Sunday morning on the hills

On Sunday 27th December thirteen Buckly Runners plus a dog met in the middle car park at Moel Famau for an unusual Sunday morning run.

The road up was officially closed (so the sign said) the car park was definitely closed (it was a sheet of ice) and that was a warning. Conditions on the main track were dodgy, so we decided to drop down through the forest to the lower track. After that it was a great run. Not exactly hard training with a mix of quicker and "value for money" runners, but very enjoyable. The horizontal ice crystals that hit us coming down from the summit were less than pleasant. But we got round and enjoyed ourselves. The tea and cheesecake and mince pies in the car park were all the better because of the difficult conditions.

A good event. Thanks to everyone for turning up.

Best wishes for twenty-ten..

Rob

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone,

Dave

Helena Tipping 10k

A big field of 335 this year, with conditions much better than forecast - although there was a bit of mud and a slight headwind for the final mile. A good handful of Buckley Runners turned out, with Jez Brown finishing 11th overall and 2nd v35 in 35:47. Simon Roberts was 16th overall and 3rd v35 in 36:13, with Erika 54th overall and 2nd SW in 39:11. Next came Paul Stinton, 68th in 40:22, Michael Jones 132nd in 44:11, Jack Thomas 182nd and 3rd v65 in 47:01, Margaret Ludden 219th in 49:05 and Rob Davies 236th in 50:38. Let me know if I missed anyone (I was recorded twice in the results, so there may have been a few errors!) Simon R.

Helena Tipping

So how did it go today ?

Dave

Swinton Women's Run - 29 November 5.25 miles

Ann and I travelled over to Manchester for the Women's race, 5.25 mile road (pavement) race.
Very friendly event and really well organised, I don't think I have seen so many marshalls in a race - they seemed to be on every street corner.

Most of the entries were from club runners, including some big Manchester clubs such as Sale Harriers. We were both pleased with our places. 186 women ran, Ann came 131st and I came in 45th place.

Posted by Sue

WFRA North Wales Series 2009

Congratulations to John Morris, prize winner in this series for 2009 (2nd Male V60)

posted by Sue

Twenty Second British and Irish Masters Cross Country

Many congratulations to Peter Roberts on his outstanding performance along with other Welsh athletes in Birmingham earlier this month.
The going was pretty claggy and windy by all accounts making racing anything but a piece of cake. Nonetheless the prize was a bronze medal. A fuller report can be found on the Welsh A.A. site.
Chris H.

Conwy Half Marathon

Fantastic set of results for Buckley's men in the first year of this new event.

682 runners finished

Jez Brown 11th 1.17.43
John Pares 19th 1.21.09
Simon Roberts 24th 1.22.30
Matthew Rose 27th 1.23.18
Jonathon Bradshaw 36th 1.25.17
Paul Donaghue 65th 1.27.13
Paul Stinton 74th 1.30.29
Steve Bellis 106th 1.34.0
Jack Thomas 308th 1.47.53
Mark Pares 336th 1.51.38

Well done!!

posted by Sue

Follow this link for the Conwy Half Marathon Results. www.supplyprint.co.uk (results are bottom left). Tougher than expected run along the cycle path to Llandudno, round the Great Orme and back to Conwy. OK, maybe I was just having an off day as Jez got a PB. Buckley Runners were....great, their site has just gone down so I can't give you all the positions and times. I can tell you that, in addition to Jez, I saw Simon Roberts, Matt Rose (Rose Mayhew!?!), Paul Stinton, Paul Donoghue, Mark Pares, Steve Bellis, Jack Thomas.

Does anyone know if there was a team prize because we were certainly the first club with 3 and 4 finishers.

While I'm waiting I might as well do a quick review: organisation was a bit shabby - too few toilets, not enough parking, delayed start, not enough drink stations. The start was also very narrow - people who stood at the back must have taken a long time to get over the line. On the plus side, the marshalling was good, decent goody bags, and the course certainly delivered on the promised scenic views.

Slaters 5

Well done to all the Buckley ladies (and Mike Jones) who competed in the Slaters 5 race at Abergele on Sunday.

Erika led the team home in 32.57 to win the Senior Ladies category. The Ladies team comprising of Erika, Fen (39.07), Margaret (39.57) and Alison (51.21) took the third team prize. Second home for Buckley was Mike who finished in a time of 35.23

Posted by Sue

Clwydian hills

We were all expecting some real punishment on the proposed new course for this race, so it was a disappointment to hear that it had been shortened due to 'bad weather' (particularly for those who have reccied the new course). In the event, it was quite a fast outing along the bridleway from Cilcain, briefly down the Vale of Clwyd side, and then back over the ridge to another short, sharp climb above the reservoir. A good turnout from the club, with Jez Brown finishing 4th in 46.30, Simon Roberts 9th in 47.40, Paul Stinton (for CRR) 41st in 54.17, followed by the trio of Pete R, John M and Huw - finishing 46th, 47th and 48th in 55m (Pete and John 1st and 2nd M60). Then came Chris H 63rd in 58.51, Rob M 82nd in 67.18 and Sue R 83rd in 75.43 (1st in cat?). Simon R.

Club Championship Race Lsit 09\10 Amendment

Due to the Penmaenmawr Fell Race being the day before the border league, the Clwydian Hills Race has now been moved to the extreme category (due to its new course), and Llangynhafal Loop Fell Race 27th March 2010 will be added to the Fell category.

Any queries speak to John Morris

Original Mountain Marathon, Elan Valley

After the media frenzy surrounding this event last year in the Lake District ('2000 runners unaccounted for'), the weather was relatively benign for this year's event in mid Wales - just gale force winds at the overnight camp, and squally showers throughout. The usual 3000+ runners left Gilfach in drizzle on Saturday morning and enjoyed two days of interesting, quite remote terrain - characterised by huge tussocks and thigh-deep bogs. Huw Lewis and partner finished a very respectable 44th (I think) in the medium score class, with Simon Roberts and partner 58th in the long score class. Both were also involved in last year's chaos, so this was a pleasant change!

Snowdonia Marathon

Wasn't there myself so only putting this together from info on the websites (disclaimer in case I get anything wrong !!) so hopefully one of the guys can add their comments.

Looks like the marathon had some interesting weather again i.e. strong winds and rain ( see http://www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk/snowdonmarathon2009.html )

Results can be found on http://www.tdl.ltd.uk/index.php

John Pares was first in at 3:01
then Shaun with 3:27
and Paul D with 3:53

Well done to all three - sorry if I've missed anyone

Dave

Chester Tri Border League

The race at the Waverton venue was probably the best turnout ever of Buckley Runners at a Border League with 21 men and 7 ladies. It was great to see so many out, with so many good performances. It was delightful to see Mark Pares and Chris Wilman running in their first league race.
Some fine performances on this fast course saw Buckley men in second place (390 points) close behind Wirral on 353. Both clubs have a significant lead over West Cheshire with 631 points. The ladies were a strong fourth, in a close competition and the veterans 6th.
The individual results are listed below. Congratulations on a fine effort all round.
Rob.
First Column is overall position
Second column is position in men’s race
10 10 Jez Brown, 33:20
16 16 John Bradshaw, 33:33
20 20 Matthew Rose, 33:41
31 31 John Pares, 34:53
35 35 Simon Roberts, 34:57
37 37 Simon Edwards, 35:01
49 48 Shaun Hooson, 35:35
57 56 Daniel Hollingworth, 36:05
61 59 David Boothroyd, 36:25
83 78 Paul Stinton, 37:27
92 86 James Pickering, 38:00
96 90 Steve Bellis, 38:19
98 92 Paul Donoghue, 38:23
106 98 Chris Wilman, 38:46
108 100 Huw Lewis, 38:57
148 135 Mike Jones, 40:41
150 137 Chris Higgins, 40:44
183 164 John Morris, 41:59
225 189 Mark Pares, 44:20
241 197 Jack Thomas, 45:13
257 206 Rob Mackey, 46:12
First Column is overall position
Second column is position in ladies race
84 6 Erika Robinson, 37:27
173 19 Dawn Urquhart, 41:32
200 25 Jane Lindley, 42:40
231 39 Fenella Higgins, 44:40
242 45 Margaret Ludden 45:21
273 61 Hazel Dirksen, 47:46

X Country Results

Bridgnorth X Country Results and a link to the Cross Country website are available on the Wrexham Road Runners website

posted by Sue

North Wales x Country League Race 2 - Bridgnorth - Saturday 10th October

The second round of the cross-country league was in Bridgnorth. Despite the long journey (over hour and half from Buckley) we had a strong team out with 7 ladies and 11 men; the best turnout for ages. It was really good to see everybody there. Thanks for making the effort.
The venue was a revival, the league was held there many years ago. The course was a combination of flat, short grass and rough hilly field. A good course on a lovely sunny afternoon.
Reports seemed mixed, some people had good runs and some were not happy. Looking forward to seeing the team results. Well done everybody
Hope Les’ ankle is mending.
Pictures are on FaceBook!

