, spectators lined up against the barrier. A piece of advice from my Dad is always finish with a flourish, so time for the sprint finish, I can hear people cheering me on, shouting look at her sprint……and then its over, I have crossed the finish line at 2 hours 8 mins. Overwhelmed with emotion, not expecting to achieve what I have and thinking how far I have come, (not just the 13.1 miles that day) I walk round to collect my medal and meet my friends just before the heavens opened to an almighty hail storm! I feel for the runners finishing in that weather, that must be painful on the face!
The turnout of Trentham Runners and seeing a sea of green on the day is so inspiring, I can’t begin to list all the pb's and achievements made that day, you are all awesome, a proper running family.
This was my story, for me it isn’t about the running, it’s the experience and the friends I have made and the support along the way has been unbelievable. Seeing as I didn’t like running, I now run twice a week with Trentham Running Club…..its what the people and club have done to me!
So Dad…..what ya reckon, looks like my running has come along now and ain’t too shabby!!

Wrexham Festival of Running 17th March 2019 – Mark Mayer


Wrexham offers 3 different distances, The Full Marathon and 20 Mile Race start together and a Half Marathon sets off an hour later.

I took on the Full Marathon for the 2nd Year running, in aid of the Chelsea Burley Trust and here is my experience.

The Marathon for me starts at the beginning of the week, and I had tapered my miles down to 3 shorts runs and looked closely at my diet for the week.

I reduced the amount of carbs down for the 1st 3 days then I started to carb load and increased the volume of carbs I ate for the rest of the week without eating any bad foods like cake etc.. All clean eating, no excessive sized meals and all normal portion sizes throughout the day.

This is something I took advice on beforehand and I would recommend discussing with someone before altering your own diet too much the week of your own big race.

This is something I took advice on beforehand and I would recommend discussing with someone before altering your own diet too much the week of your own big race.

On the morning of the Marathon I woke early to eat my tried and tested race day breakfast of Porridge and Blueberries.

I travelled with two other local runners, Stuart and Lisa and arrived about an hour before start time collecting my Number at HQ.

At the Start of the race there was an announcement to say there was a bit of a flood at roughly 8.5 miles, but this turned out to be an understatement.

The race set off at 9:00 am and I’m running in a mixed pack of Marathon runners and 20 Mile runners, following the first mile through the town and downhill which was a pretty fast start at a very relaxed effort. 

As the route makes its way out of the town through a residential area you turn off towards some very quiet country lanes. The first water station came at mile three where I took on water and quickly got myself back up to target effort. 

The next couple of miles flowed comfortably making a turn at mile six into a farming area and the second water station. At this point I was comfortable and ahead of target time enjoying my running.

A couple of twists and turns later and I reached mile eight remembering the announcement I’d heard and preparing myself to get wet feet.

And true to their word, there was a small flood across the lane roughly ankle deep so I picked my feet up and skipped though this as quickly as I could without losing any time, but as I came through that puddle looking over the top of the hedge I had noticed everyone seemed to be walking. 

Something I thought was odd but maybe they had gone off too hard. As I ran the natural turns of the country lane I discovered for myself exactly why they were walking.  The road was completely flooded for around 400 - 500 meters and the water had risen to half way up my thigh.

Wading through the ice cold water and slowly losing feeling in my feet may have caused me to throw somewhat of a massive strop having spent 16 weeks training for this my target race.

I decided to take on my first gel while in the water for the first time, having slowed down anyway and was planning on taking it around mile 12 so it seemed a better use of the time than having a massive paddy.

Coming out of the water I had a glance to see the impact that had made to my average pace, and as expected it had taken a chunk of time off me but I was ahead up to that point, even more determined to hit my target I knew I needed to pull some time back as I was going through that water a second time.

I dug in and started to push the pace on to just under my half marathon race pace. Having reached mile ten, the 20 Mile runners were making a right turn whilst the Marathon runners went straight on to run a 6 mile loop bringing me back to that same point, and now 

I found myself running solo as many runners had turned off. 

Just ahead I could see a small group of Marathon runners so using them as a small target to keep pushing the pace I continued to work hard and caught them up by mile eleven and then went past making the turn at mile twelve back towards those farm lanes, and the water station at mile twelve which was the same as at mile six.

Running along the narrow lanes and now overtaking the back runners of the 20 Mile race I heard the beeping of what I thought was a very impatient driver, running strong and still not in the best of moods knowing I needed to get my goggles and swimming hat back on I held back from reacting. As the car approach I heard the encouraging shouts of Tonia who had decided to make the drive and support us, but now I’m trying to tell her that her car won’t float through that flood ahead !!

Making my way back down towards the water for the second time I was pleased to feel the sun had dried and warmed my legs and feet but that was soon to change as I was back into the water at around 15.5 miles into the race. This felt colder than the first time I was in there and had definitely risen since, I thought.

Coming out of the water I once again checked my pace to see what impact it had, and now finding myself slightly behind target pace again with numb feet and this time a cold wind to dry me off.

Again I dug in and started to push on coming out of the lanes onto an industrial estate and I was slowly getting myself back on track.  Going through the estate at around eighteen miles, the air was filled with the smell of Frosties, and I continued to work still feeling confident and strong.

