On Sunday, Martin Croucher clocked up marathon number 130 at the point-to-point Loch Ness Marathon. The route offers stunning scenery starting high on moorland, then following the south eastern shores of Loch Ness before finally crossing the River Ness to finish in Inverness. The whole event gets great reviews year after year.
Martin was really pleased with a beautifully evenly paced run, an almost identical time for each half. He reckons it’s a definite PB course but be careful not to go off to quickly on the more downhill first half.
1st October, Baxters Loch Ness Marathon, 26.2 miles, road
1 Moray Pryde (Lothian Running Club) 2.22.04 chip time
730 Martin Croucher (Cirencester AC) 3.52.25
3502 finished
There were two splendid runs by club members at the Rugby Half Marathon on Sunday where Harrie Siebenaller ran just inside 1.40 to finish as 9th lady overall. She described the course as “undulating” and the whole event as “really nice”.
Keith Firkin bagged 2nd place in his MV60 age group with his 1.43 finish.
1st October, Rugby Half Marathon, 13.1 miles, road
1 Daniel Clarke 1.13.07
74 Harrie Siebenaller (Cirencester AC) 1.39.29
103 Keith Firkin 1.43.20 – 2nd MV60
656 finished
At the Cotswold Water Park 10k on Saturday Elysia Harrison was 2nd lady and 9th overall. Jos Randall and Sam Timms also both ran well on the trail route around the Cleveland Lakes Nature Reserve.
30th September, Cotswold Water Park 10k, 10k, trail
1 Kyle McConnell (Whippets) 37.51
9 Elysia Harrison (Cirencester AC) 42.40 – 2nd lady
82 Jocelyn Randall 55.47
124 Samantha Timms 1.03.33
174 finished
Ann Sherrington has been taking part in some Aquathlon events over the summer, the latest of which was at Henley on Thames on Saturday. Ann wasn’t convinced that her results were newsworthy other than – in her own words – “the fact that I did them and they are great fun!” She has so far completed the races solo or with friends from Berkshire but would love to have other CAC runners/swimmers joining her next year.
She reports that the LPS Lake 62 evening series is “a great way to enjoy Aquathlon as they are very local and repeated four times over four months so plenty of opportunity to learn and to improve on times.” Having completed three of the four events, Ann won the series and a medal.
“The Bournemouth event was huge, an annual Tri qualifiers event, over 700 entrants with just 46 doing Aquathlon, swimming in the sea and running along the prom. I was 2nd in my age group and my 5k run time was about 2 minutes quicker than it had been at the start of the season thanks to the excellent coaching I’ve had on Tuesday nights – thank you coaches!”
“Henley on Thames on Saturday was the chance to do my first river swim and came with lots more learning and useful experience.” (Results awaited)
Thanks to Ann for sharing her experiences. People are Googling aquathlon right now!
10th September, Bournemouth Aquathlon - 750m sea swim, 5k run
1 Gianni Shipp 35.02 (Swim 13.55, Run 16.32)
22 Ann Sherrington (Cirencester AC) 50.17 (Swim 16.20, Run 27.47) 2nd FV55
35 finished
Amongst the parkrun results this week, Holly Willis ran her 50th overall at the Upton House event in Poole. There was some parkrun tourism with Alan and Rachel McAdam at Conwy and Martin Croucher in Inverness warming up for his marathon.
James Thomas enjoyed the very cross country feel of the Wolford Woods event and crossed the line in first place. There were excellent age gradings for Ian Barrett, Kate Sackett, Ruth Fulford and Pam Wheeler.
At Cirencester Rob Forbes ran with his son Heath who set a new PB. Gary Wood ran sub 28 minutes after a 7 mile warm up run! The club was also represented on the volunteer squad and Paul Barrow clocked up his 50th credit for volunteering.
30th September, parkrun, 5k, trail
Upton House parkrun
1 Henry Cornish 16.58
157 Holly Willis (Cirencester AC) 26.35
562 finished
Stonehouse parkrun
1 Matt Hudd 17.00
15 Kate Sackett (Cirencester AC) 23.50 – 2nd lady
75 finished
Conwy parkrun
1 Jonathan Kettle 17.36
54 Alan McAdam (Cirencester AC) 25.01
67 Rachel McAdam 25.37
216 finished
Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun
1 William Mayes 17.13
5 Ian Barrett (Cirencester AC) 17.47
387 finished
Cirencester parkrun
1 Billy Mead 18.10
14 Rob Forbes (Cirencester AC) 20.58
78 Dorian Matts 27.05
85 Brendan McCarthy 27.50
86 Gary Wood 27.57
91 Pam Wheeler 28.22
122 Rachel Ranger 30.57
133 Ruth Fulford 32.31
141 Lorna Harris 33.35
174 finished
Chipping Norton School parkrun
1 Oscar Street 22.29
7 Colin Tapley (Cirencester AC) 23.11
78 Clare Tapley 34.19
97 finished
Torvean parkrun
1 Andrew Baird 17.00
207 Martin Croucher (Cirencester AC) 29.28
512 finished
Wolford Wood parkrun
1 James Thomas (Cirencester AC) 18.52
47 finished
Quakers Walk parkrun
1 Jake Stephens 16.48
140 David Moss (Cirencester AC) 27.57
302 finished
And finally, were you one of the thousands of people disappointed at not getting a place to run the London Marathon next year? Well, here’s another chance for you.
The club has been allocated one place. To be eligible to enter the draw for it, which will take place at the end of this month, please forward your London Marathon rejection email, received on 6th July, to Ruth at ruth.fulford47@gmail.com As they say, you’ve got to be in it to win it.
As ever, please send your results to Martin at cirenacresults@gmail.com and any race news to Rachel at rachelelisabethbarrow@hotmail.co.uk