This is my first Captains newsletter (quite possibly my last!!) so forgive me if I have missed anyone and many congratulations to our Runners of the Month but first some News and Notices.
News and Notices:
New Members
We would like to welcome the following new members who have recently joined our Club:
David Parry, Emma Gosling, Shannon Ryan, Sarah- Jane Bennett and Julie Willats.
Club Kit
Don’t forget you can now order any club kit online or collect in person at our supplier Red Hot Source Ltd, Old Forge Court, Elmstead Market CO7 7EA. http://www.redhotsource.co.uk/greatbentleyrunningclub
GBRC Trail Runs!
The GBRC trail runs are back and once again the incredible Rodger has devised four more glorious and hopefully not too challenging trail runs for us to enjoy over the coming months.
The details for the first one are now available to download from our website and will be until the end of the month when they will be replaced by next month’s instructions.
On completion of all four you will be able to claim a free “I trailed them all” T-shirt. To be eligible to get your hands on one of these shirts then you must text Rodger at the beginning and end of each run with your time taken and the answers to the questions he sets for each route. These trail runs aren’t just for our members either so if you have friends or family who aren’t Bentley members (please contact me for membership enquiry!!) then get them involved as well. They too can claim a T-shirt on completion of all four runs however they must purchase them.
If you wish to add a competitive edge to these runs, then there is a trophy and champions t-shirt up for grabs for the fastest time achieved over all four courses. More details can be found with the link below.
https://gbrc.org.uk/our-races/great-bentley-trail-runs/
Micky Edwards 5K
There has been the baseline race, and two heats completed for this year’s Micky Edwards handicap series, and there has been some impressive running achieved so far.
There are still two races left of the series so good luck to those of you that are steadily bringing those 5K times down, and to anyone whose yet to have a go come along and get involved even if it’s just a chance to have a crack at a fast flat 5K with fellow members on a summers evening.
If you don’t fancy running one of these races but still want to get involved, then Charlie is always on the lookout for willing volunteers to help marshal, to offer your services please email menscaptain@gbrc.org.uk or respond to the messages on our WhatsApp page.
The remaining two dates are:
Wednesday 17th June – 3rd handicap
Wednesday 24th June – Final handicap
Geoff Day Memorial 5K
Wednesday 8th July. We are planning on having a BBQ and Paella after the race. Everyone is welcome and you can just come along to the BBQ if you do not want to run and feel free to bring a friend or family members. Keep an eye on your inboxes for further details including dietary requirements etc and a call out for marshals.
Great Bentley Friday 5- Friday 3rd July
This popular Friday 5 series is underway, and our own Friday 5 is the final race in the series- please do not enter this one but keep the date free as Scott Young (RD) will be looking for marshals for both the Junior and Senior race. There will be a ballot for those wanting to run which will be drawn once Scott has enough volunteers for the race, if you are selected to run you will be given a role at the junior race which once finished will give you enough time to get to the start line for the senior race.
Ekiden Relays- Sunday 5th July
The entry date for this event is now closed and a big thank you to Donna Harris for sorting out the teams. All entrants have now been confirmed and paid for. Further details regarding the event day (5th July) will be sent nearer the time.
What the Ladies did this Month- Our Blue Belles were out in full bloom this month!
Donna Parker- Evans completed the Great Birmingham 10K and then the Manchester 10k at the end of the month with Lorraine Adams. Leoni Harvey completed the Milton Keynes Half after literally stepping off the plane following an 11-day all-inclusive holiday in Mexico!! Larina Marsh took on the Milton Keynes marathon and bagged another PB 4:38:22 (her fastest marathon to date!) Apparently, she would have been faster had she not stopped for a comfort break at mile 19….
