Swinton Running Club M A R C H 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Dan ‘amazed’ 1

Cheadle 5 2

Haweswater Half 4

Trimpell 20 8

Trotters 5 11

Blackpool Half 16

Spen 20 17

Worsley Woods 19

St Annes 10 20

East Hull 20 22

Barcelona Marathon 24

Wilmslow Half 27

Spectating……… 30

Manchester Marathon 32

Beginners Group 33

Up and Coming Races 34

CLGP 2012 35

Radcliffe 10K 36

Club Championships 37

Ladies Championship 38

Men’s Championship 39

Committee Minutes 40

Social Events 41

Race Results 43

Contacts 44

AN AVID sportsman and dedicated volunteer from Prestwich has been

chosen as an Olympic torchbearer.

Dan Bird, of Butterstile Lane, will carry the torch for 300 metres on

Sunday, June 24 in Marsh, near Huddersfield, en route from Salford to

Leeds.

The 20-year-old said: “I was shocked and really excited when I found

out I was going to be a torch bearer.

“I was at college and my mum sent me a text message. I announced it

in class and I broke into tears. I’m so happy and amazed.”

A former pupil at Unsworth Primary School, Dan was diagnosed with autism at the age of four

and has a speech and language disorder.

He is currently studying BTEC level three in sport at Queen Alexandra College in Birming-

ham. He was chosen as a student ambassador for the college and leads tours for visitors.

Outside college, Dan has a passion for sport and has volunteered with Bury Sport And Physi-

cal Activity Service for five years, acting as an assistant coach for multi-sport activities.

Dan has been a member of Swinton Running Club for three years and currently runs more

than 50 miles per week in training for next month’s Greater Manchester Marathon.

He hopes to raise £500 for the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, which has helped his 19-

year-old brother, Aiden, who has severe learning difficulties.

Dan is also a member of Bourneville Harriers, in Birmingham, where he coaches new runners,

and a member of Prestwich Tennis Club.

Dan said: “Despite my disability I always give 100 per cent in everything I do, working hard

to achieve my goals and challenges in life. I like having a busy schedule and I’m really com-

mitted to making every minute of the day count,

“I want to get through the barrier and have equal opportunities to have a career, just like any

other person would dream of.”

He added: “I want to become a good role model in sports, whether it’s coaching in athletics or

a range of sports for young people or children with disabilities. My other goal is to become a

personal trainer and help people with their fitness and well-being,”

To sponsor Dan in the Greater Manchester Marathon: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SportDan91.

Gaynor, with thanks to the Prestwich & Whitefield Guide

Dan ‘amazed’ to be chosen

P A G E 2

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Race Reviews

Cheadle 5 - Sunday 4th March 2012

I found the flyer for this race on my windscreen after Alsager5. Thinking that the ST10 post-

code for entries was a Stockport address, I assumed this was Cheadle South Manchester –

definitely flat, ideal for my recovery program...Ha!!

Two days before the race I decided to check the route and timing to work out when I had to

set the alarm for on Sunday morning. I got a bit of a shock, this was not South Manchester

but a small town called Cheadle south of Stoke on Trent, definitely not flat countryside. With

trepidation I looked at the times for last year – OMG the winning time for my age group was

44 minutes – either this race was a fell run or seriously uncompetitive.

Things got worse on the morning of the race as I woke to heavy rain, the rain turned to sleet

as I made my way south, watching the fuel gauge sink into the red and wondering where I

was going to find diesel in all these country lanes.

The race info said limited parking, but I had no trouble finding a spot. Possibly because the

total race entry was only 162. The race HQ is a youth club, spacious and warm with beverag-

es, mars bars and sausage sandwiches laid on. There seemed to be more people entering on

the day than had pre-entered, I admired their dedication, if I hadn’t entered in advance and

told my PT I was going I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep that morning. I stood

behind a queue of green Trentham shirts waiting to pick up my number - Trentham must like

this race, they had a good turn out and took away a lot of the prizes.

I tried to go for a warm-up run, but after one lap of the block came back colder than I had

started, so I resorted to studying the opposition and trying to work out which of the girls were

in my age group. As we lined up I spotted a very lean fit lady from Staffs Moorlands who

looked like she might be my opposition. I hope she never reads this because at the end of the

race I found out she’s V35 not 45!

We started sandwiched between two 4x4s and I found myself completely boxed in for most

of the first half mile, but this probably did me a favour because I couldn’t shoot off and burn

out in the first mile. I spotted the yellow Moorlands shirt ahead of me and decided that I

wanted to be ahead of that shirt, so when the field spread out I worked my way up and got in

front.

The next three miles were undulating – not Steve Doxey’s idea of undulating – small enough

rises so that I was at the top of them and recovering on the way down before I had time to

worry about the fact that I am no good at running hills. Short enough for me to actually pass

people on the way up hill – unheard of! The Lady from Moorlands and I passed each other

more times than I remember over those first few miles and I thought maybe I had the better of

her, but somewhere toward the end of the fourth mile there was a hill that was long enough

for my legs to register that I was climbing and for my lungs to start to complain. As I slowed

my friend from Moorlands didn’t, she told me later that she realised that was her chance to

make a break. I could see her ahead for the rest of the race but couldn’t pick up pace to catch

her. The best I could do was hang in now and make sure I wasn’t passed by anyone else,

which I just about did – the guy pounding up behind me toward the finish line was almost

treading on my heels as we passed the clock.

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Race Reviews

Cheadle 5 - Sunday 4th March 2012

I was seriously chuffed with my time, especially since the course is far from flat and fast, I

was even more chuffed when I realised Ms Day from Moorlands is ten years younger than

me. I picked up a voucher for Bourne Sports so the morning left me feeling quite good about

the world.

Sarah

Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Haweswater Half Marathon - Sunday 4th March 2012

Sunday 4th March provided a host of race options – the Trotters 5 at Burnden, the somewhat

longer Trimpell 20 or, for a small but intrepid band of Swinton runners, the option furthest

north, the Haweswater half marathon.

The week before the race had been lovely. Mild, sunny and dry – perfect spring weather. Sat

in the office on the Friday I remember thinking how nice it would be to race in the Lake Dis-

trict that weekend. Then someone, who shall remain nameless, jokingly commented that the

forecast for Sunday was for snow. This “joke” seemed less and less funny Sunday morning

as myself and my chauffeur for the day, Dave Williamson, made our way up the M6. The

temperature dropped from a balmy 3 degrees to an ominous zero and the rain became more

and more sleet like. A quick toilet stop at the last services before we turned off the motorway

confirmed our worst suspicions. It was indeed snowing.

Arriving at the race start in the village of Bampton things got even worse. Having literally

just had a good laugh at the ability of Swinton runners to get stuck in muddy fields and re-

quire towing out (in some cases twice in the same day!) we were not impressed when the

marshals directed us into a nice muddy field to park. Deciding that we’d worry about getting

back off the field later (once the small matter of the race was out of the way) we made our

way to registration where we met up with the rest of team Swinton: Lauren, Adam, Steve

Hart and Viv. Talk was generally about how cold it was, how many layers we should wear

and whether the snow would stop.

