RUNNING
The impacts of Covid on Road Running meant that the Club saw no new Road Running Distance Champions for many months & then 2 come along within 2 weeks of each other!
Parkrun Junior 2K-
Katie Lasseter was the sole BRJ’er participating in a 2K Parkrun last weekend, which was Jubilee Park. No PB was secured.
Parkrun 5K
BRJ’ers returned to Ferry Meadows, Luton Wardown, March, Market Harborough & Storeys Field. At Market Rasen Racecourse, Claire Pearce secured a 40 Sec Club PB (#5 of 2021).
BRJ’ers made 2 Club Parkrun debuts. These were Junior Christopher Scott at the Watermead Country Park (Leicester) securing a 53 Sec Club 5K PB (#6 of 2021) & Alice Noyes participating at Chilton Fields (Stowmarket). The Huntingdon Parkrun saw 3 Club PB’ers. These were Felicity Baillie by 17 Secs (PB #6 of 2021), Kags Alexander-Cahill by 12 Secs (PB #5) & Gerry Pye by 7 Secs (PB #2). Ian Wilson completed Parkrun #200.
George Munday 10K
The in-form Marcela Gracova was the only club participant. Marcela was the leading Women, some 3 minutes clear of the Runner-Up, finishing in position 19 of the 277 finishers in a spectacular time of 00:38:32. She secured herself a 2 Min 53 Sec Club PB (#5 of 2021) when compared with her time set in 2019 at the Peterborough New Years Eve event. Her time also broke the Women’s Course Record by a margin of 2 Mins & most importantly also makes her the BRJ’s new Women’s 10K Champion by virtue of beating the previous record by 6 Secs over that set by former member Sabrina Crothall at the Bedford AAA 10K of July 2019. Marcela now holds the Club’s Women’s Distance records at 5 Miles, 10K & 10 Miles & it looks fairly certain that other Club Records will be under threat.
Rutland Water Night Run 10K
This 10K race started & finished at the iconic Normanton Church of the South side of Rutland Water. Of the 460 finishers, Nicki McMahon led home the BRJ squad picking up a runner-up age category place, whilst Stephen Rochford made his club 10K debut earning PB #5 of 2021. Detailed results are:-
NAME TIME POSITION
Nicki McMahon 00:49:05 62 (2nd FV35-39)
Stephen Rochford 00:51:04 89 (Debut Club 10K & PB #5 of 2021)
Thomas Brand 00:55:33 163
Tony Farrow 1:00:43 249
Kirkstall Abbey Trail 1/2 Marathon
Keelan Duffy raced at this 1/2 Marathon Trail event based at Kirkstall Abbey, a ruined Cistercian Monastery situated in Leeds on the banks of the River Aire. It was a very difficult course (5/5 on the tough scale rating) and sadly, there were a few ”organisational” issues. Firstly, all the runners were sent in the wrong direction meaning the course distance came up about a 1K short. Keelan crossed the finish line at exactly the same time as another runner in a time of 1:17:37. The finish line officials could not easily determine who had won so they checked the VAR (chip timer) & announced Keelan as the overall winner & presented him with the 1st place trophy. However, the Official results released later in the day placed Keelan as 2nd place by a margin of just 1 second.
Despite the organisational issues, it was great run & had the course had not been 1K short of the official 21K distance, Keelan would have finished in just under 1 Hr 22 Mins which would have fallen well within his current Club 1/2 Marathon PB of 1:24:36 set at Cambridge in October 2021.
Remembrance Runs (Hinchingbrooke Country Park)
The event offered a variety of distances from 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon, Full Marathon to Ultra Marathon, based on measured laps of Hinchingbrooke Country Park. BRJ’ers tackled the 1/2 & Full Marathon distances.
1/2 Marathon – The course consisted of 4 laps & there were 35 finishers. The BRJ participants, 2 of which were making their Club 1/2 Marathon debuts were:-
NAME TIME POSITION
Karen Gilchrist 2:09:28 16
Chloe Rudd 2:36:02. 30 (Debut Club 1/2 Marathon)
Joanne Watts 2:36:11 31
Sara Graham-Clare 2:36:59 32 (Debut Club 1/2 Marathon)
Marathon – Kerry Surkitt, as part of a personal challenge to complete 100 Marathons for charity, participated in the full Marathon based on 8 laps of Hinchingbrooke Country Park. Kerry finished in a time of 4:42:22 in position 17 of the 33 finishers. This was a new Club Marathon PB by 1 Min 10 Secs.
Gower Peninsula Ultra Marathon
Frank Holmes participated in this 53K (33 Mile) Ultra Marathon based in the Gower Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. The course featured a 3,874 foot ascent & of the 185 finishers, Frank finished in position 81 in a time of 6:13:04.
MULTI-SPORTS
British University & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Duathlon
Of the 448 finishers, Jessica Barrett-Drylie completed the event in position 408 in a time of 1:19:47 (64th / 97 in her category). Her splits were:-
Run 1 (5K) – 00:22:10
T1 – 00:01:17
Bike (18K) – 00:42:53
T2 – 00:01:03
Run 2 (2.5K) – 00:12:23