Kenilworth Runners member, Mick Morris, travelled to join many old running colleagues in a race that has been held for over 30 years.
Starting as a GEC company race it has grown to include runners from local clubs and despite being at lunch time in a working week it still attracted over 50 runners.
The course still remains that used on the original race back in 1975 and comprises a flat route through the pleasant villages of Littlethorpe and Cosby in Leicestershire.
Mick had a steady run to finish in 28 minutes and 22 seconds in 50th position and recorded his 28th consecutive run in this race.
17/12/06
Beausale Bandit - Winter League
On a bright sunny and extremely pleasant Sunday morning 19 members of Kenilworth Runners and their guests met at the cross roads in Beausale to take part in the fourth of the eight race winter series.
The course chosen for the day was the old favourite that started by the cross roads in Beausale and headed out towards Waste Green where a right turn into the lane that leads to Hatton took the runners to the sharp right turn and up the steady climb to pass through Haseley Green. A nice downhill followed by a climb into Haseley Knob and another right turn to head to the finish in Beausale.
Star of the day was undoubtedly Sally Hicks who beat her handicap by one minute on this difficult course. Robert Thompson also had a great run to finish in 23.56 beating his handicap by 31 seconds and so retaining his overall lead of 246 points. But things have tightened up and just behind him Roger Wilkes and Stef Shillington are just waiting for the chance to overtake him. With four races still to go this promises to be an exciting series.
| Name |
Points |
| A Group |
|
| Roger Wilkes |
239 |
| Mick Morriss |
222 |
| Sally Hicks |
187 |
| B Group |
|
| Stef Shillington |
235 |
| Mike Fallaize |
165 |
| Richard Green |
127 |
| C Group |
|
| Richard Steel |
79 |
17/11/06
The Telford 10 Kilometre Road Racel
Kenilworth Runners, England orienteering star Graham Gristwood, left his maps, compass, rucksack and nightlights behind to make his debut in a normal road race at Telford, in Shropshire, where he joined another 471 runners who finished the race.
Held in the pleasant surroundings of Telford Town Park the two lap race was entirely on hard and even road surfaces, an experience for Graham who is more used to the peat bogs and other natural obstacles in the wilds where he is their master. With the exception of a few slight climbs the course was flat with the unique feature at the end of each lap where a post is placed for the runners to turn around and continue back in the direction from which they had just come.
Graham showed his quality again by finishing in the imposing position of 15th overall and completing the race in an impressive 33 minutes and 8 seconds.
23/12/06
The Gaddesby Gallop Trail Race
Kenilworth member Colin Bricher took part in this annual 5 mile cross country race that includes some rather novel features as well as a difficult cross country course.
Starting at the Northamptonshire village of Gaddesby it completes a circuit that includes the villages of Barsby and Ashton Folville. It has all the normal features of a good cross country race with plenty of mud as the route covers pasture and arable fields but gives it’s entrants a special treat with a dew pond, a brook and a 4 feet diameter drainage pipe to challenge the runner.
Colin had an excellent run to finish in 56 minutes and 55 seconds to finish 99th out of 111 entrants.
28/12/06
Massey Ferguson Pace Race in the Park
Seven members of Kenilworth Runners took part in a race with a difference. Each competitor had to guess how long it would take for them to complete a 2 lap, 5 kilometre (3.2 mile) route around the Memorial Park, Coventry.
The winner was the runner who got the closest to the time he forecast at the beginning. Naturally none of the competitors wore their watches during the race.
The times were quite variable, possibly due to the festive goodies, but it was Barry Elkington who came nearest to his estimate and was 4th overall after an impressive run in 22 minutes and 29 seconds only 7 seconds slower than his prediction.
31/12/06
The Huncote Hash
Kenilworth Runners, Six members of Kenilworth Runners travelled to the picturesque Leicestershire village of Huncote to take part in what is arguably the hardest cross country race in the Midlands. Many of the 255 starters came dressed in father christmas suits, schoolgirl outfits and other strange attire but this show of jollity should not hide the difficulties that this tough 6 mile course has to offer.
To the surprise of many the morning was dry and pleasant with a little winter sunshine although a strong west wind caused difficulties in some parts of the course. Starting and finishing in the field by the Huncote Leisure Centre the route took the runners to a small wood where progress was reduced to walking due to the narrow overgrown footpath, which to some proved a blessing as it offered some respite. Coming out of the woods the track lead to Croft Hill about 2 miles away and immediately the course showed it’s true nature with heavy, sandy and wet mud throughout until the road and slope up to Croft Hill offered some relief.
The climb up to the top was hard but followed by a steep downhill to the road and back to the muddy paths. By this time most runners had become used (or oblivious) to the resistance of the mud but after a mile a chance to cool down was offered with a 100 metre run up a cold stream bed. That was not the end, not even the beginning of the end, for straight out of the stream runners faced a mountain made of soft, wet, sand. Yes - the Sand Quarry beckoned! At first the route lay around the edge of the Quarry by the M69 which was at least flat (the Quarry of course) but the surface (not the M69) was very sticky and in some places deep and wet. Runners with no previous experience of the race may have thought that was it but not so; a sand hill the height of a house had to be overcome with several other smaller climbs until Huncote Leisure Centre appeared and the finish after which all enjoyed an excellent shower and then soup and roll. It was well deserved!
Mick Williams lead the Kenilworth contingent with a spectacular run in 46 minutes and 21 seconds to finish in 20th position. On their first Hash, Helen Herriman and Jane McNally put in fine performances on a very tough course.
| Name |
Position |
Time |
| Mick Williams |
20 |
46.21 |
| Tom Dable |
139 |
61.12 |
| Helen Herniman |
207 |
71.22 |
| Pauline Dable |
216 |
74.16 |
| Mick Morris |
219 |
74.29 |
| Jane McNally |
235 |
80.49 |
Saturday 2nd December