Date	Event
Sat 24^th Nov 07	Wesham 10k, Near Preston. 11am. Rural course. Race fills so need to enter ASAP.
Sun 25^th Nov 07	Leeds Abbey Dash, see below.
Sun 25^th Nov 07	Rivock Edge Fell Race. BM. 11.15am. 10m/1500’ Registration from Bridge Inn, Silsden. Nr Keighley.
Sun 2^nd Dec 07	2nd WYWL cross country hosted by Dewsbury Road Runners. See below. All club needed to run.
Sat 8^th Dec 07	Idle AC Christmas Party. See below.
Sun 16^th Dec 07	Sewage Works Surprise 4 mile handicap race. See below.
Wed 26^th Dec 07	Chevin Chase. 7m (Approx) multi terrain race. 11am. Get your entries in.
Wed 26^th Dec 07	Leyland 10k, Lancs, 11am.
Sun 30^th Dec 07	Ribble Valley 10k, Clitheroe, Lancs, 11am.
Mon 31^st Dec 07.	Auld Lang Syne fell Race. BM. 11.30 am. 6miles/900’ from Penistone Hill Country Park, Haworth.
Sun 6^th Jan 08	3rd WYWL cross country hosted by Pudsey Pacers. See below. All club needed to run.
Sun 13^th Jan 08	Yorks Vets Cross Country Champs,Keighley. See below.
Sun 20^th Jan 08	Brass Monkey Half marathon, York. RACE FULL.
Sat 26^th Jan 08	Northern Cross Country champs, Leeds. See below.
Sun 27^th Jan 08	4th WYWL cross country hosted by Stainland Lions. See below. All club needed to run.

Attendance Scheme/ Club races – 2007 details:

Top 25 Club Races for 2007: Handicap/ Attendance Scheme - 10 out of 25 possible races to count. Please don’t forget to sign in the book each time you attend a club session (but only pay once per week) as each attendance at a club training session is worth 1 point and to be eligible for a prize members must accumulate at least 30 attendance points during the year. Each attendance at a “Club” designated race earns you 5 points (see below). 50% of the required points must be achieved by attendance at training sessions.

October’s Attendance award is Chris Smith.

The Club races for 2007, where points can be earned are as follows.

Date	Race Details	Comments.
February 11^th Sun	Liversedge Half Marathon, 12.00 noon.	6 hardy souls ran this tough ½ m including Gary who was very near to his PB.
March 18^th – Sun	Spen 20mile, 10am.	Tough conditions with gale force winds & hail stones but good runs from most of us, especially Adrian, Gary & Tim and an F50 CR from Ana.
March – Sun 25^th	Ackworth half, 10.30am.	Dave Lewis flew the Idle flag & was only seconds off his pb.
April – Tues 3^rd	Bunny Run (1) 3miles, 7pm.	13 of us were tempted by the allure of chocolate!!
April –Sat 14^th	Meanwood Valley Trail Race, approx 7m.	Jo, Hannah, Julie & Simon ran this scenic trail course.
April – Sun 29^th	Rothwell 10k.	Only Maria & Ana attended this race which was soon full. Maria set a new F35 club record.
May – Wed 2nd	John Carr 5k, Esholt, 7.30pm. Fast, flat course.	22 for this local 5k. Loads of PB’s, including Gary who'd just run London. Clare S was 3^rd F35 got a pb & set a new F35 CR. New M50 CR for Steve Little.
May -Sun 13th	Ripon 10m. Part of Black Sheep series.	M50 Club record from Steve Little. F35 Club record &PB from Julie Parker.
May – Sun 27^th	Melmerby 10k. Part of Black sheep series.	M50 CR from Steve and a fast race from Kay which was close to her PB.
June – Wed 6^th	Chevin Fell Race, AS, 3.5m/900’. 7.30pm.	No one ran this mid week event this year.
June – Thurs 7^th	Bronte 5, 7.30pm. Hilly two lap course.	F35 club record for Amnuay at this local event.
June – Sun 10^th	West Yorkshire Fire 5 2pm. Hilly & rural. Free food!!	Gary, Lisa, Andy & Ana were tempted by a hilly rural run (or was it the free food??).
June – Wed 13^th	Otley 10. 7.30pm.	14 ran this very popular event. First club race for Shaun & Phil. F35 club record for Ammy.
July –Sat 7^th	Oakworth Haul Fell Race, BM, 5m/650’. 3pm.	No one went to this event.
July – Wed 11^th	Stirton Fell Race. BS. 5.5m/1200’. 7.30pm.	Dave Lewis & Phill Routh flew the Idle flag.
July –Sun 22^nd	Pudsey 10k, 10.45.	Rhea was 6^th woman & won a bottle of wine. Gary, Andy, Jo, Davina, Edward & Ana all ran.
Aug – Sat 25^th	Burnsall 10 &/or fell race	Awaiting results
Aug –Mon 27^th	Spofforth 10k Trail. 1.30pm.	Adrian & Ana enjoyed the trail race.
Sept – Sun 2^nd	Sandal Castle 10k	4 Idle vests turned out for this trail 10k
Sept – Sun 9^th	Yorkshireman Marathon or Half, 10am.	Chris Stubbs was 5^th in the Marathon. Shaun ran his debut. Dave L ran in the half
Sept – Sun 30^th	Horsforth 10k, 10am.	PB times from Laurence, Maria & Andy M.
Oct –Sun 21^st	Withins Skyline Fell Race, BM, 5m/800’ 11.30am. See below list.	Laurence was the sole Idle AC member at this local fell race.
Oct – Sun 28^th	Holmfirth 15mile. 10.30am.	All time club records from Simon, Julie & Ana. A current Club record for Lisa Hall & pb’s for Andy M & Gary. Not a bad effort!!!!
Nov – Sun 4^th	Guy Fawkes 10mile 10.30am.	Julie & Ana were obviously inspired with their Holmfirth success so did this off road 10 the following week. Well done.
Nov - Sun 25^th	Abbey Dash 10k, 9.30am.	All time club records from Ammie & Denise plus current club records for Laurence & for new member Vicky Hudson.