At mile 19 - 20 you make a left turn up past the village bakery to run round a switchback cone, and still overtaking the 20 mile runners my confidence was growing, but then running up the gradual incline into a reasonable headwind came the first sign of the extra effort I had put in up to that point. 

As I approached the cone I could see everyone making the turn, except that the marathon runners had to run past them to a second cone further up at which point I had noticed four other marathon runners coming the other way amongst the pack of 20 mile runners

I made the turn and started to head back down the hill with the wind behind me and took the opportunity to have my other Gel which I took on a lot slower than the first over the course of a mile. 

By the 21 mile marker I had overtaken three of the four other marathon runners that I’d seen although now my pace had started to slow, and then mile 22 was very similar to mile 21 in terms of pace but my earlier efforts had certainly started to take its toll.

Through mile 22 and I had overtaken the fourth of the Marathon runners that I’d spotted on the downhill and now we had merged with the half marathon Race.

Mile 23 for me was “The Wall”, a long twisting country lane that climbs for the whole mile, my legs becoming very heavy and starting to feel some discomfort in my right knee and fears of a repeat injury from last year. I dug in and worked through the mile but had lost some valuable time.

It’s mile 24  and I am now running a long downhill stretch back towards the town, feeling disappointed with the previous mile but continuing to work through. Having glanced at my watch I noticed that I was running 6:20 pace down the hill, and it gave me glimmer of hope that maybe I can pull the time back so for a third time I dug in hard and pushed on through.

As 25 miles went off on my watch I was at 2:52 and knew that the likelihood of running the best part of a mile and half in 8 mins with mainly climbing to come was very slim, but still overtaking half marathon and 20 mile runners I continued to work climbing up through the twisting side streets.

The last section after the 26 mile marker is a short sharp climb before making the right turn onto the high street, where I could once again hear the encouragement been hurled at me to get through to the finish, and with one last left turn onto the finishing stretch I crossed the line with a new Marathon PB of 3:03:52 !!



Lisa came in at 3:30 with a 42 minute PB and Stuart ran 3:55 for his first Marathon.


Over all the race set up is geared to give the Marathon runners the best experience, as you are overtaking from the minute you catch the back of the 20 mile runners.


I learnt that the fields next to the lanes had badly flooded and unfortunately the banks had burst between the pre-race checks and the race starting, but if you want an early marathon this is a decent race to choose the overall elevation is around 900ft so not too hilly.

My Running Journey - Mark Gibson


I never thought I’d take up running, let alone join a running club. I couldn't have done it on my own though. The support and encouragement from the run leaders and other members has made it all possible.


In April of this year I started a new job which presented a bit of a fresh start for me. Through a Facebook post share I became aware of the club organising a 10 week beginners course. The person who shared the post had taken up running over the last few years and I could see the difference it made to her, could it work for me too? I pondered over the idea for several days before deciding to go along.


So two days after starting a new job I rock up a TRC HQ with some trainers I found in the garage to give this running lark a go. We didn’t go that far that evening, perhaps a mile or so before we headed home. It was really hard work but strangely enjoyable, well until the next day when I could barely walk!


As the 10 weeks progressed, our run leaders encouraged us to run more, walk less and we built up our distance. I managed to attend every one of the 10 week sessions and by the end I was feeling better and had definitely improved markedly from week 1, I had got the bug. Dan kindly laid on an additional 4 weeks for those of us looking to go further and aid our transition to joining the club properly. These additional sessions were brilliant and really good for preparing us for longer distances and a faster pace that we’d been used to.

First ‘proper’ club night was a time trial, I had no idea what I’d let myself in for. For one, I wasn’t expecting to run to the time trial location. That evening was a real shock to the system, I was really slow and I did struggle, but this didn’t matter. The support from other club runners was great, several even ran the last few hundred metres with me to the finish, it made such a difference.


So a few months on I’m still enjoying my running and try to get out 3 times a week. I’ve run a 5k race, 4 10k races and I’ve now signed up to two half marathons for next year. My performance is continuing to improve, I feel fitter mentally and physically and I’ve met some amazing and friendly people.

 

I never thought I’d take up running, let alone join a running club. I couldn't have done it on my own though. The support and encouragement from the run leaders and other members has made it all possible.

Couch to 10K – My Beginners Journey - Charlie Moore


My running began by accident if I’m honest. In April this year I was moaning about my weight, moaning how unfit I was and just generally moaning about how I felt mentally. Luckily, my partner spotted a couch to 5K – 10 week beginners course starting just around the corner from my house and for only £10 I had no real reason not to give it a go. I went to that first week a bag of nerves – what if I was rubbish? What if I couldn’t keep up? What if I embarrassed myself? That first week I couldn’t even run to the end of the rugby club’s driveway but with the encouragement of Jacquie and the enthusiasm of Dan I completed the 10 weeks and was completely addicted. Dan Maddock then very kindly put on a booster club for those of us wanting to join the main club but didn’t feel ready and I honestly couldn’t praise the guy enough for the amount of confidence he’s given me. 