Ladies
Erika Robinson finished 10th in 20m23s
Dawn Urquhart 23rd in 22m34s,
Jane Lindley 38th in 23m47s,
Fenella Higgins 44th in 24m36s,
Margaret Ludden 45th in 24m45s,
Hazel Dirksen 60th in 27m
Sue Ridings 65th in 27m31s.

Men
John Bradshaw led the way finishing 31st in 35m42s
Daniel Hollingsworth 75th in 38m56s,
Paul Stinton 77th in 39m05s,
Les Coathup 80th in 39m10s,
Huw Lewis 86th in 39m52s,
Paul Donoghue 92nd in 40m40s,
Pete Roberts 95th in 40m52s,
Chris Willman 102nd in 41m30s,
Mike Jones 129th in 44m06s,
Chris Higgins 130th in 44m07s
Rob Mackey 151st in 52m20s.

Posted by Rob. Thanks for doing the results Dawn.

Flintshire Wheelbarrow Race.

If I’d known Buckley would win so many medals I would have taken a wheelbarrow. Seven men and six ladies ran the Flintshire 10K last Sunday, and brought home loads of medals
The ladies won the team prize and the men were second. Jez was 7th in 35.06, Dave Boothroyd was 25th in 38.58, with James Pickering close behind in 28th just 9 seconds behind. Erica put in a superb performance with a PB of 39.23 in 32nd place. Chris Willman had another fine run in 40th place with 40.29, with Chris Higgins 71st in 43.06 and Dawn was 82nd in 43.53. John Pares ran both races, accompanying his daughter in the 3k event, then ran the 10K in 46.24 with his son (they were 115th and 116th). Fenn 125th in 46.56, Margaret 147th in 48.20 followed by Rob (164th in 49.19), Hazel (202nd in 52.00) and the welcome return of Ann (302nd in 1.08.22)
It was another good event albeit a bit expensive to enter. The weather was kind to the quicker runners, but those of us who like to get value for money got very wet either just after we finished or while we were still running. The day finished with the usual gathering to drink tea and chat, and to collect a barrow load of medals!
I was disappointed that my son decided not to run, I had been looking forward to a father vs son run. But having played rugby on Saturady and faced with paying £14 he declined! Moral victory to me. And I was reasonably happy with my time, better than recent efforts in the same race, but not hampered by having run XC the day before.
Sorry results are a bit late but Flintshire’s web-site has had some gremlins and has refused to display the results.
Rob

Colwyn Bay X Country Results

Results from race can be found on Wrexham Road Runners website

Rab mountain marathon, Howgill Fells

This event is still relatively new to the mountain marathon timetable, but is growing rapidly - with around 500 runners descending on the pleasant town of Sedbergh last Friday night. A superb cloud inversion heralded a great day on the Saturday, with the usual intriguing route choice options requiring full concentration and a great deal of hard running and climbing throughout the six hours available. The checkpoints were spread across the range, from just below the summit of The Calf to featureless moorland near Tebay Service Station. A sun-drenched campsite near Cautley Spout waterfall offered a welcome opportunity to rest and chat before setting off again on Sunday: not to mention a highly controversial opportunity to refuel with burger and chips at a nearby cafe - only the purists refused! Chris and Fenella Higgins were competing as a team in the mixed vet category, with Huw Lewis and partner in the Vets, and Simon Roberts competing solo in the Senior Males (the Rab is the only MM to allow solo competitors, but doesn't give them a seperate category, it just mixes them up with the pairs). The second day dawned misty and stayed cloudy throughout, but more superb running and tricky decision making throughout. One classic mountain marathon moment saw me poised above a big valley with 30 minutes to go, desperately trying to decide whether I could squeeze in two horrendously difficult controls at the bottom of a deep valley - the sort of dilemma that defines these events. In the end I opted to play it safe, but missed a podium place as a result! At the end of the two days, Chris and Fenella finished 23rd in the mixed vets with 180 pts overall. Huw and partner finished 22nd in the vets with 345 points, while Simon Roberts finished 7th senior male with 455 points.

Cross Country at Colwyn Bay - Sat 26th - Result

What a result! A huge thank you to everybody who ran and congratualtions on an excellent result. 6 ladies and 11 men is impressive with some impressive perfomances too. A great start to the season, if we can keep it up we could get promoted back to div 1.

And we had one of those excellent Buckley Runners moments - sitting on the grass in the park after the race drink tea in the sunshine. Good company, just relaxing, absolutley great.

Next race is Telford on 10th - at Lilleshall I think.

Ladies Race
12th Erika Robinson 18m28s
24th Dawn Urquhart 19m41s
45th Jane Lindley 21m12s
67th Margaret Ludden 22m47s
74th Sue Ridings 23m24s

Mens Race

34th Matthew Rose ?
72nd Daniel Hollingsworth 36m42s
76th Les Coathup 36m50s
83rd Dave Boothroyd 37m09s
93rd James Pickering 38m00s
103rd Paul Donoghue 38m37s
125th Pete Roberts 40m04s
133rd Chris Willman 40m40s
157th John Morris 42m29s
177th Rob Mackey 47m51s

Posted by Rob. Thanks to Dawn for the results.

More on John Pares' Commonwealth Ultra Champs

Race Report Commonwealth 24 Hour Championship (John Pares, Buckley Runners and Wales)

The first ever Commonwealth Ultra Distance and Mountain Running Championship was held in Keswick, England, on 17th to 20th September. There were four events: two hill races, a 100km race and my event, the 24 hour race. All were being trialled for inclusion in the main Commonwealth Games in 2018.

The pre-race favourite was Martin Fryer of Australia with a PB of 155 miles. Other strong contenders were: Chris Finnill (England) and Jo Blake (Australia) both with 151 miles, Stephen Mason (Scotland) with 149 miles and Jim Rogers (England) and myself, both with 147 miles.

I went into the race the best prepared I’d ever been, both mentally and physically and had hopes of a medal. I’d completed over 1,500 miles in 14 weeks of training and had completed three training runs of 40, 50 and 60 miles respectively. Much of it had been over hilly terrain in North Wales, where I live, and Zurich (Switzerland) where I work most weeks. It had been a gruelling schedule to fit in around work and family. While in Zurich my life was generally: Wake – run – eat – work – run – eat – work - sleep (repeat!). I’d also spent a lot of time getting mentally prepared as this event has a lot to do with mind over matter and how to keep going when you are physically exhausted and your body is just crying out for rest.

The course in Keswick was perfect and consisted of a 1km lap of Fitz Park. This may seem boring to most people but it was ideal for us as the support, food and drink were never far away and the other runners were all within reach. This last point was important as this is a very social event – the ultrarunning community is quite small and close, and everybody supports everybody else, even their closest competitors.