Race Results- Various:

Withins Fell Race,21/10/07 7m/1000'

91 Laurence Doddy 57.15

Holmfirth 15 28/10/07

43 Simon Bellwood 1.43.53 M45 CR Plus all time record. PB.

80 Gary Naylor 1.52.57 PB

107 Tony Brayshaw 1.58.21

140 Lisa Hall 2.03.39 Female CR. PB.

214 Julie Parker 2.29.59 F35 CR Plus all time record. PB.

215 Andy Moakler 2.29.59 PB

219 Ana Lincoln 2.34.19 F50 CR. Plus all time record. PB.

See website: www.flamingphotography.co.uk for Holmfirth 15 pics.

Guy Fawkes 10 4/11/07

653 Julie Parker 1.37.23

775 Ana Lincoln 1.46.22 There were 828 runners.

Abbey Dash 10k 25/11/07

Laurence Doddy 41.10 Current Male C/R.

Denise Frost 43.15 Current F50 C/R. All time F50 C/R. 3rd F50 in race.

David Hudson 43.41

Richard Raistrick 45.13

Amnuay Scott 46.55 Current F40 C/R. All time F40 C/R.PB.

Martin Burnside 51.07

Vicky Hudson 52.11 Current Female C/R.

Ana Lincoln 57.28

Fell Races: Nov 07 to end Dec 07.

Please note that many races require that competitors carry waterproof clothing, map and compass for the competitor’s safety. Failure to comply with a race organiser's requirements will mean that you will be barred from taking part in the race. Competitors should arrive at races prepared to carry any or all of the following equipment: Windproof whole body cover, other body cover appropriate to the conditions, map and compass suitable for navigating the course, whistle, emergency food (long races). This equipment is mandatory at all Cat A Long and Medium races.

If this is the first time you have considered fell racing select a race distance well under the distance you normally run on the road.

If you retire during a race you MUST notify the officials at the finish.

If you like the idea of fell running and would like to have a go please speak to Chris.

All fell races are given a grade indicating length and difficulty. Difficulty is indicated by:

A, no less than 250 feet climb per mile, not more than 20% on roads, at least 1 mile in length (NASTY);

B, not less than 125 feet climb per mile, not more than 30% on roads (FAIRLY NASTY);

C, not less than 100 feet of climb per mile, not more than 40% on roads and contain genuine fell terrain (NOT VERY NASTY).

Length is indicated by: L, 12 miles or more; M, 6 miles and over but less than 12 miles; S, under 6 miles.