Fast forward 7months, I’m now regularly running with the club and have made some of the most amazing friends – I never thought of running as being such a social thing. Everybody is so supportive of one another and we honestly push each other to do the best that we can. I feel so much better about myself and I’m in such a better space mentally. I’ve now completed two 10K races – getting a personal best of 1hour just today and I’ve now signed up to do two half marathons next year! A massive thank you to Trentham Running Club – 7months ago I would never have believed any of this would be possible!
Snowdonia Marathon 28th October 2018 - Helen Nicholls

If you want a fast, flat PB course, then this definitely isn’t the marathon for you. However, if you like hills (very steep ones!) and beautiful scenery, then this is the marathon for you! 
The race starts and finishes in Llanberis. You start by running up to the top of the Llanberis Pass (Pen y Pass 1,100ft), then drop down to the Pen Y Cwyryd junction where you follow a farm track and have a break from the road for about 2km. The route then continues on road to the Beddgelert (200ft) and then continues to Waunfawr. From here there is a rapid climb to about 1,200ft at Bwlch y Groes and then downhill to the finish in Llanberis.
I signed up for this event last minute via a transfer during a moment of madness. It was my first road marathon and I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it as I thought I’d never actually finish it. However, I surprised myself and finished it in 4:58:48 despite hitting the wall and suffering with hamstring cramp from about mile 15 onwards. 
It’s the toughest run I’ve ever completed, but the parts that I can remember (having blocked out miles 2-5, 13-16 and 22 – 25 already due to the ridiculous elevation) were some of the most scenic views I’ve ever experienced in a race. 
The race organisation was good and the route was well supported despite being pretty rural in places. I’m now the proud owner of a lovely technical T-shirt and slate coaster, but sadly it’s a race without a medal ☹
I’d recommend the race to everyone, but make sure you are prepared for the hills and get there early to park close by as the walk to the car after nearly finished me off!

The Longmynd Hike 6th to 7th October 2018 - Chris Hardman

Firstly, don’t be fooled by the event name, as many people run this as hike it!
Secondly, do be fooled by the name, it's traditionally a hike and is organised and arranged that way!
I entered this event for the first time last year, egged on my an old friend who lives over that way. He'd grown up knowing about this event and this was a chance to actually go for it. Combined with my recent interest in Ultras it looked like a good challenge.
So we slowly plodded round in 2017, a great achievement in its own right, but very quickly agreed that the 20 hour plus time could be bettered.
Because of other race commitments I didn’t sign up on the day of release for this year, assuming that as it always sells out in a matter of hours we would have to wait until 2019. Once I’d rearranged my running calendar for Autumn I realised this would actually fit in nicely so thought I’d get on the waiting list for a last minute chance to join. I was surprised that when I tried to enter 5 or 6 days after launch in June I was able to get straight in. I told Alex and he jumped on it straight away and boom! We were both in. For various reasons we didn’t train as much as last year, we ran/hiked/walked the areas we knew and planned to hike the areas we were less confident of (never happened!).
Still, we knew what to expect this year so were still confident we could knock that time down to 18 hrs or so.
Then, a week before the off, Alex is laid up in bed with flu and a chest infection. Don’t worry, I tell him, rest up, you'll be fine. He wasn’t, he’s still not right now, so I had to make the call, do I go solo or pull out? It was a surprisingly close call but after a heart to heart with Mrs H I decided to stay in and go for it.
Fast forward to 12.30pm on the first Saturday of October and there I am. Stood in a wet field on the outskirts of Church Stretton with hills on all sides waiting to be scaled.
I’d been through a rigorous kit check in the local school, collected my tally card (to be punched at every one of the 17 checkpoints) and my wrist band to be scanned at a selection of checkpoints to prove my attendance and allow friends and family to keep track of me.
The starting field is limited to 650 entrants and we all set off at exactly 1pm, heading straight up the towering Caer Caradoc hill. One of the biggest climbs of the route in the very first mile! Up to the top, punch your tally then over and down the other side. No relief whatsoever follows as it’s straight up another long hill (The Lawley) which always seems to be the windiest place on the whole course. This is a straight up and back down the same way, which I like. On the way up you get to see the fastest competitors on their way down coming towards you. And on the way down, you get the satisfaction of realising there’s still a lot of folk still behind you! 

So, 2 of the 8 big hills in the first 4 miles. Job done, about an hour and ten minutes, I was pretty happy. I’d run where I could and chalked off the first significant amount of elevation.

Next, I knew it was a couple of miles of flat fields and paths, over the railway and up the beautiful Gogbatch valley, not as big or famous as it’s next door neighbour Cardingmill Valley but just as stunning. I’d done this next bit quite a few times including only a couple of weeks prior so I knew what to expect. Basically 3 miles or so of slow steady climb up to the first refreshment stop at High Park CP. 7 miles done, fill the water bottles up and crack on (one learning over the last year is to power through checkpoints as quickly as possible, walking and eating on the go on the other side).

Next, a slow, steady rise up to Pole Bank Checkpoint at about 10 miles and the highest point of the hike. 

Until now, the weather had been kind, cool and dry with a bit of sun. Then, at exactly the same point as last year, the heavens opened, then ripped open even more, then threw aggressive sidewayas hail at us! We were pretty exposed at that point so I had a couple of miles descent until I found a cow shed to shelter in, put on another base layer under my waterproof (now 4 layers), get on my waterproof trousers and fish out my gloves. It was that cold!

