(TLDR. The Headlines: On Tuesday we have a club run up the Greenway to Killinghall, and on Thursday we are doing a recce of the Harrogate 10k – check the arrangements for the night, as we are meeting at the Squash Club and not the Hockey Club. On Saturday we have Nadene Wilkinson’s celebratory parkrun for her 40th birthday. On Sunday, we have a date with destiny for the Harrogate 10k and our annual grudge match against the Knaresborough Striders. Other info included on up and coming races and the parkrun takeover).
Howdie, partners!
Welcome aboard this Monday Evening Express Service to Nidd Valley House. Please ensure you are sitting in your allocated seat and have your correct travel documents with you as we’ll shortly be passing through the train to do a full ticket inspection. Tonight, we shall be stopping at the week ahead, some up and coming events, a parkrun takeover, and some wise words. Our first stop, however, is the results write up. If you’re leaving us here, please make sure you have all your belongings with you and mind the gap between the train and the platford edge.
Results from the Week That Was…
And so we start, once again, with an apology and this one goes to Jenny Manning who I rather carelessly omitted from the results last week. And it’s quite a shame really, as you’ve had to wait over a week for me to tell you that our Jenny was down in Southern Germany where she took part in the Grainau Trail 14k Race. Not only running the distance, Jenny clocked up an impressive 1,600 or so feet of alpine ascent, making her time of 1:58.35 all the more impressive. Gut gemacht, Jenny!
Craig Mills (37.06) was first Nidd to finish at the Evening League at Sicklinghall on Wednesday night, with Captain Dazzler (37.35), Steve Newbould (38.27) and Kev Clark (39.03) making up the speediest of support acts. Sam Heathcote – whose name I hope I have correctly spelled this time – came in at 39.35, just ahead of Ian Hesford (40.18), while Martin Lofhouse (40.29) had his work cut out to keep Alex Crowton (42.37), Fingers Harris (43.04) and Steve Turner (43.23) at bay. Brian Hainsworth (43.25) was just ahead of Matt Rickard (43.45), Andrew Davis (43.55) was just ahead of Theresa Oldroyd (44.27), and Andrew Iddon (45.11) steamed on ahead of Nick Crebbin (45.26), Laura Francis (45.34), Jonathan Easton (45.36), Nigel Scaife (45.47) and Andrew Gilbertson (46.33). Congratulations to Andrew Croft (46.34), Fiona Deacon (46.39) and Mr Sprint Finish himself, Kev Nicholas (46.51). Yours truly (47.13) was locked in a tussle with Richard Evans (47.15), while Sam Crebbin made his Evening League debut in 48.20. Chris Morris clocked in at 48.37, and we can do little but celebrate the brilliant times of Chandra Shekar (49.08), Helen Gregory (49.26), Kate Morton (49.32), Karen Mills (50.14), Jeremy Leggings (50.15), Philly Thompson (50.46), Rachel Mills (50.53), Christine Holleran (51.16) and Martin Luxton (51.18). Katharine Dolman (52.02) was the next to finish, joined by the ever-brilliant Rob Northfield (52.02), Jose Jimenez (52.05) and Ian Wighton (52.28). The hugest of well dones to Mike Deacon (53.09), FRP (53.48), Jenny Manning (54.05), Katie Coppack (54.14) and Kirsty Walter (54.34). Jess Harby was the next to finish in a 54.54, while Paul Manning (55.32), Steve Newton (55.58), Rachael Prince (56.43) and Nick Smith (57.38) were never too far behind. Debbie Gibson (58.35) was just ahead of these magnificent seven finishers: Michael Shaw (59.05), Moira McTague (1:01.17), Guy Parker (1:01.19), Sarah Gore (1:03.49), Sarah Chalmers (1:05.24) – she even finished with a smile on her face, folks. Wow. -, Sarah Bracher (1:06.40) and Sylvia Morten (1:10.53). A very well done to you all.
The results from inaugural Run Nidderdale six mile run have not yet appeared on RaceBest, so I’ll get those to you as soon as they come out. So for now, you’ll just have to settle with congratulations to Darren Townend, FRP, Andy Iddon, Fiona Deacon, Bri Hainsworth, Phil and Reb Ventress, Jeremy Leggings, Nigel Scaife, Roger Duckworth, Fingers Harris and – completing her first off-road run, Sarah Bracher. Particular well done to Fingers who took his dog Jack for a spin on the Canicross Event and claimed first prize! Well done Fingers and well done Jackster!
Now this is a bit of a faff, as the entries to the Endure24 in Leeds aren’t necessarily linked to the club, so I’ve had to do a bit of detective work to see who ran. Sorry if you have been missed out (but you know the drill, if you want your results in print, you only have to drop me a note). So in team ‘Happy Nidd Valley’ (that’s Karen Mills, Kev Clark, Chris Morris, Jess Harby and Sam Heathcote, if you’re taking notes) knocked out 33 (165 miles) laps in some pretty unforgiving heat, having drafted in Craig Mills to run a few last minute laps for them due to Hannah being unwell. Nick Crebbin went for the solo effort, under the creative name ‘Nick Crebbin’, finishing 11 laps (55 miles). Theresa Oldroyd teamed up with a friend and went with the name Team Badass, finishing 20 (100 miles) within the 24 hour time limit. Well done to you all.
