THE HARRIER the Official Newsletter of Huncote Harriers Athletic Club
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123 THE HARRIER The official newsletter of Huncote Harriers Athletic Club April 2017 Issue Number 188 ENGLISH NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 WOLLATON PARK The English National Cross Denmark, the 691. Claire Edwards 48-51 Country Championship has Loughborough University Winner: Jessica Judd earned the reputation as the (Chelmsford) 29-07 based endurance coach. TEAMS (4 to count) best mass participation race 1. A.F.&.D. 22pts in the world (although it is not Huncote Harriers had a 2. Charnwood 107pts open to the general public). good day as well. Our 3. Highgate 154pts Over the years some of senior men finished 104th 53. Barrow 1507pts Britain’s finest athletes have 69 Huncote Harriers 1976pts out of 131 teams, slightly (Total 93 teams) won “The National” including, down on last year when we HARRIERS MEN’S RACE 12K th Gordon Pirie, Basil Heatley, were 89 but our ladies 722. Gaz Chivers 51-44 Mel Batty, Ron Hill, Dave finished a complete team 807. Warren Bennett 52-45 Bedford, Eamonn Martin and and were 69th our first 930. Stephen Snow 54-09 Mo Farah (at junior level) for 1222. Graeme Slight 58-34 complete team finish since 1251. Ian Thompson 58-53 the men, and Rita Lincoln 2014. Well run to Gaz 1389. James O’Dowd 61-06 (Ridley), Paula Radcliffe and Chivers and Kathryn Evans Winner: Ben Connor (Derby AC) Liz Yelling for the ladies. who were first home in 39-35 those teams. Gaz Chivers TEAMS (6 to count) Well done to Mick Robinson 1. Tonbridge 289pts had a real scrap on his 2. Morpeth Harriers 293pts and his club, Notts AC, for hands as Warren Bennett 3. Bedford & County 304pts staging another good race. stuck doggedly on his 26. OWL’s 1651pts Wollaton Park invariably shoulder for the first 2 laps. 40. Charnwood 2948pts provides a fair but demanding However, Gaz managed to 47. Hermitage 3396pts cross country course which, 54. Harborough 3782pts open up a minute lead on 77. Barrow 4775pts this year, included a “water his rival on the last 2 laps 85. Beaumont 5317pts feature” in the form of a with Stephen Snow 104. Huncote Harriers 6321pts shallow stream on each lap. running well in the closing 117. Nuneaton 7114pts A successful day too for stages to move up the 130. RoadHoggs 8189pts Leicestershire runners with (Total 131 teams) field. Wendy Thompson 2nd place for Ben Dijkstra ran her usual consistent It was a satisfactory day for (Leicester Coritanians) in the race to track Kathryn the Harriers but if our Club junior men’s race, Sam Evans home but, perhaps, is going to make a real Stabler (OWL’s) was 3rd in the run of the day improvement we need to the senior men’s and belonged to Katrina step up the training. Cross Charnwood were second Wightman who has country racing is about team in the senior ladies’ improved enormously speed and strength – longer race. It was a fine effort by during the last year. training runs off-road Sam Stabler as he has been HARRIERS LADIES’RACE 8K together with more speed- in the doldrums through 348. Kathryn Evans 39-30 endurance work are needed much of 2016 because of 442. Wendy Thompson 41-15 507. Katrina Wightman 42-47 to achieve this. illness and injury. He has 679. Irene Forty 48-28 recently switched coaches and moved to be with Rob 1 123 HUNCOTE HARRIERS PRESENTATION EVENING A change of venue for this awards. The race is run in Road Runners Club. This year’s bash as we moved to conjunction with the year’s achievers were: Cosby Golf Club. This Leicestershire County provided a more congenial Cross Country room with a more tasty buffet Championship and PLATINUM Nicki Nealon into the bargain. Special presentations were made GOLD thanks to social secretary, to the following: Sandra Ankers, Irene Forty, Barry Kate Parry, and the Hibberd, Bev Parry, Graeme committee for the work they MEN Slight, Andy Wilford. did to make it a memorable 1 Jason Tomkins SILVER 2. Gareth Chivers Gareth Chivers, Kathryn Evans, evening. The beer was good 3. Warren Bennett Duncan Foley, Dave Griffiths, too with Marstons and Mike McSharry, James O’Dowd, Timothy Taylors available to LADIES Claire Quigley, Will Ravenhill, the drinkers. 