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Results July-Dec 2017

5km Age Grade Chart for 2017. - Sunday 31st December 2017

101st-Lauren Aston 23.15 63.66% Valentines
Paul Marshall 20.38 63.65% Elvis 7 60.28%
Emmet Fitzgibbon 21.08 63.64% Wanstead 62.48%.
Sandra Hiller 28.33 63.47% Elvis 7 61.93%.
105-Chloe Millan 23.18 63.38% Elvis 6 60.86%.
Molly Pinkus 24.47 63.01% Worthing 62.37%.
John Healy 21.59 63.00% Dulwich
James Creed 21.28 62.97% Hog Hill 5km
Nathaniel Dye 20.40. 62.90% Barking
110-Jakub Czeczotka 20.58 62.88% Kolobrzeg 57.19%
Domonic Dragonetti 21.34 62.83% Wanstead
Marc Akers 22.26 62.70% Valentines 61.56%
Ijeoma Anozie 24.31 62.41% Hackney
Peter Craik 23.05 62.38% Wanstead
115-Ford Cadiogan 22.24 62.35% Highbury Fields
Louise Thompson 23.48 62.18% Wanstead
George Georgiou 23.23 62.08% Valentines 61.83.
Claire Emery 25.50. 62.06% Wanstead
Lucy Barron 23.54 61.79% Battersea 5km 59.28%
120-Mark Wyatt 20.53 61.77% Wanstead
Alexandra Brown 23.35 61.74% Hog Hill 5km
Joanna Neville 24.13 61.53% Elvis 7
Viktor Szabadi 24.23 61.45% Wanstead 61.05%.
Ruel Ordonio 22.38 61.19% Hampstead 55.49%
125-Jayne Browne 28.50. 61.16% Wanstead
Richard Potter 21.30. 61.01% Roding Valley 60.76%.
Matthew Sharpe 21.28 60.95% Elvis 7
Dave Knight 26.25 60.95% Elvis 3
Graham Peacock 22.02 60.89% Elvis 7 58.57%.
130-Ellen Jones 24.20. 60.89% Hackney
Craig Livermore 21.13 60.80% Valentines
Rotimi Oyegunle 22.52 60.35% Elvis 7
Andy Bolderstone 22.58 60.30% Wanstead 54.49%
Katie Whitton 24.41 59.96% Wanstead
135-Zuzana Urbanova 24.51 59.96% Elvis 7
Tina Bennett 25.31 59.96% Hackney 57.28%.
Catriona Hoult 26.04 59.91% Hackney
David Hallybone 23.15 59.78% Elvis 6 58.26%.
David Taylor 22.11 59.50% Elvis 3
140-Stuart Norris 21.51 59.42% Elvis 7
Andrea Waller 25.48 59.30% Wanstead 59.23%
Simone Fonseca 25.37 59.21% Elvis 3
Jason Levy 24.08 59.19% Valentines
Kathryn Hertzberg 25.00. 59.13% Elvis 7
145-Diana Rexhepaj 27.24 59.12% Southend
Sophie Edwards 26.44 58.85% Wanstead
Caitlin Diniz 25.07 58.79% Elvis 3
Stuart Barton 24.31 58.74% Father Collins
Rachel LeRoux 25.28 58.70% Southend 58.32%
150-Alexandra Rutishauser 25.43 58.65% Battersea Mo 52.00%.

151-Saheb Yousefi 22.29 58.34% Hackney
Alex Jameson 24.54 57.90% Hog Hill 5km 54.76%
Jane Niewczasinski 27.26 57.90% Wanstead
Suzanne Cubitt 25.56 57.71% Elvis 7
155-Carolyn Edwards 25.55 57.68% Wanstead
Victoria Charlesworth 27.36 57.55% Valentines 52.44%.
David Wyatt 28.39 57.48% Wanstead
Kat Gardner 26.21 56.99% Elvis 7
Sarah Pascal 28.42 56.84% Elvis 7 51.13%.
160-Dan Spinks 24.38 56.70% Northala Fields
Wayne Kelly 26.03 56.62% Elvis 3
Robyn Turtle 26.05 56.61% Elvis 7
Laura Johnston 26.06 56.58% Finsbury Park5k
Sinead Ryan 27.49 56.56% Wanstead
165-Tim Aylett 23.58 56.54% Gunpowder
Tom Timson 22.49 56.40% Elvis 3
Roselin Boramakot 27.39 56.24% Hackney
Helen McGuiness 27.34 56.11% Supernova 5k 52.51%.
Andrew Fitzgerald 23.23 56.09% Wanstead
170-Anna Dingle 27.27 55.92% Elvis 7
Lee Rand 26.00. 55.90% Elvis 3
Geoff Bench 26.31 55.58% Wanstead 54.23%
Jay Sangha 23.18 55.36% Valentines
Caroline McGirr 26.59 55.22% Elvis 7 53.89%.
175-Liam Dempsey 23.27 55.15% Wanstead
Joanna Wood 28.02 54.76% Battersea 5km
Katherine Jones 27.34 54.41% Valentines
Stephen Swan 24.10. 54.00% Elvis 7
Mehmood Khan 25.29 53.56% Valentines
Charlotte Tuzzio 27.44 53.37% Mile End
180-Mike Brett 28.27 53.13% Wanstead
Eunkyung Lee 28.00. 52.91% Valentines
Maya Goodwin 30.47 52.63% Hackney
Jan Webb 33.49 52.14% Mile End
185-Liz ODonnell 32.37 51.76% Supernova 5k 49.02%
Suzanne Bartlett 28.46 51.33% Elvis 3
Jess Trayler Moore 29.46 51.06% Wanstead
Claire Drakeford 29.08 51.03% Elvis 3
Anita Lomax 31.41 50.60% Wanstead
190-Don Bennett 31.50. 49.11% Hackney
Sally Faulkner 31.01 48.79% Mile End 47.15%
Sonia Cheadle 32.24 48.20% Wanstead
Shaun DeSena 26.55 47.99% Hackney
Michael Keefe 29.01 47.73% Wanstead
195-Saheed Shabbir 28.18 46.35% Valentines
Samia Choudhury 32.15 45.89% Valentines
Lucy Williams 34.02 44.96% Wanstead
Katy Taylor 34.43 44.55% Elvis 7 36.22%
Morag Campbell 36.09 43.94% Wanstead
200-Saheed Shabbir 30.10. 43.48% Cannon Hill
Isabella Allan 34.13 43.16% Elvis 3
Julie Creffield 35.40. 42.43% Hackney
Ravinder Bassi 38.26 40.63% Valentines
204-Kate Frost 38.03 39.07% Moor Valley

Chingford League - Event 4 - Alexandra Palace - Saturday 30th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

142 finishers.91 men, 49 ladies.
Mens A Team 5th, 5th overall.
Mens B Team 5th, 5th overall
Mens Vets - 6th, 5th overall.
Ladies A Team 5th, 4th overall.
Ladies Vets - 5th, 4th overall.

Ilford AC 10 mile XC - Race for Kev - Saturday 30th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

68 finishers.
Calvin was 1st MV60, Andrew 1st MV40, Sarah 1st FV35.
Also Sam Browne (now Clapham Chasers) 2nd in 1.04.33

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 30th December 2017

43 parkruns at 18 venues in 4 countries.
4 first finishers Thomas, Patrick, Mark and Janet.
9 debuts and 3 course pbs.
3 ELR parkrun records
Katie Whitton at Wimpole Estate
Paul Quinton at Durbanville SA
Thomas Grimes at Lees Road.

Witham Boxing Day 5m - Tuesday 26th December 2017

388 finishers.

Christmas parkrun - limited venues. - Monday 25th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

38 parkruns at 8 venues, 28 ELR ta Wanstead.
5 debuts and 2 course pbs.
100th parkrun for Maya,
300th parkrun for Andrew Howard.
ELR parkrun records for
Thomas Burrard-Lucas & Sheetal Dandgey at Fareham.
Mark Moir at Gateshead.

Run Through Velopark Half Marathon - Saturday 23rd December 2017

Run Through Velopark 10m - Saturday 23rd December 2017

Run Through Velopark 10km - Saturday 23rd December 2017

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 23rd December 2017

60 parkruns at 22 venues, 4 first finishers.
9 debuts and 5 course pbs.
50th parkrun for Mary OBrien and Peter Hatley.
First finishes for Paul Quinton, Mark Boulton, Patrick Brown and Thomas Grimes.
99th for Maya & 299th for Andrew.
ELR parkrun records for:
Nick at Albert parkun , Melbourne.
Andrew at Shipley Country.
Paul Quinton at Century City, South Africa.
Michael Bamford at Troon.