Helpfully, the snow did in fact stop by the time 11.30am came around and we made our way

to the race start (stopping on the way in my case for a friendly passing lady to do up my

sports bra!) The course begins in the village along a fairly narrow road making getting a

quick start difficult. The use of ipods/ other generic MP3 devices was also clearly not banned

(or very badly policed) and I had a close call with a lady who obviously didn’t hear my

shouts of excuse me, coming through and reacted strangely badly to me barging past! We

were soon out of the village however and onto the first hill at which point the field began to

spread out and I was able to find some space to run in and settle down into a comfortable

pace.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but the first 3 miles are more or less up hill all the way. I did

notice that it felt oddly difficult for the start of a race and I certainly noticed that my mile

splits were getting slower and slower. At that stage I decided not to worry about running a

PB and just to try to run comfortably and enjoy the race. I then didn’t look at my watch again

until I crossed the finish line.

At about mile 3 we finally caught sight of Haweswater. Sadly, this didn’t spell the end of the

hills as the road continued to undulate along the side of the lake. For those of us who like

hills (basically Lauren and me) this simply makes for a more exciting running experience. It

also meant we got some pretty stunning views along the way especially as many of the peaks

were covered in snow.

The course is an out and back so I knew that sooner or later I’d start to see the lead runners

coming back the other way. I made it to nearly 6 miles before the winner appeared over the

horizon. We crossed just as he reached the top of a particularly long climb (more of which

later) and I was pleased to see that even he looked a little tired at that stage. He had a good

lead on the runners behind though including a familiar Horwich vest in third place. Suspect-

ing that Lauren was probably going to have a good race I decided to count female runners so.

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Race Reviews

Haweswater Half Marathon - Sunday 4th March 2012

I could impart useful information to her as to her position. I must have missed one as I made

her 7th and she actually finished in an exceptionally impressive 8th place. My apologies to the

lady I thought was a man!

The last mile into the turn around is downhill all the way which is lovely at the time but also

pretty daunting as you’re well aware that once you get the end you’re going to have to turn

round and run all the way back up. To give you an idea I took 7.32 minutes to get from mile

6 to mile 7 at the turn around and then 9.00 minutes to get from the turn around to mile 8!

Once the long slog was done, however, the second half of the race was largely downhill. In

fact it was only running back the way we’d come that I realised how much climbing I must

have done in the first few miles.

At some point on the way back I passed two guys having a chat about what sort of finish time

we were on for. Neither of them had a properly functioning Garmin so purely on guesswork

they decided we were on for a 1.47/ 1.48 finish. Why I didn’t check my own watch at this

stage to see how accurate they were I don’t know but instead, knowing that that would be a

marginal PB, I attempted to pick up the pace. By now my legs were feeling pretty tired and

even the down hills felt hard. I actually thought they were about to go from under me they

felt so wobbly on a particularly steep bit of descent. It was with great relief that I finally saw

the finish line although I was a little confused as to how we were going to get there (having

come in the other side of the village somehow) and it did seem to be a heck of a way off that

it came into sight.

Crossing the line (and finally looking at my watch!) I was delighted with a new PB of 1.45.41

(later improved to 1.45.39 in the official results – I’ll take every second!) I caught up with

Lauren who’d had a storming race for another PB of 1.32.58 and we decided that putting

warm clothes on should be our first priority even though this did mean that we ended up

missing seeing Adam finish just making it back out in time to catch Steve and Dave and fi-

nally Viv coming home strong in an impressively difficult race to have decided to take on as

part of her come back from injury.

General consensus was that although it wasn’t an easy race it was definitely one to do again

and well worth the trip up the M6. And best of all, we were even able to retrieve Dave’s car

from the field without the assistance of any local farmers

Rebecca

Full results available here

The Haweswater Hotel - part way along the course

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H A W E S W A T E R H A L F M A R A T H O N - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

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H A W E S W A T E R H A L F M A R A T H O N - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

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Race Reviews

Trimpell 20 Mile Road Race - Sunday 4th March 2012

The morning before Trimpell I attended the first Worsley Woods Parkrun and after that my

first ever Biotic Fit session. For anyone who hasn’t heard me rant about Biotic Fit it is a bril-

liant exercise ‘community’ which uses parks to train. By the Saturday afternoon my body was

starting to hurt because that’s what Biotic Fit does – HURT. Despite this everyone should

still give it a go!

The next day, on the drive up to Lancaster my legs were feeling very heavy and tight but I

thought it would ease off. I started to feel less confident as I wobbled to collect my race num-

ber. After another sit down in the car I went to the start area which is at the track next to the

sports centre.

Here I met Mike and the ace support team of Emma and Jess. Mike and I made our way into

the crowd and then we were off. I was very grateful to Mike for ‘carrying’ me round the first

6 miles. Without his conversation and motivation I would have taken much longer and been

more miserable much earlier.

The first water station was just over 6 miles and before the first bridge across the Lune. I was

parched by this point so stopped to have a good drink and see Mike trot off into the distance!

It was here that I remembered I had my bottle last year and I missed not having it. Cups of

water are useless to me as I have to stop each time I want a drink. Unfortunately this is what

you find at each water station.

I love this run as it follows the river and especially the view that opens up the other side of

the motorway. The valley with the surrounding hills capped in white was just glorious and

lifted my spirits. This is what running is all about. At 13 miles, as we were heading back, I

started on the jelly beans to keep me going. It was a mental game at this point to keep run-

ning. As my watch turned 2 hours 50 mins and I was still a long way from home I reflected

on how easy this race felt last year when I was fit and I was finished. Now I still had miles to

go. The miles did pass, though, and when I saw the 18 mile marker I felt a renewed effort to

pick up the pace.

At the end I was just pleased to have finished and was looking forward to the goodies. Unfor-

tunately I was disappointed to find there were only large t-shirts left (a present for Jim) and

no medal or refreshments! For the entry fee I was expecting a bit more and I did wonder

where the fee went. The least the organisers could do is spend it on bottled water! I will still

do this race again as it is a lovely flat 20 miles but I will lower my expectations and arrive

better prepared (and fitter!).

Cara

Full results available here

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T R I M P E L L 2 0 M I L E R O A D R A C E - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

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Race Reviews

Trotters 5 - Sunday 4th March 2012

Having never done this race before but hearing lots of bad re-

ports of how awful it is I thought I’d give it a go anyway. Turn-

ing up at registration with Julie H. and Julie W. we got our num-

bers, abandoned our bags and headed out for the warm up run to

the start. Heading up the main road Paul Shier arrived too late

to collect his number and get to the start so he decided to watch

and hurl abuse and encouragement at the Swinton runners.

On the start line there was quite a lot of Swinton runners which

was great to see and we all waited impatiently for the off. The

start soon came and we all headed along the paths at Smithills

Farm. Within seconds there was a sudden halt as a puddle was

across the path which made some of the runners try and mince

round it. Being a puddle and mud lover I was hurling abuse at

these softy types. What did they expect on a trail race?????

