From track marathons to half Ironmen, yet another busy week for the members of Sandbach Striders running club.
On Thursday, Andy Thomas headed to Bowdon near Altrincham to compete in a 5k race which is part of the North Cheshire 5k Grand Prix series. The course which was a mixture of road and some parkland trails proved a little muddy in places after heavy rain in previous races. Official results not yet in, but Andy clocked his run in 19:57.
On Saturday 10 members from the club participated in 4 different parkruns. Colin Dalton achieved a personal best around Astbury mere at Congleton.
Congleton Parkrun
| Runner | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Taylor | 00:19:08 | |
| Andy Thomas | 00:19:49 | |
| Colin Dalton | 00:22:06 | Personal Best |
| Mick Hutchins | 00:22:07 | |
| Tim Wilson | 00:29:12 | |
| Gillian Fallows | 00:29:14 |
Workington parkrun
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| David Sharp | 00:23:48 |
Warrington parkrun
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| Lisa Highfield | 00:24:22 |
| Stephen Mclean | 00:29:25 |
Cannon Hill parkrun
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| Paul Barnett | 00:23:58 |
How does running 105 and nearly a half laps of standard 400 metre running track sound? What about doing that twice in two days. Well this is exactly what Steve Mclean did on Saturday and Sunday, following his parkrun in Warrington. It was the Summer Track Marathon event, two marathons over 2 days also in Warrington. Steve completed the race on Saturday in a respectable time of 3:59:58, and then smashing that time on Sunday with a new personal best of 3:33:06. Well done that crazy man!
On Sunday it was time for the annual passing clouds event. Starting from Tittesworth reservoir in Leek, the race sees the participants heading out to run along and over the roaches. It is classed as a B class fell races and sees the runners climbing over 550 metres in 15.7 kilometers. Craig Edwards completed the event in 1:37:59
Also on Sunday the popular Potters ‘Arf took place in Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent. The hilly half marathon attracts a good crowd of supporters and starts in Hanley town centre. The route heads south to Longton, before heading back up towards Bucknall, and Baddeley Green, before heading back down to Hanley for the finish. Well done to Jamie for his first half marathon, with the full results are as follows:
| Runner | Chip Time | Gun Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Carter | 01:36:12 | 01:36:16 | |
| Jayne Pyatt | 01:54:30 | 01:55:09 | |
| Lindsay Beeston | 01:56:35 | 01:57:16 | |
| James Boon | 02:10:56 | 02:11:37 | |
| Jamie Matthias | 02:11:13 | 02:11:52 | Personal Best |
Finally for this week, 6 Striders took to wetsuits, and bikes, to take on the “Ultimate Half Triathlon” near Whitchurch. The event is a half Ironman triathlon, which for the uninitiated is a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a mere 56 mile bike ride, and finishing with a 13.1 half marathon on foot. The swim is in Dearnford Lake, with the bike ride and run taking place in the roads around Whitchurch. A tough challenge for all, with the results below:
| Runner | Time |
|---|---|
| Alastair Melton | 05:28:08 |
| Nigel “Billy” Fishwick | 05:50:03 |
| Giles Hodges | 05:52:15 |
| Rick Kelso-Davies | 05:55:30 |
| Gordon Hutchins | 05:59:49 |
| Steve Farnell | 06:18:43 |
Full results for our members are available here
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 Our Races