(TLDR. Tuesday is a club run round Bilton at 7pm followed by the AGM at 8.30pm, and on Thursday we do our weekly intervals down on Derwent Road, with sessions at both 6pm and 7pm. Our weekend improves immeasurably with the PECO at Stockeld Park on Sunday, and Ilkley Moor Fell Race for those who are so inclined. Read on for all of the usual nonsense, up and coming events, a plea about the AGM, and word to the wise…).
The removal vans are here at Nidd Valley House as the current committee clear their desks and prepare for the AGM. Phil and Brian are holed up in the fell running department bar, doing their best to drink the place dry. Jonathan and Nick are staring anxiously at computer screens trying to remember the passwords and to delete their browsing histories, and we last saw Sylvia shoving wads of cash into a supermarket. Obviously, with Dazzler in hospital, it’s fallen to Emma to try and clear his stuff from the Captain’s Executive Penthouse Suite and she hasn’t even yet managed to get through all of the letters and cards and underwear sent in by adoring fans.
Something of a veteran of these campaigns, Dave is much more relaxed and confident about the prospect of reelection, and is sitting with his feet up and watching all the chaos go on around him. To be fair, what with having recently welcomed a new hip into the family, there’s precious little else he can do. Only having done one year on the committee, Karen is finding it all a bit overwhelming and keeps bursting into tears, but luckily welfare officer Carolyn is on hand to make sure that she’s okay.
I don’t have the heart to tell Sarah and Jon that they’re not back at school, but if they want to go round and ask people to sign their shirts in biro and marker pen then I’m not going to be the one to spoil their fun.
I think most things are wrapped up and good to go. Only this morning I signed a flurry of final executive orders, imposed tariffs on race entries from Harrogate Harriers, and renamed the River Nidd the River Nidd Valley Road Runners. If you’d like to apply for a presidential pardon, then please do let me know.
Anyway, I see that they’re putting the lectern outside the main door here at Nidd Valley House. So, while we wait for the changing of the guard, let’s take a look at the results. Once more with feeling…
Results from the Week That Was
Brian Hainsworth and Phil Ventress took part in the South Pennine LDWA race yesterday. As you’d expect, they ran together. I wouldn’t be surprised if they held hands throughout, to be totally honest with you. They both finished in 5:23.00, which is a fair old achievement for 24 miles over that kind of unforgiving terrain.
Never one to shy away from a drama, Phil would like you to know that he sustained an injury when he tripped over a small rock, but the way he has gone on about it you’d think he’d been airlifted to an emergency amputation. Still, they’ve had a lovely day out, and enjoyed a range of sandwiches, flapjack, eccles cake and crisps on the route, and that of course is the main thing.
Of course, we had a great number of Nidds lining up at Chevin Forest Parkrun for some cross-country championships. Obviously, it was emotionally tough what with our Dazzler still laid up in hospital, but we did our best and try to power on through. And what inspirational leadership we had up front, from none other than Josh Bryer (20.01), Kev Clark (20.44) and Rob Kingston (20.46). Martin Lofthouse (21.20), Ian Hesford (21.27) and Louise Kingston (21.49) snuck in just ahead of Sam Wheeler (23.07), Chris Carvey (23.47) and Steve Turner (23.50). Nigel Scaife (24.29) managed to hold Karl Chillmaid (24.37) at bay as he raced ahead of Sam Fugill (25.10) in the final kilometre.
Simon Cocker (25.27) and Jo Brierley (27.23) were the next two to finish, while Jeremy Scott (29.18) raced to keep Roger Duckworth (29.24) in the rear view mirror. Andy Bryer turned up without at Nidd Valley vest – I know right, can you believe it? – but we’ll forgive him as he is a newbie and didn’t realise that Up & Running only take cash for the vests. Nick Smith (29.55), Hannah Kempson (29.56) and Jenny Manning (30.37) were up ahead of Dawn Robinson (31.02) as they all made easy work of the challenging course.
In the Princehäus, Dave Prince (31.21) might wear the trousers in the relationship, but it’s clearly Rachael (31.07) who tells him which ones. Oh yeah, and we were delighted to see Jonathan Kay (31.47) finish without ripping his leg open again. Big relief all round, that’s for sure.
Taking a leaf out of the Prince’s book, Guy Parker (32.55) was careful to finish two steps behind his good lady Moira McTague (32.33). And quite right, too. Jane Evans (33.53) and Debbie Gibson (34.13) finished just ahead of Rachel Mills (34.56), who herself was accompanied around the course by her stalker Karen Mills (34.57).
Jo Lane had a hell of a sprint on as she powered to the line, bringing the show home in 35.32, and it was great to see Susy Rhodes (36.26) back out for the squad. Well done also to Liz Ahmad (37.12), Michelle Smith (37.32), Fiona Robinson (48.09) and Sylvia Morten (48.10). A great effort all round!
Adam Kirk (1:01.00) led the troops home at the Snake Lane 10 today, with Andy Todd (1:06.12), Chris Carvey (1:13.48) and Louise Kingston (1:16.31) all never far off the mark. Phil Ventress dragged his poor ikle lickle poorly leg round to finish in 1:18.01, and it wasn’t too long until we could celebrate great results from Sam Wheeler (1:19.08), Richard Evans (1:19.35) and Richard Abbott (1:20.27).
Huge congratulations also to Rachel Mills (1:22.56), Kev Nicholas (1:23.31) and Bev Aspin (1:26.01), and the very same to the inexhaustible Christine Holleran (1:27.24), Katharine Dolman (1:28.31), Victoria Thomas (1:31.06) and Kat Woodhead (1:32.24). Our final four finishers were none other than the wonderful Chris Morris (1:35.17), Rachel Capstick (1:42.29), Sarah Bracher (1:43.22) and Angela Pattinson (1:56.49). Excellent work, folks.