Another mile or so drop down into the village of Bridges and its checkpoint at the pub (best pork scratchings ever on non racing days!) and the first totally needed hot drink. Coffee and Jaffa cakes, just what the doctor ordered. Warmed up and drying out now the rain had mainly stopped I started the long climb up to Stiperstones, aided for the first time by my walking poles. The plan was to use there sparingly, on only the biggest climbs as I hadn’t trained that much with them but had used them enough to know they helped on big hills. I can tell you now that they came out here, around mile 12, and never went back in my pack! They were invaluable. 

Now, one of the nuances of the Longmynd Hike is that from dusk you have to travel in a group of at least 3 people for safety (one to stay with injured party and one to go for help). Some people (especially faster runners) find this contentious. Not me. It’s part of what makes the hike unique. Once you get to a checkpoint and it’s dark you get grouped together with random strangers, given a card with all your numbers on and then have to hand this at the next checkpoint to prove you’ve stayed together. You can then be regrouped with other people if you want and so it repeats for every checkpoint. This had also been one of my worry points. What if I don’t like them!? What if I’m too slow for them? Or too fast? Anyway, coming up over the horrible rocky path over Stiperstones I'd been chatting to a couple doing their first Hike and already had them earmarked if they were in my vicinity at Bank Farm checkpoint when I knew it would be dark.

And they were. I was sat on a bench in the marquee at the checkpoint eating my first homemade cheese and pickle bap when in they walked, about 5 minutes after me. I let them catch their breath, get a hot drink then wandered over and asked of they had any thoughts on grouping up for the night, if not did they want to join me? Straight away they agreed, they were happy that I’d done it before, thinking that was an advantage!!

We soon set off. Head torches on and I was thankful they had recced the next 20 miles or so as it’s the section I wasn’t overly confident of. 

So, from about mile 22 we stuck together, Ellie , George and I. Initially, they set a cracking pace and we marched on through the night. Up Corndon hill (brutal), Black Rhadley (horrible descent) and the long drag up to Pole Cottage at around mile 43. It was early morning by now, something like 5am, bitterly cold with clear skies end a heavy frost on the ground. George was suffering with his knees, Ellie with her breathing and I was feeling so nauseous I was dry heaving and coughing every few minutes. BUT at that stage we knew it was in the bag. 7 more miles, one more massive hill then back through Church Stretton to the school where out cars and a cooked breakfast waited for us.

7 miles to go, an hour or so at a steady running pace maybe, but still 2-3 more hours at our pace, especially with the giant Ragleth hill to conquer in the last few miles.

But conquer it we did. The crunchy frost underfoot just adding to the stunning sunrise off to the right side of the hill which in turn was keeping Church Stretton itself on the left in deep shadow. At that point, still a mile or more away you can look down into the valley and see the school, almost make out your car in the field behind and truly believe that yes, you’re going to make it back, and well before the 24 hr cut off.

It's quite a horrible descent off the final hill, your heels and toes feel every single bit of pressure by now, there’s no comfy way of descending, but you do. Into the town, back on to tarmac and now alone (I'd left Ellie and George on the top of Ragleth), the pent up emotion of 19 hours hits me. I’ve now grown to expect and actually love this bit of my big races. Usually marathons or more, when my body and mind just release all the tension, expectation, stress, tiredness, everything that I've put them through to get this done. An explosion of relief, pride and raw emotion (Don’t be near me towards the end of an Ultra if you don’t want to see me have this meltdown!).

Nothing left to do now but drag myself into the school hall, get my final clip on my tally card, scan my wristband one last time and trudge back to my car (no cooked breakfast when I’m feeling this sick).

19 hrs and 9 minutes to cover 50 miles and 8000ft of elevation. It most certainly isn’t fast, the winner was something like 8 hrs 11 minutes. And considering I’ve ran 41 miles in less than half the time it took me to do this, it’s decidedly slow. BUT this is a special event. It will never be just another ultra. I actually don’t want to be any faster on this as I’d miss the sunrise! There are other races where I’ll try and better my time and go for broke but not here. This is about the experience, the cheers from the checkpoint at Corndon as you emerge from the darkness at the top, the hot Rice Pudding at 37 miles from Stiperstones checkpoint, the fact that it’s 51 yrs old now and is run by the local Scout group, the way you're forced to spend the night with strangers as a safety measure.

I swore out loud at around 4am on Sunday morning that this was a stupid thing to do and I’d never go back. Before I’d even crossed the finish line I knew I’d be back again next year. Maybe with a bunch of Green Teamers who fancy something a bit different? Who knows!
Congleton Half Marathon 7/10/18 – Karl Latham

I have only been running since January 2017 after joining the beginner’s sessions at TRC and have been hooked ever since. I completed my first ever race at the Donna Louise 10k in May, somehow got talked into running my first half marathon at the Potters Arf within 6 months of joining the club following that up a month later with Thunder run and completing the Newcastle Way Marathon in April the following year.

