As always, it’s been a really busy April and, based on the number of upcoming events in the next section, there’s a lot to look forward to this summer too. On that note, it’s worth a reminder that time is running out to pay your membership fees for this year if you haven’t already. Don’t miss out on all the benefits you get from being a club member, including training sessions, reduced entry for races, and free entry to many relay events and cross country races. If you have any questions about membership or payment of fees, just speak to Membership Secretary Louise at a training session.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome a number of new members who have joined or re-joined recently. Welcome to Cheryl Congram, Mary Taylor, Sarah Evans, Daniella Harris, Jess Gould, and Roseanna Jenkins – and any other newbies who haven’t quite made my list yet. Hope you enjoy training with the club, please do come along to try our sessions and say hello!

News and Notices

• Mickey Edwards 5k Handicap series – The next race in this free 5k series for club members is on Wednesday 14 May (followed by 28 May, 11 June and 25 June). You don’t have to have completed the baseline run to join in any of the races. It’s a fast, flat course with the best marshals around, and your times count towards club champs and performance standards. If you want to get involved but not run, we’re always looking for marshals, so please email charlie.keitch@gmail.com to offer your services.

• Cross Country (XC) Runner of the Year – Wednesday 21 May – Join us a club night at the Village Hall for the results and presentation of the XC Runner of the Year awards, voted for by members. Please make sure you take a look at our handy spreadsheet to see who did what at XC this year and vote using this google form. We’d encourage you to still vote even if you can’t make the event, but we hope to see lots of you that evening for the usual Wednesday training session and celebration drink at the pub afterwards!

• Parkrun social – Saturday 24 May – we’re heading to Dartford parkrun for our next ‘blues on tour’ outing. As it’s further afield, Jon and Charlie are organising a minibus for up to 16 people on a first-come first-served basis, with a cost of £5 to be paid in advance. It will leave the Ardleigh Crown at 7.15am. Please complete this form if you’d like to come – very limited places remaining already, so be quick!

• Great Bentley Friday 5 – Friday 4 July – The popular Friday 5 series starts with Felixstowe on 23 May. Our own Friday 5 is the final race in the series – please do not enter this one, but keep the date free, as we will need lots of volunteers to make sure it is a huge success.

• Ipswich Ekiden Relays – Sunday 6 July – don’t forget to sign up ASAP (but by 23 May at the latest) to be part of our relay teams for this popular and fun relay event. Whether you want to race it competitively or have a social run out with friends, we’d love to have you. We could use a few more to complete our teams so please fill in this google form to get involved.

• Geoff Day 5k Memorial Race – Sunday 17 August– a date to keep free for this brilliant club race, which is a highlight in our club calendar. This year we hope to make it even better with fun and games on the green afterwards!

• Essex Way Relay – Sunday 7 September – I’ve had a few questions about this lately. We will be organising a team for this great event again this year. An email will be sent but for now just save the date if you’d like to take part!

Training

The Spring/Summer training schedule is in full swing. Don’t forget to check and complete the weekly google form that you receive by email for the location of sessions, as there can be a variety of locations over the summer and some changes to the weekly timetable, for example on Mickey Edwards race weeks.

What we did this month

Before we get started on your many achievements this month, a reminder to please please please add your races, parkruns, and any other running achievements to the pinned thread for the month on our Facebook page – ideally with a photo! It really helps the newsletter writers and race reporters know what everyone has been up to. It doesn’t have to be record-breaking or a PB – we just want to hear about the fun you have been having!

What the ladies did this month

There was a great turnout for the ladies in blue at the ever-popular Bromley 10k hosted by Harwich Runners: Meera Rajoo-Oakley (45:12), Inga Hayden-Cooper (50:31), Katie Siggery (52:10), Claudia Keitch (54:57), Tonie Wilson (56:11), Leoni Harvey (58:38), Donna Harris (59:38), Sammy Cotton (1:03:58) and Helen Coe (1:04:42).

Well done to Tricia Stacey, Lindsey Allen, Caroline Dyer, Sarah Evans, Jennie Stemp and Lorraine Adams who represented us in our teams for the Essex and Suffolk Road Relays.

In the thick of marathon season, the trio of Cheryl Congham (4:02:52), Debbie Smith (5:34:40) and Bee Brent (6:06:19) overcame challenging conditions to achieve their London Marathon medals, and Mags Komorowska (3:41:55) and Sarah Davies (5:18:22) also sweated it out at the Manchester Marathon. Additionally, Mags completed the Prague City half marathon earlier in the month, and ran 1:43:06 exploring the city landmarks and practising for London.

Karen O’Grady took an amazing 25 minutes off her time from last year to finish the London Landmarks Half Marathon in 3:00:46. What an improvement! On the subject of London halves, Sammy Cotton and Donna Harris completed the Victoria Park Half Marathon as part of the Cotton and Harris “Fab 4”.