Sunday XC League, Race 3 - Willian - Sunday 18th December 2017

402 finishers, 251 men.
Team : A Team 16th of 20.
Masters 18th of 20
Overall 14th of 20
Overall Masters 18th of 20.
Ladies Overall 18th of 20
Ladies Vets Overall 18th of 20.

Michael Wilson:-
Freezing conditions this morning with ice still on the course. At least we finished before the rain set in! Well done to the five ELR men who braved the journey and the weather. Antonio Martín Romero was the star of the show today, finishing in third place. A remarkable run! Next race is at Cassiobury Park, Watford on Sunday 14th January 2018.

Portsmouth Coastal Marathon - Sunday 17th December 2017

While everyone else was running Dawn to Dusk, I had foolishly signed up to run the Portsmouth Harbour Marathon!
With just over 1000 people signed up, the race went from the Pyramid Centre, along the beach and coast line,
all the way round the harbour, before doing a u-turn and coming back on yourself.
It was cold, wet, muddy, slowed to a stop at various points (whether to climb down muddy slopes to the beach or
go through turn styles!) and according to my Garmin 27.2 miles (not that I’m bitter about the extra mile!)
I finished in a respectable 4h22m29s (a mere 2m13s from a PB). It’s a hard one but worth a shout if anyone
fancies it next year

Torrington Christmas Caper - Sunday 17th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

199 finishers.

Mince Pi Ultra (3.14 miles) a lap - Sunday 17th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

SITC Dawn to Dusk races - Sunday 17th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Alexandra reports:-I was not planning to write a race report but am so chuffed that some things have to be said… The day started early cause I was planning to cycle to Dawn to Dusk but finally was pitied by my husband who proposed to drive me there. Bad idea cause it ended up in a fight, as I couldnt find the place. All was forgotten once I saw my favourite red and white smiley faces and I even had time to be on the team picture.
I started to run with Joanna who kept me great company in the first few laps , we could feel we were going faster than we wanted but couldnt seem to slow down without walking. I joined Katherine after 5 laps who pushed me to keep that pace but soon ended it running on my own (missed your company Rosalin ) but there were so many beautiful people on the way: Jan, Don, Grant, Spencer, Calvin, Scott, Craig (who did amazing! ) that I didn't really feel alone.
Everything was going well for the first 15 laps, even had time to hear that Helen came second lady on the 10k which made me very proud and got a pic taken with Sir Fauja Singh (thanks, Don!) but then with 10 laps to go for the ultra, my legs really started to hurt and I couldn’t run that slight hill anymore.
Despite the pain, I was determined to continue, the award you gave me on Wednesday was in my head all the time and I felt I had something to prove to myself. Stuart was there at every laps now, encouraging me all the way, saw Maud and Karen who were doing amazing and were so supportive. Marc and Katherine sticking together now, Maya was going strong and I knew I would be able to finish… 5 more laps to go, the rain is getting heavier and I met Joanna at the drinks table, she also had five laps to go for the marathon and we encouraged each other.
I managed to do the marathon in less than 5 hours which I was really happy about and by then, I knew I could finish the ultra… Last lap, I was getting faster towards the end and as I was approaching the last 500meters, I felt that a blister burst, nothing that could stop me now and Stuart was ready to take my finish line picture … My first 50k race! No idea if I will do it again but its certainly an amazing feeling to feel that I overcame myself and in the same time as Beachy Head marathon 7 weeks ago … Thank you all, ELRs and especially Grant cause there is no way I could have done this without you ! The Sikhs in the City were amazing too, greatly organised.
Now after an episode of hypothermia and hypoglycaemia at home, I can finally enjoy that beautiful medal.

Jo Wood reports: First marathon done! Very unprepared physically and mentally, only ever run a half marathon before
and no training for this. After 11 laps i was going to pull out- and every lap after that!! Anyway 21 laps done, a quick
costume change and now celebrating! Chuffed

Maya reports:-I signed up for this after running the 10k last year. The 10k medal was small, I wanted the big one!
Laps of a 2k loop that started in an industrial estate, up past a hospital, along past a school, and then down a main dual carriageway back to the start. 21 laps in fact. Everyone thought I was indeed loopy. But I was completely convinced I’d love it. The checkpoint at the 2k loop meant we didn’t have to carry anything, just pop our gel stash on the table, and the loops meant I never felt overwhelmed by the distance.
But I really hadn’t trained. Since Brighton in April I hadn’t been further than 13.1 miles, and I’d only done that twice. The rest of my running was pretty limited to 5 or 6 mile training runs. So I had no expectations except to finish. I had a plan to walk the hills and run the downs, and see how it went.
So. In the 8am gloom we set off. It’s grey and icy, but everyone is excited. The first 7 laps fly by so fast even I’m surprised! There was a big field opposite the school, I was entranced at how it changed colour each lap as the sun came up. I was lapped loads and I entertained myself recognising them as they sped past.
At nine miles I had a wobble. I suddenly realised how much more there was to do. But then I remembered this happened at Brighton. I just need to get past halfway and I knew I’d be ok. Round and round. Splashed as a car sped through a puddle. Past the ‘halfway’ sign for the 13th time.
Chatted to a guy at 15 miles, ‘I’ve never run this far before, I’m now on new ground’ ‘Er.... you’re not you know, you’ve already run this ground 13 times!’ We laughed.
Then it was just ticking off the laps. My walk breaks got longer, but I tried to be fairly specific about where I walked and when I started running again. For a while at 20miles I wondered if I’d get a Pb, but I realised that was a bit optimistic! Last lap. Focus. Walk 100, run 100. Then with half a mile to go, Karen catches me, and pulls me along the last little bit. Finish time 5:38:26. Excellent.
Next time I promise to train more!

Anna Dingle Dawn to dusk was my first half marathon as a member of ELR. It was also my
worst time in a half marathon. I had had a particular bad week with illness and I wasn't even
sure I would make the start line on Saturday night.
Maya Goodwin kindly picked me up early Sunday morning and set my nerves to rest. This was going
to be a see how it goes race and that is exactly what it was.
I loved the atmosphere, the coming together of lots of local runners and the cathartic laps. I
just wish it hadn't hurt so much!
Thank you to everyone who gave words of encouragement on the way round.
I will do this race again next year as I loved it. Thanks to Don Bennett and Jan Webb for making
me smile - it helped a lot.

Craig reports:- I think now's a good a time as any to type up a report, but first I'd like to get a few things straightened out.
Firstly, I haven't done a Half in well, a year and a half. As such my expectations were rather low, as I was going into familiar yet
unknown territory. Secondly, conditions to begin with were frosty/icy, so I wasn't overly confident with my footing on warm up. And the
final point of my concerns, was could I maintain my momentum all the way through, once I picked up pace.
Well needless to say, my worries were instantly washed away when I met up with the rest of the ELR contingent. I at first bumped into
Joanna and Marc, which was rather nice as it put my mind at ease just chatting with them on the way down to the paddock, where we all
congregated.
One cup of coffee before the start certainly helped raise the body heat a tad, and before I knew it we were readying up for the start.
Now the first few laps were a bit tentative, because of the conditions, but soon I worked into a rhythm of averaging out my pace. By
lap 3 onwards, lapping became more of a regular occurrence, and I used that to propel me forward. I was also encouraging people along
the way, which was rather refreshing, as it was reminiscent of the Night Phoenix 6 Hours last September. By the 7 mile mark I was
feeling a bit emotional, as the pace I was pulling was nothing like I'd imagined. I almost flagged it on the 3rd from last lap, but
managed to pull it together somehow. By the final lap, once I knew I'd done 12 miles I knew that I could give it anything that I had
left in reserve, which wasn't much at that stage.
I averaged 7:30 per mile, and did the half in 1:38:35. The course was slightly longer, and I was aware of that, so 13.62 miles in
1:42:00 unofficial at the moment. What was confusing was the end, I thought I was 4th in the half, that changed when one of the guys
that did the half decided to go back out, which promoted me to 3rd. I'd achieved what I set out to do...or so I thought. Turns out
the 1st place HM runner continued to do the marathon, or just disappeared, so I was promoted to 2nd. And Maran finished in 3rd to round
off an ELR double podium.
I'm still trying to process this, as I've never claimed a trophy for anything in my life. So to end the year with a mid-2015 level HM
performance, a trophy and such great support is more than I could ask for.
Thanks to Jan, Stuart, Marc, Maud, Joanna, Katherine, Karen, Maya, Kirk, Anna, Alexandra and so on for the support. You all played a
part in this, so this a reward in dedication to each and every one of you!