The race is a two lap course which seems to go either uphill or downhill. Most of the race is

on farm paths interspersed with a section through a housing estate and a fast downhill stretch

on the main road. Finishing the first lap we had encouragement from our latecomer Paul be-

fore heading back out along the trails and into the puddle again.

The second lap was going well for me until I was over halfway up the hill when my legs de-

cided to stop working. I’m sure I could have crawled quicker but i was soon at the top and

heading down the main road back to the finish.

Cruelly the finish line is up a steep little incline but on finishing we were rewarded with a

technical t-shirt and a sports water bottle.

Dan Appleby came in first male for Swinton in a fantastic time of 31:15 and Carly Appleby

came in first Swinton lady in 40:14.

Even with all the negative thoughts of the race I really enjoyed it. It may be just that I’m so

pleased to be running and not at all bothered about place or course but I will definitely be

back next year for another go at it.

Sharen

Full results available here

P A G E 1 2 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

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T R O T T E R S 5 - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

Photographs courtesy of Just Love Running

P A G E 1 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

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T R O T T E R S 5 - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

Photographs courtesy of Just Love Running

P A G E 1 4 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

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T R O T T E R S 5 - S U N D A Y 4 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

Photographs courtesy of Just Love Running

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Race Reviews

Blackpool Half Marathon - Sunday 11th March 2012

We (Kath and Dawn) were looking for a Half Marathon to do in-between training for the

Manchester marathon and decided to go for the Blackpool Half. The Marathon and wheel-

chair race was also taking place at the same time.

I was a little worried about the weather as it had been quite windy towards the end of the

week and I knew from experience how windy it could be along the sea front. My fears were

unfounded though as it turned out to be ideal conditions.

We arrived in Blackpool with relative ease and parked at the Hilton Hotel. Unfortunately I

parked in the hotel car park, which wasn’t allowed, so moved to the Gynn pay and display as

the field on the other side of the hotel was full, the cost wasn’t too bad though at £2.50 all day

and still close enough to the starting point not to panic.

The event was well attended and although it was very busy everything was organised very

well and we collected our numbers and chips from the hotel with no delays.

The races started at 9.30 am outside the Hilton Hotel. The course headed south along the sea

front towards Lytham, passing all the well known sights. It was at this point I thought I

would have preferred to have been on the big one, but it was only a very brief passing

thought. At about 5 miles the course turned back towards Cleveleys, before turning south

again to finish at the Hilton; the Marathoners did a further loop. There were plenty of water

stations along the way and the handy Portaloos halfway. The atmosphere along the route was

really brilliant with everyone giving great support.

The course was mostly flat, except towards the end (I must do some hill training), although

most would probably think they were more like speed bumps! Overall it was a fast course

and very enjoyable.

We met up with Dave at the finish who completed the course in under two hours, well done

Dave. Dawn got a great time; a PB if I’m not mistaken and I managed to better my time from

last year so was also very pleased.

We met two guys in the car park, who had also taken part; they kindly took this glamorous

photo!

Kath

Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Spen 20 - Sunday 11th March 2012

The Spen 20 is organised by Spenborough and District Athletics Club and is reputed for be-

ing particularly gruelling (I only found this out afterwards). It is one of the closer 20 milers

and it seemed like perfect preparation for London. I wasn’t prepared however for just how

tough this course is, and for the fact the temperature rose into double figures despite it only

being early March!

The course starts at the race track at the Princess Mary Athletics Stadium in Cleckheaton, and

after a couple of laps we headed out along the road. Emma had observed before the race that

there appeared to be an awful lot of very fast looking runners, and by the time I exited the

stadium I was already pretty much at the back! The next three miles were unrelenting through

Scholes , with over 300ft gained, and nothing notable to take my mind off the grind. From 3½

miles the course picks up the ‘loop’ that is covered twice, though it is not as simple as it

sounds. The next couple of miles were on a pleasant mainly downhill section (albeit on a

main road) from Hartshead Moor, which afforded spectacular views on such a clear day. The

route then undulated through some pleasant enough countryside before picking up a circuit of

small towns. At some point between 6 and 7 miles I passed the front runners, running in the

opposite direction (they had already passed 11miles!), given I thought the race was a simple 2

lap course this caused great confusion in my mind. I questioned whether I was going in the

right direction but in the absence of any other information I kept going. At 7 miles was the 1st

(2nd and 3rd) water station, a station the runners would get to know well during the completion

of the race! The course continued through Hartshead town and Roberttown, before dropping

down to Liversedge at mile 9, which is where the course would branch off for the last mile

second time round. Unfortunately I then had to start the climb back up again to start the se-

cond ‘lap’. Between 9 and 13½ miles there was then a gruelling climb back up again to reach

the highest point, and the course took an unexpected figure of eight direction that involved

running past the 1st water station, now acting as the 2nd water station, in the opposite direc-

tion. Somewhere between 11½ and 12 miles I once again passed some of the front runners,

again running in the opposite direction between miles 16 and 17! By this point I was too tired

to try and work out exactly what the course was doing, and I was pretty much beyond caring!

At 13½ miles the course picked up the downhill section from Hartshead Moor again, some-

thing I had been looking forward to from mile 9! From there the course followed the same

undulating route through countryside and towns, once again passing the (now 3rd) water sta-

tion. The course undulated some more before once again dropping down to mile 19. This

time there was a welcome right turn to complete the last mile back to the stadium. By the

time I finished there were very few people still around, however I was pleased firstly to have

finished under 4 hours and secondly not to have finished last! And the prize for finish-

ing.......a bottle of beer! I cannot comment on its quality as it was given to my sister the fol-

lowing weekend, but I gather Mike was none too impressed!

So in short, hilly (over 1300ft on my Garmin), very tough and a mind boggling course! I’ve

never completed a 2 lap course, which actually doesn’t involve 2 complete laps and yet co-

vers one section 3 times, each time from the opposite direction!

The marshals were excellent, very encouraging and friendly and the race is undoubtedly good

preparation for a serious spring marathon attempt. Would I do it again? Probably, however I

would be keen to try some of the other 20 milers on offer first.

Finally thanks to Emma Flynn for letting me take her place, and sorry that my slow time was

against her name!

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Spen 20 - Sunday 11th March 2012

Viv

Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Worsley Woods parkrun No 3 - Saturday 17th March 2012

After marshalling the first two of this new park run, I decided to have a go myself. Lauren

was again marshalling along with Patrick.

I lined up with 64 other park runners waiting for the start. Darren was also giving it a go for

the first time so I told him if he felt a tap on his shoulder about half way round, could he

please move over and let me pass. For some reason Darren thought I was joking. It was good

to see Carl Simpson as well. He said he was using it to kick start running again.

At last we set off down the loop line at the Monton end, fairly flat with just a hint of an in-

cline. The faster runners already pulling away in front of me, I got into my stride - not too

fast as I knew the middle section was the hardest part.