Since that point I have been almost consistently improving my speed and endurance throughout the year and at the end of August decided to set some more ambitious targets of a sub 55 10k and a nervous attempt at a 2-hour half marathon. So I decided to enter the Stafford 10k and the Congleton Half and somehow surprised myself by finishing Stafford in 49:56 which gave me huge confidence in my aim for a sub 2 half.
The route is a scenic route across the Cheshire countryside with plenty of supportive marshals encouraging the runners along the way with plenty of support from the locals near the start/finish area.
Interestingly there is a sneak preview of the ‘hill’ at end of the first mile as the final 2 miles are the first 2 miles in reverse, apart from this the rest of the course is only mildly undulating with a couple of more gentle hills.
So on what seem like the coldest morning since winter I lined up at the start with over 400 other runners as the Congleton town mayor got the race started. There were a couple of handy pacers running the race pacing at 1:45 and 2hr pace, so I made sure I was comfortably nestled between the two to ensure I had a cushion for the famous ‘sting in the tail’ hill at mile 13.
I seemed to get into a really good rhythm early on in the race and managed to stick with it up to about 7.5 miles where my pre-race faux pas seemed to catch up with me, I thought it was a good idea to keep hydrated before the race but drinking a whole bottle of water 30 minutes before was certainly not the best idea. After my short ‘pit stop’ the next mile or two felt ok but I was starting to slow down I had really lost the momentum at the end of mile 10 I was really starting to flag, my lack of longer runs over the last couple of months were definitely catching up with me. I managed to dig in a couple of spectators were on the hill encouraging everyone and managed to give me the spark I needed to get going again. Our very own Jill Phillips met me with about half a mile to go and pushed me through to the finish at 1:58:1 which I am ecstatic with and looking forward to chipping away at that time over the coming years.
There were plenty of fantastic performances for Trentham Deb Thomas was second lady and also won her age group in 1:29:27, Doug Alcock won his age group in 1:32:27, Ian Cawley and Jill Phillips both came runners up in their respective age groups and Scott Minshall came 7th overall in a rapid time of 1:17:25. Also a special mention to Sarah Jackson-Hedges who agonisingly missed out on a half marathon PB by 4 seconds.
Big thanks to the wife Sophie, Walter, Mark Mayer and all the middles runners for all their support and pushing us all at TRC and making it the amazing club it is.
TRC Cricket Night Social 17.09.2018 - Clare Clarke

In a valiant bid to make the most of the remaining Summer nights, battle lines were drawn on Monday evening for the 'friendly' TRC cricket match!
Whilst a number of players had clearly missed their calling for the England team, others were perhaps a little less experienced (what exactly are the rules?!).
Both teams played a 'blinder' with some outstanding performances from Emily 'wickets' Clarke, and Ryan 'save-the-day' Proctor!
Dean Bromley had the unenviable task of umpiring, but did a sterling job, and resisted all attempts at bribery!
A draw was declared and everyone went home (or to the pub!), happy in the knowledge that any lack of 'runs' would not appear on Strava! 
Shropshire Triathlon (Olympic distance) 16.09.2018 - Greg Julian

I have been running with TRC for 10 years now. Five years ago I injured my Achilles which temporary put a hold on my running. To maintain fitness I turned to my bike and I also decided to teach myself to swim. I spent hours of watching YouTube swimming tutorials and practicing in the pool. 

I was introduced to Triathlon by Frank Hamlett who unfortunately is not with us anymore. My first triathlon was a sprint distance held in Lichfield which is a 400m indoor pool swim and half the bike and running distance of the Olympic. After doing this one I’d definitely got the bug for more. I now do at least two a year , the longest race I have done so far is a half Iron-man distance which was 2 years ago. 

I normally plot my races at the beginning of the year and around other events I like to do. I also like to give myself plenty of time to get the appropriate training in for the event i’m doing, like brick training. Some of you might have noticed this on my Strava posts. Brick training is combining either 2 or 3 of the disciplines together. The hardest being bike to run. I normally brick two thirds of the distance of what the race is. I bike/run Thursdays and Swim /bike /run on Sundays 

Last Sunday I competed in the Shropshire Standard Olympic distance (swim 1500m, bike 24 mile, run 10k ) It was held in Ellesmere. My start time was 08.30 which meant an early morning. Up at 5.30 to set off at 6.30. It took an hour to get there. After parking up it was a 10 minute walk to registration to collect my number pack. After applying all my numbers to my body, bike and helmet I headed over to rack my bike and prepare my transition area. Its essential that all your kit is laid out in order and ready for a quick but thorough change for your next discipline. Once done I always take a step back to check and make sure its all ok. Measure twice and cut once. ( As one would say ) 

I changed into my wet suit, grabbed my goggles and hat and joined the other 300 competitors ready to enter the water. After the official race brief it was time to go. I normally like to be on the outside, out of the way of people because it is carnage at the start and the chance of getting swam over is quite high. On this occasion it was a anti clockwise swim so I took up my start position far right. The water was 15c, now the tip for keeping warm is let water into you wet suit. At first it is very cold but after a few seconds the water inside forms a barrier at body temperature and keeps you nice and warm.

The start whistle sounded and I was off. Once I had settled down into a good swim pace it was just a case of doing 2 laps of the 750m as course and staying as close to the racing line as I could without getting bumped into. Unlike swimming in a pool there are no lanes or line to guide you in open water so every 5 strokes or so lifting your head to look forwards is essential so as not to go off in the wrong direction. 