Karen Levison report:- My first ever race report - SitC Dawn to Dusk ultra
I did this race 3 years ago, a new challenge and my first and only ultra. With a couple of 20 mile training runs done all went well on the day until my body gave out after 33 laps and with an hour and a half still left - I was disappointed and knew I'd be back! Injured and unable to run it for the next 3 years but this year after having 9 months of pretty low mileage (for me) the thought suddenly crossed my mind mid September. Those who know me know I get a lot of injuries which is due to 40 years of pounding the streets and a stupidly strong mind that doesn't know the word 'NO'!
Two long training runs would be enough, a 19 miler and a 26 miler, a fine balance to being fit enough and mentally prepared. The 26 miler nearly broke me, took about 3 weeks to recover and left me with a niggling hamstring/glute problem so for the next 5 weeks I only ran a handful of times and had 10 days of rest before the big day. Not the ideal way to be going into a race as I hate failure.
Race morning, 2 full days of taking ibroprofen and I was ready. I slowly jogged to the start dodging the ice along the way - I hate ice and am really nervous to run (or walk) in it - this already is not going to plan. Was good to meet up at race HQ as see my fellow club members, all having their own doubts and injury problems - we seemed to calm each other.
At 8.04 we were off and the first few laps were friendly and full of runners, quick wee stop at 7 miles (must have been all the pre race hot drinks) and so the laps passed. My first goal was to reach 20 miles in under 3 hours and then take on plenty of fluid - achieved. Next goal was 26 miles in under 4 and a promise of my pre-made jam sandwich - achieved and still feeling ok. Next goal was 30 miles, no time goals now but just to keep going. Stopped at 30 hamstrings now tightening, put my rain jacket on, put my headphones in (have only ever run with music once before, what a lift this gave me) and have a quick hamstring massage by one of the trained volunteers offering his services. Another energy gel, more fluids and off I set revitalised for the next 5 miles. Was now thinking if I could keep going I could actually be first lady with only Maud to worry about, but one thing I know about Maud is that she can just keep going and doesn't know when to bloody stop! Keep going I did and with the hours ticking by I knew Maud couldn't make up the laps I had made on her earlier so first women was in the bag and in the last hour I realised I could win the race outright - something I'd never achieved before. This, the continued support, my husband cheering me on and the upbeat music in my ears kept me going, even bursting into song on several occasions when I knew the coast was clear - I was now tired but euphoric and knew my 36th lap would be my last.
Can't thank my fellow club runners enough, those who were running and stayed after (you all did great and met your own goals) and those that made the effort to come and cheer us on, every bit of support and encouragement really did help and kept me going through some uncomfortable times - THANK YOU. Lastly a special thanks to Maud because without her persistence I wouldn't have pushed myself to the limits I did and who better when it comes to ultra running to share in the overall 1st and 2nd for our club.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 16th December 2017

51 parkruns at 19 venues,
50th parkrun for Louis Le Roux,
8 debuts and 4 course pbs.
ELR parkrun records for
Katherine at Bushy,
James Nichols at Hadleigh,
Stuart Kelly at Carlisle,
Andrew at Westmill,
Fiona at Orpington.

Christmas Party - Thursday 14th December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Royal Parks 10km Series - snowy Regents Park - Sunday 10th December 2017

332 finishers.

Ware Cup XC at Loughton AC - Saturday 9th December 2017

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 9th December 2017

parkruns at 18 venues,
11 debuts and 2 course pbs,
Course pbs for Catriona & Craig,
50th parkrun for Robert Rayworth,
Age Grade Bests for 2017 for,
Simon, Thomas, Catriona, Roselin, Katherine J, Dan Gritton,
Ciaran, Gareth and Jayne.
ELR parkrun records for:
Nick Hoult at Claisebrook Cove, East Perth,Australia.
Simon Thomas at Black Park from Andrew Howard.
Katherine Harris at Beckton from Diana Rexhepaj.
Fiona Critchley at Upton Court.
James Nichols at Hockley Woods.
Andrew Howard at Tring from Stuart Barton.

Run Through Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 6th December 2017

394 finishers.

Bedford Half Marathon - Sunday 3rd December 2017

954 finishers.

Jerez Half Marathon, Spain - Sunday 3rd December 2017

Report by Antonio Martin Romero (facebook translation)
Yesterday I took part in the first race I ran in my life, the half marathon sherry. Running the stocking
on my land is much more special than any marathon in the world, especially when you live in another country.

I never usually make stockings during these dates, so I didn't know if the legs were going to respond
well to the lack of long shoots. Yeah, running here, it's an extra motivation.

As for the race, I decided to be conservative for the first 5 miles, to be high on the 12th. When I reached
the cuesta xii slope, I set one more march and started making miles over 3:30. Taking several athletes before
I went up pizarro street, where I reached the room. From Pizarro to Mary help is perhaps the worst part, so I
kept the pace to make another change when the slopes started. From San Joaquin to the fire park is the fastest
area of the circuit, so I got those 3 miles to 3:24, getting second of the general. He played hard, which was
to be 7 miles running alone against the strong wind that was. Still, the legs were strong and I was able to
keep a strong and steady pace until I crossed the goal in 1 H14' 50 " in second position.
Totally unexpected time and position.

Den Dasher 5km, Turriff, Aberdeenshire - Sunday 3rd December 2017

Essex County Vet Championships, Writtle, nr Chelmsford - Saturday 2nd December 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

QEOP 10km Winter Series - Saturday 2nd December 2017

Run Through Victoria Park 10km - Saturday 2nd December 2017

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 2nd December 2017

43 parkruns at 20 venues, 3 first finishers.
7 debuts & 6 course pbs.
8 Age Grade bests for 2017.
First finishes for Patrick at Reading, Paul Q at Barking and Simon at Valentines.
Age Grade bests for 2018 from Kat, Maya, Craig, Ravinder, Ciaran, Louis, Tim & Shailesh.
parkrun records for:
Patrick at Reading 17.11
Calvin at Tamar Trails 21.49
Jonathan at Lloyd Park,Croydon 22.40.
Andrew at Shorne Woods 23.05.
Nick at Hagley NZ 20.41.
Stuart at Tring 29.07.
Katherine at Stratford Upon Avon 23.22.

Sri Chimnoy 10km,(Grizzly Bear) Battersea Park - Sunday 26th November 2017

187 finishers.

World Aids Day Red Run 10km, Victoria Park - Sunday 26th November 2017

10km finishers, 419.

Richmond Park Half Marathon - Sunday 26th November 2017

397 finishers.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 25th November 2017

49 parkruns at 16 venues, 3 first finishers
10 debuts and 7 course pbs.
50th parkrun for John Henry.
Patrick Brown 1st at Walthamstow, increases his record last week
to 17.19 from last weeks 17.27.
Katherine at Valentines and Paul Q at Roding Valley first finishers also.
Debuts include Nick at South Bank, Brisbane, Australia.
Fiona, Jonathan & Stuart at Dartford, Andrew at Henley on thames,
Lucy at Ally Pally, plus 4 others.
Course pbs for Dan & Lauren at Roding, Calvin at Valentines, Louis at
Wanstead, Eunkyung at Valentines and James at Chelmsford.
ELR parkrun records for
Andrew at Henley On Thames,
Nick at South Bank, Australia,
Patrick at Walthamstow
and Fiona at Dartford.

Essex Season Ender Cycle Ride, 72 miles, Sportive UK - Sunday 19th November 2017

2017 Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge (95km) , Pretoria, South Africa - Sunday 19th November 2017

19,201 finishers.
Last Years results :-Louis 3.57.02 and Rachel 4.25.10.

Windrush Tri Falling Leaves Duathlon, Velopark. - Sunday 19th November 2017

2 mile run, 10 mile cycle ,1 mile run.
Michael 6.37,7.25/14.03/2.50,2.50,2.54,2.58,2.57,2.56,3.01,2.57,3.01,4.09/30.37/7.01 = 51.41.
Sarah - 7.41,8.14/15.55/2.47,2.39,2.43,2.47,2.46,2.47,2.48,3.00,2.58,4.11/29.32/7.40 = 53.07

Valencia Marathon - Sunday 19th November 2017

Verona Marathon - Sunday 19th November 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Verona Marathon 2017 race report - sorry, it's a long one!

Book a last minute holiday and what do I immediately do? Find somewhere to run, naturally. Marathon #4 for the year and #3 over the past 8 weeks. I'm crazy, I know.