Soon I was approaching the 1st marshalling point where we took a sharp left and up the 1st set

of steps. Then into Worsley Woods we went and the 2nd marshal point where Lauren was di-

recting. Patrick was nowhere to be seen; he had found a play area nearby. A few kind words

of encouragement from Lauren (the word TRAMP was aimed at me due to my 5 day old

stubble) and right at the Three Bears Cottage. Mike Lilley along with two others were just in

front and I could hear the sound of panting from someone just behind me. Marshal point 3

was just under the motorway bridge directing us up the 2nd and hardest set of steps. I just

managed to keep my rhythm going up this before turning right down a nice decline. I could

still see big Mike in front and panting bloke was still right behind me as we hit the 4th mar-

shal point bearing left then and up the 3rd and last set of steps through a bit more wooded area

and down to the last marshal point where we turned right back onto the loop line. It was the

home run, straight down the line with a small decline Loz and Patrick had moved back to the

1st marshal point so they could cheer the runners through. “Come on Mike; don’t let Adam

catch you” & “Come on Adam; what are you doing letting Mike beat you” were Lauren’s

words of encouragement as I flew past (well maybe not flew – more like staggered.) Mike

was too far ahead to catch but panting bloke was right next to me so no chance of letting up.

The only problem with the finish is you can see it from quite far out but it’s actually further

than it looks.

Finished at last and token scanned in; I will definitely be back for more. A great turnout from

SRC again.

Well done to Darren (4th) Mike Lilley unknown runner – bar code would not scan. Olivia and

Mark Birchall, Lisa, Julie, Elizabeth, Viv, Carl, Vicky and Susan.

Also it was good to see Karen Hulse (Ricks better half) who has done all 3 Worsley Woods

runs so far and appears to have been bitten by the running bug. Membership forms at the

ready I think.

Quote. At the end of the first Worsley Woods Park run which I had marshaled, I overheard

two of the organizers talking about the two lead runners who went the wrong way! Apparent-

ly they were offered a full refund.

Adam

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Race Reviews

St Annes 10 - Sunday 18th March 2012

The St Annes 10 mile road race took place on Sunday 18 March. It was a lovely sunny day as

myself and Paul made our way to Lytham with Sharen kindly offering to drive. We arrived at

race HQ, St Annes Fire Station, picked up our numbers and goodie bags, and made our way

to the start just off the promenade, which is not as near from race HQ as described, but made

for a good warm up anyway. The race has an unusual start with one and a half loops round

the small car park, and then out onto the front for a flat 5 miles past the dunes out to the

windmill. The race deviates slightly from the front at certain points. You turn at five miles

and follow mostly the same route back, now into the breeze, which was welcoming on what

was becoming an unseasonably warm day. The weather had another effect in that it had en-

ticed out lots of people with their dogs and motorized chairs, etc, which meant some dodging

and weaving for all 3 of us! We all safely negotiated our way back to the finish in the car

park without knocking over any day trippers or pensioners, and picked up a welcome drink

and other goodies.

Paul was reasonably content with his time of 1.10.06, although he was complaining that the

course distance showed as 10.08 miles on his Garmin, exactly the same distance as when he

last ran this race 2 years ago. He is convinced that running round the car park adds this bit on!

This race was also being used by the Northern Veterans AC as their 10 mile championship

and Paul has recently joined the Northern Vets as a second claim, so he was keen to see how

he performed here. Sharen ran 1.36.55, not enjoying her run as much as the previous year, but

she still did great considering the time she has had out following the operation on her knee. I

was pleased with 1.36.55, beating my time of 2 years ago in this race. This was a great confi-

dence booster as I build up to my first attempt at a marathon, Edinburgh at the end of May.

We went for a nice cuppa in the fire station afterwards, and watched the presentations for the

main race, the Northern Vets, and the Fire Service Championship. Paul didnʼt manage to win

anything in the Northern Vets, but performed ok in a strong category. We marvelled at the

number of veterans running, particularly those in the over 70ʼs category, and how they con-

tinue to run such amazing times. There is hope for us all!

I can recommend the race if you are looking for a flat course with not a hill in sight and you

want to attempt a PB at this distance. It gives you a chance to find your race pace in a longer

distance race, but at something reasonably less than a half marathon, also a good stepping

stone to the longer distances. St Annes 10 might not be the most interesting of courses, but

still a challenge and is a change of scenery with a good blast of sea air.

To sum up, the race was well organized by Wesham Road Runners, with friendly marshalls

and a good atmosphere at the race HQ. It was an enjoyable race with lovely weather and good

company. I hope to do this race again.

Claire

Full results available here

P A G E 2 1 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

S T A N N E S 1 0 - S U N D A Y 1 8 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

Photographs courtesy of Just Love Running

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Race Reviews

East Hull 20 - Sunday 18th March 2012

East Hull 20 was the 3rd and final ‘training race’ in my schedule although according to Lau-

ren no race is a training race! Having done Trimpell 20 and Spen 20 the previous Sunday’s I

was looking forward to East Hull as I’d been told it was a flat and fast race unlike the hills of

Cleckheaton.

The morning started at 5.30 and we were on the road for 6.30 crawling over the M62 at

50mph past all the average speed cameras. About an hour in to the journey it was time to stop

for the toilets and Jessica’s 3rd breakfast of the morning.

We arrived in Hull at 8.30 after missing out on crossing the Humber Bridge. The race was

very much like a Swinton race, parking in the local school car park then a walk down the

road to the local sports club where our numbers were collected before walking back to the car

for a pre-race banana and a trip to the portaloo before the start.

The race started on the road outside the school with the organisers stopping the traffic to al-

low the runners to run down to the main road onto the dual carriageway before peeling off

into the countryside. The first 4 miles seemed a struggle with a pain up my shin and pins &

needles in my foot which I soon managed to run off whilst talking to a runner from East Hull

Harriers who was sporting a Trimpell t-shirt from 2 weeks ago. Having never been to Hull

before I had no idea what to expect although everyone I spoke to said how flat it was. This

was true for the most of the race although my newly acquired friend who had run the route

many times before in training advised me to save some energy for the big hill that was at 9

miles.

Having crossed under a dual carriageway we were soon back in the country where the sounds

of shotguns could be heard as locals shot pheasants. We soon approached the big hill that I

had been warned about. For those that know me I have a severe allergic reaction to any slight

incline, mud or surface other than road. In the case of this ‘big hill’ I managed to overtake a

couple of runners so would really like to know what the locals would think of the likes of

Agecroft!!!

We soon reached the 10 mile point where a marshal was stood with a stopwatch shouting out

the times as we ran past. 1.26 he shouted as I went past. Normally my maths is complete bro-

ken biscuits whilst running however I managed to work out that if I kept up at this pace I

should finish in about 2.52 maybe even quicker seeing as I struggled with niggling aches at

the start. A mile later my worst fears came true…. The cloudy skies started to clear and the

temperatures stated to rise as the morning sun became stronger.

