We're starting with parkrun this week as a massive 18 different events hosted RRC'ers this weekend.
At Heaton Park, regular Junior runner Ayrton Waterfall-Hallam completed his first full distance parkrun. Looking at the times it looks like he was supported by his Mum Clare along with Julia Martin and Sean Potter. Congratulations Ayrton!
Vanessa Lobb wasn’t hanging about and was the 2nd female finisher at Oldham.
Further afield, Rowan was in Nottingham at Forest Rec parkrun, Isabel Urquhart ran at Bruerton in the West Midlands, Alan Blagburn in Darlington, Paula Jones in Woking, Andrea Sidebottom and Sandra Powers were first times at Stamford and we had Cecilia Woods in Chipping Norton.
You can find the full club parkrun report here.
Racing started this week at Clowbridge Reservoir for the Run Forrest Run 5-mile trail race. This was a club champs race last year but this time it was “just for fun” Ben won the latest instalment of the battle of the Jones’s just in front of Simon who gave it his all on an undulating, testing moorland course. Also running were Dan Stacey, Nigel Hartley, Laurence Keighley and sole female Helen Hyder.
Sunday was a hilly sort of a day. Up in the Howgills Sam Booth and Ben Jones were doing the Montane Trail 26. A race that stays long in the memory of anyone who takes it on. Firstly, for the stunning views soon after the start in Sedbergh and next for the thigh busting hills that inevitably come with them.
Sam Booth has covered some incredible miles this year on some of the most difficult terrain and his 9th place finish was just reward. We look forward to following his Ultra Trail of Snowdonia later in the year.
The half marathon includes the same challenging start and finish. Emma Garrett, Rachael Wright and husband Lee took this on.
Eve Hart and Ant Metcalf kindly recced a new half marathon for us on Sunday at the Happy Valley Trail Half. This is another one that has its ups and downs and Eve has kindly suggested it as a potential future club championship race.
At the Rossendale Triathlon Paula Pilling, Dan Stacey and Ken Swarbrick represented the club on a tough cycle and run route after a 400m pool swim. Ken did all this after putting in a shift at Heaton parkrun on Saturday.
Paula, racing for Bolton Tri is really getting into the swing of Triathlon and achieved an age grade first place.
Over in Canada, Andrew Giles, who exists purely to generate trail running envy, ran a 54k Backyard Ultra. I’m guessing he did this solo which makes it an impressive battle of will power and bravery in bear country!
Andrew Norman successfully completed the Sunnywood Project’s latest non-competitive challenge, getting round the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. He probably wasn’t on his own from RRC but so far I haven’t been able to identify any more rams.
Well done to everyone racing or just getting out there again this weekend 👏🏼