I initially played with the idea of the full marathon, then decided to drop down to the half. I then found out that I was nominated in the female marathoners group for the club and well, that swung it for me!

Verona is just stunning. I couldn't wait to get out there and the views, it did not disappoint! The start was a bit crazy, there was so much security we were forced to line up as the guards checked our bibs one by one before allowing us through the gates. Armed police and soldiers lined the streets, I do not remember Paris or Berlin having this much security!

Conditions were perfect, cold but sunny and not a cloud in the sky! It made for incredible views as we ran along the Adige river with medieval monuments, rolling hill tops and vineyards as the backdrop. My plan was to keep it slow and steady for as long as possible. My legs were tired so I knew a PB may not happen but I felt so much more mentally stronger having just come off the back of Beachy Head.

Italians are super friendly and I ran for about 12 miles with a lovely lady called Allegra who almost chewed my ear off. There were a few moments I wanted to put my earphones in but mostly I was so thankful for her company. The miles flew by and she made me momentarily forget about the fire in my legs and feet. We said our goodbyes around Mile 20 as she sped off and I approached the dreaded wall. From there I was helped on by random strangers from all over the world - even a fellow traveling Brit! I was in trouble, headphones in and adapt a "run the length of this song then you can walk" approach. We ran into the city for the last 5km which meant cobbled streets, OUCH. Looked at my time and I knew I was heading for a PB so just tried to keep going the last 2kms. Nothing in the tank for a sprint finish, had to leave something in my legs for the obligatory finishers jump photo opp!

Official Finishing chip time 4:44:47 PB.

E40 for a smallish, well (too!) organised stunning run, brilliant bling and a great finishers tech shirt! I may just be back for this one!

Brighton 10km - Sunday 19th November 2017

1948 finishers.

St Neots Half Marathon - Sunday 19th November 2017

Race report : St Neots Half Marathon.
Following a recommendation from Andrew Baxter I entered the St Neots Half Marathon when entries opened in the spring. They sold out in a day or so. Now I know why. Entry fee was £20 approx. The event is organised by Riverside Runners and Nicetri events. The field of some 1200 is predominantly club runner based but it’s not elitist or snobby though.
Andrew kindly drove us there. A journey to near the top of the M11 of around 70 minutes. The race base is in a secondary school with good facilities, although the only negative was there were no showers. We kept warm in the sports hall before the start.
The race is chip timed. Really slick organisation. A nice wide start so no bottle neck. The course is on good tarmac roads, gently undulating with one short steep uphill around mile 4. However, from mile 10 onwards it’s all downhill so on a good day you could PB if running well. I felt strong when running with Maud on Wednesday and rested well before today. I was delighted with 97 minutes, just over a PB I set 5 years ago. Andrew ran a fantastic 87 minute time. I could only dream of going that fast. As they say, form is temporary but class is permanent.
A race I would thoroughly recommend. Healthy competition for the excellent Bedford half which is at the beginning of December.
Thanks
Grant.

Hell Down South OCR, Longmoor Camp, Hampshire. - Saturday 18th November 2017

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SEAA London Cross Country Champs - Saturday 18th November 2017

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Maya reports: Parliament Hill XC.
Its a no messin kind of a race. Lots of skinny leggy women looking like they will be very speedy. And its always freezing cold. Often drizzling. And it starts at the bottom of a hill. You are excitedly anxious and the cow bells at the start remind you of a downhill slalom, except... we are going uphill. Fast. Right from the gun. BANG!!

Anyway, like I said, no messin. I messed. I could not find my trail shoes. I could not find my trail socks. Oh! Found them, everyone stop looking! Oh. Turns out I have not washed them since the Dursley Dozen. Dried mud showers the kitchen floor. Get dressed quickly. Walk to the station in trail shoes in an effort to bend out the dried mud and wear them in. Get sore feet by the time I am at the station.

Anyway. BANG. Run round, sore though. Must need a new sports bra. But get a PB by three minutes! Hurray!

Get home. Realise I had not switched bras. Did not run in my sports bra. Classy. And then realise the course was 0.3 miles shorter than last time. So not really a PB.

But I finished a no messin race, despite all the messin. So the pint in the pub was well deserved.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 18th November 2017

46 parkruns at 18 venues, 3 first finishers.
8 debuts and 6 course pbs.
Patrick 1st and a course pb at Walthamstow.
Stuart Kelly and Karen Levison , first at Valentines.
11 Age Grade bests for 2017 so far.
ELR parkrun records by the following:
Ellie at Geenpoint, Louis & Rachel at Hartbeespoort,
Michael Keefe at Wepre, Simon Thomas at Hove Promenade,
Mark Moir at Sunderland, Andrew at Clare Castle,
Patrick Brown at Walthamstow.

Run In The Dark London 10km - Wednesday 15th November 2017

Sunday XC League, Race 2 - Trent Park. - Sunday 12th November 2017

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534 finishers, 326 men and 208 ladies.
Men A team 12th of 20, 14th overall.
Men Vets 16th of 20, 18th overall.
Ladies A team 18th of 20, 17th overall.
Ladies Vets 16th of 20, 16th overall.

Michael Wilson reports:-
Sunday Cross Country League Race 2 Results - Trent Park.
A record attendance for the second meeting in a row; over 530 runners turned up to race, including 17 from East London Runners. The field gathered at the start for a minute silence at 10.30am and then the race commenced.
The event was held over a two lap course taking in parts of the leafy forest and adjacent fields. The whole setting was very picturesque, however it was a cold morning with a biting wind and fallen leaves scattering everywhere. Heavy rain in the days leading up to the race, softened up the ground and made parts of the course slightly muddy. There were many good performances.
Stuart back running after a recent injury. Kat did well to catch up after arriving slightly late, having cycled around most of Trent Part looking for the pineapple area at the start! Stuart, Gareth, Michael, Mark, Geoff and Roselin all made their Sunday League debuts. First back for ELR were Thomas Grimes in 3rd position, Antonio Martin Romero (7th) and James Nichols (95th) overall. Maud returned for the ladies, finishing in 376th overall.
Thanks to everyone who turned up today. Don for the photo's and Mariana spectating. Also Alex for the tea at the end and Maud for driving. There was a lot of good banter on the way home! The next fixture is on Sunday 17th December at Willian.

Athens Marathon - Sunday 12th November 2017

Half Marathon 1.56.56

Grand Union Canal Half Marathon - Sunday 12th November 2017

After Adoption 10km, Regents Park - Sunday 12th November 2017

379 finishers.

Mo Running 5km, Battersea Park - Sunday 12th November 2017

337 finishers.

Marathon Swims 2017, Aquatics Centre - Saturday 11th November 2017

Kat's 1km splits 20.58/21.11/22.20/22.08/22.12.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 11th November 2017

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Sat 11th Nov2017 - Constantia Greenbelt parkrun, Cape Town.
Frank Brownlie
Starting at 8am local time, 6am UK, this was a trail run with a few loops, lots of
tree roots and two small and one longer hill. Over 850 participants although many
were walking.
Finished in about 27:25 so will take that. Glorious weather as it has been this week
in the Cape and the previous week and a bit when we were walking in the Drakensburg Mountains.

Back on Monday to what I believe is slightly cooler weather. See you at the track!

Stuart at Clare parkrun: I loved Clare castle parkrun, Not just because my best mate lives
in Clare and I get free accommodation and breakfast but also the run. It is 3 laps with a mixture
of grass and paths it also has an out and back stretch so you get to see the fast people, The café
is very nice as well, Clare is a beautiful village and well worth a visit but if you don't wont mud
I would leave it until the summer, If you are going let me know as I will be going again.

53 parkruns at 13 venues, 3 first finishers, 9 debuts and 1 course pb.
First finishes for Thomas, Patrick and Dan Senior.
1st ever parkrun for Eunkyung Lee.
Course pb for Alexandra at Wanstead.
Age grade best for Ravinder.
5 ELR parkrun records.
Frank at Constantia Greenbelt , South Africa,
Fiona at Trelissick,
Jonathan at Canons Park,
Stuart at Clare Castle and
Katherine at Harrow Lodge.

Run Through Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 8th November 2017

417 finishers.

Chingford League - Event 3 : Hog Hill 5km, Redbridge Cycle Circuit - Tuesday 7th November 2017

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Men A 5th, 5th Overall
Men B 5th, 5th Overall.
Men Vets 5th, 5th Overall.
Women 4th, 3rd Overall.
Women Vets 4th, 4th Overall.

Marlow 7m - Sunday 5th November 2017

Thomas's time in 2016 was 2nd in 40.41 and in 2015 was 1st in 40.43.

