(TLDR. The Headlines: On Tuesday, we have a pub run from Staveley and there will not be an organised run from the Hockey Club. Thursday’s club run takes us from the Hockey Club round Hookstone Woods. On Sunday, we have the Tholthorpe 10km followed by Captain Dazzler’s birthday celebrations. Plenty of other information to follow about up and coming events, especially the fish and chip run next week, for which you need to get your orders in ASAP. Read on!).
Well, weren’t Sylvia’s summer relays an absolute triumph? The sight of about seventy Nidds running round the country lanes of Weeton while carrying wooden spoons, some of them wearing massive chef’s hats, well, it could only be Nidd Valley. It was a great night that captured all that is great about Nidd Valley, competitive and friendly and social, all in good measure. As one Nidd pointed out to me, it was great to run with other people he wouldn’t normally get to run with with teams made up of all ages and abilities, before everyone retired into the church for tea and cakes.
Cheating? Really?
Thomas the Bakers
As Fell Running Phil pointed out, it could have only been improved if we could have persuaded Sylvia to deliver the results from the pulpit. Amen to that, I say. But there is a far more important sermon this week, and we take as our reading the results from this past week.
Results from the Week That Was…
So we start this week with a missed result from last week. Brian Hainsworth is ever so sensitive, I tell you. I missed his result from the Sedbergh Hills Fell Race last week, and he was straight onto me to point out my mistake. It’s a good job that we love him. Anyway, he was the sole representative for the Nidd Valley Campaign, completing the tough (that’s the 14 miles and 6000ft kind of tough that we’re talking about) run in an impressive 3:19.48. Well done, Brian.
So with that wrong righted and that record set straight, we can also congratulate Katherine Woodhead on her performance last Sunday at the Piethorne Fell Race near Rochdale. She hasn’t written in to point out my omission, and it’s only by pure luck that I saw her result yesterday afternoon. Anyway, we need to take the light from under her bushel and celebrate her cracking result of 1:13.19 for completing this hilliest of 10km races. That’s a great result, Katherine. Well done.
Sarah Bracher was on the most sparkling of forms when she completed the Leeds Evensplits 5k on Wednesday night. She is delighted to have broken the curse of the 30 minute barrier, and did so in remarkable fashion, romping home in 28.55. What an incredible achievement, Sarah! Nice work.
Craig Mills was in Cheshire on Friday night to take part in the mid-Cheshire 5km race (no, I didn’t know it was a thing either, but there we are). Craig put down an incredible time of 17.03 on the course, which is an incredible achievement. Well done, Craig. You might also like to do that Craig and Karen’s son, Cal, clocked a crazy-fast time of 14.40, which is just mind-blowing. Well done to him, too.
Now, what is it with the Welsh language? I mean, seriously. It’s like the spelling and the pronunciation were decided by separate committees of people who have had a deep and irreconcilable disagreement. If anyone knows how to pronounce Hafan Pwllheli, then please do let me know. I only ask as Nick Crebbin completed his parkrun there this weekend. Nigel Scaife and daughter Lily kept it similarly Welsh when they visited Dolgellau Parkrun in Snowdonia. Josh Byrer stole third place at Pontefract, juniors Hugo and Leo El-Etriby were at Sewerby Parkrun near Bridlington, and Martin Luxton was up at his usual haunt in Sedgefield. Matt Wilkinson did his first parkrun as a forty year old, but heaven only knows why he chose to do it in Middlesbrough (he was in Stewart Park). Dave Seaman took a trip down memory lane and found himself in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, the setting to many a happy childhood holiday and now also setting to a parkrun along the seafront.
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
Sarah Gore was up in Glasgow where she ran at Victoria Park, Adam Kirk and Luisa Gibson were in Wetherby, Josh Tiffin was in Crosby, and Emily Wighton ran at Armley. If you are wondering why Andy Todd wasn’t at Fountains Abbey, then that’s because he was busy coming fifth at Guernsey Parkrun, and I couldn’t be happier to tell you that Billy Fox was at Rothay and Sylvia Morten was back out on Otley Chevin. Jenny Manning joined Mike and Fiona Deacon to run their hundredth parkruns at Roundhay, and were joined in their celebrations by Helen Gregory, Paul Manning and Emma Kicks. As always, we had the masses at Conyngham Hall, Fountains Abbey and Harrogate. All the results here: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
If you say run, I’ll run with you / And if you say hide we’ll hide / Because my love for you, would break my heart in two / If you should fall into my arms and tremble like a flower: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
We’ve got the next fixture of our ‘away-from-club club runs’ on Tuesday with a trip to run at Staveley. Meet outside the Royal Oak pub in the village (please only park in their carpark if you intend to spend some money at the bar afterwards, otherwise park in the village) and be good to run for 7pm. Dave Seaman has planned some routes for us, and there will be distances and paces to suit all abilities and interests, including a suitable route for those who would rather have a walk than a run. Dave will send out some maps and .GPX files later on for those that want some information in advance.
There will not be an organised club run from the Hockey Club on Tuesday evening but, should you wish to organise your own thing, then we won’t stand in your way.