SUN DEC 9^th CALDERDALE WAY RELAY. 8am, 50miles/12000’ in six stages from Old Rishworthians RUFC, Copley, Halifax. £48 per team of 12. Limit of 100 teams. Website: www.halifaxharriers.co.uk

SUN DEC 16^th THE STOOP. BS. 11.30 am. 5 miles/800’ from Penistone Hill Country Park, Haworth. £3 on day. All finishers receive a Cadbury’s Curly Wurly. Free coffee & biscuits. All prizes are “Christmas Related”. Dave Woodhead event.

MON DEC 31^st THE 14^th BRISCOE’S BREWERY AULD LANG SYNE RACE. BM. 11.30 am. 6miles/900’ from Penistone Hill Country Park, Haworth. £3.50 on day. All finishers receive a bottle of beer. Free coffee & biscuits. All prizes are beers, ales, ciders etc. Dave Woodhead event.

Currently waiting for 2008 Fell Race Fixture list. Watch this space.

Bunny Runs 2008

4 individual races on successive Tuesday evenings, 2008 dates are:
1 April 7.00pm, 8 April 7.15pm, 15 April 7.30pm, 22 April 7.30pm followed by the Bunny Relays on the 29th April 7.30pm
All from Dimples Lane Quarry. Registration at the Old Sun Hotel, Haworth, W. Yorks (GR 026372), 5 mins. from start.
Individual Bunny Runs: CS. 3m/300'. £2 on night only
Dave & Eileen Woodhead have been involved with organising fell races for many years: the Bunny Runs, Withins Skyline, The Stoop, Auld Lang Syne, Stanbury Splash, and others too. Visit: www.woodentops.org.uk

West Yorkshire Winter League 2007/8 season

In the first event, hosted by Idle in Buck Woods a record 224 took part, including 73 women. Idle's contribution was 29 runners - half the Club. Whilst we lie in 6th overall, we are less than 100 points from fourth, and over 200 clear behind. I know our full strength team will be in a strong position to challenge Baildon and Stainland at Dewsbury's event on 2nd December.

This is the main league that we encourage members of Idle AC to run.

This will be Idle AC’s sixth year in the WYWL and it’s important that as a club we all try to commit to running in all 5 fixtures if at all possible as these are TEAM events. In past years we have proved that we can field a fairly strong team when the whole club runs. This year we have many more members who will be a real asset in these events. Please all take the opportunity to ask the Committee (and other members) any questions about the WYWL, particularly if you are new to cross country running. The League, whilst competitive, is friendly and encouraging to all levels. It would be great to have some of our newer runners giving the WYWL events a go. I’ve (Davina) done over 15 years of League races and I’m the worst off road runner ever so please don’t ever feel that you aren’t ‘a good enough runner’ as its never stopped me!!

To count for individual awards you must complete all five events, and your scores will be added together. At the end of each race each individual is given a tag which denotes their points scored in the race. This works as follows: The first male runner gets 200 points, second gets 199, third gets 198 and so on. The first female runner gets 100 points, second gets 99, third gets 98 and so on. So in addition to the team positions, individual results are available after each event and individual and category winners are presented with individual trophies at the Presentation Evening held at the end of the season (great bash).

There are 8 clubs that form the WYWL: Idle A.C, Pudsey Pacers, Skipton A.C., Leeds & Bradford Tri, Dewsbury Road Runners, Baildon Runners, Stainland Lions and St. Bede’s. The fixtures for 2007/8 are confirmed as follows:

Date Host club Venue

1.Nov 11th Idle AC Slightly amended course in Buck woods area.

2.Dec 2nd Dewsbury Dewsbury. Fancy dress/silly hats.

3.Jan 6th Pudsey Pudsey.

4. Jan 27th Stainland Lions Stainland

5. Feb 24th Skipton Skipton.

All will be 11am starts. Full details will be circulated to club members prior to each event.

Whilst the League does offer individual trophy positions, its primary objective is team competition. The five team scores are added together to decide the following team trophies:

1^st Combined Team, 2^nd Combined Team, 3^rd Combined Team.

1^st Male Team.

1^st Female team.

1^st Vets Team (combination of male/females).

A club team is the first seven men to cross the line (which must include 2 vets), and the first three women (including 1 vet), in each event.

The vets’ team is the 2 male and the one female counting vets added together.

Different runners may score in different races - it’s just first past the post on the day.

The first Combined Team can enter the National Cross Country Final and the 2^nd Combined Team can enter the Plate Race at the National Final which will take place at Nottingham in March 07. Further details will be circulated prior to each event. This year’s presentation night (March 08) will be hosted by Baildon Runners (Details to follow nearer the time).