Marathon des Alpes Maritimes Nice - Cannes - Sunday 5th November 2017

Jonathan reports:- Marathon Alpes-Maritime | Nice - Cannes 2017.

I had no idea how today was going to go. It was in the diary since I ran here last year but circumstances meant Ive not had chance to get the long runs in and even then they were very lack lustre. My aim was sub 8 min miles and that would bring me in sub 3:30. The plan was good and worked well for the first 30km/20miles. But the Hill of All Hills took a lot out of me and I just didnt recover. I finished in 3:32:43.

Not that bothered as today is a great day having beaten my times from Malta and Boston earlier this year. Something I was worried about - I couldnt face another PW. It turned out to be my third fastest race overall so Ill take that and run, well maybe walk for the rest of the day today. The highlight for me was seeing fellow ELR Alexandra in Antibes, beaming and being as lovely as ever. Great to see you Alex thanks for the run-chat and encouragements. Thanks too to Bernard for the ever-reliable support - before, during and after the race.

Next up - Manchester and Chicago 2018

This is a great race, perfect set up and support along the way. Feed stations with so much food : bananas, oranges, dried fruit, chocolate and of course sugar lumps. Water, energy drinks and coke also served in paper cups. Half marathon and 6 leg relay options are available too. Definitively one to try. Generally much flatter than Beachy Head too and the views are just as stunning.

Thank you to all the amazing people who donated to Diabetes UK. The person who guessed my time accurately was Darren. Well done mate. You were far more optimistic than I was.

My page is still open to take donations if anyone feels generous enough. No prizes just very grateful thanks. https://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Nice2017

Now Im looking forward to lots of great niçoise cuisine and drinks later and hope to catch up with Dan who smashed 3 hrs, and Colin who joined the marathon family today!

Crescent City Fall Classic 5km, New Orleans - Saturday 4th November 2017

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Crescent City Fall Classic 5k in New Orleans. 17:36 for 10th.
Hot, 98% humidity, but very flat. American national anthem
(hands on hearts y'all) sung at the start. And for a race with
almost 2000 participants, no blinking bag drop!
("Can you leave it the trunk of your car, sir?) #OnlyInAmerica

Thames Meander Marathon (trail) - Saturday 4th November 2017

259 finishers.

Thames Meander Half Marathon (trail) - Saturday 4th November 2017

463 finishers.

QEOP 10km Winter Series - Saturday 4th November 2017

542 finishers.

Loughton Vets Inter Club 5 mile Cross Country - Saturday 4th November 2017

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78 finishers, Men's team 3rd 59pts, Women's team 4th 60pts.
Well done to all our fabulous vets who ran for ELR this morning in the cross country vets cup at Loughton AC.
Fortunately, the heavy rain held off and conditions were good for the 5 mile run. I will post up when our hosts forward the results but as usual the event was well organised, marshalled and hosted by Loughton AC. The course was slightly different to usual owing to cattle taking over part of the course! I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.

Maya Goodwin reports:- I was fairly indifferent to todays XC.
I wanted to do it, but I wasnt keen on Roding parkrun, and I knew it was in the same area. Added to the fact that I knew Id be really near the back, possibly even last in such a small race. But, you know, these things have to be tried....

And off we went. It was a bit speedy at the start, even at the back, it was faster than my 5k pace, I hoped it would settle down or I would feel totally demoralised. I was VERY grateful to see people walking over the bridge. And I settled in my pace, going round the fields for the first time. I liked how you never went very far before another turn. Round we went and finally we were back at the start, ready for the second lap. Except... OH. I dont remember this road bit... sigh. So its not even one lap done yet! But at least it was down. Two more turns, and NOW theres the bridge hurray! But you know what this means Maya, they will be lapping you now, no sneaky walk breaks.

And round they came, all the speedsters, galloping past me. Some seemed to glide over the ground. Some were less graceful. Some were very loud, panting and groaning. Some told me they had seen that walk break Maya!.

Third lap. They are weird, the races when you stop being lapped, it gets quite lonely at the back. I couldnt see anyone in front or behind for lots of the time, and it stops feeling like a race and feels like a training run. Except for the marshals who were lovely. My favourite was a lady who said not long now, and theres that hill in a minute, you get a little walk break, its what I always do.

I felt sorry for all the race numbers I saw on the course, all abandoned as they slowly got soggy and escaped their pins. I pulled mine off and held it, to be sure.

And then the finish line was in sight. It was a bit exposed. I know the Red Sea always waits for me and so theres no chance of walking, so I like to try and sneak in a quick walk just before the last push. No such luck. 800m of legging it. But I did get a grinning Tommo alongside me for the last 500m and Alex for the last 200m.

Checked my watch, ducked for the line and I hope I just made 56m dead. And Sarah had even saved me cake. That cake was lush. Ginger and pear. She would get my bake off vote every time.

And I am going to give Roding parkrun another go, I think I judged it to hastily.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 4th November 2017

Also 179th at Wanstead, Alma McMillan 44.20 first parkrun.
34 parkruns at 12 venues, 1 debut and 2 course pbs.
debut & ELR parkrun record for Andrew at Heartwood Forest,
Course pbs and Age Grade bests for Tim Aylett & Laura Woodhouse.
Also Age Grade bests for Mark & David Wyatt.

Sunday XC League, Race 1 - Cheshunt., Broxbourne Park - Sunday 29th October 2017

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491 finishers, 293 men and 198 ladies.
Combined team 15th of 20.
Ladies team 16th of 20.
Vet ladies 15th of 20.
Men's team 15th of 20.

Stort 30 - Sunday 29th October 2017

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247 finishers.

Maud reports:- Stort 30 race report

I came into this race short on both miles and confidence, hoping to get my ultra-running mojo back, while for Suzanne it was to be her first ultra, at the end of a great year of running. I was a little bit alarmed when she said she wanted to run with me, as she’s been so much quicker than me this year. Basically my role was to be the brake, and stop her from going off too fast.
We arrived in good time to collect our numbers, and while Suzanne remarked about what a small field it was, I actually thought it was pretty big. It was a nice surprise to see Kirk, who had let valour get the better of discretion and entered on the day, a week after the Chelmsford Marathon.
Anyway, not very much to report about the race itself, as it went exactly according to plan - which was to start off at no quicker than 10-minute-mile pace, and try to keep it steady all the way. It’s a very attractive rout - after about a mile of road (downhill on the way out…), it’s along the river all the way - an out-and-back course. There where checkpoints with a good choice of snacks and drinks every five miles, which breaks it up into very bite-size chunks. Runners didn’t have to stop at the intermediate checkpoints, but we wanted our refreshments.
The nice thing about an out-and-back route is that you pass all the other runners before or after the turn, and ultra runners are always very supportive of each other, calling out ‘well done’ or ‘great running’ as they pass. We saw Kirk looking strong about a mile after the turn. And as we kept our pace nice and steady, we were not overtaken by any other runners in the second half of the race, but must have gone past twenty or thirty. (I did have to tell Suzanne to cool it a few times, but it probably paid off…)
Suzanne was so strong in the last few miles, but I just about managed to tag along, and we finished hand-in-hand in 5 hours 15 minutes, which we were both pretty pleased with. And by the time we’d had a wee and got a cup of tea Don had already put our results up...

SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon - Sunday 29th October 2017

Worksop Halloween Half Marathon - Sunday 29th October 2017

Andrew Howard I was a bit slower than I'd hoped today and had to dig deep at the end
to break the 100 minute barrier. I'll be back next year and for as many years as I can with
that target in mind. The Worksop Half Marathon has been my favourite race for a long time: Home town,
cheered on by family, through Clumber Park and a last mile downhill. From this year there is a bonus
because the tree that my mum had planted in Clumber Park in memory of my dad just happens to be on the route.

Run Through Finsbury Park 10km - Sunday 29th October 2017

Beachy Head Marathon - Saturday 28th October 2017

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Stuart reports:- I have said it before and I will say it again, Marathons are stupid.