The early leader was Jo Blake, a natural 100km runner, who had decided to go off fast and then take it a bit easier in the second half. Chris Carver (England) also started quickly. However, early pace and position generally has no relevance to the final outcome of these races. I felt very good myself, apart from a stiff neck and shoulders (thanks to Sharon Woods for a massage before and during the race which helped ease it off), and started slightly quicker than my target pace. By midnight the order was Blake, Pares, Fryer with Carver and Mason very close. John Pearson (Australia) Pat Robbins (England), Guy Gilbert (Canada) and Jim Rogers were also in the mix. Most of us were using a combination of run and walk to kep up a decent pace but also to allow for some rest.

The walk breaks were also important for eating and drinking. My intake was mashed potato, custard, jelly, rice-crispie squares, mars bars as well as water, coke and energy drinks. Dic Evans, of Aberystwyth, was my ‘corner’ and he did a great job of keeping me fed and watered but also focused and motivated.

At around 7pm I stopped to put on a long-sleeve shirt and have a neck and shoulder massage. At midnight I had a massage on my legs and picked up my i-pod to listen to some music. Unfortunately I felt cold leaving the massage table and struggled to maintain my pace. The music was too much of a distraction and I got rid of the i-pod by 3am. These early hours of the morning were my worst period. I had been closing on Blake who had slowed but the others were also closing on me. By dawn there was less than 3km between second and fifth (Fryer, Blake, Pares, Carver, Mason) and I knew that I would have to work hard for the medal. A 5am bowl of porridge helped get me going.

By now my legs were really sore and, following a discussion with Dic, I decided to stop for another massage. It was a risk, as I would lose at least one lap and the sight of me lying on the treatment table could have been a real boost for my competitors. This was a really painful massage and I was yelping out loud as the physio poked and prodded all the lumps in my legs and hips. When I got off the table I could hardly walk and thought, “oh no – big mistake.” I started walking, then jogging and finally running and then started to flow, the massage had been a success after all. I started to open a gap on the athletes behind but, having got within 2 minutes of Blake, he suddenly woke up and took off. Stephen Mason also found some new energy during the morning and kept very closely in touch, bringing the gap down to less than 3km at one point.

For the final few hours I kept my mind on maintaining third place. We decided I needed a 3km gap with 1.5 hours to go and I would be OK. Mason un-lapped himself again and I just hung on the back of him so he couldn’t do it again. Eventually his challenge waned and, by 10.30 I was 5km ahead and going strong. Carver was some way behind, Blake had pulled 5km clear and Fryer was chasing a new Commonwealth record.

The last hour was superb. Much of the Welsh team had appeared during the morning and they were now cheering me on. I wanted to make my target of 150 miles and, with 30 minutes to go I needed another 3 laps. At this point Dic told me there was a difference between the electronic and manual lap-counting and I might need another 5km. I found some renewed bounce in my legs and set off, managing to time my run to just finish the 5km with seconds to spare. The added bonus was that I finished just over the start line, where all the crowds were, waving the Welsh flag and it felt like I was actually winning the race.

I collapsed into a seat and burst into tears – I had won a commonwealth Bronze Medal. This was definitely the height of my running career so far. It was a good personal best distance and will probably put me in the top 10 of the World Rankings this year.

I was then able to enjoy the rest of the weekend – watching the finish of the 100km race on Saturday and even climbing up the hill to watch the mountain race on Sunday (unfortunately Wales just missed out on a team bronze). The medal ceremony on Sunday night was one of the best experiences of my life. I enjoyed every minute and the whole team looked great in the new kit (thanks to new sponsors Under Armour). Also special thanks to Arwel Lewis of Eryri (Team Manager) and Andy Walling (Physio).

Result (http://www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org/)

Men

Gold: Martin Fryer Australia 159.0375 miles
Silver: Jo Blake Australia 154.7948 miles
Bronze: John Pares Wales 151.8559 miles

Women

Gold: Sharon Gayter England 140.7403 miles
Silver: Vicky Skelton England 132.1615 miles
Bronze: Susannah Harvey-Jamieson Australia 128.6171 miles

Teams

Men Women

1. Australia 1. England
2. England 2. Australia
3. Scotland 3. Scotland



Contact

John Pares (T: 07713 793520, E: johnpares@tiscali.co.uk)
Ty Gwyn
Cilcain Road
Gwernaffield
Mold
Flints
CH7 5DQ

Cross Country at Colwyn Bay - Sat 26th

Don't forget the first race in the XC season is on Saturday. It would be great to make a strong start to the season, we need as many runners out as possible. We know we are missing a number of people who are at other, bigger, events, so we need you.

We will car-share to save parking, fuel, the planet etc. And to make it more enjoyable. Please meet in the car park in Northop (the one in the middle of the village - not the college) at 12.30 and we will sort out lifts.

See you there.

Rob

John Pares - superstar!

John has just taken the bronze medal at the commonwealth 24hour race in Keswick posting a peronal best of 244.377 km (=152 miles)

Truly amazing

congratulations John.


There seems to be a problem with the official timing but see this website for the results
http://williamsichel.wordpress.com/category/commonwealth-championships/

Wirral Multi Terrain - Race 3, Thurstaston - 15 Sept

The weather was better, the run on the beach was worse ......

The third race in the series took runners onto the beach which was a combination of soft sand and pebbles (twice) followed by a mile along the Wirral Country Way.

147 men and 54 ladies took part, the results for the Buckley team are:

Pete 50th 33.54 (First in age category)
Paul D 72nd 34.54
John M 100th 36.57
Rob 132nd 40.41
Sue 40th female place 44.01

Lake Vyrnwy - Remembering Doug - Half Marathon - 13 September

Well done to the three Buckley Runners who took part:

Steve Bellis 1.37.05
Ian Jones 1.48.36
Suzanne Brierley 2.20.27


posted by Sue

Stretton Skyline

As long fell races go, the Stretton Skyline is a fairly gentle and civilised affair - taking in all the scenic hills that encircle the town of Church Stretton in Shropshire. It's 19 miles, but with a relatively small amount of climbing (4500ft) up Long Mynd (twice!), Ragleth, Caer Caradog and The Lawley. Simon Roberts came 12th (I think!) in the race on Sunday, missing the 3 hour barrier by one minute. Perfect sunny weather and an excellent friendly event with around 100 runners from many different clubs and areas.

Dyfi 8 - Saturday 12 September

The race was held from the Tan y Coed Picnic site between Corris and Machynlleth. The course was approximately 8 miles run soley on forest roads rising continously for 3 miles, dropping down fo a mile around a ridge before climbing again for a mile and then downhill to the finish.

Thankfully in the heat of the day a lot of the route was in the shade of the trees. The views in the parts of the race were stunning. The race was well marked, two much needed water stations and wonderful tea and cake afterwards.

29 runners took part, Jack Thomas finished 15th in 1.09.19 and Sue Ridings 25th in 1.25.48. Both picking up a prize of a 'micro fibre' sports towel for their efforts. Special prize of the day went to a gentleman called Tom in the Vet 85 category - 2hrs 14 mins

The event was organised by Brenda Roberts from Bro Dysynni who was disappointed with only 29 runners, we tried to assure her it was a race worthwhile continuing and we would spread the word.

Posted y Sue

Wirral Multi Terrain - Race 2, Harrison Drive, 8 Sept

The weather was a complete contrast to the previous week, in fact it was awful, very windy and rainy, most runners sat in their cars until the last minute, However at 7pm the beach suddenly filled up with just over 200 runners for the second race of the series. The route took us along the beach, over the dunes and back again. Luckily the wind was behind us on the return leg.

Buckley men has a full team for the evening, finishing in 13th out of 40 teams. Individual results:

Dave Boothroyd 45th (29.36)
Huw Lewis 49th (29.47)
Paul Donaghue 70th (31.03)
Pete Roberts 74th (31.26)
John Morris 97th (32.37)

149 men in total ran and Pete was first in his age category.

Sue was 46th lady out of 57 runners in 40.12

Posted by Sue

Llyn Brenig Multi Terrain Race - 5 September

Three Buckley Runners entered the 9 mile Llyn Brenig race on Saturday afternoon. The route takes you round the lake and across the dam to finish. Jez Brown (2nd race in 24 hours) was first home in 5th place in 56.43, Jack Thomas 77.59 and Sue Ridings 87.18. All three being first in their respective age categories.