There will, however, be a club run on Thursday and this week we are going to enjoy the delights of Hookstone Woods. Be at the Hockey Club and ready to get a wriggle on for 7pm. We’ll head out over the Stray, through the cut and down through the Saints and through Hookstone Woods. Following the path towards Roosters Brewery, we’ll emerge on Fulwith Mill Lane. You can then head back up Leeds Road and return to the club via the Stray, or you can continue over Stone Rings Drive and take the cross-country trail to Leadhall Lane. From there, head back to the club via the Cricket Club and St George’s Drive. There’ll be time for a chat with a cheeky pint and a bag of crisps in the bar afterwards for those that wish to join us. Go on, it’d be lovely to see you.
It feels like I’ve been plugging this one for ages, but on Sunday we’ll finally get the chance to run the Tholthorpe 10km which is also the next race in the road championships. There are only a handful of places left, and entries close this Friday morning, so this really is the last call for passengers for this flight. Entry will set you back £16.50, but there are few other opportunities to run a personal best on such a flat and fast course. The final few entries are available here: https://tinyurl.com/sy9ze67u.
A helpful reminder: if you are heading to Tholthorpe on Sunday, please note that the Aldwark Toll Bridge is currently closed, and so you’ll need to drive via Boroughbridge and through Helperby. This will add a bit of time to your journey, so do factor this in. I mean, can you imagine how gutted you’d feel if you missed the race because you’d not been able to get over the river? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Oh captain, my captain! After all of the exertions of racing in the morning, we get to celebrate Captain Dazzler’s 50th birthday on Sunday afternoon. He’s hired out the upstairs room at the Empress Pub in Harrogate from 3pm, and all are welcome to join him for a celebratory drink and a bite to eat. He’s extended the invite to the whole club (at least I hope he has, otherwise this email is going to be unbelievably awkward), so get yourself along. It’ll be a great afternoon/evening.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
Here’s one for the diary: we’ve got the Bradley Fell Race in the fell championships, and it is just round the corner on Sun 10 Sep 2023. This is the last but one race in the championships, so if you need the points to qualify, then you definitely want to have a look at this bad boy. It’s quite a short race, but has a lot of varied terrain in it and a cheeky steep climb at the summit. This is part of the village gala, so you can indulge yourself in other such rural delights as the cake stall, the dog show, and the competition for who has the most magnificent marrow, that kind of thing. Take a look: https://tinyurl.com/4tc87muh.
We’ve got a couple more of the road championship races coming up soon enough, and these are certainly worth a look. The first is the Wetherby 10km which, given the extent to which this has been pushed on social media, you’ll doubtlessly know is on Sun 17 Sep 2023. It’s flat and it’s 10km, and that’s it really. If it tickles your fancy, then you can find out all the relevant information here: https://tinyurl.com/4wb5mh8j.
Ah, now this is a lovely chance to support our friends at Knaresborough Striders who are hosting their annual Crag Rat Run on Sun 24 Sep 2023. This is a great little five mile run along Waterside, past the Lido, and through the woods and back down to the Crag. Not only that, but this race is in the road championships, so you haven’t really got an option not to be involved. Entry is only a tenner, too. Crack on: https://tinyurl.com/ycyxy4bc.
We’ve also got the Bridlington 13.5 mile trail race in the road championships on Sun 01 Oct 2023. This scenic run takes in some brilliant trails around Flamborough Head and isn’t to be missed. You really need to enter, you really do: https://tinyurl.com/yv8tt3t5. The club has hired a 57 seater coach for the trip, and you’re encouraged to join us. The bus will leave at sparrows fart so you’ve got to be up early, but you get the chance to hang around in Bridlington afterwards, build a sandcastle, have some chips, go to Wetherspoons, whatever. If you want to join us on the bus, you first need to pay £6 to Nidd Valley Road Runners, ac no. 12074796, and sort code 40-23-12. We’d be ever so grateful if you could include a reference based on your name and if you could let Captain Dazzler know that you’re coming on darren.townend32@gmail.com. Splendid.
Fish & Chip Run: Thurs 07 Sep 2023
Our club run on this night will be from Knaresborough Market Square, and we’ll regroup afterwards for fish and chips from Drakes. As Drakes need to order a lot more in that they might usually sell, we need to get a pre-order in, and the deadline for this is this Thursday. You need to click on this form (https://tinyurl.com/bdcshb2d), select what you want, and follow the instructions for paying the money into the club account.
Huge thanks to Sarah Staiano and Sylvia Morten for organising this. It must be like herding cats.
Valley Gardens Social: Sat 09 Sep 2023
I don’t yet have any more information about this, but this surely promises to be a great afternoon of crazy golf, tennis, and lounging around with a picnic and having a good old natter with your fellow Nidders. Unless it rains, though. In which case I’ve no idea what will happen. Anyway, we’re an optimistic bunch and shall hope for the sun. Further details to follow from Sarah Chalmers, and thanks to her for organising this.
Word to the Wise
Funnily enough, given all that has been going on, we don’t have any wise words this week. Well, certainly nothing that I could get away with printing. So I’ll leave it there for now. Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday and have a great rest of the week. See you soon.
Chairman Sam x