Stuart Stupot Barton reports:- It all started with a couple of glasses of wine like most good stories should. I was looking at the laptop and I noticed a advert for Beachy head marathon pop up(dam pop ups). I followed the link. The views looked amazing, A quick post on facebook asking what it was like and positive reports from Sally Faulkner made me think about it, I looked at the entry form and found myself filling it in, This was back in the spring I have ages to train I will be fine. That's it i'm in then others followed no backing out now. Hotel booked day off work booked now to start training, All good at first the work kicked in, Loads of travel and missing club run and Sunday socials.
I did a lot of training while on holiday in Kos this helped a lot as it was very hilly.
Friday I traveled down to the South coast with my sister and checked into Fawlty towers, A nice hotel with some strange guests, Although Michael Bamford seemed to make friends with one of them.
A nice meal out with all the gang on Friday night and then back to the room to get a restful nights sleep before the run,
A two mile walk to the start line settled my nerves, I met Geoff Bench to pass him his race number then off to bag drop.
Geoff Bench and I started together along with Louis Le Roux and Diana Rexhepaj, The start is a hill like nothing I have ever ran (and still haven't), we get to the top and we're off nice and flat for at least 1/2 a mile the more hills,
The next few miles were ok only ups, Please let me have flat bit,
The water stations are great well stocked with Mars bars and bananas,
We bumped into Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera and Roselin Boramakot at one of the water stations, They looked a lot better than me.
A few muddy bits in the forest but road shoes were still the correct choice Grant Conway thanks for the talk the other week on shoe choice.
We hit half way and I was feeling good, It's ok this marathon running I was thinking.
Then a few more ups then the stairs, OMG who in the name of all the is holy puts stairs on a marathon.
They hurt a lot, Then the small matter of the seven sisters( we don't call them sisters now) and I am sure I counted more than seven.
Cramp was setting in but the views were stunning, After the seven sisters still more hills one big one.
And the wind was picking up a bit of a chill in the air. I bumped into a parkrun tourist who had done the run before and he we chatted for a couple of miles before we decided to start running as only one mile to go.
This was a downhill with stairs(yes more stairs), At the bottom I could see the finish line and I got my name called over the speakers, But I got a louder cheer from Joanna Wood who was waiting for us all to finish, That was great to see a smiling face,
I got my medal and started a slow walk back to Fawlty Towers, A quick shower before the pub I'm on the second floor but we have a lift, no such luck as the lift was out of order.
climbing into the shower was a strange experience but a shower was so needed,
A couple of beers with the rest of the Beachy Head gang before heading out for a nice meal, Thanks Sonia Cheadle for you organisation skills.
A few cramps overnight but I am still walking and thinking of what to do next,
Beachy Head next year, only the 10k I think.
Thanks to all the Beachy Head gang we are all amazing.
#Respect

Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera reports:- It all started with a couple of glasses of wine, not mine, Stuart's!
He registered early in spring followed by Jan and there I was… tempted… They sold it to me saying it was the Glastonbury of the marathon! The landscape looks awesome and I would be in amazing company so here we go, now let’s try to convince Helen too (sorry! smile emoticon:-) ). I had a training plan and I sticked to it, I am grateful to my body for carrying me through it without injuries as some of us haven’t been so lucky frown emoticon:-( (we missed you Lee!). I was confident till a week before but from the start of the week, I was getting more and more nervous!
It was good to see part of the group the night before, eat with Nathaniel and get my number from Stuart ( thanks, load)! We started the day with lovely balls that a friend of Regis gave us for promoting them (delicious!) and a famous picture on the stairs. The 30 mins walk to the start in the morning was fun, the queue at the loos a lot less therefore I lost pretty much everybody except Rachel that I caught just on time, and supportive Joanna who was cheering us at the start already! I was trying to get info about the others by posting messages at every checkpoint but I was clearly the only one posting (typical! 😃)
There, we started, the most vertical hill I have seen, there was nowhere in London where I could have trained for this (as reminded by a participant that I overtook telling me it must feel different to East London). There was no way we could run it, people in front of us or not, then in the mess we found Roselin! I was so happy to see her because I knew we were running at a pretty similar pace and I wanted to stick with her. Beachy head is so tough on you mentally and physically but also so amazingly beautiful, I certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed the race that much without her great fun company. We lost Rachel quickly, Louis caught up with us for a few miles then went, we found Diana but lost her till we met with Stuart and Geoff who were great company for a while till they probably stopped too long to eat sausage pies smile emoticon:-).
Psychologically, something happened in my mind at half point, I was not yet in pain and I knew I could finish this plus the Seven Sisters didn’t look that bad from far (I was so wrong!!!). The second set of stairs was a killer but the view from the top was worth it, I hated the however gorgeous Seven Sisters (seven, my a**…) but each up and down was carrying me to the finish and when I saw Diana, I decided that I could give one last push to finish with her. One thing I realized is how much I was attentive to my body for the entire 26,2 miles and once again, despite being in terrible pain today, I thank my body for carrying me through this.
So many amazing memories gathered during that race, many fun ones taking selfies with Roselin and jumping in the air, taking a pic with the French flag, being videotaped by a creepy older gentleman, the breath-taking views at every corner, giving some chewable electrolytes to a lady I was chatting with who started to cramp and how happy she was, the support from the local people and volunteers on the way, seeing Suzanne cheering us so warmly twice (what a beautiful surprise!), the last sprint finish and of course: Jo’s smile at the finish line… It wouldn’t have been complete without while going back looking for the others, I realized that it was Helen that I could see at the top of the hill arriving, I had been worried about her the whole race and she had simply been amazing! Once the last worry for Sandra were gone, we could all enjoy carbs reloading for dinner with our amazing bling around our necks!
Stuart, Jan, Sally and RELS: I thank you so much for making me do this and I am looking forward to our next adventure… Michael: you could take your new friend along 😂 Will rest for a few days and get ready for my next marathon in 6 weeks: Dawn to Dusk!.

Rachel reports: Beachy head marathon 5 hours 45 mins, first ever Marathon and last ever Marathon
that was torture I even cried at the end! Im glad that I've done it and can now finally say I've run a
Marathon but it's defo not for the faint hearted it is mentally and physically tough!
What a great weekend I've had with great company, lovely food, nice weather lots of laughing and some
tears to and some proper torture and that was just the Marathon, today I'm ache all over, very
and can't move much haha but can happily say I'm glad I did it but just as glad it's all over but it's
all thanks to ELR and the people in it who are all so supportive and amazing, honestly can't believe
I've ran a Marathon #ELR The Best!!

Beachy Head 10km - Saturday 28th October 2017

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751 finishers.
Joanna Wood:-
Well Beachy Head 10k done and a once in a life time opportunity for me to be the first ELR lady home! !!!
Unofficial watch time 1.13 which I'm chuffed with considering my last road 10k was 1.03 and instructions
said to expect 10-20mins longer than a road race!
Terrain good apart from a little muddy on the first hill and the course was packed for about 2 miles on
narrow paths between fields so couldn't break away but meant a steady pace was maintained.
The hills were STEEP!!!! And I certainly didn't feel bad walking them as EVERYONE was - the pics don't
do them justice! And when you think you can make up for it on the downs - THEY'RE JUST AS STEEP!!!
The pub with just 1mile to go was very tempting but I stopped at just taking a pic and not going in -
my plan is to make up for it later though! !!
The hill of doom was just as bad coming down to the finish line as it was at the start going up! You
can't let loose as tempting as it may be and Maud would have been proud of me and my aeroplane impression
the whole way down!!
A challenging course but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I definitely made the right decision to drop from
the marathon distance. I gave this a good go and am chuffed with my time, the marathon would have been
a different story but next year with the right training and hopefully injury free I'd definitely do the
marathon race.
Anyway I'm off for a shower and back to the finish line to cheer the others in!!

Jan Webb:-
My Beachy Head adventure started after seeing Stuart's post. Sally had already told us how beautiful the course was and joked that the Rear End Ladies should take on the challenge. Something clicked and I thought 'why not; if I train I could do this.'
The group formed, we planned runs, we trained and I slowly upped my mileage. Then during a Sunday run I felt a pain in my Achilles. I thought that with a bit of rest it would sort itself out. It didn't and long story short I had torn my Achilles tendon.

My marathon dream was over.

BUT. I rested. I did my physio. And I paid my sub to transfer to the 10k and I started to run again, never 6 miles but I was confident and excited.

A group of us (Sally, Sonia and Joanna) in the same 'injured but eager' boat pledged to support each other and with that in mind we set off off up a hill the like of which I'd never seen before. The thing about being at the back is that your job is always harder because you're wading through the mud churned up by the faster runners. But hey, it was never going to be easy getting up that hill anyway. Once at the top the course leveled out and we could start to find a rhythm. I had to walk the ups but we managed run and talk (I know, so unusual for me) and take in the breath-taking views. This must rate as one of the beautiful courses and it was worth turning around every so often to take it all in.
Sally and I watched as Sonia found a surge and flew off in front, clearly having a fabulous time and soon after we realised that we only had a mile and a bit to go. I've never wanted a race to just continue on so much. Eventually the finish line came into view but at the bottom of 'that' hill. I've never needed a tea tray to scoot down on so much! But I remembered a session with Grant and, leaning forward from my hips and sticking my elbows out I powered down. Sally, Flop the dog and I ran across the line together and were presented with our medals. I was so, so happy.