In parkrun, we had the usual large turnouts at Fountains Abbey, Conyngham Hall and Harrogate, and we had a few more Nidds a little more widely travelled, this week in the form of Philly Thompson at Darlington South, Mrs Robinson at Nostell Abbey, Adam Kirk and Lisa Gibson at Selby, Kate Morton doing an out-and-back at Doddington, Ian Wighton at North Yorkshire Water Park, and Sarah Barker at Chevin Forest. You can have a look at the results if you’ve got nowt better to be doing: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
You don’t see what I see / beautiful in front of me / you can hide in the dark, but the light you keep / you don’t see what I see: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
On Tuesday, we’ve got a beautiful little club run lined up for you. Lets go and enjoy the greenway to Killinghall. Leave the Hockey Club at 7pm, and head up over the iron bridge and to Bilton Crossing. From there, continue up over the viaduct and keep on running until you get to Killinghall Bridge. From there, you can either stick to the Ripon Road or you can take the cross country route to Knox Mill, and then from there you can head back up through Bilton to the club. Unless the weather really does turn wet, you’ll be fine in road shoes for the off-road element, should you decide to do it. As ever, there’ll be all sorts of people running at all sorts of different paces, so you’ll be sure to find someone to run with. It hardly needs saying, but if you want to run a different route or mix things up, then be our guest! Variety is, after all, the spice of life.
Talking of mixing things up, we’re doing things slightly differently on Thursday. So we can do a recce of the Harrogate 10k – and more about that below – we’ll be meeting in the carpark at Harrogate Squash Club near Hookstone Woods. We’ll be running from 7pm, and the route takes you out onto Hookstone Drive, down by St John Fisher School, round to Fulwith Mill Lane, down into Crimple Valley, up through woods onto Follifoot Drive, round past Rudding Park, past the Travellers Rest and back over by the Showground to the Squash Club. Numerous places available for a post-run pint, including at the Squash Club or round to Roosters Brewery. The choice is yours.
There will not be a run from the Hockey Club on Thursday.
If you’re a Facebook user, then you’ll have had an invite to Harrogate Parkrun by Nadene Wilkinson who is going to celebrating her 40th birthday with a spin round the Stray on Saturday (much like she does every Saturday, to be fair). Yes, the lovely Nadene is going to be approaching that which the Tudors called ye olde age (and still syphilis free!), and she would love it if you could come and run a celebratory 5k with her. I mean, you could go and do another parkrun, but you wouldn’t be able to look Nadene in the eye would you? Happy birthday, Nadene! Forty years young and looking splendid for it.
However – hold those horses! Do not be going off like the proverbial off a shiny new shovel when you do a parkrun, for on Sunday we have our annual Mob Match against Knaresborough Striders. This year the battle lines are drawn at the Harrogate 10k. I have got no end of grief from Martin Lofthouse about this, as I am away with university friends for a long-since planned weekend, and so will be unable to race. He has – rather unfairly in my opinion – compared me to General Melchett telling Captain Blackadder that he will be right behind him in battle. Anyway, never mind that. Please do think about getting involved in this race if you are able to compete. It’s a great chance to show the Striders who is boss and to bring that trophy back to Nidd Valley House where it belongs. You were born to run in black and gold. This is your destiny calling. This is your moment. Cometh the hour, cometh the Nidd: https://tinyurl.com/5n9yyz7v.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
On Tuesday 04 July 2023, there are the Danefield Fell Relays on Otley Chevin. Although not in the club championships, this is a firm favourite of the off-road runners in the club and has even attracted the interest of our tarmac-loving, road-running brethren. It’s about a 4km loop, and you need a team of three to take part. It’s £9 per team, so a good value jaunt out. If you’re new to off-road running, then this is a really relaxed, accessible and fun introduction to the joys of mud and hills. Why not put a shout out via email or social media and see if you can pull a team together? We’ve quite a few teams already in, and this could be only improved by the addition of many more in the glorious Black & Gold. Get involved: https://tinyurl.com/ywt429ev.
There’s the Ilkley Half Marathon on Sunday 16 July 2023, and this provides the chance to get some points for yourself in the much coveted road championships. I can’t pretend that Ilkley is a cheap date with a price tag at £34 but the feedback for this race has been incredible. Everyone who did it last year – apart from nearly expiring due to heat exhaustion – had a great time and thought it was a brilliant event. You can get all the information here: https://tinyurl.com/57fwmx88.
On Saturday 22 July 2023, there’s a 5k race as part of the Hampsthwaite Feast Celebrations. There are plenty of Nidds who have already entered, and they would love you to come and swell their numbers. It’s a great little off-road race, with satisfaction guaranteed. Satisfy yourself: https://tinyurl.com/ah55k84.
Parkrun Takeover: 05 Aug 2023
As well as all of the usual positions, we’d love to have pacers from everything from 19 minutes to 35 minutes. If you want to pace, or if you can help with any other roles, please drop me a message, and I’ll get you added to the rota. In addition to pacers, we’ll need marshalls, timers, scanners and setter-uppers. Please come and support if you can: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Word to the Wise
So we had the third of the pop-up parkruns on Friday night, to which Nigel Scaife and Sarah Bracher came. Well Sarah actually got involved, and Nigel just spectated with a beer, but there are. Anyway, very much in a world of her own, Sarah missed the turning, took a diversion, and added a good half mile to her run. This prompted this forgiving analysis from Nigel.
“For someone as educated and as intelligent as she is, she can be a right idiot sometimes…” – Nigel Scaife, playing with fire.
So from Sarah and Nigel, from me, and from everyone here at Nidd Valley House, have a great week.
General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmany Melchett VC KCB x