My swim was finished and it was a small run into Transition 1 to get ready for my bike ride. To get out of my wet suit I have to take my watch and timing chip off. I donned my helmet, bike shoes and race belt, and put my watch and race chip back on. I got hold of my bike and headed out of transition towards the mount line. Rules are very strict at most Triathlons and penalties can be given out if you don't mount and dismount your bike at the appropriate area. The bike ride is on open roads so you must be aware of cars as well as the other competitors. Drafting is not allowed and there are officials out on the course to keep an eye out for this. The route was triangular taking us out towards Whitchurch then Wrexham and back to Ellesmere. The last 8 miles was against the wind and felt as if I was constantly going up hill. My nutrition for the bike ride was 6 Jaffa cakes, it seems to be the only thing I can eat whilst on the go as well as my energy drink.

After the dismount it was again a small run to the transition area and get ready for the run. T2 is a lot quicker than T1 as there's no wet suit to contend with. Once my bike was racked helmet off and shoes swapped I was on my way to the 2 lapped 10k run. Because your legs have just had 1hr 20 min of biking running is another thing. You cant feel your feet and its hard to judge pace so this is where your watch come into its own to keep your pace correct. Too fast and the chances are you will blow up. My plan was to run 9 min miles at first to get settled down. After 2 miles I felt good and the feeling was back in my feet so it was just a case of getting to the finish line in the best time I could . I saw Kirsten Owen and Jen Riley, a few times as we passed each other on the run. It was good to hear encouragement from fellow club runners. Six miles was soon over and I ran through the finish line hearing shouts from some of my swimming club friends who also took part and Lorna who has always supported me in my races. I collected my medal and met up with everyone for something to eat and drink before packing up and heading for home. It wasn't until I got home to check my result to find out I did a 6 min PB with a total time of 2 hours 49 min 56 sec 
Swim 32 min 11 sec ... Bike 1 hr 20 min 10 sec  ... Run 51 min 27 sec ... Position 86th overall and 4th for my age group
I am really pleased with my result and am looking forward to the Triathlon season next year.
Robin Hood 100 race report - Kathryn Taylor
Déjà vu. Feeling nervous, the weight of expectation on my shoulders. I know I’ve got the ability to complete the race, and in a good time too, but after the disappointment of last year, I wasn’t even sure I should be toeing the start line. It was in this race, last year, that I turned my ankle over pretty early on, struggled on through pain but then got timed out at 80 miles. It was heart-breaking and I wasn’t sure I should put myself through that again. However, I knew that I had done the training. Following a solid 10 laps at Thunder Run, a mountain marathon, a flat 50K and a 140 mile hike over nine days, I felt stronger and more prepared than ever before. The question was, could I manage to overcome my demons?
Race day dawned after a block of seriously hard training. Double days, back-to-back runs, tempo runs, hill work, intervals, core work: you name it, I had done it. Having had a good rest from running for the last four days, my legs felt fresh and ready to go. I felt quite refreshed overall, even after the 4:30 alarm call! Race briefing started at 7:45 and within fifteen minutes, we were all set to go. As we all counted down from ten, I almost felt as if I wasn’t there, like it was an out of body experience. I had tried to block out the bigger picture (100 miles!) from my mind and just run in the moment, a tactic that was to serve me well as the race went on.
I settled into a nice steady pace fairly quickly, quite near the back (what I wanted – let people go off in a long race!) and felt comfortable from the start. The first six miles are on quite rough fields and lanes so I took my time. I had opted for trail shoes this year after using road shoes last year, as I felt I needed the traction. Into the first checkpoint and it was a smash and grab for dark chocolate and pretzels. This was a discovery that I hadn’t made before – the combination of salt and chocolate was so good! Now onto the long stretch (approximately 12 miles) of canal. Although I don’t really like running on canal (too flat and boring), the soft and even ground was a welcome respite from the rocky and stony fields. The first funny incident happened not long after the checkpoint, when an angry swan on the towpath, defending its babies, threatened to slow my progress. Unfortunately there was no way round so I opted to throw it one of the biscuits I had just picked up. Job done as it glided back off into the water and allowed me to continue!

Ten miles passed by fairly quickly and I was feeling good. However, a recent niggle in my ankle that I’ve picked up started to ache a bit, so I opted to slow my pace a little bit. No worries as I’ve got a long way to go and I’m on target. Don’t want to do anything silly at this early stage. Into CP2 and I have a good stretch, which seems to help. The next seven miles along the canal seem to go by reasonably quickly (I’m not bored yet!) but I was pleased to see the next checkpoint at 19 miles. Another quick stop for a refill of bottles and some snacks, and I’m only three miles away from my drop bag that has, amongst other exciting things, a vegetable samosa in it! The thought of lunch kept me focused on this first little forest loop, which was easy to navigate – however, some people who I caught up didn’t seem to think so as they had got lost. I kept with them into checkpoint samosa and beyond, and it was nice to have a bit of company. The samosa tasted as good as I expected, as did the cup of tea, and I felt positive and strong ahead of the next stretch. Now I was truly into the best bit of the course: open farmland and beautiful forest trails. This part of the loop is really familiar to me anyway, having done the course last year, and it’s also part of the Dukeries 40. The confusing thing for me was that you hit the long avenue of lime trees first, whereas on the 40 it’s much later. Felt strong and confident into Hazel Gap at 31 miles, which is the part of the course I find the hardest. The route is nice, but it’s ten miles between the checkpoints, and you end up back where you started. This is one bit where you have to be really mentally tough, and also try not to think about the fact that you have to do it again later in the night! I still had company at this stage, a guy called Mark from Leeds. We ran together for a good ten miles, but he started to struggle a bit with an Achilles problem so I left him once we got back to the 41 mile point. The next 11 miles gets you back to the drop bag point, which was exciting for me again as I knew I had nice food to look forward to, and also because that was where Nicola was waiting for me. I wanted to get as far as I could before darkness fell, not least because there is a tricky descent just before Creswell Crags, and a cow field. Last year I found myself nose to nose with a cow, in the dark, which was a bit spooky and unnerving! Mission accomplished and it only became dark as I got to the CP at 47 miles.