Coming back from injury has been a long and frustrating process but I couldn't have done it without the support and encouragement of the friends I've made in this club. I've still got work to do but I'm coming back and that 10k was a milestone. Thank you all.

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 28th October 2017

56 parkruns at 16 venues, 4 first finishers.12 debuts & 7 course pbs.
Maud & Andrew both join the Volunteer 25 Club.
First finisher places for Felicity at Wanstead, Patrick at Walthamstow
and Aaron & Karen at Valentines.
7 Age Grade Bests for 2017 Ellen Jones,Tim Aylett,Liam Dempsey, Andrew Fitzgerald,
Mark Wyatt, Roger Stubbs and Kate Frost.
7 ELR parkrun records:-
Patrick Brown at Walthamstow, Liz ODonnell at Seaton, Lucy Barron at Oak Hill,
Simon Thomas at Northampton, Kate Frost at Moor Valley and Jonathan & Fiona C at Ipswich.

Harbour Club Last Friday of the Month 5km, Hyde Park - Friday 27th October 2017

Andrew Baxter:- Cheers, I'm super chuffed. 4 years since last broke 19
and pretty much resigned to it being a thing of the past. 25th anniversary of
this race so ridiculously strong field...101 of 270 finishers went sub 20!

Victoria Park 10km - Sunday 22nd October 2017

211 finishers.

Castle Ashby Duathlon - Sunday 22nd October 2017

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sprint duathlon 5k, t1, 22k bike, t2, 5k.
Michael Bamford 18.37,1.19, 46.02, 0.26, 19.19 = 1.25.33
Catriona Hoult 25.33, 0.40,1.06.16, 0.37, 26.04 = 1.59.10.

standard duathlon 10k, t1, 40k bike, t2, 5k
relay with Melvyn Hoddell
20.29/19.54, 0.42, 1.44.30,0.37,19.28 = 2.46.00

Catriona reports:- My first Duathlon survived. Pretty sure I was second from last in the sprint
distance (just under 5km run, 22 km bike, just under 5km run again), but I didn’t care because I actually
enjoyed it! (I never actually enjoy running while I’m doing it - just afterwards - but this one I did).

It helped that I felt no pressure because I know I’m rubbish on a bike (I only borrowed a road bike two
weeks before). It was a very windy day and we got pretty chilled waiting for the start, but after that it
was fun and a pretty route around a stately home in Northamptonshire. I was pleased to finish in 1.59.10.

Nick Hoult did the full distance as a relay with his brother in law and they were third team .
Michael Bamford also did the sprint distance in some super quick time, first in his age category.
I’d definitely do another Duathlon if I can borrow the bike again. I like the variety over just running
and one day I might not be overtaken by quite so many people!

Chelmsford Marathon - Sunday 22nd October 2017

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570 finishers.
Robert Rayworth:- Another PB this time for a marathon very pleased. I did no training
as I was concentrating on getting my 10km and Half Marathon PB's. Running marathons is a
different game all together. It's just relentless. Need to work doing longer runs. That's my
sorted for the year all goals this year have been achieved thank you ELR. Without your members
support I wouldn't have ever achieved just results.

Venice Marathon - Sunday 22nd October 2017

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Venice Marathon 2017

This was my 3rd time doing this marathon. I love this race as it goes through some beautiful Italian countryside and ends in the most beautiful city; its cheap (40€ early bird price) and is at the beginning of half term (although annoyingly next year it is a week later!).

You need to get up very early. Buses take you to the start between 6.40 and 7.20. The start is in Stra on the mainland from where you run back to Venice. The start is at the grand Villa Pisani (where Hitler and Mussolini had their first meeting 🤔). The first half you run mainly along the Brenta riveria through picturesque towns such as Mira and Dolo and passes many grand palazios along the way. There is great support along the way and loads of live music (which I prefer to the dance music sound sytems in England that rumble through your core).
Halfway is a mile through an uninspiring industrial area and then onto Venice Mestre (the bit on the mainland where most Venetians live). Again great support although there's a weird bit when you run through an underpass that is the entrance to the train station. Onto San Guilliano park where the expo is held and onto the Ponta di Liberta - 3850 metre long bridge across to Venice. Once you are off this there's only about 3 and a half miles left. A run down the Guidecca Canal to a specially constructed floating bridge that takes you across the Grand Canal and into St Marks Square. From there it's 8 or 9 bridges (I lost count) passing the Bridge of Sighs til the finish at Riva Sette Martiri. A thoroughly recommended marathon (there is also a 10k). The previous races had long sleeve Asics shirts, this year it was a very tight skinny top (see pic - my shirt was a l/xl the largest available)

All week rain and thunderstoms and lightening were forecast but thankfully it was just cool and overcast. I had no great hopes re time but the first 9 miles felt good and comfortable. Then the marathon gremlins appeared asking me when would it be ok to have a little walk. Get to halfway and take a painkiller and reassess. Going into the second half some calculations and I realised 12 min miling (I had been doing 9.20 for the first half) would get me a pb by 1 min. I can do that even if it felt like I had run my 3 other marathons directly before this one. Oh how I ached. I started counting miles as if the years marathons were altogether "94 done, only 10 to go!".
Crossing the bridge to St Marks I knew the pb was on. I saw Annette and the girls "13 mins to get a pb " I shouted with fist pumps and airplane arms (pics on camera so will need to get home before uploading). Then up bridge, down bridge repeat repeat repeat etc. Back to sub 10 min miling, adrenaline pumping as I crossed the line. I had a pb by the gun time so I knew I had done it! My chip time was a pb by 5 mins. Nowhere near my start of year target time but 3 pb's in 4 marathons will do me. I will go for that target in Brighton next year. Thanks to everyone for their brilliant support this year.

Lausanne Marathon - Sunday 22nd October 2017

1224 finishers.

Great South Run, Portsmouth - Sunday 22nd October 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Cambridge Town & Gown 10km - Sunday 22nd October 2017

Maverick Inov-8 Oxfordshire - Saturday 21st October 2017

Flop and I ran the Maverick Oxfordshire race yesterday. I had planned to run the long distance as our final run before beachy next weekend but injury has put a stop to that. Achilles not recovering as I want it to. So I just ran the 9km(supposed to be 8km) and will be doing the 10km option at beachy. Regardless Maverick sure do know how to put on a great race. The medal is actually a bottle opener and you get a bottle of yummy maverick beer at the end. I’ve probably done 7 or 8 maverick races over the years and highly recommend them. Always super scenery and well organised, ridiculously welcoming to all levels of runners, including ones with dogs. There is always a long, middle and short distance option, and it’s ok to choose on route if things aren’t going your way. I had to walk most of the race mostly due to the hills but even on the flat my achilles weren’t playing ball. But still a lovely day out and storm Brian stayed well away!

Chingford League - Event 2 - Jubilee Lodge (Eton Manor) - Saturday 21st October 2017

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Michael Wilson reports:-
Chingford League Report 2. Saturday 21st October 2017 - Jubilee Lodge, Leyton.

Although it was a bright and mild day, the heavy wind conditions kept most of the Runners firmly inside the sports pavilion until minutes before the start of the race. The course consisted of laps around the field, onto paths and then larger circuits with a steep grass bank to climb or crawl up! Running into the wind was a challenge and penalised those who had set off too fast!

In a close race for the top positions, Patrick Brown was first back for ELR in 7th place, just in front of his team mate Thomas Grimes in 10th. Karen Levison was First Lady to finish for ELR, followed by Emily Clarke. There was slight confusion close to the end with some Runners entering the finish funnel before completing the extra laps to complete the 5.2 mile course. Overall this was an enjoyable albeit windswept race.

Thanks to Eton Manor for hosting, all the marshals, including our own vociferous Jan Webb and Morag Campbell, (stopping us from colliding with Runners in the opposite direction)! and our supporters Billy Rayner and Dave Levison. Last but not least, the 30+ from East London Runners, who turned up and raced for the club on the day. Regis, Jonathan and Mike stayed behind after for a well earned coffee/tea/cake in Eton Manor's cafe. (Thanks Regis).

The next fixture in this series is on Tuesday 7th November 2017, back at Redbridge Cycle Circuit, Hog Hill, Hainault. See you there,

Mens team 6th, 4th overall.
Men's B team 5th, 5th overall.
Men's vets 5th, 5th overall.
Womens team 4th, 3rd overall.
Womens vets 4th, 3rd overall.