Wirral Multi Terrain - Royden Park

Huw, John, Pete and Sue competed in the first of the Wirral Multi Terrain races on 1 September. 148 men and 67 women took part. The 4.69 mile course was virtually all off road, two laps with a slight climb over sandstone rocks to a view at Thuraston overlooking the Dee. First home for Buckley in the men's race was Huw (34th) 33.20, Pete (48th) 34.33 and John Morris (81st)in 36.42. Sue was 42nd lady in a time of 44.10.

Deeside Off-road Series

0ff Road Grand Prix” Race No4 3rd September 2009

A slightly dissapointing night with fewer runners than for other races in the series and fewer awards than previous years. But numbers were down for all clubs - turnout was well below the average, perhaps a lot of people still in holiday mode and two events on the following day both of which we well attended by Buckley Runners.

However there were some good results on the night so we kept the Buckley flag flying: -
7th Jez Brown in 28:50
22nd Stephen Bellis in 33:37
27th Paul Donoghue in 34:12
28th Paul Stinton in 34:19
52nd Margaret Ludden in 40:28


And some good results in the series too: -
2nd Senior Men Jez Brown 18pts
1st Male Vet 55 Stephen Bellis 61pts
3rd Lady Vet 45 Margaret Ludden 169pts

Posted by Rob - who wasn't there either!!!!

Nesscliffe Nasty Saturday 5th

The Nesscliffe Nasty has a new route - it is nastier than the old one. When asked if he approved John Morris said "Excellent, it sorted the fell runners from the speed on the flat brigade". The new route includes a set of steps up to the top of the hill and a steep plunge back down. The climb is exciting as the rock climbers on our left wonder why, and we peer over the 100 foot drop to our right as we climb.A great improvement on the old route.

As you would expect from Oswestry it was very well organised. The course was well marked and marshalled, first aid was in the right place and the tea and food was plentiful and cheap. The results service was excellent, prizes were given out almost before the queue for tea and cakes had dissappeared and copies of the results sheets were passed around while the prizes were being given out. Full marks to Oswestry Olympians.

And the results for Buckley. Five of us turned up: -
Pete Roberts 18th in 38.39 (1st M65)
John Morris 32nd in 41.33 (3rd M65)
Chris Higgins 35th in 42.00
Dawn Urquart 37th in 42.23 (4th lady and prize as senior lady I think)
Rob Mackey 59th in 46.30 (2nd M60)
Fenn Higgins 60th in 46.37 (5th female)

Another good day out. Well done everybody

Posted by Rob

Cilcain mountain race

Results not yet out for the Moel Famau (Cilcain show) race on Bank Holiday monday, but one fact can be stated with certainty: yet another excellent turnout from Buckley for this most local of local fell races. Results usually come through on the Show's website (if memory from previous years serves me right), although it's anyone's guess when this might be. Seemed a stronger field than last year, so first finisher Simon Edwards did well to sneak into the top 10 (or thereabouts!). Simon R was a couple of places back, closely followed by some very strong finishes from the likes of Dave Boothroyd, Steve Bellis, Paul Stinton, Shaun Hoosen, James Pickering, Rob M, the Higgins, Jack Thomas and no doubt several others (let me know if I missed anybody!) - Simon R.

Dates for your diaries

Please can you note these dates and put them in yourdiary.

The leagues are very important. In the Borders we have aposition to maintin and even go one better! The cross country we need to get back to Division One. We have the talent to do it. So come along and run for your club the club. First Race is only 3 weeks away.

And think of the money you can save. League races are free to enter! At £5 per race that is £60 over a season. At £10 per race that is £120. Bargain!!!!! See you there.

Nearer the time we will do some organising to share cars.

Sunday 18 October 09 Chester Tri
Sunday 15 November 09 Wallasey
Sunday 3 January 10 Tattenhall
Sunday 14 February 10 Abergele
Sunday 14 March 10 Wrecsam Tri
Sunday 11 April 10 Prestatyn
Wednesday 28 April 10 Deestriders (inc presentation evening).

NW Cross Country League dates and venues for 2009/2010

Saturday 26th November 09 Colwyn B
Saturday 10th October 09 Telford (Lilleshall??)
Saturday 21st November 09 Bangor
Saturday 16th January 10 Wrexham
Saturday 6th February 10 Oswestry (inc presentation)

North Wales Cross Country Championships

Saturday 9th January 2010 at Rhug Estate, Corwen

Buckley Runners AGM Thursday 28th January (venue to be agreed)

Posted by Rob Mackey

Results

I just wanted to apologise for Buckley Runners Race Results not being in the paper for the last few weeks, with a last minute holiday and starting a new job things have been manic but all should be back to normal now.

Dawn

Capenhurst 5K

On Wednesday night a number of fellow Buckley runners made the trip to Capenhurst for the 5K which is one lap of the Ellsemere port Border league course. There was a reasonable sized field with a lot of clubs represented from far and wide the Buckley runners places were;

James Pickering - 18.36 - 45
Paul Stinton - 18.42 - 47
Huw Lewis - 19.38 - 62
Peter Roberts - 20.11 - 71
Chris Higgins - 20.56 - 88
John Morris - 21.39 - 107
Fenella Higgins - 23.25 - 132
Susan Ridings - 25.19 - 156

Well done everyone

James

Tafarn Trail

I always thought Tommy Cooper was a great comedian. Now I realise that Martin Cortivried is a comedian too. Cos if he thinks I am going to run up all them hills - hes 'aving a larf.

I checked it on Mapometer - 9.44 miles (measured on the flat so the distance on the ground is a lot more) and probably about 3,400 feet. No wonder people reckoned it was 'ard.


Another great race though. Don't have any results - you'll have to add your own.

Rob

Race the train – a family affair

This was the 26th running of this classic event. Buckley runners were there again although the numbers were down a bit. Not surprising after the awful weather in recent years. We camped at Ynysymaengwyn as usual with 18 of us camping and 14 running plus one runner who came down for the day. The weather was much better than recent years, not difficult after last year’s cold, wet and windy conditions. There were plenty of impressive performances too.
Two Buckley Runners beat the train; Paul Stinton was 101st in 1.44.24 and Dan Hollingsworth 149th in 1.47.48. Well done you two; Paul overcame last year’s injury and Dan as a new comer to the race was impressive.
The rest of the races were family affairs. Results are by family instead of by event. It makes a change!
Jane had family runners in all four races; Jane had a good run in the 14mile race finishing 457th in 2.07, David was second in the 10k in an impressive 39.43, girlfriend Jess did the 5.5 mile race in 56.56 finishing 76th and sister Amanda was 44th in the 3.5 mile race in 25.11
Paul was 259th in the 14 miler in 1.56.33, Tracy 155th in 10K in 1.00.53 and Sean 66th in 3.5 in 26.34
Sue Ridings was 792 in the afternoon race in 2.32.22 after son Elliot had posted 25.29 (57th) in the 3.5 miler in the morning.
Rob running his 15th RTT clocked a poor 2.38.07, struggling with a back problem throughout the race. His family fared better. Son Peter was 106th in the 10km in 55.53; Pete’s girlfriend Abbie in her first ever race was 117th in the 5.5 in 1.07.05. Rob’s daughter Kat also in her first race was 123rd in 1.24.26.
Altogether a good day at the races. Followed by a late night revelling in the memories of the day. We have booked again for next year’s race on august 21st 2010.

Gladstone 9

Simon Edwards came a very impressive 5th overall in the arduous Gladstone 9 fell race last Saturday. The route leaves the coast near Penmaenmawr to head up Tal y Fan via a circuitous route and descends through ancient stone circles and a sharp finale over Foel Lus. If anybody else did it, apologies (let me know if so!).

Ponderosa Hilly Race

On a wet & misty night, a number of intrepid of Buckley runners ventured out to the Horseshoe pass to have a go at this short, but aptly named, hilly race.