Having finished our loop round the local village we soon went back under the dual carriage-

way and traced the route we had taken previously. By 15 miles I was starting to struggle and

my pace dropped off from 8.30 pace to over 9 minutes and I was having to stop to take my

last gel and wash it down with a bottle of water. I soon made another running friend who was

training for the Hull Marathon that takes place on Easter Sunday. We agreed to help pace

each other the last 4 miles and try and get to the finish in under 3 hours.

The last 3 miles of the run didn’t loop back along the main roads but along a narrow footpath

that used to be an old railway line. Yes this was flat but very dull with not much scenery to

distract you. By this point my new socks were starting to hurt me and my little toe going

numb for some strange reason. We soon came off the old railway line into a housing estate

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Race Reviews

East Hull 20 - Sunday 18th March 2012

where at just over 19 miles there was another hill to contend with. On reflection this wasn’t a

major hill however it felt 10 times worse than Agecroft, Hospital Rd and Priestley combined!

The last half mile was back along the pavements towards the start line with the finishing

clock being outside the club house we collected our numbers from. The finish line wasn’t the

easiest to find being a blue spray painted line on the pavement about 10 meters behind where

the clock was.

I crossed the line in 3.03 which was just over 4 minutes slower than Trimpell but 20 minutes

quicker than Spen the previous Sunday. Emma and Jessica were soon on hand to pour water

down my neck and encourage me to go and collect my memento. After the disappointment of

the bottle of beer at Spen the week before I had no idea what to expect this time. Under the

gazebo was a big pile of red and black sports bags with the East Hull Harriers logo on. Much

more useful than the bottle of beer but not quite as good as the Freckleton bag’s we expected

after Sharen convinced us all to enter last year on the promise of a rucksack to all finishers. In

addition the club had also put on a full buffet for all runners to help themselves to afterwards.

For £20 entry fee what more could you ask for? Friendly runners and marshals with jelly ba-

bies, bottled water, useful memento and a plate full of buffet at the finish. Being in a different

part of the country did feel strange particularly where you didn’t recognise any of the usual

faces or club colours as you do with most races in the North West. If I’m still daft enough to

be marathon training in 2013 I’ll make sure this race is worked into my training schedule.

Mike H

Full results available here

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I have always wanted to go to Barcelona and signing up for the marathon sounded like a

good plan to get there. Flights and hotel were booked months in advance and despite not

being well I was determined to go, if only to do the short Breakfast Run on Saturday morn-

ing and watch the marathon on the Sunday.

A slight hiccup in the plan occurred when the flight from Manchester to Amsterdam was

delayed and I missed the flight to Barcelona. I did get to see the plane leave, just without me

on it. KLM put me up in a very nice hotel and I was treated to a delicious 3 course meal and

a comfy bed and then I was on the first flight out to Barcelona. The views as we came into

Barcelona at 10am the next morning really whet my appetite for a run, especially as the sun

was shining bright. I made my way to the hotel and met my support team aka Mum who had

already done a good deal of exploration around the town. I told her straight away that what-

ever my health I was doing to marathon the next day (well the Doctor didn’t expressly say

don’t run!) I was going to run in Barcelona and the short one had been missed so that only

left 26.2 miles.

The expo at the Fira de Barcelona was fantastic and I picked up number, chip, t-shirt and

bag with no problem. The T-shirt was fab (really put Trimpell to shame!) and after experi-

encing the heat I bought a running skirt to keep me cool during the run. Barcelona was bril-

liant and although not strictly the correct diet the night before a race we just had to go for

tapas (and my first tasting of snails…Yum!).

The next morning we were up nice and early for a carb rich breakfast and with the sun ris-

ing we made our way to the start. The race started at 8.30 am and I was so glad it did. Even

at that early hour it was warm. The start was on the street going up through Fira de Barcelo-

na and heading up towards the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and Palau

Nacional de Montjuic i.e. just off Placa d’ Espanya with the magic fountains and with the

amazing architecture of the gallery up on Montjuic.

There was a warm up area and the ‘serious’ folk were busy running round in circles while I

waited in the usual toilet queue. When it was time to enter the starting pen the fountains

were on display and as the countdown to the start began ‘Barcelona’ by Freddie Mercury

was blaring. It was a magical moment and brought a tear to my eye. The atmosphere was

buzzing and even though it took 13 minutes to get to the start line it was like a giant street

party the whole way.

The route took us up to the Nou Camp and the streets were lined with supporters all the

way. This was the first of a few long slogs to climb up but at this stage the adrenaline was

pumping through my body and I felt like I could run, even feeling smug as I ran past some

fool bouncing a basketball while running. I was later to regret that thought. We descended

back to Placa d’ Espanya and the old bullring where I spotted my Mum in the crowd.

The city was so scenic all the way round that there was always something to look at. I’ve

always been enthralled by Guadi and was happy to look around as we went past two of his

famous Gaudi houses. Casa Battlo looked fantastic with the sun bouncing off all the colour-

ful tiles.

The only problem was dodging the sun. Anyone who knows me knows how much of a sun

worshipper I am so this was a rare experience for me. Luckily, as well as there being many

Race Reviews

Barcelona Marathon - Sunday 25th March 2012

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amazing views to see there were also plenty of water stations. The first few had water then

water and Powerade and in the second half there was the extra addition of gels and fruit.

At the half way point I realised how slow I was going when the ball bouncing fool overtook

me. Who was the fool now?! Running past the Sagrada Familia was awesome, especially as

it was downhill. There was a slightly boring part around mile 15 where I started to feel like

it was too much. I knew there were more sights coming up and I just kept saying to myself

‘run to the next mile, then you can walk.’ In the back of my mind I was remembering I had

been ill and I felt a bit worried after the news of a healthy young man like Fabrice Muamba

collapsing. All I wanted to do was to get round, not collapse and not be injured.

We had to cross a bridge (Font Bac de Roda) that any other day would be a mere blip in the

road but today felt like climbing Mount Tibidabo! The route then took us up the Av. Diago-

nal. This was, as the name suggests, a diagonal road leading up to a building similar to the

Gherkin in London (it’s called Glories-Torre Abgar). Also along here we passed the Parc

del Centre de Poblenou and the Centre Comercial Glories. This was a horrific slog up the

Diagonal then back down the other side. At the top I heard somebody shout my name. It

was a stranger but it meant so much and motivated me to keep running. The numbers had

names on front and back and the spectators really made use of this. It was amazing to hear

my name being called out and strangers cheering you on ‘Go Cara, alli alli.’ When it was

tough it kept you going.

At about 32 kms the route took us along the coast and seeing the sun glinting off the sea

was fabulous. The only problem here was there was no escaping the sun and by now it was

hot! Turning off the seafront we ran past the zoo and at 35km I had a little walk (needed to

blow my nose and have some orange) but then I was off again. Turning round the corner we

went under the Arc del Triomf and then into the Gothic quarter. Here we ran over cobbles

and past the Cathedral. Shoppers were out en masse as well as supporters. Running down

La Rambla there was no time to stop and look at the many stalls selling souvenirs (much to

the other half’s relief, I’m sure.) We came round to the Colom (a big column) with Montjuic

in the background and I knew it was the home stretch. At the bottom of the Parallel street

(Av. Paral-lel) I saw my Mum again and luckily by this point I was feeling much fresher

and ready to push up the hill to the end. It was less than two km to go and that would be

easy. As I neared the top and could see Placa d’Espanya again I dug in deep and started to

overtake the people who I’d been following all the way round (no sign of the basketball

bouncer though!).

