Easingwold Advertiser 31 May 2007

EASINGWOLD RUNNING CLUB

The second race of the York and District Road Race League was held at Tadcaster on Tuesday 22 May which also counted as Round 10 of the Club Championship. Another fantastic turnout for the club with 33 members competing in this event. A more undulating course than the previous race, with the cruel Windmill Hill rising sharply at 7km to catch out already tiring legs, but not enough to deter the competitors and yet again incredible results were achieved enabling the Club to maintain its 2nd place in the Open Team Category, with the B, C and D teams also in the top 20. The Ladies A team is currently is in 7th position in the Female category with the B team just 2 places behind.

For those foolhardy enough to rise to the challenge of completing two 10km races in 5 days, round 11 of the Club Championship took place on Sunday 27 May at Melmerby, which is one of the races in the Black Sheep Series and which some of the Club members are participating in. Described as undulating and the fastest course of the Black Sheep races, 8 members turned out in unseasonably cold and damp conditions to compete. Despite this, through grit and determination, fast times were achieved by everyone with Andy McIntyre and Jon and Sarah Dixon achieving PBs. Al Byrne came in first for the club in a time of 36.07 securing him 3rd place in the M40 category and a prize to boot. Well done also to Paul Skilbeck, Bernie Wood, Chris Richardson and Ken Dart.

All this has now meant a change in the leader board of the Club Championship with Chris Hartley taking the lead from Paul Jacobs and Al Byrne giving last year’s Champion Nigel Ramsden some serious competition.

Now that the (supposedly) fine weather is upon us, many of the Club’s runners are competing in races far and wide and have included the Windermere Marathon, BUPA Great Manchester Run, Beverley 10km, and Ripon 10 miles, to name but a few . Our eldest member, Cliff Simm, continues to inspire and amaze us all by competing in three 10 km races in 8 days and then travelling to Scotland for a week to complete a long distance walk! Remarkable.

It is Easingwold Running Club’s turn to host the Road Race League on Tuesday 5 June, so if you are driving in and around Easingwold you will become aware of up to 200 runners powering around the 10km course. The race starts in Claypenny Estate at 7.30 pm and works a clockwise track past Thornton Hill Lane, along Binsley Lane and then through Crayke, along Daffy Lane, down the Crayke Road before a fast finish along Uppleby, Spring Street, Tyler’s Walk and into the Memorial Park.

Please can you take great care if you are driving around the race route. There will be plenty of signs, lots of marshals and, literally, hundreds of runners. It would be very much appreciated if you could slow down a little, or pull over, and take notice of instructions from the officials.

It has been a very successful year so far for Easingwold Running Club and as mentioned above, we have been achieving fantastic results. A number of our runners will be expecting to finish in the top 50 and many will be hoping to break 40 minutes for the 10km (which is very fast!). Why not come along and support all the runners, particularly the locals – they do for the London Marathon! First runners will be powering along Uppleby and Spring Street at about 8.00pm, the first should finish at 8.04pm (ish) and the last will be coming over the line at about 8.30pm.

Easingwold Advertiser 17 May 2007

EASINGWOLD RUNNING CLUB

Round 8 of the Club Championship was held at Rothwell on Sunday 29 April. “The course is fast, with a net decent of 30 metres between start and finish” is the blurb on the organiser’s website describing this popular 10km course. Which in running terms means an ideal opportunity to try for a personal best (PB). The weather was good, not too hot, calm and fine so the conditions were ideal and, as ever, the 11 members of ERC who competed did not disappoint. First home for the Club and setting his own record was Mark Whiteman in 54th posn (out of a field of 726) with an excellent time of 35:46; the overall winner having completed the course in an incredible 30:08 for Holmfirth Harriers. Anne Hartley (48:54) and Bernie Wood (50:36) also bagged their own PBs. The other Club members, whilst not setting a new PB, were however very pleased with their fast times.

At this half way stage in the Club Championship, the current leader is Paul Jacobs, 14 points ahead of second placed Chris Hartley. With another 8 races to be completed for the Championship, the title is still open to challenge.

The York District Road Race League is now underway with the first out of 5 races being held at Pocklington on the evening of Tuesday 8 May which was also Round 9 of the Club Championship. An incredible 36 members represented ERC which accounts for almost 50% of the total membership with another 20 members registered to take part in at least one of the 5 races. It was a fantastic sight to see so many of the Club’s colours in evidence at this race equalling our presence with those from the larger York-based clubs. Following on from our success of last year, 6 of our runners finished in the first 22 positions followed by a constant stream of blue and green crossing the finishing line in very good times – yet more PBs were achieved for Kevin Lally, Jon Dixon, Andrew Throop and Sarah Dixon. All the effort on this hilly course in breezy conditions paid off as ERC has 4 placings in the top 5 for the M40 category and the ‘A team’ are currently lying 2nd in the open team class. Hazel Wharton-Street is also leading in her F55 category.

The second of the Road Race League races is on Tuesday 22 May at Tadcaster and this is also Round 10 of the Club Championship.



Start of the York District Road Race League Season – what a turnout!

Easingwold Advertiser 5 May 2007