Counting down the miles until Nicola now, and I was still feeling quite good. Did a mini dance of joy as my GPS showed I had done 50 miles – halfway there! However I didn’t, at any stage of the race, think about how far I had to go, as this often fazes me. I try to run from checkpoint to checkpoint and break it down that way. The lead runner passed me just before the CP and he was absolutely flying!

Into the checkpoint like a conquering heroine (albeit a slow one!) and I was so focused on getting to that drop bag! Had to charge my watch by this point, as I really wanted to see the thing as a whole, not have yet another run titled ‘first bit of run, watch died!’ as has so often happened before. Helped myself to vegetable soup, bourbon creams, a jam sandwich, black coffee and a doughnut. Yep that’s a weird combination but very much the sort of thing that gets you through long ultras. I honestly think anyone can complete an ultra as long as you get the fuelling right – there are points at which you really don’t feel like food, but it’s so important to keep you going. 

Now the darkness had truly set in, it was lovely to have some company. Having done the loop once already, I knew what was coming (sometimes a bad thing!), but it made it easier having Nicola there and the miles went by fairly quickly. She was also very good at reminding me to drink, something which I probably hadn’t done enough of…evidenced in the fact that I had only been to the loo (bush) once in the entire race. However, ten miles with her constantly asking me was I drinking and I couldn’t stop going! This was a good thing though, and the headache that had started to develop at 55 miles soon subsided after plenty of electrolytes. As we arrived at the start of the forest loop CP at 61 miles, I felt a little bit anxious, as this was where things started to go wrong last year. I tried to stay positive, however, and reminded myself that this was a different year. I did go through a bit of a quiet spell at about 65 miles as pain and tiredness started to kick in. This was also where I started to hallucinate a bit, seeing visions of flying horse manure. In my defence, there is a lot of it out on the course! Once we got back to the loop end though, I felt a lot better and dared to start counting down – 30 miles to go. However, I tried to focus on the next 11 miles, after which we would finish the forest loops, meet Chris and head back from whence I came along that dratted canal.

Day was beginning to dawn and I was beginning to catch a lot of tiring runners. My pace was pretty consistent throughout, and this really helped me in the latter stages. I felt quite emotional as we passed the point at which, last year, I decided enough was enough. This time I knew it was different and I forged ahead. By this point (75 miles), I was feeling a slight niggle in my big toe and suspected that I had developed a blister on top of it, just underneath the nail. Upon closer inspection at the 78 mile CP, I discovered that yes I had, and no, there was nothing really that I could do about it! The next 4 miles passed fairly uneventfully as I made it to the bag drop for the third and last time, picking up some nice dark chocolate and another doughnut for the start of the assault for home. It was great to see Chris; he was fresh and perky after a good sleep, unlike me. The next CP was only three miles away and that would take me to 85 miles. Still I was daring to count down, but stopping myself. Just before the CP I really started to struggle, however. Blisters were forming on the bottom of my feet and I had to attend to them. Closer inspection of my big toes (both were now bad) revealed that the blisters had started to push the nail out of the nail bed. A grim sight indeed. I knew I had to push on though, so I gritted my teeth and got my head down, trying to keep a good pace still. Ironically, the canal this time was a welcome relief, as the soft grass was much kinder on my poor feet. I knew I had a really good time cushion to make the final cut off of 30 hours, built up over the first part of the race, so no matter how bad I felt, as long as I kept above 3 miles an hour, I would make it. I’m not going to lie though, from 86 miles to around about 92 was absolute agony and it was the best I could do to keep up the pace. Poor Chris, he bore the brunt of my moaning, mainly that my toenails were going to fall off, what would I do if I got septicaemia when my toenail fell off etc etc. All of the irrational things that go through your head when you’re in pain. The tide turned when Chris had the brainwave of offering me some paracetamol! Now I had another focus – waiting for the pain relief to kick in. Trust me, I was counting down the minutes! 

Relief finally came about a mile later, and by 94 miles, I had picked the pace up yet again and was making good progress. 6.5 miles to go (I should mention here that the race is actually 100.5 miles!) and I was now definitely counting down to the end, not to a CP, to the end. However, there was one more CP to look out for at 97 miles, which also signalled the end of the canal stretch. I didn’t actually stop here, mainly because I had enough fuel to see me through to the end, but also because I didn’t want to compromise my pace in any way. Stopping wasn’t good as it meant getting going again.