The final couple of hundred metres was ideal for a ‘sprint’. Music was blaring and running

up between the Font Magica de Montjuic was another awe-inspiring experience and there

were lots to take in as my chip was taken off, medal, water and Powerade collected and fruit

picked up and scoffed.

Waiting for my Mum on the steps I was happy just to have completed the race and still be

alive. As the legs started to seize up I just soaked in the sun and reflected on how lucky I

was to have been able to take part in such an amazing experience.

To summarise, the streets were lined with supporters all the way round and the atmosphere

was electric. The organisation was incredible and every part of the marathon enabled run-

ners to focus (and worry) on running and nothing else.

Race Reviews

Barcelona Marathon - Sunday 25th March 2012

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This is definitely one to recommend. Back at work a colleague commented that I had been

through a really dark time and I seemed to be back. And what a way to get through a dark

time in your life – running Barcelona!

p.s. Please forgive my bad spelling of Spanish/Spanish place names. I also have a tendency

to make up names. I can’t remember the proper name for the Gherkin, Spanish or English

variety.

Cara

Full results available here

Race Reviews

Barcelona Marathon - Sunday 25th March 2012

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Before I start, let it be known that Sunday 25th March was a warm day…. a very warm day.

I‘ll try my best to provide a report that covers all the things that you, the discerning reader,

may like to know. Unfortunately, due to my own personal experiences during the race,

please excuse my inevitable self indulgent story telling.

So, officially the first day of British Summertime saw hoards of runners descending upon

Wilmslow for what was its 28th staging of the half marathon. Knowing the anticipated

amount of entrants for this race, myself and Andy allowed plenty of time to arrive, a thought

obviously shared by Jean, as she and Jonathan were in the car in front of us as we were arriv-

ing at Wilmslow Rugby Club. Having parked up, the first order of the day was to find the

toilet.

This being my first half marathon, it was evident what a well organised race this is, and I was

looking forward to it. Due to the single access along Kings Rd into the Rugby Club, the mar-

shals were having a ‘fun’ time trying to coordinate the cars coming in, and the runners who

wanted to get out for a warm up. The speakers that had been set up on the road were playing

inspirational music such as Vangelis – Chariots of Fire and the Rocky Theme - Gonna Fly

Now, (you know the one – da da daaaa, da da daaaa). What more do you need to put you in

the mood for a 13 mile run in the sun. (Did I mention it was warm ?).

After jogging up and down a side street, and doing a few stretches, and generally just soak-

ing up the atmosphere, it wasn’t long before the masses were accumulating around the start

line. Not knowing how many other Swinton athletes were taking part, Andy and myself,

were joined briefly by Dave, Mike, Anthony and Lisa before settling in somewhere around

the 1hr 50m designated start point. (My niggling ankle injury, and lack of Kenyan geneology

stopped me from going to the front with the elite runners.)

A few words from the starter, and a blast of the air horn, and we were off, thousands of run-

ners surging forward under a mid morning sun like a herd of migrating Wilmslow wilde-

beest.

This race is billed as being a fast, flat course with good PB potential. But I had also read (or

heard) that the first half was fairly easy, so make sure you have some reserves for the second

half. I can see where there was some truth in both these statements.

As the congestion of the start began to dissipate, it was time to settle in to a steady pace and

see what the next couple of hours would bring.

As I have limited geographical race experience, I can’t compare the Cheshire countryside to

that of somewhere like Haweswater, so all I can say is that it was certainly pleasant enough

making your way through the country lanes on a glorious March morning. The supportive

crowds were out in force, and you never ran for very long without encountering a group of

people or marshals offering the usual words of encouragement (well done, keep going, etc.)

There were young kids holding out their hands for ‘high fives’ as you went past, which you

couldn’t resist.

As suggested earlier, the first few miles were proving to be relatively easy, and I was main-

taining a steady pace reaching the 10k point in around 50 mins. Being so focused on my own

Race Reviews

Wilmslow Half Marathon - Sunday 25th March 2012

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race, I had lost sight of any other Swinton runners, so I wasn’t aware of who was ahead or

behind me.

The scenery rarely changed, from hedgerows to fields to expensive country properties, and

primarily hundreds of runners as far as the eye can see. In some (smaller) races you often

find yourself running alone with yards between you and the next competitor, but not

Wilmslow. Due to the amazing amount of entrants you were always surrounded by other

runners.

As the mile markers passed, I was still plodding along at a manageable rate, taking a wel-

come cup of water from all the well placed stations, managing to actually swallow very little

whilst trying to master the impossible task of drinking and running at the same time.

10 miles in, and approximately 1hr 24m later things still seemed to be okay and I was think-

ing about finishing with a time somewhere close to what I was hoping for. But not long after

11 – 11.5 miles, out of nowhere, the proverbial wheels began to well and truly fall off !!

I couldn’t understand why I was suddenly finding it hard to breathe. I’d convinced myself

that it was just due to the gradual incline of the course and maybe the heat. Unfortunately, it

didn’t get any better, and I was cursing myself because I had to stop and walk a couple of

times to try and catch my breath.

By the time I neared the 12 mile point I was really starting to suffer. As if the breathlessness

wasn’t bad enough, I was beginning to get blurred vision, I couldn’t string a coherent sen-

tence together, and my legs felt like they were dragging a small family car.

At the time, the last mile all became a bit of a blur as my body was trying to convince my

brain that continuing on may not be a good idea. But my brain and pride were having none of

it. I’d gotten this far, and I wasn’t missing out on my medal and goody bag. After several sit

downs at the side of the road being tended to by the wonderful marshals who were pouring

water in me and over me, I kept insisting on getting up to stagger a few more yards whilst

they stayed at the side of me (as much for my own safety….and probably also preventing me

falling into the path of other runners !! ). I could hear the noise of the crowd as the finish line

came into one of my many blurred views. To say I crossed the line at a snails pace, would be

disrespectful to snails, but I had made it, barely able to stand, but I’d finished.

I know this all sounds like some kind of Dean Karnazes egotistical, self gratifying hogwash,

but believe me, it wasn’t an experience I’d like to go through again.

This report cannot end without me expressing my utmost gratitude to all my fellow Swinton

runners who were there in the car park at the end to provide much needed assistance as I

vomited my way to partial recovery. And extra thanks to Paul Shier who helped me stagger

back to the car park in the first place. Thank-you all.

To summarise – If you’re running in the heat (did I mention it was warm ?) hydrate properly

…… Your kidneys will thank you for it, and your heart will find it much easier to pump

blood that doesn’t have the viscosity of treacle !!

