Welcome to GBRC!

Welcome to GBRC!

Our friendly club welcomes new members of all ages/abilities to join us for training and the opportunity to compete in the many races that we attend throughout the year. We have a very relaxed approach and you are welcome to train as little or as much as your schedule allows. Our training runs are structured to ensure that no one gets left behind, making them suitable for a broad mix of abilities. Currently, membership is £28 per year, £17 of which goes to England Athletics. That means you get all the benefits of the club for just £11 per year, including cross country, discounted race entry and numerous social events.

Opportunities to run

Our website http://www.gbrc.org.uk is updated weekly, giving details of upcoming training sessions.
Please check at https://gbrc.org.uk/category/training/

Monday (Clacton) / Tuesday (Colchester) – Hill training:
Colchester and Clacton area. It can be technique, endurance and takes in a variety of hills. Meet to start at 6:30 PM.

Wednesday – Club night at Great Bentley Village Hall:
This night starts with a short club meeting at 7:00 PM where previous and upcoming races are discussed and achievements are celebrated.
Then depending on time of year the following sessions may happen:
* Interval session
* Structured session – drills and technique to improve running, posture and endurance
* Tempo session – Running at a set pace over a distance of 5k or 5 miles. Groups will range from 7 minute miles to 10 minute miles. No one is left behind.
* 5 mile run – using a set route, sometimes with interval sessions of speed.

Each session will be briefly described by one of the GBRC coaching staff and information can also be found on the training section of the GBRC website. At the completion of the session, tea, coffee and soft drinks will be provided and there is an opportunity to chat with other members before heading home.

Thursday – Interval session:
Northern Gateway Cycle Track and the surrounding areas. Start at 6:00 PM

Friday – Morning run to start the day:
North Colchester area. Start at 7:30 AM

Sunday
Most Sunday mornings a group will meet to run at 8.30am. On offer are a range of distances and speeds. There is normally something for everyone. The locations vary each week so check the GBRC website/ Facebook page

Cross Country (XC)
Cross Country races are held regularly from October to February. GBRC belongs to the NESS league and it is great way to spend a Sunday morning. The men and women race at the same time over the same distance, approx 5 miles, but their results are recorded separately. The first 8 men score points and first 4 women score points. The job of the others taking part is to make sure runners from the other teams are behind them, so they score fewer points!

The points are then combined for an overall result.

Entry to XC is paid for by the club and the best bit is the camaraderie and homemade cake/hot drinks afterwards. There is also a junior league. See http://www.nessxc.org.uk/ for more details.

Great Bentley Trail Runs
Rodger Alexander puts a lot of time and effort into devising exciting trail runs around the Essex and Suffolk countryside. You get given a set of abbreviated instructions, a key to the abbreviations and then are set off in 2s/3s at intervals. You can also run as an individual. You are running against the clock to gain points but it is a really fun way to get out and see parts of the countryside you may never see otherwise. Distances range from 5 miles to 13 miles. They are held throughout the summer months. See website for more details.

Micky Edwards 5k series
During the spring/summer months a club 5k series is held. The first race is a baseline to determine your time. You are then given a handicap time for the next races so that we set off at different times and aim to all be back at nearly the same time. You are aiming to improve your own times and score points. Four out of the five races count. There are other local 5k series which you can join as well but Mickey Edwards is GBRC’s own special series.

GBRC Half Marathon
This annual event is held in February and attracts an entry of over 800 runners due to its flat fast course and first class organisation! As the organising club our priority is to ensure that this event is safe and enjoyable for all of the competitors, therefore all of the club members are invited to volunteer first, the volunteers are then entered in to a draw for a limited number of places in the race – you MUST volunteer in order to be considered for a place on the start line.

London Marathon
Each year the club are given access to a small number of places in the London Marathon. To be selected for one of these much sought after places you must first enter the public ballot for the London Marathon which opens for five days usually a week or so after the previous event. Notification of whether you have been successful or not are sent out in October. If you are unsuccessful in the public ballot you can put your name down for the draw for a club place. The draw for club places takes place at the club Annual Presentation Night in December.

Great Bentley Friday Five
This 5 mile race is held in July and forms part of the ‘Friday 5’ series. Again as the organising club our priority is to ensure that it continues to be a huge success for everyone involved and an army of volunteers are sought on the night for race control and to marshal the course or the car parks.

Club Championship
The Club Championships run throughout the year and awards are presented at the Annual Presentation Night to the fastest male and female at each distance in each age group. To qualify a time has to be recorded at an officially timed race or club event. Your age category is based on your age at the start of the club year.

Geoff Day Memorial 5k
Long-standing members of Great Bentley Running Club will remember Geoff Day and his achievements. His name appears at the top of all but one of the Great Bentley Running Club men’s “Top Ten” times. He was a lovely person and a gifted runner, coming first or second in many races. Sadly, his life was prematurely cut short. The inaugural Geoff Day Memorial 5k was run in 2015 and the winner was awarded the trophy by Geoff’s father Alan.

Other running opportunities
There are plenty of other races / events throughout the year for members to get involved in. Here are just a few:
National Cross Country Championships
Essex Vets
Essex Champs
Ekiden Relay
Speak to a committee member for further details

Official Club Kit
This can be ordered from Barbara Law on Wednesday evenings (Club night).
See website for more details: https://gbrc.org.uk/about/gbrckit/

Performance Standards
GBRC use an award scheme based on national running standards. Depending on your age you are given a time to aim for from distances ranging from 5k to marathon. Star Awards ranging from 1-5 with new times for each award. . As you move up into a new age category the times needed to achieve a standard will alter. When you achieve a standard you will receive a certificate. You only gain a standard once so then it’s time to work on the next one up! The standards can only be achieved in races that are recognised distances and timed. Anyone achieving a club standard will need to notify Sue McKay. If you fail to do this, a certificate will not be awarded.

Annual Presentation Night
This prestigious event takes place in December each year and is an opportunity to recognise the achievements of GBRC members over the previous 12 months. It also provides one of the many opportunities to socialise with other club members and share a running story or two over a festive beer.

Facebook and Twitter:
As well as the website http://www.grbc.org.uk GBRC use Twitter and Facebook as a convenient and social way of keeping everyone up to date with what is going on. The Facebook page is a privet group so if you wish to join become friends with a member of the committee and then they can invite you to join the group. It is a good sounding board for running tips, opinions and encouragement. It is also where you can share race times and PBs for the race reporter to use in weekly write ups. The twitter page https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=GtBRC allows you to keep up to date with race information. Or find as on Twitter @GtBRC

Runner of the Month
Each month the captain’s write a newsletter detailing what has happened that month. It is a way of giving recognition for efforts and achievements by runners no matter what the distance. They conclude their newsletter with their runner of the month. This is given to a person deserving of extra recognition for their achievements or determination to succeed.

GBRC Who’s who?

Chairperson: Paul Davison

Vice Chairperson: Paul Carlisle

Men’s Captain: Rob Dyer

Ladies’ captain: Meera Rajoo-Oakley

Men’s Vice Captain: Charlie Keitch

Ladies’ Vice Captain: Lisa Briggs

Secretary: Magdalena Komorowska

Membership Secretary: Nicholas Goodman

Treasurer: Eileen Shadford

Race Directors:
Mel Willsmore – Half Marathon,
Matt Laverack – Friday 5,
Meera Rajoo-Oakley – Cross Country

Course and Equipment Director – Rodger Alexander