(TLDR. The Headlines: we start our winter interval sessions on Tuesday, and have sessions at the Showground at both 6pm and 7pm. On Thursday we have a run to Pannal, meeting at the Hockey Club for 7pm. Read on for other information about the last two races in the club championships for this year and some important information about health and safety. Most excitingly, booking for the Awards Night is now open, and you just have to scroll on down to find the link…)
Hi all,
Right. I’m back. Little thanks to the buttock-clenchingly appalling incompetence of British Airways, but it is what it is. Thanks to Dazzler for holding the fort.
I cannot start anywhere else this week without mentioning the Guy Fawkes 10 Race today. Not only did the weather come good but, once again, Team Nidd pulled it out of the bag and showed everyone that this is one of the best races in the region. And this achievement belongs to all of you: whether you race-directed, marshalled, chief-marshalled, registered runners, directed drivers, ran results, processed results, packed bags, managed water stations, drove vans, drove lead cars, drove tail cars, provided impromptu community liaison (!!), snipped timing tags, handed out chocolate, presented prizes, cleared up, swept up, packed up, or got up at sparrow’s fart to put up signs around the course. Thank you. You showed Nidd Valley at its very best.
And so, swell with pride and with our heads held high, let’s take a look at the results from the past week or so.
Results from the Week That Was…
Well, he says let’s take a look at the results but, this being Guy Fawkes weekend and all of that, there hasn’t been a right lot of racing going on. Still, you can always rely on parkrun not to let us down and we’ve had plenty of Nidds out taking weekly 5k constitutional. We’ll come to that in a moment.
Before we do, we can give a quick shout out to Ian Doughty who was over in the Lake District with his dad and sister to run the Derwentwater 10 – a ten mile road race starting and finishing in Keswick around the shores of the lake. He makes a comment about not being very community spirited, given that most of us were marshalling in Ripley this morning, but we’ll gloss over that for the time being ;-). He also describes a “couple of reasonable inclines”, so perhaps we should let him have a chat with Cath, Brian or FRP. Still, mockery aside, well done Ian. We’re just sorry that, if you got a goodie bag, then it certainly was as good as the bangers we were handing out today.
And so to parkrun. James Braddon has developed a new verb for us here at Nidd Valley, and that is MallettMapping. And we had four new MallettMappers this week: Angela Pattinson at Springburn in Glasgow, Kev Nicholas coming third in Oranmore at Galway, Pauline Hogwarth at Epworth Equestrian and James Braddon himself going proper off-road at Whitekirk Hill near Edinburgh. We had Andrew Davis at York (he came 60th, you know), Adam Kirk at Huddersfield, Steve Newbould and Karen Mills at Huddersfield, Emily Wighton at Bramley, and Iain Scott at Saltaire’s Roberts Park. Junior Fraser Dobinson did his morning 5k at Lanhydrock, juniors Owen and Freya Dart did the business in Skipton, and the much older Connor Featherstone and Carolyn Jones were up on Otley Chevin. As you’d expect, we had the usual crowds out wading through the mud at Harrogate and Conyngham Hall, and a good showing of Nidds keeping it holy at Fountains Abbey. Well done to them and, if you wish to inspect their results in detail, you can do so here: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
If you think you’re getting away / I will prove you wrong / I’ll take you all the way / Boy, just come along: / chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
So it begins: intervals. 18 weeks of running up and down hills and round and round in circles, all under the all-seeing and watchful gaze of Captain Emma. There’ll be no slacking, that’s for sure.
On Tuesday, we kick start the unparalleled delights of our hill intervals with a session at the Showground. As usual, we’ll have two sessions, one on at 6pm and one at 7pm, so take your pick for whatever works best for you. We’re meeting at the Squash Club not the Hockey Club for these sessions and, if you’re driving, please park considerately at the other side of the carpark to the Squash Club building.
On Thursday, our club run takes us down to Pannal, although there are shorter options for those who don’t fancy the full distance and the hills. We’ll set off from the Hockey Club at 7pm, running round the edge of the Stray, past Saint Aidan’s School and towards M&S Corner on Leeds Road. The longer route takes you down Leeds Road, though Pannal and up Church Lane. The shorter route takes you along Leadhall Lane, meeting the longer route at the bottom of Green Lane. Head back via Green Lane and the path past the old telephone exchange, emerging near St Marks Church and back along York Place. We’ll be having a pint in the club house afterwards and, if you’ve not has enough people wittering nonsensically for the day, then you’ll find that this will more than plug that gap.