Chingford League - Event 2 - Jubilee Park (Eton Manor) - Saturday 21st October 2017

Suffolk Coastal Trail 26.8 miles - Saturday 21st October 2017

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87 finishers.
Catherine Brett reports:-Suffolk Coastal Trail Marathon Race Report

I've always wanted to complete a marathon but have shied away from road racing as I had a lot of knee injuries in my 20s. On passing 50 I decided it was now or never, and after a further 2 years of putting it off finally entered the Suffolk Coastal Trail Marathon which was on Saturday. As the day approached and the dire warnings of Storm Brian and coastal destruction hit the media I was relieved to find that on the day 1) it was still on and 2) it was, actually, a beautiful bright, crisp Autumn Day, if a little breezy.

We set off from Dunwich Priory and headed up through the woods to our first beach section. With the strengthening breeze behind us, and the sand not too deep it felt fine. After the 4.2-mile checkpoint we then turned inland for a 4-mile loop through Tinker's marshes, on our way back experiencing the first headwinds and sticky marsh mud. From there we wended our way through the Walberswick Nature Reserve, through head high golden reeds which was stunning if a little difficult going as the wooden duck boards were coated with leaves and quite slippery. So far so good. I felt strong, the sun was shining however I was conscious that I was running faster than training but somehow couldn't find the will to keep to a slower pace... Trouble for the future.

Still slightly off the coast, the route took us up through the half way point in Dunwich Forest and then south and into the wind. Here, at around 18 miles I started to pay the price for the faster (by my standards!) start. The path headed sharply upwards through open land where the wind caught us and running became more like a shuffle for everyone. I was very glad to stock up on some jelly babies, crisps and banana at the 19-mile checkpoint! From here it was over one more hill back to the coast. At this point my watch battery died, so no more motivational ticking off the distance. Luckily, whilst the way was excellently sign posted I had taken a map, so I could still see progress! My legs were pretty dead by now and climbing over the stile at 22 miles needed careful negotiation! Then back north along the beach, some deeper sand sections but thankfully with a good tail wind. I had kept running all the way til then but was finally felled at 24 miles by a stretch of deep shingle that I staggered through. Then it was back to a run for one final hill, up through beech woods to the finish.

I finished in 5 hours 6 mins dead, just over half way down the field. As the winning time was 3 hours 21, I was very pleased with this, and delighted to find later than I was the first Vet Woman home (out of only 5 in total for both FV50 and FV45!).

I would highly recommend the race, if you are comfortable in your own space - I spent quite a few sections of it alone. It was well organised (by EnduranceLife), and the variety of the scenery was superb.

Run Through Velopark Half Marathon - Saturday 21st October 2017

155 finishers.

Run Through Velopark 10m - Saturday 21st October 2017

42 finishers.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 21st October 2017 - Saturday 21st October 2017

48 parkruns at 10 venues. 2 first finishers.
50th parkrun for Andrea Waller.
7 debuts and 5 course pbs.
First finishes for Katherine at Valentine & Mark at Gunpowder.
Age Grade bests for Mark & David Wyatt, Annette Clark, Roger Stubbs,
Jessica Trayler-Moore and Katie Whitton.
parkrun record for Andrew at Luton Wardown from Shaun DeSena.

Simplyhealth Great Birmingham Run - Sunday 15th October 2017

Greenwich Tritons Relay Duathlon, Velopark - Sunday 15th October 2017

Each entrant runs 2 miles, cycles 6 miles and runs 1 mile.(Last year's times in brackets)
9th ELR Fun Boy Three 2.03.31
Michael Bamford - 6.19,7.07,13.27/2.54,2.56,2.57,2.54,2.55,3.46,18.24/7.09.
Graham Peacock - 7.02,8.11,15.13/ 3.05,3.08,3.07,3.04,3.00,4.07,19.35/7.28.
Peter Hatley - 6.56,7.16,14.12/3.14,3.29,3.30,3.26,3.23,4.07,21.11/6.48.
16th ELR Drax 2.20.32
Jason Levy - 7.42,8.36,16.18/3.22,3.23,3.23,3.27,3.33,4.22,21.30/8.32.
20th East London Triathletes 2.26.38
Louis LeRoux - 6.15,7.52,14.08/3.03,3.00,2.59,2.58,3.08,3.53,19.03/7.37.
Shaun DeSena - 8.49,9.57,18.46/3.32,3.34,3.42,3.41,3.41,4.31,22.43/9.45.
Don Bennett - 9.55,11.21,21.16/3.35,3.28,3.39,3.40,3.32,4.29,22.25/10.51.
22nd ELR Ladies 2.28.33
Sheetal Dandgey - 7.01,8.10,15.11/3.50,4.01,3.59,3.57,3.55,4.37,24.21/8.04.
Emma Wing - 8.33,9.54,18.28/3.39,3.43,3.50,3.55,3.55,5.22,24.26/9.46.
Catherine Brett - 8.36,9.30,18.06/3.29,3.27,3.32,3.26,3.28,4.23,21.49/8.18.
23rd ELR 3 Decades 2.29.28
Jayne Browne - 8.59,9.39,18.39/4.16,4.28,4.21,4.06,4.15,5.05,26.33/9.19.
Anna Dingle - 8.52,9.12,18.04/3.10,3.01,3.11,3.12,3.07,3.57,19.41/9.08.
Rachel LeRoux - 8.13,8.52,17.05/3.25,3.27,3.31,3.25,3.32,4.07,21.29/9.26.

Manchester Half Marathon - Sunday 15th October 2017

7648 finishers.

Bedford Autodrome Duathlon, Standard Distance - Sunday 15th October 2017

Standard 10k run/t1/39k cycle/t2/5k run
Danny 39.10/0.50/1.12.15/ 1.00/20.36 = 2.13.53
Ava 41.18/ 0.54/1.12.00/ 0.50/21.34 = 2.16.38

Bedford Autodrome Duathlon, Sprint Distance - Sunday 15th October 2017

5k run/t1/ 20k cycle/t2/ 2.5k run
Sarah 22.21/ 1.03/34.56/0.59/12.17 = 1.11.39
Paula 20.08/0.55/ 39.13/ 0.48/11.44 = 1.12.50

Run The River 10km, Edmonton - Sunday 15th October 2017

236 finishers.
Antonio reports:- The race started off a bit fast, so I decided to go in the second group. I was after one mile in 6th place and not feeling great. After 4K I managed to catch the runner in 2nd place and the first one was around 15-20 seconds ahead of me and looking very strong. After the grass section, I was thinking I was going to die at some point. When we were back to the canal, with 4K to go, I thought 'ok, it is impossible to catch the first one, it is better to defend the 2nd place' because I was too tired, however, I was managing to go faster, with 1 mile to go I reached the leader and my legs were crying even more but my mind took over the control of my legs and managed to do the last km at 3:10 /km pace and finish in first place with an unexpected PB of 34:56, 1 minute 32 seconds faster than last year. Bring on the cross-country races now!

Metropolitan XC League, Claybury - Saturday 14th October 2017

OCR World Championships, Canada (15km Main Event) - Saturday 14th October 2017

Josh Steqhens:- Tough tough tough! Wet, slippery ski slopes
and over 1000m of ascent in a 15km is fun! I spent 45 mins trying and
retrying Skull Valley (5 skull shapes climbing holds onto 6 monkey
bars onto 5 more skulls) but it wasnt my day! Awesome course, massive challenge

parkrun - all venues. - Saturday 14th October 2017

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

41 parkruns at 14 venues, 1 first finisher.
7 debuts and 1 course pb. Mark Boulton first place at Gunpowder.
Course pb for Nick at Wanstead.
Debuts for Steve, Andrew, Judith and the cowl crusaders at Yeovil Montacute parkrun.
2 Age Grade Bests for 2017 for John Henry and Judith Vonburg.
ELR parkrun records for Andrew at Castle Park and Jonathan at Yeovil Montacute.

Elvis Awards - The Duke, Wanstead - Friday 13th October 2017

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OCR World Championships, Blue Mountains, Canada (3km Prologue) - Friday 13th October 2017

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Josh reports:- 3km 'sprint' completed, tough tough tough!
Much harder than last year, and a huge step up from anything in the UK!
All hills and upper body, to the point that I needed a 15 minute rest before
'Skull Valley' as my hands couldn't close into a fist due to increasing fatigue
in hands/forearms.
All obstacles completed eventually, so band remained intact!
Now for nachos and beer to recover for the 15km tomorrow...

Capital Tri Velopark Duathlon - Tuesday 10th October 2017

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