The start entailed a chest-tightening ascent up to the mast above the Ponderosa ( I only know that because I've seen the mast there on other runs ! ), followed by a fast track of reasonable width down to a sharp right onto a path where the real fun started. To say that the path was narrow was an understatement. Footwork had to be of the twinkle-toed variety to make sure that you didn't fall over, or sink into a bog ! A few more up & downs led to another stiff ascent to the finish ( I'm sure it was steeper than last year ).

Anyway, enough waffle, Jez was first home, again ( I'm sure he must be getting bored of this by now - come back Westy & give him a run for his money ), Simon Roberts was next ( bit short for him as it was under 2 hours long, but a good pipe opener ), Dave B followed, struggling up the last hill, just ahead of Steve Bellis. Paul Stinton was next, running for Clwydians, with Huw Lewis snapping at his heels.

Pete Roberts was first in for the V65s, winning a nice bottle of red wine (which he will only drink because it contains lots of good anti-oxidants to help his running - honest !). 'The Goat' was close behind, holding off the strong finishing Chris Higgins, and Jack Thomas was next, just pipping Fenella Higgins to the finishing post.

A real fun event, and 132 runners turned out on the night, which must be a record.

Times are pretty irrelevant, but if you want to see them, visit

http://www.wrexhamroadrunners.org.uk/

Dave

PS Where was the Goat's apprentice ?

Y Garn fell race, Borrowdale fell race

An excellent performance by John Morris in the Garn fell race last Saturday. This brutal short race, which involves an unrelenting 2000ft climb from Rhyd Ddu up to the summit, was a British and Welsh championship event this year: which always means an ultra-strong field. John came 54th in 38.29 (6th V60).
On the same day, Simon Roberts marked his return from holiday in warmer climes by plodding round the soggy Borrowdale fell race in the Lakes in a less than scintillating 4.14.39. This classic long route is almost 40 years old now, and takes in the summits of Bessyboot, Scafell Pike, Great Gable and Dale Head in its 17 mile journey.

Buckley Runners of FaceBook

Did you know there is a Buckley Runners group on Facebook. To join just search for "Buckley Runners", or look for it on my page.
Rob

The Green Green Grass of home.

The Green Green Grass of home. (Wednesday 22nd July from The Golden Lion at Llangynhafal)
The last of Martin’s summer series was a pleasant surprise. Martin likes to change the route every year, usually managing to make it slightly harder than before. Last year this race was a real tough one, with three big climbs, the last of which you needed ladder to get up. This year because of bracken control by helicopter large parts of the mountain were not accessible so we enjoyed a shortened version. It did include the famous gully but changes to the route meant we started part-way up at bottom of the gravel section instead of the long approach to it up the valley. Then there was a final climb to the summit of Moel Famau followed by a long fast descent to the ford, a short climb through the bracken and another fast run down to the finish.
Club numbers were a bit down on previous event, but several were marshalling, giving encouragement to everybody, in their own inimitable style!
There were seven Buckley Runners in the race. Jez Brown was a remarkable 4th in 32.06. Truly remarkable after his superb run at Snowdon 4 days earlier. Simon Edwards was an excellent 8th in 34.01, James Pickering 18th in 36.04. First vet home was Dave Boothroyd 27th 36.40. Sam Roberts was 66th in 45.23, Robert Mackey was 70th in 46.15, closely followed by Fenella Higgins in 72nd place in 46.41
Paul Stinton and Sue Ridings were at the event running in Clwydian colours.
And afterwards in true fell running fashion we all went to the pub. An altogether enjoyable evening.
Posted by Rob.

Snowdon Race

Paul Donoghue summed it up well at the end with "What a crazy race !"

Jez Brown led the Buckley team home finishing in 37th place overall, 9th in the MOPEN category, in a time of 1:21:03; he was followed in by:
Dave Boothroyd, 104th overall, in a time of 1:33:11
Huw Lewis, 145th overall, 10th in the M50 category, in 1:37:53
Shaun Hooson, 165th overall, in a time of 1:39:23
Pete Roberts, 182nd overall, 3rd in the M60 category, in 1:41:18
Paul Stinton, 184th overall, in a time of 1:41:20
John Morris, 198th overall, 4th in the M60 category, in 1:42:57
Dawn Urquhart, 201st overall, 4th in the FOPEN category, in 1:43:06
Paul Donoghue, 221st overall, in a time of 1:45:05 ( & well chuffed ! )
Steve Bellis, 243rd overall, in a time of 1:46:28

A few bumps & scrapes to report, but nothing serious. We hope that Martin Cortvriend & Geoff Richards recover quickly from their falls.

We didn't make it into the lake this year, but Pete's Eats was a more than adequate substitute !.

Photos available on www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk

Moel y Gamelin

Six official, plus one part-time, Buckley Runners, ran across the fells to the west of the Ponderosa cafe, on Sunday 28th June, much to the amazement of the bikers who had stopped there for their mid-day cuppa.

First home in 4th place was Jez Brown, or 'S.Brown' as he appeared in the results, which was probably apt, as he ran like Seb (Coe) that day. Next in 13th place was Dave Boothroyd who appeared to have a drink problem, missing his mouth and pouring the water over his head instead - he complained about the heat, but we know the real reason. Close behind in 15th was Pete Roberts, one place behind the winner of the highly competitive V65 division ( and 22 places ahead of the first V60 ! ).

Then came 'the Goat' in 21st position, 3rd in the V65s, closely followed by Dawn, his apprentice, who came 28th, and 3rd lady home. Struggling home in her wake was Paul Donoghue, in 31st place, complaining about being led astray and having to climb fences to get back on route ( if only he'd carried a map ! ). Next was an under-cover Paul Stinton, running for Clwydian Range Runners, his summer fell running club, and Jack Thomas was 55th, and 4th in that amazing V65 category.

Well done to all who ran, it was an amazingly hot day, and as Pete Roberts pointed out, we even had to run extra to get to the water station.

Good luck to everyone doing Snowdon on Saturday.

Deestriders Off-Road Race 2

Nine Buckley Runners turned up on Thursday 8th July for the second round of the Deestriders Off-Road Series. A warm evening produced some good results but a few of the club members were struggling for form. All had good excuses lined up so it was OK.

Jez Brown was first home in 8th place with a very good time of 28:23. Maybe not the 2nd place he had enjoyed on Tuesday but there were some very quick runners there. (his excuse!!!!)
29th was Paul Stinton in 32:24 with Paul Donoghue one place behind him in 32:35. Steve Bellis was not up to his usual sparkling form in 47th in 34:42. Mike Jones was 50th in 34:53. Rob Davies had a good run finishing 64th in 36:48 with Gwyn Morgan surprisingly behind him in 67th in 37:08 (early mornings and not feeling well – acceptable!!). Good run from Margaret Ludden 75th in 38:49. Rob Mackey had a slower run than last time finishing 80th in 39:35. As Clint Eastwood said “there must be 100 reasons......... but right now I can’t think of one of them."

Congratulations to you all, either for running well or for having a good reason. See you all on 6th August. Rob

Saunders Lakeland mountain marathon

Chris and Fenella Higgins made an impressive debut to their mountain marathon careers (which I trust will be long and fruitful) at this event in Coniston last weekend, coming 69th in the Wansfell class in a cumulative time of 9:43:43. Simon Roberts, with partner Stef French, was also there, finishing 26th in the Bowfell class (cumulative time of 12:27:50). Both pairs made errors, Chris succumbing to excitement at the start of day one and Simon making a disastrous route choice to the fifth control on day two. An excellent weekend, though, with a great overnight camp in the delightful Duddon valley (beer and cider for sale, it's definitely the most civilised of the mountain marathons - just in case anybody fancies a go next year).