Debs Hollidge ran the Halstead Marathon 4:19 and came away with an Essex Champs Medal although there was a slight mix up with the medal which hopefully has now been rectified! Mags Komorowska also completed the Halstead Marathon 3:53:38 having also ran London 2 weeks before!! Katie Collin completed the St Neots Sprint Tri and totally smashed it finishing 10th out of 29 females and 2nd in age cat. Claire Poole was also in action at this sprint Tri. Caroline Dyer ran the Copenhagen Marathon with a massive 34 mins PB (4:00:43) Aimee Macleod ran her first ever race wearing her lovely new GBRC t shirt at the Ipswich Twilight 5k. Rosie Young completed the Colchester Stampede which was hot and hilly! Jess Gould ran the Newmarket half marathon coming in just under 2 hours. We saw lots of our ladies at the Colchester 10k where Emma Gladden ran a huge PB in 53:13. Sarah Blewden ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon. A huge congratulations to Fiona Gosling who completed the LDWA Honeypot (or now known as “Honeyhot”)100 and a special mention to Helene Tyler who made the very wise decision to retire from the event completing an incredible 60 miles.
ParkRuns- Helene Tyler and Bee Brent headed to Pymmes Park Run. Sammy and Martin Cotton had a little jaunt down to Canvey Island for the inaugural Thorney Bay Beach parkrun. Donna, Ella Harris and Laura Cook got up close and personal with a green marshal at Rendlesham Park Run. Mags was 1st Lady at Cyclopark (Kent) having ran Gydnia (PL) parkrun the week before! Caroline Searle completed Dublin’s Fairview. Donna Parker- Evans is still questioning the description of Telford parkrun as apparently it is flat but not in her opinion! Talking of hills Bee Brent and Laura Cook visited Christchurch parkrun which is apparently another hilly one!! Donna, Mark, Sammy and Martin were at Pont y Bala where both Donna and Martin secured PB’s.
Runner of the Month
Well done Ladies what a glorious May you have all had. Bring on June! For both Donna and I one lady really has stood out this month which brings us to our Ladies Runner of the Month. This lady consistently trains hard and is always giving 100% to the Club’s training sessions particularly on a Thursday night, also performing well at our Mickey Edwards race. She is a very supportive member of our Ladies squad and this month we saw all her hard work and training rewarded at the Halstead Marathon where she was awarded a Silver County Champs Medal. Congratulations Debs Hollidge you are our Ladies Runner of the Month.
What the Men did this Month- by Jon Mann
· The tale of two Chris’s as both Chris Warren and Christopher Thornton ran the Milton Keynes marathon their times were 3hrs 5mins and 3hr 40mins respectively and it was Christopher Thorntons third time racing at Milton Keynes, both amazing times gents.
· Rob Dyer ran at the Copenhagen marathon and despite thinking he wouldn’t be able to make it round at the start of the race, he did complete it and in a sterling time of 4hrs 43secs
· Dan Palmer took on the Ultra trail Snowdonia a 58.6k monster that goes up Snowdonia twice, he battled high winds and driving to complete this challenge in 12hrs 52mins, very impressive Dan
· Robbie Lee hacked round the Hackney half marathon in a time of hr 45mins 48secs.
· Two very busy bees are Steve Bullen and Paul Smith who between them have raced in the following, Ipswich twilight 5K, Stort 10, Witham May Day 10, Kirton 5 mile, Colchester 10k, Harwich 5k series, Maldon 5k series are own Micky Edwards 5k series, Framlingham 5 mile, keep up the great work gents!
· Tim Clifton went back-to-back racing in Helsinki when he ran their Friday night 5 mile race then only 12hrs later completed the city marathon in 5hrs 13mins despite have Achillies, truly unstoppable.
· The Kirton 5 Miler was the first race of this year’s Friday 5 series, four men from Bentley entered the race and our finish times are as follows, Paul Smith 49mins 18secs, Charlie Keitch 34mins 22secs, Steve Bullen 31mins 47secs, Jon Mann 30mins 11secs (course and 5-mile PB)
· Paul ‘Ironman’ Arnold scored a huge pb at Outlaw Nottingham completing the 1.2mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and a half marathon distance run in under 6 hours
· Tomasz Komorowski came in a staggering 14th place at the Hunnypot 100 after walking, not staggering the 100 mile route.
Runner of the Month
For this this month’s Runner of the month Charlie and I decided to turn the spotlight on one of our newer members. He showed up for the Micky Edwards baseline run and got a pb time of 18mins 31secs. He then went on to shave a further 20secs off that in the first leg that’s why Andrew Lanham is May’s Runner of the Month, well done Andy!
Great Bentley Running Club 