I never thought I would hear myself say this, but once I was back on the rocky paths, I missed the canal! The surface was very uneven and I slowed down so as not to twist my ankle. That would have been heart breaking at this late stage. I knew that we missed out most of the loop that we did at the beginning and took a more direct route, so I thought that we would miss out the worst field – a rocky and rutted highway to hell. We didn’t, and most of this was spent cursing at it – who in their right mind would put such a cruel section in the last two miles?! As my watch ticked over to the century, I did another mini dance of joy but also felt concerned that the finish wasn’t in sight. Chris thought the route was probably half a mile longer, but even he looked worried when, at 100.9, we couldn’t see the finish! However, very quickly we turned the corner and down a familiar hill, the one we had started on and I knew the village hall was just a quick right turn away. By this time, and for the last half a mile at least, my pace had increased to a proper run. I still have no idea where it came from but despite the pain, I almost did a sprint finish. As Nicola came into view, Chris stood to the side and let me run into the hall, to a huge round of applause. I had done it! I had made the cut off by seven minutes – a bit close but I had done it all the same. Anyone finishing over 30 hours (which, by the way, is a decent finishing time and not slow – I know people who have got onto the podium on a similar type of race with a 33 hour time!) was told they would be put down in the results as a DNF, and that was something I definitely wanted to avoid. As I received my medal, engraved with my name, I collapsed into a sobbing, sweaty, swollen heap. From doubting that I should even start this race, I had conquered my demons. Now I’m planning the next one!
Berlin Marathon 16.09.2018 - Taryn Talbot

It was warm and crowded (did thin out a bit towards the end). The water stations were chaotic. Not sure why, but they seemed much more chaotic than water stations in UK races.
It was a very international race - so many people from diffferent countries & so many supporters with their flags 😍

The crowds were amazing. I think the US supporters were the best!
The best signs I saw: 
'[name] you're running better than the US government'
'If an asshole can run the US, your ass can run a marathon'

Just before 31k, random member of the public had a sign saying 'New WR - 2.01.39' & was telling us that Kipchoge had done it.

32k '10k bis schokolade' (it took me a while to translate that (long run brain) but it made me smile when I did)
35k-ish 'Pain is just the French word for bread' 
41k-ish a couple had a double sided sign. I think the front said 'you're nearly there' & then they flipped it over & it said 'you're aaaaaawesome!'
Lots of entertainment on route 🎶

Other highlights: coming round the corner after 41k to 'Girls just wanna have fun'. Last time I heard that was at the 80's night with the Green Army (TRC) 💚

Turning a corner & seeing the Brandenburg gate. (Photo from a few days ago) ... Running through the Brandenburg gate ... Crossing the line & getting my medal.

Walked through water stations (not possible to run through them if you wanted water & actually wanted to drink it). Walked after halfway for about 1k (I'd seen my dad at 12k, but was pretty sure he hadn't seen me so wanted to update him). A couple of little walks in the last 5k (because hot & tired).

It was a surprisingly long way from the Brandenburg gate to the finish. My watch made it 26.54 miles, so I obviously did a fair bit of weaving. The course was pretty flat, but not sure if it's a PB course for those of us at the 'value for money'/party end of the race because of the crowds.

Double sided medal 😍 The organisers obviously had faith in Kipchoge! 

Lots of food in the goody bag = HAPPY TARYN !! 
Budapest Half Marathon 09.09.2018 - Helen Nicholls

The race was essentially a running sightseeing tour of beautiful Budapest. We ran through the heart of city, crossing several bridges over the Danube, passing several of the most well-known sites of the city, such as; Buda Castle, Margaret island and the parliament building. 

It is one of the best races I’ve ran in terms of atmosphere, route and organisation. The start was well organised with runners assigned starting pens based on their estimated finishing time and announcements about the start were made in Hungarian and English so we all knew what was occurring. The route was well marshalled with plenty of refreshment stations and musical points were also dotted around the course, so we were all kept entertained along the way.

It was a very hot half marathon and my Garmin reliably informed me that the average temperature was 27 degrees with a maximum of 30 degrees. However, the temperature must have suited us all as our nine Trentham runners ran some brilliant times with our first runner Dan Jordan crossing the line in 1:26:05. Dan was closely followed by Doug Alcock who finished first in his age category in 1:31:25 and Deb Thomas was hot on Doug’s heels finishing in 1:30:30. I also managed to pull off a PB and finally achieved a sub two hour half, finishing in 1:58:14.
 
There were over 10,500 runners registered for the race and runners had travelled from all over the world to participate. The good thing about that was that I never felt alone on the course, but the not so good thing was that I had to do a lot of pavement hopping and crowd weaving to pass other runners. Once I managed to pass the two hour pacer this did seem to ease a little. 

After the race and armed with our fancy medals, technical T-shirts and goodie bags, we headed to one of Budapest’s famous thermal spas. This was an amazing way to recover post run and is a routine I wish I could do after every long run. However, I don’t think the Spa facilities at Fenton Manor will be quite the same. 
 
This was my third international running trip with Trentham and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was an amazing adventure with an amazing group of people. You can do as little or as much as you want to do on these trips with no pressure from anyone. I’d recommend these trips to all our members as the experience of running in an international race is pretty unique and special. 

I want to thank everyone who was part of the trip for making it such an enjoyable experience, but a special thank you goes to Walter who found out about the race and sourced the hotel and flights. I’m now looking forward to our next trip, wherever it may be 😊.
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