This year we are hosting an event on 11^th November (see above) so we will not only need everyone to run we’ll need everyone’s family and friends to marshal. Let Chris/Davina know who is available to marshal.

Any questions please speak to Chris as he is not only Secretary of the WYWL but he is the only runner to have run all 75 consecutive races in the past 14 years (Davina has slacked and has only run 73!).

New members

This month we again welcome 2 new members: David Carroll and Denise Frost. David has been running for a great many years and has joined us after running the 2007 Idle Trail race. Denise has left her first claim club, Horsforth Harriers, after recently moving to Idle. Welcome.

Christmas Do 2007 Saturday 8^th December 07 at 8pm.

We have booked the Christmas Do on Saturday 8^th December 07. This year we have booked the ‘Sporting Lodge’ on Highfield Road, Idle. There will be a hot buffet and a live band (Idle Pop), a raffle and the London Marathon Draw. The price is £15 per person (regardless of whether you eat or dance!) and all members, their partners and friends are invited. Please pay your £15 (per person), or your remaining £10 balance to me. The main thing is that EVERYBODY comes to the do. Any cheques need to be payable to Idle AC. In addition I’m wanting raffle prizes (decent, except for the mucky looking, previously orange, shorts!) - Davina

6^th Annual Sewage Works Surprise Club Handicap Race: Sunday 16^th December at 10am.

As members may be aware December 02 saw the start of a yearly tradition for Idle AC – the annual Sewage Works Surprise club handicap race! The race is open to all members and will be run as a 4 mile Handicap race from the Stansfield Arms Pub at Apperley Bridge, starting at 10am on Sunday 16^th December 07. Fancy dress is optional but it all adds to the fun and entertains passing motorists!! There is a special annual trophy for the winner, which was won last year by Hannah Peacock. Jane Lewis finished in second place with Nick Thorp 3^rd. Hannah received the special trophy, presented to her by Chris, at the presentation afternoon at the Symposium. After last year’s brilliant bash we have secured the same hot buffet deal (£5/£2.50 children) at the Symposium (Pay on the day).

Track Nights

A reminder that we have booked Horsfall Track (near Odsal roundabout) on the first two Tuesdays in November & December (this will replace the normal Tues session). Despite a turn out of only 8 for the November session all those who went had a good, hard workout. We’d encourage ALL to come to the next Horsfall Track session on Tuesday 4^th December at 7pm for a coached session. The cost will be £2 per runner but the Thursday night will then be free.

Thursday Nights Run for All

We started our first ‘Run for All’ (first Thursday of each month) on Thursday 4^th Oct and it proved to be a huge success. Like the October date the November date again proved to be a very popular night. We all stayed together as a group with lots of running back for the front end runners and a pace that would be suitable for ANY member. Please continue to all come along as it’s a night when we encourage members of all abilities to attend the club (7pm). It would be especially good to see members of the Wednesday Group there. The next Run for All Night is on Thursday 6^th December.

Christmas at Idle AC

December is a busy month for us all, with the second cross country fixture on the 2nd at Dewsbury (Fancy dress & silly hats!!), the Track night on 4^th, the Christmas Do on the 8^th, and the Sewage works Surprise club Handicap Race on the 16^th. As Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday there will be NO CLUB on 25^th December. Alot of the club are likely to run the Chevin Chase race on Boxing day and therefore no Wednesday club. There will be a club as normal on Thursday 27^th December. There will also be no club on Tuesday 1^st Jan 08. All other training days around the Christmas & New Year holiday weeks will remain as normal. We will have our usual ‘Christmas Lights’ run on Thursday 20^th Dec (19^th for the Wednesday group) when we hope to find a selection of decorated houses which show festive spirit. Afterwards there will be mince pies. Last year we started a new tradition of sherry with our mince pies so we’ll keep that alive again this year & have it on Wednesday and Thursday. Hopefully we should have a good turn out for the Chevin Chase 7 mile race on Boxing Day at 11am. For those wanting a run on New Years Eve you could run the Auld Lang Syne Fell race!! This is a ‘B’ Medium fell race which starts from Penistone Hill Country Park at Haworth at 11.30 am. The race is 6 miles with 900’ of climbing (speak to Chris if you want to know more details about the course) it’s only £3.50 to enter (on the day only) and all finishers receive a bottle of Briscoe’s Brewery ‘Auld Lang Syne’ beer. All prizes are beers, ales, ciders etc. There is also the Jolly Holly Jog 10k from Ripon which I can highly recommend, though it fills early.

