Good bye September, you have been good
Great news from Germany’s Berlin Marathon, where Sharon Peters succeeded when she really didn’t think she could. After picking up an injury the month before the world famous marathon, Sharon was limited to just running three miles during the three weeks running up to the event – she even missed her favourite Apperley Quarter marathon race due to the severity of her injury. She gambled on starting the race and, if there was ever a time when fingers were crossed, it was in Berlin. It was a painful experience at times however, she held things together to cross the finish line just over 4 hours in 4:04:23. Of course, had she not been carry the injury before and during, we know she would have cruised to a sub4.
This year saw the first staging of a long-awaited Cotswold Way race – all in one go, yes the whole 100+ miles from end to end. Organised by www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk the race started midday Saturday and finished the next day. It was something Angie Sadler was chomping at the bit to try and from the 57 runners who actually completed the huge distance, she finished joint first woman with a completed time of 27 hours 13 minutes. Angie did, in fact, run a little extra mileage after misdirection during the night. Nonetheless, the ultra star arrived in Bath as 24th overall.
One of the hardest medals to get your hands on.
This year’s Cardiff Half Marathon incorporated the British championships and amongst the 16,000 finishers were four satisfied Tewkesbury runners. Like Sharon above, Jay Russell had been spending time with a physiotherapist as an injury stopped him in his tracks this summer. Jay’s treatments had moderate success allowing him to run again but with a persistent niggle taking away the enjoyment aspect. Making a late decision to start, Jay completed the 13.1 Cardiff course in 1:57:19 to place 6,189th. Also having a summer troubled with niggles and severally limiting her mileage, Carly Merriman ran with hope she could hold out; having decided to ignore the pace clock and run how she felt, she did exceedingly well to finish 7,180th on the 2hr mark. Cathy Dudfield returned to Cardiff and ran a fine 1:55:30 to place 5,633rd while Stuart Dudfield contained his good form and trimmed a minute off his Cheltenham Half time from the previous Sunday with 1:35:22 to place 1,326th.
Great work by Jay, Carly, Cath & Stu.
Targeting Mick Morris’s 28 yr old 10 mile V40 club record, Jon Mansfield ventured to South Gloucestershire for theOldbury Power 10. Needing to run sub 5:50 miles for ten miles, Jon managed to average 5:49 m/m – according to his Garmin. Alas, despite a desperate final mile, the timing clock was stopped on 58:29 minutes – 7 seconds shy of Mick’s record!
Jon couldn’t hide his disappointment.
The local Parkruns have been awash with Tewkesbury runners with fine runs from Natalie Jenks and Nigel Tillott to name but a few; Nigel’s 19:35 minutes are the Gloucester Kingsway event gave him 7th place while Barry O’Driscolltimed 23:21. The Leamington Spa event had the pleasure of Paul Mason with 21:48 and Karen Mason with 30:40.Phillip Howells and Michael Ward ran over the Newent course with 28:58 and 32:05 respectively. In the TewkesburyParkrun, Carol Cowley smashed another 1st place female with 24:10, Stuart Bird recorded 22:39, Aled Leaver 22:54,Terry Ballard 27:46 and Wesley Reid timed 29:33. Finally, Cheltenham was treated to three of Tewkesbury’s finest with an outstanding 22:26 from Natalie Jenks, Sheena Moseley with 26:56 and Samantha Robinson with 31:05.