Lots of trail fun was had at various events, including the Essex Trail Events ‘eggstravaganza’ (Claudia Keitch) and the Viper 5 mile trail run (Tricia Stacey, Vicky Presland and Milly Presland).

It looks like Donna Parker-Evans has been having a wonderful time having the Aussie parkrun experience, and I am very jealous of her lovely photos! New member Sarah Evans has also been speeding her way around various local parkruns, including an PB of 19.34 at Felixstowe parkrun on 19 April. A number of us also enjoyed the parkrun social at Chilton Fields parkrun, and of course the obligatory breakfast after.

What the men did this month – by Jon Mann

Looking back across April it would seem that the Bentley men are no fools when it comes to racing. There have been some great results from blistering 5k’s all the way up to impressive marathon finish times, below is an overview of these races from shortest to longest.

Craig Mitchell has been running well lately and has regularly been getting under the 19 minute mark in the 5k distance. He recently finished 6 th in the first race of the Maldon 5k series with a time of 18 minutes and 39 seconds. Very speedy, Craig!

The baseline race for our annual Micky Edwards handicap series has recently been run and already I can tell that it’s going to be an interesting and exciting one this year. Those that ran it gave it their all, with a special mention for Gary C who got round in just over the half hour mark. This man never gives up – nice one, Gary.

A total of 16 Bentley men raced at the Little Bromley 10k this year. This is a popular race as the quiet, flat rural lanes offer great potential for a quick times and many a PB has been made there. This year was no exception and the following guys all achieved PBs this year. Gavin Byrne (34.59), Flynn Eyre (37.15), Matt Illsley (39.08), James Eyre (39.44), and Gerry Gladden (41.08). Strong times gentlemen!

The dynamic duo of Martin Cotton and Mark Harris ran the Victoria Park half marathon. This lapped course is held on a regular basis in London’s Victoria Park. Martin completed the course in 2hours, 20 minutes 29 seconds and Mark had responsibility of being the 2.40 pacer, well done chaps.

Remaining in the city of London Robbie Lee ran the London landmarks half marathon which as the name suggests takes you past some of the more notable sights of the city. Despite having hamstring issues from quite early on in the race Robbie still made it round in a superb time of 1 hour 42 minutes 44 seconds.

Ash Coles took on his first marathon down in Brighton, everything was going well until around halfway when his calf began to cramp up. This didn’t stop him however and he completed the race in 4 hours and 32 minutes, a solid time for a first crack at a marathon.

Another Bentley runner that had issues during his marathon was Gavin Byrne. Gavin had entered the Manchester marathon with his sights on a sub 3 hour finish time. This unfortunately wasn’t to be as he suffered with stomach cramps and vomiting during the race meaning he didn’t get his target time but still finished almost bang on the 3 hour mark which is still incredibly rapid.

Mark Harris has been a busy boy this month as a couple of weeks after the Victoria parks half he ran the Manchester marathon for the British Heart Foundation and although he said it was more about getting it done than a finish time, and get it done he did, in a time of 4 hours 43 minutes.

Slightly further away than Manchester but still beginning with an ‘M’ Tim Clifton ran the Rock and Roll marathon all the way over in Madrid. According to Tim not only was it hot which you would expect it was incredibly hilly, which Tim did not expect. I guess the rock and roll bit was referring to the course profile not the entertainment enroute.

Finally, the big one, London marathon and this year was a record breaker with a total of 56,646 runners completing the 26.2 mile course, in the unseasonal 20 degree heat. Of those 56, 464 runners three of them were from Bentley, Doug Mcgillivray, Chris Warren and men’s captain Charlie Keitch. Doug went round in 3 hours and 3 minutes and although he enjoyed the experience, he did say that he preferred quieter more rural courses. Chris Warren also had a great race and managed to sneak under the magical 3 hour barrier. Charlie unfortunately didn’t have such a great race and like many others suffered with the heat of the day and although the chances of a sub 3 hour race or even a pb race slipped away he still dug deep and made it round in 3hours and 38 minutes.

Runners of the Month

This month’s male runner of the month has been on our radar since the start of the year as he has been steadily improving and putting in some impressive race times. He got in the Great Bentley top 10 for the 15-mile distance back in January with his time at the Folksworth 15, he came in the top 20 finishers at our XC race on Hilly fields, the following week he then ran his second fastest half marathon time at the Colchester half. All these were indicators of something special to come and thankfully we were right as Chris Warren you are runner of the month for your amazing performance at the London marathon this year. Not only did you go round in under 3 hours but with impeccable splits on a busy course on a hot day. A very well-deserved Runner of the month, congratulations Chris.

This month’s female runner of the month has blazed onto the GBRC scene in style, and doesn’t blue suit her? Following a stonking time at the Essex Road Relays, her first event representing the club, she ran sub 20-minute parkruns at both Colchester Castle parkrun and Felixstowe parkrun this month. Lots more to come from her, no doubt. Congratulations, Sarah Evans!