1. Kathryn Evans Stephen Snow, Ian Thompson, Wendy Thompson, Jason 2. Katrina Wightman 3. Clare Moore Tomkins, Tina Tosh. There was plenty to celebrate BRONZE too as chairman, Andy The Huncote Harriers Tracey Griffiths, Jenny Murphy, Wilford, presented the Grand Prix is a year long Jo Ravenhill, David Robinson, Claire Sceeny, Duncan Smith, awards. The award for Harrier competition where runners of the Year is made as a Claire Surrell, Rachel Trivett, win points for achieving Trudi Unwin, Marie Wilford. result of votes cast by club high positions in races. The COPPER members and reflects the leading finishers were: Claire Bryan, Kate Parry, Katrina Wightman popularity of the individuals PEWTER and can be awarded for LADIES Claire Edwards achievement, endeavour or 1. Kathryn Evans for work behind the scenes at 2. Wendy Thompson LONG SERVICE AWARDS the Club. A particular well 3. Jo Ravenhill There are also awards done to Gaz Chivers for 4. Helen Mercer 5. Jenny Murphy made to members who winning the award for 2 years have remained with our on the trot! MEN Club over a long period of 1. Stephen Snow time. Huncote Harriers LADY HARRIER OF THE YEAR 2. Barry Hibberd 1. Kathryn Evans 3. Ian Thompson came into existence in 1983 2. Wendy Thompson 4. Duncan Foley so we have been going for 3. Katrina Wightman 5. Chris Unwin over 33 years. Awards were made to the following: MALE HARRIER OF THE YEAR Huncote Harriers, like 1. Gareth Chivers many clubs try to 30 YEARS 2. Jason Tomkins encourage members to Bernard Cherry, Irene Forty, Nick 3. Ian Thompson Nealon achieve higher running 20YEARS Other major presentations standards and awards are made to runners who Lesley Tansey were made as follows: 10 YEARS achieve certain standards Sandra Ankers, Jo Burnett, Sue NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR in races. Standards vary Gardner, Rich Thomas, Jason Duncan Smith according to gender and Tomkins, Andy Woolley. age but generally the faster ACHIEVEMENT AWARD you run the higher standard Thanks to our chairman, Katrina Wightman you will achieve. Our club Andy Wilford, for hosting the evening and making the CHAIRMANS AWARD standards are set out on Stuart Hale our club web site and are presentations, also to Nick generally in accordance and Nicki Nealon who The Club cross country with those laid down by the provided able assistance. champions also receive their 2 123 evenings gave him the in abundance if the body is to stand up to a season long series ECHOES FROM THE PAST opportunity to try short track races and he recorded a smart of hard training sessions. Don By Phil Watts 55 seconds for 440 yards. Fired claims that squad training up with new enthusiasm he sessions help enormously. His A recent photograph decided to have a go at track regular training partners are depicting Leicester racing and to concentrate on the Andy Wilkinson (OWL’s), a more than useful 800 metres runner Marathon runners in 1982 800 metres event, a distance at which he thought he could excel. and Coritanian sprinter, Leroy displayed on our website by Regular (track) sessions on Campbell. The advantage with Janet Wittering reminded Tuesday and Thursday evenings squad training is that there is me of one of our Club’s under the guidance of Ted Toft always someone on a high to most successful runners, started to produce results. In the encourage and pull the others through when they might be “on Don Randle. Below is an 1990 Leics Track and Field Championship Don reached the a downer”. Also, each member article I wrote for the final of the 800 metres race and of the squad has his own Newsletter in 1991. After he narrowly failed to beat 2 minutes, strengths from which others can started track racing he a target he managed to better benefit, for instance, Leroy’s 200 joined Leicester Coritanians later in the season. metre pace is useful as a sudden injection of pace is so as a 2nd claim runner in Since then he has run 52.8 necessary for middle distance order to race on the track. seconds for 400 metres, 1-58.8 running He remained first claim for for 800 metres, and 4-13.6 for Huncote to run in road 1500 metres. Out of season Don FACTFILE relays and cross country. enjoys the road relays and has Age: 37 Don was a fanatic for achieved one of the fastest times Height: 5’ 7” (For Huncote Harriers) on the Weight: 10 st 3 lbs training covering 70 miles a short stage at Sutton Park (3 Status: Married to wife Amanda week during the winter miles 8 yards), 15-54. He also with 2 children, Ruth aged 8, and months. However, during runs the odd cross country race Rebecca aged 6 the summer months he during the winter months. Occupation: Male nurse in NHS dropped his mileage to P.B.s Motivation and enthusiasm are 400 metres 52.8 about 30 miles per week to major factors which Don 800 metres 1-58.9 concentrate on track training identifies as being the key to 1500 metres 4-13.6 sessions success. “You’ve got to want it 1 mile 4-33.7 badly enough to be good” 10K (Road) 35-11 CLUB SPOTLIGHT Certainly enthusiasm is required (Don Randle) SUMMER TRAINING Don Randle started running about 10 years ago and was one of the th original members of Huncote Please note from Tuesday 25 April our Summer training Harriers.