(TLDR. The Headlines: we’ve got our club runs – both intervals and a steady run – leaving from Harlow Carr on Tuesday, and on Thursday our club run takes us from the Hockey Club down the gorge. Both at 7pm. There is also the Kings Challenge Fell Race on Thursday night, giving the chance for fell championship points, and then on Friday night we have EvenSplits 5km at York. Read on the news about upcoming events, our fortieth birthday tee-shirts, the vegetable relays, and this week’s committee meeting…)
Evening,
Sorry it’s late (again). Just back from a weekend away and have spent a large part of the day sleeping, doing laundry and hunting for anything vaguely edible in the back of the fridge. Still, it is indeed lovely to be back and there is no place like Nidd Valley House. There’s so much going on round here at the moment. We’ve got results coming through thick and fast, so much so that the admin team in the Results and Statistics Department are working overtime, and we’ve got Captains Dazzler and Emma barely unable to contain their excitement as the leaderboards for the club championships begin to take shape. Planning is underway for our fortieth birthday celebrations, and we’ve got a jam-packed line up for the rest of the summer. The world might be a depressing and difficult place – and whoever thinks that we are going to solve our problems by breaking into a Travelodge, throwing stones at a police horse and setting fire to several wheelie bins really needs to have a strong word with themselves – so come down to the club if you need to. Our runs are always immeasurably better when you are part of them,
Results from the Week That Was…
Given the Herculean results write-up last week, things are mercifully shorter this week (both for the writer and for you, the reader).
We start with a blast from the past. Sue Rogers emailed in to let me know that hubster Chris completed the Sewerby Ship Inn Shuffle 10km at the end of June. She’d emailed in a couple of times but each time I had forgotten to include it. And I can’t include it because it doesn’t seem to be anywhere on the Grim Up North Running website. Anyway, you need to know that Chris ran a race at the end of June and that he did spectacularly well and that we do indeed love him dearly. Well done, Chris. And while I go and flagellate myself apologetically, let’s move onto some other results.
On Thursday night, Martin Luxton ran the Forcett Hall trail 10km near Richmond. Martin came 36th place out of 47 runners, claiming first MV70 in a time of 1:09.36. Well done, Martin!
The summer evening races continued on Friday, where Kevin Clark and Chatty McChatface headed to compete in the Lotherton Hall Race. Calling it 10km is a bit of stretch as it seems to have been more of an 8.5km, which is an unusual difference but not enough to put off Kev (36.32) and our very own ChatBot (54.20). Well done to you both!
I appreciate that Dave has already beaten me to it with a fully comprehensive report of the Round Hill Fell Race yesterday, although I shall include the results here briefly in the interests of comprehensiveness and fairness (and I should never hear the end of it if I don’t). Anyway, Andy Iddon was the first Nidd to navigate himself round the drier-than-usual course in 1:14.45, with Jeremy Scott (1:39.42) and Katherine Woodhead (1:39.45) making their way back towards Timble. Dave (2:08.13) was especially pleased that Katherine waited half an hour to see him finish and cheer him in, maintaining that which he describes as the finest of Nidd Valley traditions. Congratulations to you all!
Martin Luxton rears his head again – he is, clearly, unstoppable – with a showing at the Darlington 10km race yesterday. Martin had the whole thing done and dusted well under the hour (54.38, if you’re taking notes), and so we leave him this week with our heartiest congratulations.
The biggest showing for racing this week, however, was the York 10km, and the Nidds this year were led home by Adam Kirk (35.48) with Kev Clark (41.01) and Josh Byrer (42.17) making up the leading trio. Further back into the peloton, we saw strong finishes from Andrew Davis (44.16), Roger Duckworth (54.28), and Alistair McQueen (54.23), and it’s fab to see Graham Hyde back out racing with a fantastic finish time of 1:15.01. Good work, all!
Our #niddnorthoftheborder this week was Amjid Khan who ran Edinburgh parkrun on Saturday. Other Nidds doing their parkrun thing included Nick Crebbin at Trelissick (that’s in Cornwall if, like me, you’d never heard of it), Adam Kirk at York, Lizzie Hugill at Graves, Victoria Thomas at Newby Bridge, and John & Susie Mallett at Roundhay. Ian Wighton was back down in Dewsbury, while daughter Emily ran at Skipton, and Philly Thompson was back in her usual haunt at Darlington South. FRP and Fiona were at Rother Valley out near Sheffield.