Enjoy the Christmas lights as you run this December.

Thanks to all the members for their contributions and support during 2007. Let’s make 2008 a better year!!!.

Chevin Chase 7 mile off road race.

The Chevin Chase entry forms are now available on Airecentre Pacers website: www.airecentre-pacers.co.uk (you can also enter online) or at www.ukresults.net

This scenic off road race starts at 11am on Boxing Day from Aireborough leisure centre, Guiseley. As it’s a really popular race I'd advise sending entries in ASAP.

There are also copies at the club.

Monthly Website Competition

Congratulations to Richard who won the October website Competition (See Chris’s coaching page on the Idle AC website which is sponsored by Market Town Taverns. Each month members have the opportunity to win drinks (Wine/beer/lager/soft drinks) from the Symposium in Idle. See Chris’s page for the November competition, and send him an email.

Yorkshire & Northern Cross Country Championships – confirmation of details.

1. Yorkshire cross country championships: May well be Saturday 5^th Jan 08 (the day before a WYWL event- priority must to given to WYWL). The likely details are as follows: women 6000m at 1.30pm and men 11,000m at 2.15pm. Please let Chris know if you want to be entered. No late entries.

2. Northern Cross Country Championships: Definitely on Saturday 26th January 08 at Roundhay Park, Leeds. The distances and times are: women 8k at 12.25pm and men 12km at 2.00pm. Let Chris know if you want to be entered no later tan 10^th December 07 as there are no late entries. The cost is £3.50 per member. Club vests MUST be worn.

Yorkshire Vets X Country Championships

For those of you that can’t get enough cross country with the WYWL & above events you might want to consider running the Yorkshire Vets Cross country championships on Sunday 13^th Jan 08. They are held at Greenhead School and Cliffe Castle, Keighley. The distance is 5k for women plus 70+ men and a 10k for men aged 50-69, both starting at 1pm. There is also a third race which starts at approx 2pm and will be a 10k for men 35-49..Please let Chris know if you want to run no later than 31^st December 07.No late entries. For teams it’s 3 to score in men 35-39, 50-59, 60-69,women 35-44,45+ and 4 to score men 40-49. £4 per member and club vests must be worn.

Yorkshire Vets 2007 & 8

Congratulations to Pete Helliwell who was one of the few runners in Yorkshire who completed in all 9 Grand Prix races during 2007. Ana Lincoln also ran an impressive 8 out of the 9. Pete finished in overall 7^th position in the M40category (best 6/9 races), and Ana finished 6^th in the F50. We should soon have full details of the 2008 Grand Prix list which starts in Feb 08.

Club Records & Hall of Fame Records

The All time (Hall of Fame) records are now available to view on our website and it includes the fastest times in all age categories for both present and past members. From 1^st October we therefore have two sets of records, as follows:

· One for current club members which includes a few ‘available’ records for current members to aim for. This list will be kept updated & published in Idle Gossip & on the website. Each time a current club record is broken a ‘modest’ prize will be awarded. Records will be deleted from the current list when a member resigns.

· In addition there will be another list ‘Hall of Fame’ records. This will include past members who currently hold records. Each time an ‘All time’ record is broken a prize will be awarded. The ‘Hall of fame’ records will be published on the website & in the yearly record cards.

· Club records can only be set by first claim members.

See list below as loads of current record & an all time record were broken during October & November 07. We now have a big box prizes for ‘All time’ & ‘Current Club records’, so members get the opportunity of choosing their own prize.

Yorkshire Vets Races 07 & 2008.

The final Grand Prix race, due to be held on 17^th November was unfortunately cancelled. Medals for 2007 are now therefore being awarded for best 6 scores from 9 races. Check www.yvaa.org for final places.

Idle AC will be once again affiliating the club to the Yorkshire Veterans Athletic Association (YVAA) in early 08. The first grand prix race of 2008 will be held on Sunday 3^rd Feb at Horsforth at 10am. After the race there will be the prize presentation for 2007 and the AGM. Further dates will be circulated once we know them.

One Cold Morning of My Life

I write this in the haze of my usual post-long-run headache, and after a bath to warm myself up during which I pondered just how desperately I need to clean the bathroom tiles.