Hotfoot up Famau

Results now in for this mini-beast of a race, which packs a great deal of physical torment into 3.5 miles. No respite throughout, a ferociously fast initial descent leads to the steep climb up Moel y Gaer followed by a route change - with Martin replicating the long leg from last October's relays, which involves a little ridge followed by a steep descent through waist high bracken to Nant y Ne. Three Buckley runners in the top 10. Jez Brown inched ever closer to his first win with an impressive 3rd place in 37.47, followed by a back-in-form Simon Edwards, 5th in 39.38. Simon Roberts came 8th in 40.57, with Jon Bradshaw (really enjoying his debut in the hills) 14th in 43.01. Dave Boothroyd came 19th in 45.03, Steve Bellis 28th in 46.14, John Morris winning his category coming 30th in 46.31, Paul Stinton 31st in 46.47, Samantha Roberts (another debut?) 57th in 52.58 and Rob Mackey 74th in 60.25. Predictably hot and humid this year, well done all round.

The Blog

There is lots of info on the blog. And I know people read it. But it is a two-way thing and is even more interesting if you join in. It would be really good if you could put comments on it when you read it.

If anyone is not sure how to log in please contact Simon or myself or Fenn.

Rob

The Beast!

On Tuesday 7th July John Morris organised the running of "the beast." Turnout from Buckley for this short but challenging event was excellent. With the start and finsih at The Miners in Maeshafn it is a great event.

Jez Brown was 2nd overall in 29.22,
Simon Roberts was 6th in 29.30
Simon Edwards was 9th in 30.07

That is a good start - 3 in top ten!

Dave Boothroyd 16th in 32.21
James Pickering 18th in 32.45
Steve Bellis 22nd in 33.07
Paul Donohue 331st in 36.18
Fenn and Chris Higgins in 38th and 39th in 39.11 and 39.12
Fenn was second lady overall and first senior lady (bottle of wine)
Rob Mackey 42nd in 41.57 (2nd M60 = bottle of wine)
Sue Ridings 43 in 43.20 (3rd lady = bottle of wine)

A good night out for the club. Well done John for organising such a good event. Thanks to Huw, Rup for helping. It was really good to see Hazel and Dawn there too.

Did we tame the beast? Not sure about that. We will have to try again next year to make sure.

Posted by Rob

Border Legue Dates

At the Border League AGM last night (Monday 8th June) the following dates and venues where agreed for the 2009 – 2010 season.

18th October - Helsby or Chester Tri
15th November – Wallasy
3rd January – Tattenhall
14th February – Abergele
14th March – Wrexham Tri
11th April – Prestatyn
28th April – Deestriders (Wed Evening)

Fen.

Buckley Runners Annual Awards 2009

Borders League Men
1st John Bradshaw, 271 Points
2nd Jez Brown, 266 Points
3rd Shaun Hooson, 246 Points
4th Les Coathup, 240 Points
5th David Boothroyd, 231 Points
6th Simon Roberts, 220 Points
7th Paul Stinton, 201 Points
8th Clive West, 199 Points
9th John Morris, 183 Points
10th Simon Edwards, 172 Points

Borders League Ladies

1st Erika Schmid, 140 Points
2nd Dawn Urquhart, 131 Points
3rd Jane Lindley, 110 Points
4th Hazel Dirksen, 99 Points

Cross Country Men

1st Clive West 80 Points
2nd Les Coathup 75 Points
3rd Rob Mackey 71 Points
4th John Morris 60 Points
5th Steve Bellis 54 Points
6th Huw Lewis 49 Points

Cross Country Ladies

1st Erika Schmidt 75 Points
2nd Dawn Urquhart 55 Points
3rd Hazel Dirksen 50 Points
4th Sue Ridings 35 Points

Club Championship

1st Steve Bellis 170 Points 1st Male
2nd John Morris 164 Points 2nd Male
3rd Rob Mackey 159 Points 3rd Male
4th Dawn Urquart 144 Points 1st Male
5th Jez Brown 131 Points 4th Female
6th Sue Ridings 126 Points 2nd Female
7th Margaret Ludden 124 Points 3rd Female
8th Dave Boothroyd 121 Points 5th Male
9th Paul Stinton 120 Points 6th Male
10th = Paul Donohue and Clive West 118 Points 7th= Male


Posted by Rob

Buckley Runners Presentation 2nd July 2009

The presentation night at the Griffin was a great success. It was well attended, although we were aware that several people couldn’t get there because of other commitments. The venue was great and the food was absolutely splendid, and it is always impressive to see how well runners eat.
After eating, Rob as chairman said a few words! He thanked everybody who has contributed so much to the club this year; Les for coaching, Jane for being BL Organisers, John for organising the Club Championship and all the runners for turning out and representing the club. He thanked John for his work as chair in the last year. He also thanked the landlord and staff at The Griffin (big applause) and Dragon Trophies who supply the awards for the club. A big thank you went to James for organising the evening.
Rob noted that not long ago it was seen as a really good if a Buckley Runner won a prize, or an award in the league, and it was a massive event when somebody was called to represent North Wales. Now we need a wheelbarrow for the trophies and it is normal for Buckley Runners to be seen in North Wales and Welsh (and even GB) vests. It is no less an achievement, but it happens more often. It has been a great season with consistent results and some rising stars being successful in a range of events. The sad note (Ahhh! No, its sadder than that. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!) the men got relegated to Division Two in the Cross country. Why? Because we didn’t turn out in numbers. But the good thing is we have some really good off-road runners, so we have a very good chance of getting back to Division One (nods of approval from around the room)
Jane, Rob and John presented the prizes for the Borders League, the Cross Country and the Club Championships. As usual some interesting results appeared. The prizes go to the runners who are turning out on a regular basis, Steve Bellis, Erika Schmid, John Bradshaw, Dawn Urquart and Clive all coming out as winners. Full results on separate blog
After the running awards, James presented the Members Award. A lot of heart-searching went into it. So many nominations and so many good reasons. Amongst others Steve, Erika, Simon Roberts, Dawn, Les, Jez all got nominated for their achievements. Paul Stinton got very close; his contribution to the club by supporting and helping out at events is huge, as well as running in so many races. The winner was John Morris for his overall contribution to the club, the races he does and the encouragement he gives to others. And for longevity. Congratulations John. You deserve it.
Thanks Everybody.

Posted by Rob

A touch of madness at Tattenhall

A mere 48 hours after the Druid, seven memebrs of the club were to be seen at the Tough Team Race at Tattenhall (Friday evening 19th). For this event teams are made up of three runners. Position is based on the finish time of the last of the trio, so it is no help to have two thoroughbreds and a carthorse.

Buckley had three well matched teams in the event. Captain Stinton and his Ginger Privates (Paul Stinton, Paul Donohue and Dan Holinsworth) were 10th in 69.13. The mixed team of Dawn, John and Pete (The Goats Apprentices) were 16th in 71.27. And in 53rd out of 67 was another mixed team called "A boy named Sue" in 88.10; this team made up of Sue Ridings, Sue Brierley and Rob (a boy named Sue) Mackey.

Afterwards there was splendid food and drinks "a la Tattenhall" and a good time was had by all.

The race itself is about 9 miles; 3 ish on the road, 3.5 ish off road and 3 ish back on the road. It includes the famous "Railway". Now, if your ideal of a railway is sitting in comfort, drinking coffee, reading a book and watching the countryside rush past at 100mph - then think again! This one is a bit steeper than that!

Posted by Rob

The Druid

A record turnout for this excellent local fell race last Wednesday. Nice to report a very healthy crop of hill running enthusiasts from Buckley, too, and some good performances all round. The route - up Foel Fenlli from Llanferres - was slightly shorter this year, due to footpath work, hence the fast times. Jez Brown continued his rich vein of form, finishing an impressive 5th in a strong field (33:56). Simon Roberts came 10th (36:01), with Steve Bellis 23rd (40:02). Next came first v65 Pete Roberts 33rd in 41:06, followed by the trio of Dawn Urquhart: 43rd in 42:26, John Morris: 45th in 42:39 and Paul Donoghue: 47th in 43:09. Chris Higgins was 59th in 45:07, Fenella Higgins 70th in 49:31 and Rob Mackey 77th in 52:08.