Bring on Wilmslow 2013……There’s a score to settle.

Dave (dehydrated) Pargeter

Full results available here

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W I L M S L O W H A L F M A R A T H O N - S U N D A Y 2 5 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 2

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It has been rubbish these past few months in terms of running due to getting a pesky knee

injury just before my marathon in October. Like an idiot I continued training and racing but I

couldn’t get any consistency going so I promised myself that if things weren’t right in the

New Year then I would get it seen to. Confirmation that things were not right was during the

Central Lancashire Half Marathon where I dropped out after 5 miles. I saw the physio the

next day and she suspected I had torn my cartilage in my knee and subsequently went to the

doctors who referred me for an MRI scan.

After getting the results of the scan back my Doctor kindly told me ‘your knee is knackered

and you have to give up running.’ I was diagnosed with Chrondomallacia Patellae which is

basically a degenerative condition and wearing of the cartilage and in addition to this im-

pingement of the Hoffa’s pad (pinching of the cartilage in my terminology). The doctor said

he wasn’t referring me to physiotherapy as there is no point and I need to find an alternative

sport. I burst into tears and left the doctors surgery like a broken woman. To a non-runner

this sounds very dramatic but I am sure there are many people out there who identify what I

am writing about.

I found the next couple of weeks very difficult and was very tearful and miserable. Like

many runners at Swinton I run for numerous reasons and not just for fitness. I run so I can

have that slice of cake so I don’t need to wear elasticated pants; I run as a way to socialise so

I can gossip with my friends; I run to unwind- it’s a fantastic stress relief; I run for the un-

mistakable buzz of the runner’s high that nothing compares to! I am one of those people who

revel in making a training schedule, ticking off the long runs, watching the miles add up and

pushing my body that bit further. Now it had been taken away from me and worst of all my

childhood dream of running the London Marathon was over.

I saw an article last year in Runner’s World magazine that described the feelings you get be-

ing injured as being compared to the seven stages of grief. I’ve listed these details below for

other people at the club who are injured at the moment and hopefully you will see that there

is light at the end of the tunnel:

Stage 1 - Shock or disbelief - this was at the start of the injury and I would not admit that

there was anything wrong and continued to push on. Not believing that an injury has hap-

pened to you is common in runners but it is very important to listen to your body.

Stage 2 - Denial - This goes hand in hand with the disbelief. You know it hurts, the painkill-

ers aren’t working, the couple of days rest aren’t doing anything yet you still carry on. By

continuing to train on an injury you are inevitably making the problem worse and what could

be an initial 2 weeks off training could lead to a six month break.

Stage 3 - Anger - I spent ages at this stage. I was furious with the doctor for writing me off

and I was so frustrated There were a few ‘it’s not fair’ moments where I am sure friends and

family hid out of my way but I did feel so sorry for myself and moped about. It does get to a

stage though where you have two choices- let it eat away as it is something you can’t control,

the injury has happened. Or you put your time to good use- go and watch a few races, cheer

your team mates on- you know yourself how good it is to see a friendly face supporting you,

seek a second opinion, try some cross training. There are plenty options to see you through

this stage.

Spectating and Second Opinions

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Stage 4 - Bargaining - We all know there is no quick fix to running injuries. Your body

needs time to rest and the injury needs to heal or you have to go through a specific rehab pro-

gramme. Some people try to cram the miles in to make up for the loss of training that has

happened or think they will add in extra days to ramp up mileage, this is no good and just

impedes you further.

Stage 5 - Guilt - I had many moments of ‘why didn’t I get this seen to sooner?’ ‘Should I

have run Snowdonia Marathon?’ ‘Should I have done extra cross training’ and ‘Should I

have listened to my body more?’ Guilt is a common feeling; it doesn’t speed up your recov-

ery it just makes you feel worse! So rather than feeling guilty about things you could have

done differently use this as a positive so in the future you know what to look out for in the

future.

Stage 6 - Depression- I have previously mentioned that I felt completely rubbish and wal-

lowed in self-pity. What I needed to do was find something else to do as an interim activity

to at least try and do something so I didn’t go insane. I have decided to learn to swim

properly and have started to go along to Bolton Triathlon Club on a Saturday afternoon to

learn front crawl (not defected over to another club- just so you know!!)I have also ensured I

have stayed in touch with my running friends and like a proud parent I have been basking in

their glories of fantastic running and amazing PB’s.

Stage 7 - Acceptance - This is pretty self- explanatory. You have acknowledged the injury

and you have learnt to accept what you need to do to get back running. It may also be that

you need to alter your goals but if it means you can continue running who cares????????????

In regards to my own injury I have sought a second opinion and went to Salford University

where they do sports studies. You are seen by a student but are overseen by a specialist.

They checked my scan results and my condition is only a grade one (four being the most se-

vere) and the pain I had was caused by the cartilage pinching. They have identified muscle

weaknesses in my legs, gave me loads of strengthening exercises to do and they are confi-

dent I will be back running in a few weeks. In the meantime I will be loitering at races, tak-

ing photos, cheering my fellow Swintoners and trying to support my friends every way I can

with their running.

If you are injured at the moment please keep positive, if you are unhappy with what you have

been told, go and get a second opinion and explore other options.

Emma

Spectating and Second Opinions

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2012 marks the return of the Manchester marathon and with a large number of

Swinton runners taking on the 26.2 mile challenge some of us not running are opting

to channel our energies into marshalling instead. The club will be manning a water

station so we ideally need at least 20 people to help out. The organisers of the event

have promised us all some complimentary event clothing plus a donation to the club

as a thank you, plus we also get to cheer on all of our club mates.

If anyone would like to help out (and this can be friends or family as well a club

members) you'll need to register through the organisers' website at:

http://regonline.activeeurope.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1031300

When given the option make sure you select "Drinks station marshal" and you'll

then be asked to enter the club code which is:

swinton2012.

Any questions please give me a shout. I know some people won't know availability/

shift patterns etc. until nearer the time but don't worry we have a few weeks to get

you registered yet.

Many thanks

Rebecca

Greater Manchester Marathon Marshals Required

Sunday 29th April 2012

Steve Hart Carol Hart

Emma Flynn Kate Cammish

Ian Thomas Janet Thomas

Adam Pickup Paul Shier

Barbara Bayliss Gaynor Clarke

Viv Samuelson Claire Regan

Confirmed Volunteers to date,

but we need more please sign up if you can

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Up and Coming Races

P A G E 3 4 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

Heaton Park - Park Run Every Saturday at 9am this 5km run is organised - free!!. All you have to do is let them know you're coming in advance.

It has been suggested that it could become a Swinton regular event on the first Saturday of each month. Web page link

Lucozade Sport have a van at the run every 4 to 5 weeks, giving away lots of freebies and advice.

