Yet another busy week for the Sandbach Striders this week, from the usual parkruns, to a triathlon, and an ultra event with a twist.
The week's events started on Wednesday at Wimbledon Common in London. The May Chase the Sun event, sees competitors run either 5 or 10km around Wimbledon Common before the sun sets. Rachel Mason travelled there and completed the 5k route in a time of 29:12.
The first day of June, Thursday, saw 24 members of the club travel to Tittesworth Reservoir near Leek in Staffordshire to compete in the first of 8 of the Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club summer series events. These events are around 4.5 miles in length and run on fell and trails. The undulating course started and finished close to the visitor centre, and took place on trails, and through woodlands around the reservoir. Notable results were Darren Varley in 9th place overall , and Heather Carter winning her category. Full results below:
Tittesworth (Staffs Moorlands Summer Series)
| Runner | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Varley | 00:30:22 | |
| John Pemberton | 00:32:47 | |
| Stephen Mclean | 00:33:12 | |
| Heather Carter | 00:33:39 | Category Winner |
| Craig Edwards | 00:34:24 | |
| Andy Bennett | 00:34:30 | |
| Martin Gunther | 00:34:58 | |
| Jonathan Maguire | 00:35:00 | |
| Tim Child | 00:38:40 | |
| Lindsay Beeston | 00:39:49 | |
| David Sharp | 00:41:05 | |
| James Halling | 00:41:12 | |
| Lisa Highfield | 00:41:19 | |
| Louise Banks | 00:42:34 | |
| Andy Gilsenan | 00:42:35 | |
| June Wray | 00:43:00 | |
| Tim Wilson | 00:43:23 | |
| Kim Farrall | 00:43:54 | |
| Helen Child | 00:43:57 | |
| Liz O'Keeffe | 00:45:26 | |
| Philip Truman | 00:53:22 | |
| Paul Nicholls | 00:55:03 | |
| Rachael Denham | 00:55:04 | |
| Anne Thompson | 00:55:05 |
Starting at midnight on Friday night, Chris Brumby took on a slightly different challenge. A Stone Cross stands in the centre of England; in Meriden. 100 entrants set off in the dead of the night, and attempt to complete as many miles as possible to “Escape from Meriden” in 24 hours. The official results are not yet published, but Chris completed at least 75km.
On Saturday 13 Sandbach Striders competed in 3 different parkruns. John Morris completed his first parkrun at Wilmslow, whilst Steve Mclean, David Sharp, and Helen Child got personal bests at Congleton with times of 19:00, 23:38, and 25:16 respectively.
Congleton Parkrun
| Runner | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Mclean | 00:19:00 | Personal Best |
| Andy Thomas | 00:19:42 | |
| Andy Bennett | 00:21:17 | |
| Steven Fallows | 00:23:08 | |
| David Sharp | 00:23:38 | Personal Best |
| Lisa Highfield | 00:23:59 | |
| Helen Child | 00:25:17 | Personal Best |
| Rachel Mason | 00:27:12 | |
| Robert Kettle | 00:27:26 | |
| James Boon | 00:27:50 | |
| Philip Truman | 00:30:07 |
Chippenham parkrun
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| Martin Coleman | 00:19:56 |
Wilmslow parkrun
| Runner | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| John Morris | 00:25:01 | Personal Best |
Also on Saturday it was the Henri Lloyd Aberscoch 10k in North Wales. Over 1,000 runners are treated to a well supported event starting through the streets of Aberscoch, the course then winds its way over challenging tracks and roads to a spectacular viewpoint over Cardigan Bay. The finish line of the event is then on the main beach. Tony Taylor, Paul Barnett, and Tom Brunt completed the event in times of 40:45, 52:44, and 53:43 respectively.
In Wincle, Cheshire it was the annual Trout Run. The course rotates between three different routes each year, all approximately 9.5km long, this year was regarded as the toughest of the them. Conditions were almost perfect, and the route starts on a steep, rutted grassy downhill section, and soon you are on slippery rocky parts, before crossing the river Dane. This is a tough fell race, but rewards all finishers with a trout and a beer on the finish line. Results as follows:
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| Mick Hutchins | 00:48:36 |
| Heather Carter | 00:49:36 |
| Lynsey Astles | 01:11:16 |
On Sunday it was what is regarded as one of the flattest half marathons in the country, the Ramathon set at the home of the Derby Rams at the iPro stadium. A well organised and popular event, the course takes you through the city centre to start, past the cathedral, and then out through Elvaston Country Park. This year three members of the club took part in the hot conditions, with a personal best for Jo Askey. Full results below:
| Runner | Chip Time | Gun Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jo Askey | 01:55:23 | 01:56:25 | Personal Best |
| Katie Payne | 01:55:26 | 01:56:28 | |
| Gillian Fallows | 01:57:29 | 02:00:27 |
Also on Sunday, Gordon Hutchins took part in the Deva Olympic Distance triathlon. The event held in Chester has a course set right in the heart of the city with transitions taking part in Grosvenor Park. The 40k bike route goes into Wales via Eccleston, whilst the 10k run finishes at the Bandstand. Gordon completed the event in 2:51:51.
Full results for our members are published on our results page
Entries are open for the Sandbach 10k sponsored by Butcher and Barlow. This year's event takes place on an exciting new course and is run entirely on traffic-free roads. It promises to be a great event for both new runners or for those looking to beat their personal best. Secure your starting place now at, and for more information see our races page