Presentation Night

Buckley Runners Presentation Night
Thursday 2nd July 2009 from 8.00 pm
The Griffin, Mold Road, Mynydd Isa
Book your places now for the club event of the year
Buffet, beer and good company
The annual presentation of awards plus a good chance to relax in the company of your colleagues from the club
Prizes and presentations
Border League (10men and 4 Ladies)
Cross country (6 men and 4 ladies)
Club Championship (3 men and 3 ladies)
Plus the member’s award
The member’s award is chosen by the club members. Nominations are taken before the event or on the night. The nomination must explain in less than 20 words why you think this person deserves the award. The winner is selected on the merit of the nomination, not just numbers of votes. To register your nomination contact Rob or James or fill in the form on the night.
Book your place with James or Rob no later than Friday 26th June

James 07713 253 758, Rob 07901 938 676

Cost £6.00 per head. Cheques (Buckley Runners) or cash with booking please.

1000m peaks race

Simon Roberts came 8th overall in the Welsh 1000m peaks race last Saturday (only because there were so many dnfs!) This 22m/8500ft classic - which goes from the coast at Aber over the Carneddau, then traverses the Glyders to finish up Carnedd Ugain and Snowdon - attracted a fair amount of media attention this year, with eight people airlifted to safety (details still sketchy as to the reasons why - weather was more 'unseasonal' than really bad). After also finding himself at the centre of a media frenzy in last year's OMM in the Lakes, Simon E suggests that Simon R should now be avoided by all those seeking to compete in any future long fell race!

Deeside Off-Road Race 1

Deeside Off-Road Race 1 - Thursday 4th June.
Ten Buckley Runners turned out on an ideal evening for racing. Dry and sunny with a cool breeze and dry underfoot too. A good night for the club with several good performances; Jez Brown first home in 5th in 28.30, followed by Steve Bellis in 21st in 30.52. An impressive group in the middle saw Paul Donahue 36th (32.42), Paul Stinton 39th, Mike Jones, 42nd and Gwyn Morgan 44th all finishing within 45 seconds! With an impressive run Rob Davies finished 59th in 37.09, with Rob Mackey 65th in 38 mins, and Margaret Ludden in 66th 38seconds later. Missing from the results (not explained yet!) was Sue Brierley on her debut in a Buckley vest about a minute later, a fine performance considering she had done the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday in scorching conditions.
Well done everybody. Welcome Sue, nice to see you there. Also good to see some of our new recruits to training nights and one of my ex-Flint Runners colleagues running. I got a couple of enquiries about the club too. And did some delving into the clubs origins. More on that later.
Posted by Rob Mackey Sat 6th June

Tunnel 10k

Matthew Rose came 4th in the Tunnel 10k last Sunday, in very warm conditions. A field of well over 2000 for this race, which heads through the tunnel from Liverpool to New Brighton.

Cader Idris race

A record field of 260+ runners for this year's Ras y Gader. Wonderful warm, clear weather - perhaps a little too warm. Just two Buckley Runners this year. Although a little down on his pb for the race, Simon Edwards kept picking up places on the descent to finish 15th in 1:42:40. Simon Roberts lost places floundering in the lakeside bog, finishing 29th in 1:47:15. Always a great atmosphere for this race, which starts and finishes in the middle of Dolgellau.

Club champs info request

Message from Dawn:
We are trying to find out if John Pares has done a Half or full
marathon in 2008 or up to May 2009 to finalise the club championship
results.

Chester half marathon

Huge turnout at the Chester half marathon last Sunday, and some good performances. Jon Bradshaw led the way, 22nd in 1:20:10, followed by Shaun Hooson and Daniel Hollingworth - 49th and 51st in 1:24:10. Paul Stinton 104th in 1:28:50, James Huggins 123rd in 1:30:24, Shane Yates 171st in 1:32:47, James Pickering 189th in 1:33:56, Keith Jones 322nd in 1:37, Mike Jones 418th in 1:40:20, Chris Higgins 545th in 1:42:22, Rob Mackey 822nd in 1:49:19, Margaret Ludden 824th in 1:49:38 and Fenella Higgins 983rd in 1:52:28. All well within the top half of the field. Watching in comfort from Pulford, you all looked in good form. Apols if I've missed anyone.

Buckley Club Championship Race List 2009/2010

ROAD
Christleton 5K May 2009
Capenhurst 5K August 2009
Flintshire 10K September 2009
Chester Spring 5 April 2010
Wrexham 10 April 2010

FELL
The Druid Fell Race (5 Miles) 17th June 2009
Hotfoot up Famau (31/2 Miles 1st July 2009
The Beast - Maeshafn (4 Miles) 7th July 2009
Ponderosa (4 Miles) 12th August 2009
Clwydian Hill Race (9 Miles) 1st November 2009

MULTI-TERRAIN
Wincle Trout Race 30th May 2009
Llyn Alwen Trail 11K 5th July 2009
Race The Train 10K 15th August 2009
Nescliffe Nasty (5 Miles) 5th September 2009
Parbold Hill Race (61/2 Miles) Febuary 2010

EXTREME
Foel Fras Fell 9th May 2009
Race The Train (14 Miles) 15th August 2009
Penmaenmawr Fell (11 Miles) 14th November 2009
Dash in the Dark (4 Miles) Jan/Feb 2010
Half Marathon 2009/10
Marathon 2009/10

CROSS COUNTRY
N.Wales X Country League 2009/10
North Wales Championships (Northop) 2010

BORDER LEAGUE
Border League (Any) 2009/10

You must complete 1 race from each category to qualify for points and every extra race you complete off the list earns you a point so the more races you do the more points you score

1st=26PTS, 2nd=24PTS, 3rd=23PTS........25th=1PT
O/40 1PT, O/50 2PTS, O/60 3PTS.

Foel Fras race

An unexpectedly memorable outing for those of us that entered the Foel Fras race last weekend. This 12 mile/3100ft fell race takes in the summits of Drum, Foel Fras, Garnedd Uchaf and Moel Wnion in its lengthy journey across the northern Carneddau from the village of Aber. This year the race was characterised by strong winds, low cloud and driving rain which unfortunately peaked at the summit of Garnedd Uchaf - just in time for the crucial navigation down to the col below Moel Wnion. Cue a number of mild to middling hypothermia cases, with numerous runners going awol on these featureless slopes. So times and positions should be taken with a pinch of salt! Simon Roberts finished 12th in 2:11, with Simon Edwards 22nd in 2:20, Huw Lewis 43rd in 2:35 (alongside Paul Stinton). Jez Brown was 56th in 2:59 after a lengthy scenic tour of the higher peaks, with John Morris gradually thawing out after a cuppa.

Border league finale

I'm sure you've all seen the delayed border league results by now (if not: www.bordersleague.org.uk)
Another very successful season for our small club: winning the vets league, and coming a very respectable second in both male and female top divisions. In the men's case, Buckley finished over 1000 points ahead of third placed Wallasey, behind a very strong Eryri outfit! Well done to all.

London Marathon

Six runners made the pilgrimage to London for the marathon this year in sunny, warm conditions. Initial results as follows (presume position is by gender). Simon Roberts 3:13:36 for 1,899th. Erika Schmid 3:20:40 for 275th, Steve Bellis 3:39:59 for 4,999th. Paul Donoghue 3:43:27 for 5,513th, Rob Davies 4:29:05 (13,84th), and John Robinson 4:53:46 (18,023rd). A great debut at the distance for Paul. While I blew up badly and proved you can't (or I can't, anyway!) train for a marathon by doing long fell races. Would be interested to hear how everyone else got on - simon r

Wrexham 10 mile Champs

Posted by Rob Mackey

Another good day at the races as a fine Saturday afternoon (25th April) saw seven Buckley Runners at Wrexham for the North Wales Championships. Some fine performances saw several prizes coming our way. Most notable in M35 with Jez winning and Paul 3rd in the champs. Another fine run from Jack, recently returned from winning the Welsh Championship for his age group over the same distance. It says a lot about how competitive these masters races are when you look at the results.