Good grief, you get nothing for weeks, and then two races all at once. When it comes to this Sunday, you’re certainly spoiled for choice that’s for sure.
Firstly, the fell championships draws to a close on Sunday with the Wadsworth Half Trog. There’s plenty of muddy fun to be had in this classic race as it makes a welcome return to the championships. Although there will be entries on the day, this is unusual among fell races in that pre-entry is available, and this is a handy way to save yourself a bit of cash. So if mud, hills and championship points are what you’re after, this is where you need to be: https://tinyurl.com/2p8yhypn.
Now this is very exciting, indeed. We start the engines with PECO XC series, which starts on Sunday. Most of these races appear in the club cross-country championships, so when you consider that you are paying only £17 for the whole series then you really do have yourself something of a bargain. The first race is at Middleton Park, and if you follow the crowds you’ll find the Nidd Valley gazebo easily enough. You’ll be able to collect your number from Captain Dazzler there. Although this sounds like a living hell – the running that is, not having to speak to Daz – these races are actually incredibly good fun. Everyone pitches in and gets points for the team, and you’ll love the cheer that you get as you approach the finish line. Destiny calling: https://tinyurl.com/hjvrwrj3.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
If you prefer your running to be a little less hilly and a lot less muddy, then the Tadcaster 10 Mile might just be something you can get it up for. Held on 19th November 2024, this is the final race in the road championships (yeah, I know), so it’s the last gasp in the hunt for those all important points. If you want in on the action, then there’s only place that you need to be. Here, to be precise: https://tinyurl.com/4w4sx6un.
Club Championships 2024
Talking of championship races, if you’d like to have your say in which races you’d like to see included in the 2024 championship, then you can fill out this handy little survey: https://tinyurl.com/3jx7cp5b. We can’t guarantee to include every request, as we need to manage clashing dates, and think about cost and accessibility and that kind of thing, but we’ll certainly do our best.
Awards Night: 27th January 2024
I’ve never really enjoyed getting dressed up and wearing a suit. I always look like the accused or that I’ve had a head transplant or something, but we are where we are. It’s going to be a great night, though: the chance to eat and drink and dance the night away with the rest of the club, and to applaud politely as we hand out the trophies and celebrate the achievements of the past year. This year, we’ll be partying the night away at Oakdale Golf Club, and you can register and secure your place via this link: https://tinyurl.com/2nn75rt5. It would be great to see as many of you as possible there.
Health Conditions
A polite request from the committee who’ve been deliberating and discussing this one for a while: if you have any health or medical condition or injury that might impact upon your ability to take part safely in a run or an interval session, then please think about letting one of the coaches or someone that you’re running with know. I know that some people choose to carry I.C.E. cards. What you do and for much information you share is ultimately up to you, but we just wanted to put this out there.
Sue Threadgold
Some of you will know Sue Threadgold, and long standing member of Nidd Valley although we’ve not seen her down at training for ages. It was nice to see her helping at Guy Fawkes this morning, though, and I enjoyed our annual catch up. Anyway, the eagle-eyed Dave Seaman caught an article in the local media, telling us that Sue – a long-standing volunteer on the Wensleydale Heritage Railway, in addition to long-standing volunteer at Nidd Valley Road Runners – has recently passed some training or other and has now qualified as a train driver. You can read all about it here: https://tinyurl.com/jxteavxe. Well done, Sue.
I know, you’re nothing if not informed.
Perhaps you too have a hidden qualification heritage transportation that you have been keeping to yourself. If you can sail a hovercraft, drive a rickshaw or pilot an airship, then you only need to let me know: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Word to the Wise
This week’s wise word goes to our very own Jill Hornsby, who bounded into Ripley Village Hall this morning, disturbing our money coffees with a frankly unwarranted level of excitement.
“I am so excited. I really am. I just love Guy Fawkes, and I love marshalling. I’ve even got my own marshal bib and everything. I’ve even brought Lianne’s sister, and she doesn’t even have anything to do with running…” – Jill Hornsby, who really needs to get out, and needs to do so far more than she already does.
Bless. And so from Jill and her long suffering family, from me, and from everyone else at Nidd Valley Road Runners, have a wonderful week.
See you soon,
Chairman Sam x