James Braddon was at the far more peaceful Oakwell Hall, and Rob and Louise Kingston were dealing with the hilly yet scenic delights of Whinlatter Forest. Karen Mills continued her long walk to recovery around the course at Northallerton, Matt Wilkinson was down at Heslington, and Jo Lane headed up to Teesside to run at Marshall Drive. Andy Todd did Millfield and Sylvia Morten did Chevin Forest, but we don’t expect surprises from those two creatures of habit. We didn’t have any Nidds at Fountains this week, but had more than enough at Harrogate and Conyngham Hall. All the results here: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
Typical of me / I run before I walk / I’m on the moon without my suit / The world’s worst astronaut: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
You’ve got a choice for Tuesday! I know. We do spoil you sometimes. Emma Kicks will be leading some summer hill intervals in the Pine Woods and Valley Gardens tomorrow, meeting at Carpark 3 at Harlow Carr for 7pm. These will be open to anyone, and all are welcome to have a go. If this doesn’t sound like you’re kind of thing, then I’m happy to do a steady run round the Harrogate Evening League route, which comes in at about 10km. Whatever works for you. Whichever you do, meet in the carpark for 7pm and let’s see where the mood takes us.
Thursday brings with it the next race in the fell championships: the Kings Challenge Fell Race. Kick off is at 7pm, but you’ll need to be there earlier to get parked up and paid up (entry on the day and only a fiver, if you were wondering). It’s only 10km, but you get a cheeky 1,200ft of climb in that which gives you some brilliant views if the weather is good. There’s a good pub across the road from the finish line (explaining where the race got its name from), so you can have a pint and a bag of crisps to recover if you need it: https://tinyurl.com/492xat34.
If you fancy it but haven’t done a fell race before, then do have a chat with FRP or any of the other muddy brethren. They like nothing more than to talk about waterproof taped seams and the best way to get sheep shit out from under your toenails, and indeed seldom talk about anything else.
If, however, you don’t fancy it then don’t worry as there will still be a club run as normal from the Hockey Club on Thursday. Given we’re up on Harlow Hill on Tuesday, I suggest a return trip down the gorge. Meet as usual at the Hockey Club for 7pm, and head out over the railway bridge to Bilton Crossing, heading into the gorge by taking the right turn off the path, coming back up either via the Gardener’s Arms or at the end. Upon returning to the club, the bar will be open and the usual grumpy old farts will have their wittiest bantz ready and waiting for you. Not to be missed.
On Friday, there’s the next in the sequence of 5km time trials at Heslington run by the lovely folk at EventSplits. If running round in circles is your kind of thing, then this is the place you need to be: https://tinyurl.com/y4dh5p48. You’ll doubtlessly know the drill by now, but can use your best time from one of the EvenSplits 5km races (either Leeds or York) as a counter in the club championships. More details on the club championships page: https://tinyurl.com/bdzhtfzr.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
Next Tuesday (13th August 2024) is our third away-from-club run, and we’ll be heading to Kirk Deighton for a 5km and a 10km beauty organised by yours truly. Just thought you’d like to know, but keep it under your hat for now will you?
The Sessay Swift (in the road championships) is on Wednesday 14th August 2024, but has sold-out. If you do need some further detail about the event, though, then this link might be of use: https://tinyurl.com/3z3szz9z.
Sylvia’s Vegetable Relays
You’ll have seen the link for Sylvia’s Vegetable Relays (yes, I know, it never sounds any less ridiculous the more you read it). This is going to be on Tuesday 20th August 2024, and involves a competitive relay for teams of four on a 1.5 mile lap round the quiet country lanes of Weeton. Only, you’ll be running with a vegetable of your choice as the baton. So far, so perfectly reasonable. There’ll be prizes for athletic prowess, the fastest teams, that kind of thing, but also prizes for the teams with the funniest name and the best vegetable baton, but please do keep it clean. I’m not sure that Sylvia’s husband wants to spend his evening evaluating hand-carved root vegetable dildos in a church car park, but then again I’ve never really taken the time to get to know the chap properly.
Committee Meeting
The committee is meeting this Wednesday to do some planning for our 40th anniversary, to have a moderate panic about the long-term sustainability of the Guy Fawkes 10, and to eat some biscuits. If there is anything that you would like us to consider and discuss, then please let me know: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Tee-shirts
A quick reminder: the deadline to order a technical training tee-shirt for our 40th anniversary is on Friday. If you want one, then this is how you place your order: https://tinyurl.com/4btea2ea. A MASSIVE thanks to Karen for her efforts in designing something, negotiating the prices, and pulling everything together.
Our Kev
You might know that Kev Nicholas. You know the one, the tall fella and all round good egg. Anyway, he’s heading to Queensland in August to take part in the World Duathlon Championships. Kev has a fundraiser towards his training and participation costs, and if you’d like to have a look and consider making a donation, then this is the link: https://tinyurl.com/mtm3td7b. I know we don’t often do sponsorship calls, but it isn’t often we have a Nidd who gets the chance to represent their country at the highest level.
Go get ‘em, Kev! The very best of luck to you from everyone here at Nidd Valley House.
Word to the Wise
Nothing for you this week, I’m afraid. And anyway, it’s nearly my bed time so I will wrap it up there.
Have a wonderful week, whatever you do. I’m sure you will.
Chairman Sam x