We were 3rd in the Mens Team and 2nd in the mens veterans.

Jez Brown (59:10) 5th overall and 1st M35 in NW Champs
Shaun Hooson (63:45) 19th overall and 4th M40 in NW Champs
Daniel Hollingworth (63:56) 20th overall and 5th SM in NW Champs
James Huggins (67:53) 35th overall and 8th SM in NW Champs
Paul Stinton (69:59) 41st overall and 3rd M35 in NW Champs
Jack J. Thomas (75:45) 50th overall and 3rd M65 in NW Champs
Robert Mackey (82:19) 66th overall and 5th M60 in NW Champs

An excellent event well organised by David Williams. The results table has to be the most complicated with open and closed competitions within the same event. Well done David.

Full results on Wrexham AC website.

Hawkshead Trail Race 18th April

Fenella and Chris Higgins 'popped' up to the Lakes for the day to have a go at the first of a series of three Puma Trail events. The weather was cracking, stunning, if at times very steep scenery and the odd North Walian runner in attendence.
Fenella, despite a really nasty fall (now a complete shade of yellow and blue down the left side) finished in a brilliant 1:43, Chris in 1:33
A good and a bit of a different day out.
Take care

Moelwyn fell race

Perfect sunny conditions for Ras y Moelwyn on Saturday. This is a classic, varied fell race (10.5m/2800ft) - starting from Blaenau Ffestiniog and taking in quarries, bogs, steep climbs and rocky descents in its route over the three highest Moelwyn peaks. Simon Roberts finished 23rd in 1.35.36, with Simon Edwards (immediately after a long flight) 25th in 1.37.50, and Paul Stinton 63rd in 1.51.30.

Chirk 10k

Buckley Runners had a successful outing at the Chirk Castle 10k recently - Jack Thomas and Stephen Bellis both won their categories and Jez Brown was third overall.

Race the Train

Race the Train is on Saturday 15th August. It may well be the last ever running of this classic event so it should be a good one. If you want to camp please let me know. The site is booked but I need to confirm numbers by end of this month.
For more info visit http://www.racethetrain.com/

Rob

Buckley Runners AGM

Last month we held the AGM of the club. It was well attended although several members could not make it and sent there apologies. Thanks to everybody who contributed. A few points out of the meeting: -

• John Pares retired as chairman. Huge thanks go to John for the work he did last year.
• James is taking over as Social Secretary
• Paul Stinton is taking ove as membership secretary.
• Subs remain at £15 for BR + £5 for AAW. Concessiosn are the sme as last year.Paul will be requesting renewals very shortly. At the suggetsion of previous membership secretaries it is requested that two cheques are sent, one to BR (£15 and one to Welsh Athletics - £5) This makes the Mem Secs jobs massively easier.
• Most other jobs stay the same

Thanks. Rob (new chairman!)

Preseli race

To Whom It May Concern:

Hi,my names Les Hewitson and I am chairman of Ingli Runners based in Fishguard,West Wales. Together with the Rotary Club of Fishguard and Goodwick we are organizing a fell race over the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshires National Park.
The race is over 14m with 2500ft of ascent.Money raised from the event is going to be distributed between several local charities.
For more details of the race and the date please log onto www.inglirunners.ukpages.org or preselibluestonechallenge.com which has a course map and a virtual route flyer of the race.
Hope some of you can make it to the race .
Best regards
Les hewitson

Chester Spring 5

Much delayed results from last Wednesday's Chester Spring 5, and a very impressive turnout from Buckley in this competitive race (not sure about category results - sorry!). Jon Bradshaw led the way, coming 16th in 28.36, with Simon Roberts 30th in 29:28, Dave Boothroyd 43rd in 30.20 and Paul Donoghue 78th in 31.48. James Huggins 87th in 32.28, Paul Stinton 104th in 33.11, Pete Roberts 129th in 34.06, Dawn Urquhart 143rd in 34.40, John Morris 160th in 35.14, Jack Thomas 198th in 36.44, Samantha Roberts 206th in 37.12, Rob Mackey 246th in 39.10 and Susanne Brierley 278th in 41.18. 347 finishers.

Training in Portugal

Message from Jack Thomas:
I've just returned from 10 days of warm weather training in Portugal with abunch of runners mostly from West Cheshire and Spectrum Striders.I always enjoy it. It is set up for all runners to enjoy with organised longruns for those training for the London Marathon. It's a great opportunity to do some serious training and have a good time socially.
The dates for 2010 are: Main week commencing Sat 13 March, return Sun 21March, with option to stay second week or more.
There is a 5K road race organised for Friday March 19th at 10.0am, FancyDress Friday Evening 19 March - The theme next year is the letter 'R'.Various accommodation choices, from apartments, hotels or rooms.(Easter weekend next year is 2 - 5 April)
Anyone interested please let me know and I'll get more details to you. All the best Jack

Coniston 14

Three runners made the trip up to the Lakes for the Coniston 14. Steve Bellis finished 92nd in 1:35:45, with Sue Ridings 1099th in 2:14:11 and Ann Ablett 1362nd in 2:33:03. Sue says this is a superb event, with great views, organisation and atmosphere.

Sunrise Stroll

Fancy an early morning round Chester for charity?

The Hospice of the Good Shepherd at Backford is an amazing place. Anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer will understand how important what they do is. Pete Windell (our former President) spent many years in and out of the hospice. The support they gave him and his family is unmeasurable.
The club has continued to support the hospice in many ways since his death. We organised the Celyn Trail Races last year, and I ran in the "Run to Remeber" last month. I hope that we can continue to help them.
On May 3rd they are organising a 7 or 12 mile walk at 5 am. It would be great if a group of us could run it. The organisisers reckon we could start at 7 am and try to overtake everybody! Anybody fancy it. See the link below for more info.
Contact me if you fancy it. Rob. robertlmackey@btinternet.com

http://www.hospiceofthegoodshepherd.com/

Cross Country 2009-10

Its official - we were relegated. Mainly becasue we didn't get get enough runners out. Running cross country is fun and rewarding so put theses dates in your diary for next year.
26th Sept at Colwyn Bay
10th Oct at Lilleshall
21st Nov at Bangor
16th Jan at Wrexham
6th Feb at Oswestry
These dates are awaiting confirmation but are unlikely to change. Put them in your diary and lets get back to division one! We can do it.
Posted by Rob.

Llangynhafal Loop fell race

Results just in from last Saturday's Llangynhafal Loop fell race, which this year was a North Wales Championship race. A bumper turn-out from Buckley saw Jez Brown finishing 7th in 42:36, followed by Simon Edwards (15th in 44:57), Huw Lewis (41st in 51:09), John Morris (48th in 51:55), Chris Higgins (83rd in 58:37), Fenella Higgins (101sr in 65:51) and Rob Mackey (108th in 70:17). The infamous stoney gully is always a particular highlight of this race.

Edale Skyline fell race

Simon Roberts competed in the classic Edale Skyline fell race yesterday, finishing in 3:37. Again, perfect spring conditions for this tough race - 21 miles, 4,500ft of climbing, acres of peatbog - which makes a complete loop of the ridges above the Edale Valley in the Derbyshire peak district.

Celyn multi-challenge adventure race

John Morris's unique off-road challenge race saw 25 runners braving the bat caves and waterfalls around Northop. Paul Stinton came 4th, running all four laps in 1:57.

Rhayader 'round the lakes' 20 mile race

Three Buckley runners competed at the notoriously hilly Rhayader 20 mile road race in mid Wales yesterday. It's a bit like a fell race on tarmac, very scenic, with around 1000ft of climbing in the first 6 or 7 miles. Conditions were near-perfect - hazy sunshine and a cooling breeze. Simon Roberts staggered home in 33rd place: 2:22:38. Paul Donoghue 100th in 2:39:29 (apparently without breaking sweat), with Rob Davies 288th in 3:21:50.