Last night, I rang Tony Wimbush to ask if he would mind changing the plan for today. We were meant to be running 31 miles round Bradford but, unfortunately, most of the interested people were unable to do the entire route today, although quite a few could fit in part of it, so we have postponed that for now. So you don’t get out of it that easily!

Instead, we decided to run about twelve miles from Haworth this morning, taking in the beginning and end sections of Wuthering Hike. As this was more accessible, I phoned round and sent some texts but did not garner much of a response. Leon was too lazy (we know already Leon!), Andy M would see me at the Xmas do, Chris Stubbs was doing Harriers v Cyclists, Phill was still fitting a kitchen, Tony B was tapering, and Shaun wouldn’t make it to work in time. Tim told me it was forecast to be cold and wet and that he would be thinking of me, gloating. (If any of you I didn’t contact would like to be included on future futile invitation lists, give me your phone number).

Before dawn, I picked up faithful comrades Chris Smith and Jo and drove to Penistone hill to meet Tony. It was perishing and windy up there so we wore more clothes than normal. I was okay once we got going but Jo was really cold and couldn’t run. In the end, Chris took her a more sheltered route back to the car while Tony and I carried on.

As you know, the moors are bleak and dreich. But I quite like that. There was a bit of a problem though, in that we couldn’t run on the flagstone path because it was too slippery so we had to run on the grassy hummocky bits on the peat at the side. My gloves were soon wet from hanging onto the rushes (I think they’re called rushes anyway (?)). We looked forward to the path changing to a more runnable track but that too turned out to be slippery. The rocks were slippery, the frozen mud was slippery, and the ice everywhere was slippery. Some bits of gravel weren’t slippery and it was sometimes possible to run in the rivulets on the path, unless the water happened to be flowing over ice, in turn covering slippery rock. Lucky for me, Tony was a short way ahead of me so I could see him sliding all over the place and adjust my path accordingly and only fell over once. By now I was wet through and my sodden pants were so heavy with water that they were stretched so the crotch was really far down my legs.

Meanwhile, Chris and Jo were in Ponden Mill, shopping and drinking hot chocolate, with Jo wearing a borrowed fluffy pink dressing gown and her pants drying on the heater.

Back in the real world, a fell runner overtook us and I think Tony would have liked to have sped up too but I was too slow. I finally recognised this cow shed place from Wuthering Hike where you have to wade through loads of mud/shit. We weren’t that far from the warm car containing my dry clothes, but since I was wet through and completely numb anyway it didn’t really matter. I looked at some birds but felt a bit dizzy looking up. Also I thought I saw Tony on the other side of a wall but it was just a fence post. Tony gave me some reviving chocolate and we soon passed the part in Wuthering Hike where I’d had tea and a donut in spring. That van wasn’t there today but it did mean we could run on the road for a while, albeit uphill. However, this led to an especially slippery path. One choice now was to tentatively attempt the skeleton bob route and fall over everywhere. The other was to cut across through chest high rushes and risk falling into a boggy hole, never to be seen again until being mined out as fossil fuel – far preferable, and a more romantic end I think – so that’s what we did.

Eventually the reservoir was in view – yay! And then we just ran up the road to the car park where Chris and Jo were waiting, warmly ensconced in my car so I had to get naked in the cold grey concrete toilet block and put on some dry clothes before driving the freeloaders home again.

So. We are going to do this again. I hope I have sold it to you sufficiently so you’ll come next time. We say thank you and sorry to Tony for taking us out.

- Lisa Hall

From the Coach…

A couple of weeks ago the IAAF ratified Haile Gebrsellassie’s world marathon record. On 30^th September he recorded 2:04:26 at the Berlin Marathon. It’s a pretty flat course like most city marathons, but the speed and consistency is awesome. He recorded 2:05 a couple of years ago in London, and is an endurance runner in every sense. I was a spectator at the Durham International Cross Country fully 15 years ago to watch him skip over the mud and win in style.

It must have felt good to be in the same race, even as a recreational runner coming in two or three hours after. Certainly I was impressed when in Amsterdam I found that I had crossed the line (some time) after the second fastest time of the year, and seven men who had beaten 2:10. Equally I was disappointed not to be behind Paula Radcliffe in London for her world record run. I watched on television what I consider to be the greatest competitive distance run of all time. She ran with no pacemaker and no meaningful competition from the start to the finish of the full 26.2 miles. Every mile she ran in the second half of the race was faster than every mile in the first.

