parkrun tourism was to the fore last weekend as Andy Hales and Imran Ali debuted at Northampton, Catherine Gough made her first appearance at Cambridge and Steve Osmond was a first timer at Medina, Isle of Wight.
Congratulations to Robyn McSharry, Michael Gough and Lisa Abbot as they were 1st U17F, 1st U17M and Jackie Bagley trophy winners respectively. 29 Sphinx runners took on the undulating course in muggy conditions. Thanks to Ninj, Pete Hall and Tim Nunan for the photos below.
A good time was had by all in the 3rd annual Sphinx relays. Thanks to everyone involved, especially the organisers and marshals.
Well done to James Abrams on a PB at Leamington parkrun and a 3rd place category finish at the Stort 10. James sent in the following report:
Ran PB Saturday 21min 08sec at Leamington parkrun then travelled to bishop stortford ahead of Sunday’s stort10 mile trail run through the lovely national trust Hatfield forest.warm and sunny and very hard work mentally and physically!
Mitch has provided the following dramatisation:
One of the hardest half marathons Jackie and I have ever done, but also one of the most scenic. Take a look at the course profile and you will see why:
https://sites.google.com/site/ashbournerunningclub/ashbournehalfmarathon/HalfMarathonLogo-1200w.gif
Overall a very well organised event in the Derbyshire Dales, in good running conditions, with a mug and a medal to show for our effort; all professionally hosted by our ‘sister’ club Ashbourne Running Club, take a look at their kit!
http://www.ashbournerunningclub.org.uk/club-kit
Here’s what the Sphinx runners had to say about the race:
Dave West: the ‘Nike’ compression socks (in club colours) that Mitch sold me were fantastic, and ensured excellent blood flow to the calves.
Kevin Dick: those ‘Nike’ compression socks (in club colours) that Mitch sold me are the best piece of running kit I’ve ever bought and an absolute bargain at just £15 a pair!
Laura Duggins: wish I’d bought a pair of those ‘Nike’ compression socks (in club colours) off Mitch, then I might just have overtaken Dave on the run-in L
Jackie Timms: it’s a shame that the only two pairs of those ‘Nike’ compression socks (in club colours) that Mitch has left are in size 10 to 11.5, but I’m sure someone will snap them up at the bargain price of just £15 a pair (r.r.p. £25)
Final mention and congratulations to Laura Duggins who, despite the lack of ‘Sphinx’ compression socks, finished 4th overall in the Senior Female Category in an excellent time of 1:48:19.
Paul Slatford, Lisa Abbott and Imran Ali competed in the newest WRRL race, a 5km course around Leamington that finished with a lap of the running track that produced some excellent finishing straight gurning faces (check out the photos below). Pre-race reports of a flat and fast course may have been exaggerated.
Mitch has sent a report from Brueton, and there were first-time appearances aplenty elsewhere.
Over to Mitch:
With the Memorial Park out of action, for our Saturday morning Park Run ‘fix’ Will Robertson, Andy Mc and I made the short trip to Solihull for the Brueton Park Run. On arrival we discovered that the start had been moved to near the tennis courts, which meant that the first kilometre was a slight downhill to start with (as the courts were on your immediate left) and then a right turn onto a long flat section. Running on the right of the path, rather than the customary left at Brueton, we went anticlockwise round the copse of trees, then back along the usual route before turning right at the tennis courts and running anticlockwise round them, before repeating the exercise for the second lap. A course debut for Will and a very creditable time despite the jet lag, but pride of place goes to Macca, who, once again wearing his new ‘Sphinx’ coloured trainers, achieved a second PB in 6 days. He followed up his 10K PB at Prestwold last Sunday with not only a course PB, but an all-time 5K PB of 20:11 and a top 30 finish (out of 443 runners). So, just 2 seconds a kilometre short of that elusive 20 minute barrier and then you can enjoy a long and happy retirement mate (bit like Wayne!).
Stop Press: Final mention and congratulations to Vicky Hand who also did ‘the double’ of a course PB and an all-time 5K record time of 28:57.
Sphinx sent forth two teams of 3 to Northbrook’s Good, Bad and Ugly relays. Which of each team was good, bad or ugly is debatable as both teams finished in the top 5.
Six Sphinx runners completed the last race of the EMGP series: the Milton Keynes 10k.
Congratulations to James Abrams on a new PB. James reported:
…ran a new PB in the Swansea half 1hr 33min 2.excellent conditions and nice and flat along the mumbles.voted 2nd best half marathon to do
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