In addition to the plenty of Nidds who did battle with the muddy undulations of Chevin Forest, we of course had plenty of Nidds off doing their own thing elsewhere. So singing their long gone lonesome blues, we had Alfie Willis in South Manchester, Matt Wilkinson in Rothwell, and Andy Todd in Millfield. Completing a trio of trips to sh*t places to live, we had Fell Running Phil in Hull, Adam Kirk in Pontefract, and Ian Wighton in Goole.
Kirsty Walter did her parkrun down under at Queen’s Domain Parkrun in Australia, so I wonder whether that is a new one for the MallettMap. Theresa Oldroyd and Jon Jackson did their thing at Rothay Park in the Lake District, Sue and Chris Rogers were back up at North Yorkshire Water Park, and Pauline Hogg was down in that there London with a trip to Battersea.
I’ve never heard of Ingrebourne Hill, let alone Ingrebourne Hill Parkrun, so if you want to know more details then you’ll need to ask Emily. She was there only yesterday, so all the information will be fresh in her mind. Well done, also, to the usual suspects who did battle at Conyngham Hall, Fountains Abbey, and Harrogate. All of the results are here, for your perusal: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
All these places had their moments / with lovers and friends, I still can recall / some are dead and some are living / in my life, I’ve loved them all : chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
We’ve shifted things around this week, what with the AGM and all of that, so the club run will be on Tuesday and the intervals will be on Thursday. What’s that? You’d like to know more? Well, read on then.
On Tuesday, we will have ourselves a little run around Bilton. Meet at the Hockey Club and be good to run for 7pm (not 6.30pm!). We’ll head over the iron bridge, round Woodfield Road, Tennyson Avenue, Bachelor Gardens and Knox Avenue. You can turn back to the club up Skipton Road, or you can run down to the Little Wonder Roundabout, and brace yourself for the slog up Ripon Road, before running back down the other side only to then tackle Parliament Street Hill. If you continue straight along West Park and return to the club via York Place, then you’ll find it’s about 10km all in.
Then obviously you’ll be coming to the AGM. But you knew that already, right? Read on below.
Thursday brings with it the first of the last set of intervals, and for this week’s speed work we are heading to Derwent Road (///rust.types.labs). Meet at the junction with Malden Road for either session at 6pm or 7pm, and prepare to feel the burn as you round in circles while the coaches shout encouraging things and try to keep warm. Sounds great run, obviously.
The PECO XC League approaches its toe-curlingly orgasmic climax on Sunday with our much anticipated trip to Stockeld Park. You know how these things work. The adult’s race will be a five-mile-ish slog through mud at 11am, and the junior events will be both earlier and shorter. This is, of course, one of the final opportunities for points in the cross-country championships, so I’m sure that you won’t want to miss it. All the details are here: https://tinyurl.com/2ujfdk3s.
Which reminds me. Jo Lane has kindly volunteered to take the club gazebo to the race. However – and how can I put this delicately? – she isn’t the tallest member of our community, so if anyone could arrive in good time to help her put the roof on it and appropriately cover the club erection, then I am sure she would be grateful of your help.
If the PECO doesn’t offer you enough mud, then you can always have a look at the Ilkley Moor Fell Race on Sunday morning. They say that fortune favours the brave, but it probably looks the other way when it comes to this. For only a tenner you too can scare yourself silly with the lung-busting climbs and mud-slide descents of this classic in the fell running calendar. There might not be any championship points available, but there will be bragging points a-plenty. Be informed: https://tinyurl.com/59mcwxbj.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
One for your diary, this. We’ve got final counter in the cross-country championships on Saturday 8th March 2025 with the Wetherby Parkrun. I mean, obviously, I’d love to be trudging round three laps of Wetherby Ings with you, but I’ll be in Portugal unfortunately. I’ll be thinking of you, and if there’s anything that you need to be thinking about then it is this: https://tinyurl.com/2jn78z4f.
AGM: Tuesday 25th February 2025
This is your final boarding call for the Flight NV100 to a new committee, a new year, and lots more running. We need as many people as possible to come and join us at the Hockey Club, to help us pass all the essential business and vote in a new committee. We’ll sweeten the bureaucratic pill with plenty of pizza, and you can do all of your reading in advance. See all of the riveting information that our secretary Jonathan has sent to you via email this week. Look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
Word to the Wise
There’s not a wise word for you this week, well, nothing that I could print anyway, so I’ll finish with this and ask that you excuse the sentimentality. I honestly do believe that Nidd Valley is one of the best – if not the best – running clubs around.
If you can run a sub-three hour marathon, find yourself bringing up the rear at parkrun, or if you can barely run for the bus, then you’re welcome in Nidd Valley.
If you turn up every week without fail, or if we don’t see you for years on end, then you’re welcome in Nidd Valley.
If you love the lofty heights of fell running and the muddy depths of cross-country, or if they scare you silly and your unwavering commitment will always be to the tarmac, then you’re welcome in Nidd Valley.
If you have been on the committee, if you’ve coached for us, if you’ve organised races, runs and social events for us, or if you’ve simply turned up and had a run, then you’re welcome in Nidd Valley.
Nidd Valley is great. Crazy as a box of frogs, obviously, but still great. I do not think there is a club with people as talented, determined, supportive, encouraging, friendly, eccentric and weird as we have here in Nidd Valley.
Long may it continue.
So I shall sign off there. Thanks for letting me chair our club for the past two years. Sometimes it’s been a right old ball-ache, but more often than that it has been an absolute privilege and I’ve had a blast. Thank you.
See you down the road.
Chairman Sam x