It’s an opportune time to consider the subject, as the rejections (like mine) and the acceptances (possibly like Davina’s) from London begin to hit the doormats, and as the draw for the two club entries approaches. Several members will begin their own dark winter journey towards that famous finish line, whilst more will be left contemplating other endeavours.

The London Marathon is the clearest and most universally understandable recurring ambition in our sport, and major marathons can punctuate our lives in an iconic fashion. Don’t tell anyone, but Dave Lewis will next year run the Paris Marathon on the very day of his 50^th birthday. Yet the elements which are brought together in such huge efforts are within us and can be nurtured in much smaller and commonplace ways. Our distance running is always, if loosely, concerned with some kind of measurable achievement. It may be a small 10k race run more quickly than last year, a new distance conquered in a race, or just a week of running every other day. In any case, despite the push provided by a clubmate on the shoulder in a speed session, or a fellow competitor in a race who won’t be shaken off, the competition is principally with ourselves. Can we achieve more than we previously achieved? Can we maintain our level, against the ravages of age and injury? Can we accept a new challenge? Can we silence that harshest of critics, the clock?

Each time we step out of the door to run it is a small conquest – the assertion of willpower and the desire to achieve, essentially in the most important comparison - with ourselves. Each time another building block is put into place, so that we can work towards our own chosen finish line, perhaps a few minutes, maybe hours, after the leading competitor’s victory. What remains most important though, is that we can honestly justify our time and our position to ourselves.

-Chris.

Current Men’s Club Records

Distance	Category	Name	Time
5 Km	Senior	Vacant
	M40	Simon Bellwood	18.30
	M45	David Lewis	18:40
	M50	Steve Little	21.09
5 Miles	Senior	Vacant
	M40	Chris Stubbs	31.06
	M45	Richard Lyons	33.22
	M50	Trevor Hooley	38.42
10 Km	Senior	Laurence Doddy	41.10
	M40	Chris Stubbs	36.25
	M45	Dave Lewis	38:57
	M50	Steve Little	46:28
10 Miles	Senior	Vacant
	M40	Chris Stubbs	1:05:14
	M45	Simon Bellwood	1:06:54
	M50	Steve Little	1:16:21
Half Marathon	Senior	Phil Joyner	1:38:17
	M40	Chris Smith	1:24:05
	M45	Simon Bellwood	1:22:48
	M50	Trevor Hooley	1:43:29
15 Miles	Senior	Chris Stubbs	1:37:03
	M40	Simon Bellwood	1:43:58
	M45	Trevor Hooley	2:03:18
	M50	Vacant
20 Miles	Senior	Chris Smith	2:24:00
	M40	Simon Bellwood	2:17:26
	M45	Simon Bellwood	2:13:50
	M50	Vacant
Marathon	Senior	Chris Smith	3:04:12
	M40	Simon Bellwood	3:02:18
	M45	Simon Bellwood	3:07: 03
	M50	Trevor Hooley	4:15:08

Current Women’s Club Records

Distance	Category	Name	Time
5 Km	Senior	Vacant
	F35	Clare Sweeney	22:13
	F40	Davina Smith.	26:08
	F45	Kay Gambles	20.59
	F50	Ana Lincoln	27.01
5 Miles	Senior	Vacant
	F35	Amnuay Scott	40.06
	F45	Kay Gambles	40.03
	F50	Ana Lincoln	43.13
10 Km	Senior	Vicky Hudson	52:11
	F35	Maria Furness	47:07
	F40	Amnuay Scott	46.55
	F45	Vacant
	F50	Denise Frost	43:15
10 Miles	Senior	Vacant
	F35	Amnuay Scott	1:23:29
	F45	Kay Gambles	1:16:50
	F50	Ana Lincoln	1.32.38
Half Marathon	Senior	Sarah Holness	1:59:08
	F35	Jo Belcher	1:43:29
	F40	Kay Gambles	1:51:00
	F45	Vacant
	F50	Ana Lincoln	1:53:27
15 Miles	Senior	Vacant
15 Miles	F50	Ana Lincoln	2:35:57
20 Miles	Senior	Joanne Belcher	2:37:11
	F35	Davina Smith	3:01:01
	F40	Kay Gambles	3:02:00
	F45	Vacant
	F50	Ana Lincoln	3.49.32
Marathon	Senior	Joanne Belcher	3:21:31
	F40	Davina Smith	4:02:58
	F45	Vacant
	F50	Ana Lincoln	4.47.06