Race Calendar Web Sites

Look for all those local and not so local races on

these web sites

Swinton RC Forum

Fetch

John Schofield

SoftSport

The wonderful Fetch does it all (running log, routes, race log,

leagues, logs shoe miles, blogs, fetchmail & more!!) its a great

place full of nice running types, a proper online community, its the

place to see and be seen, AND its free!! King Fetch (Ian) is very

good at responding to member requests about new site content and

there are now a total of 13 Swinton Members using the site! Fetch

(in my opinion Fetch has the Class!).

Andrew

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Latest North West parkrun

Worsley Woods parkrun

Sunday 6th May

Keswick Half Marathon

Bluebell 10 Mile Trail Race

Thursday 10th May

Mobberley “Round the Runway” Race

Sunday 13th May

The Blacksticks Blue 10K Race

Port Sunlight 10K

Wednesday 16th May

Horwich 5 Mile Road Race (CLGP)

Saturday 19th May

White Peak Half - Full

White Peak Marathon - Full

Sunday 20th May

Eyam Half Marathon

Sunday 27th May

Blackpool Beach 10K

Sinfin RC Classic 10K

Please confirm any dates before entering, just in case of any typos

Sunday 1st April

Bent & Bongs 10K Trail Race, Tyldesley

Friday 6th April

Salford 10K Road Race

Saturday 7th April

Rivington Fell Race

Sunday 8th April

Guiseley Gallop 10K Trail Race

Sunday 15th April

Radcliffe 10K Trail Race (CLGP)

Sunday 22nd April

Bolton 10K

London Marathon

Saturday 28th April

Wray Scarecrow 10K Road Race

Sunday 29th April

Greater Manchester Marathon

P A G E 3 5

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Race Series

Central Lancashire Grand Prix Series 2012

Date Race

Sunday, 19th February Central Lancashire 5K

Sunday, 5th March The Trotters 5

Sunday, 15th April Radcliffe 10km

Wednesday, 16th May Horwich 5

Wednesday, 13th June Three Sisters 5K Trail Race

Wednesday, 1th August Chorley 4.4 Trail

Sunday, 12th August NVAC 10km at Bisham

Sunday 9th September Pennington Flash 5Mile Trail Race

Sunday, 30th September 2nd Swinton 10 Mile Road Race

Sunday, 7th October Gin Pit 5

This years Central Lancashire Grand Prix races are fast approaching, with new races and

another one new club Leigh Harriers.

The website is http://centrallancsgrandprix.blogspot.com although a new catchier address

and site are coming soon. There will be a results service around the site and each club is

expected to provide race reviews of its own races at least. Other contributions will be

gratefully accepted by Gary Stevens.

The next race in the series is the

Radcliffe 10K Trail Race on Sunday 15th April 2012

USEFUL CLGP LINKS

Central Lancashire Grand Prix Web Site

Swinton Running Club Website

UK Results ( on-line entries )

SportSoft ( on-line entries )

http://www.ukresults.net/12apl.html

P A G E 3 7

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Race Series

Swinton Running Club Championships 2012

Date Race

Sunday, 19th February Central Lancashire 5K

Sunday, 5th March The Trotters 5

Sunday, 15th April Radcliffe 10km

Wednesday, 16th May Horwich 5

Wednesday, 13th June Three Sisters 5K Trail Race

Wednesday 12th July Bull Hill Fell Race

Wednesday, 1th August Chorley 4.4 Trail

Sunday, 12th August NVAC 10km at Bisham

Sunday 9th September Pennington Flash 5Mile Trail Race

Sunday, 7th October Gin Pit 5

October TBA Self Timed Run

Sunday 4th November 29th Through the Villages Race

Sunday 25th November City of Salford 5.25 Ladies Race

Sunday 9th December Stockport 10

This was set up to try and encourage competition between club members at all levels and

to be sure of a good turnouts at events in the area: seeing Swinton runners competing at

events throughout the field is the best advertisement for the Club.

For this year 2012 will see a slight change to the championship:

For the men there are 13 events of which 7 races will score.

For the ladies there are 14 events of which 7 races will score.

Scoring is done the same has in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix, 1 point for first, 2

points for second, 3 points for third etc. etc. etc.

Prizes will be awarded for the first 3, and also in each of the vet categories. Only one prize

per member.

To be eligible for prizes, competitors must have taken part in the minimum number of

events (now 7 races for both sexes)

Further details can be found on the Club Website

P A G E 3 8 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Ladies Club Championship 2012 - Results to date

P A G E 3 9 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Men’s Club Championship 2012 - Results to date

P A G E 4 0 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Regular meetings are now being held on the second Wednesday of every month at the club after pack runs.

Remember any member may sit in the meeting.

Committee Meetings

P A G E 4 1 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Friday July 27th

Olympic Opening Ceremony Party More details next month

Sunday December 9th

Childrens Christmas Party The best social event in the diary.

Social Events

Date’s for the Diary

Social Events

P A G E 4 2 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Pie Night - Last Wednesday of the Month

Special Discount Rate for Swinton Running Club Members

The usual price per session is £35, SRC members, on production of a current English Athletics

card, will only pay £25.

This offer is available at both the Leigh Road and Prestwich clinics. Anyone who wants to access

the service but does not yet have their card can contact Barbara who will contact the clinic on

their behalf.

Please check there website for more details

Special Offer’s to Members

Special Discount Rate for Swinton Running Club Members

To match the offer made by both Prestwich and Leigh Road Physiotherapy Clinics, our very own

Shirley Duckworth-Oates has lowered her rates.

Shirley Duckworth-Oates MBCA, MSTAT, MATI Bsc Hons(Healthcare);Bsc Hons (Chiro); Msc.(Psych) Doctor of Chiropractic and Teacher of the Alexander Technique

Telephone 0161 773 3395

Treatment rate for Swinton Running Club members: £25 (normally £35)

Last Wednesday of every month

Pie Night

Next one 25th April 2012

Race Results Corner

P A G E 4 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Full race results can now be found on both the Swinton Running Club Website and the forum

If you have ran a race and cannot find the details on either site please let me know.

Secretary

Steve Doxey

Treasurer

Ian Thomas

Membership Secretary

Barbara Bayliss

Social Secretary

Jonathan Mellor

Club Captain

Steve Doxey

Ladies Captain

Rebecca Mills

Web Site & Forums

Steve Hart

Swinton Running Club is proud of its friendliness and welcomes newcomers to come down and meet us for a run, to see if we meet your expectations.

We meet at 7:30pm on Mondays and Wednesday at Swinton Moorside Cricket Club.

The club can provide you with the opportunity to train and compete at whatever level you choose. We are affiliated with England Athletics for Road, Fell and Cross Country

running. We have members from fun runners up to International level - all enjoying taking part in a sport that provides the chance for everyone to find the event that suits

them best. We regularly compete in local races at all age and ability lev-

els. Some members just come down to the club to run and don't want to enter races,

but prefer to train with like minded people and enjoy the social side of being with a club.

Website

Forums

If you have any race reports, photos, announcements or any news that would be of inter-

est to the others members please let just know.

Lauren

We hope that you enjoy this occasional newsletter. If you are sick of it clogging up your in

box, let me know and I will take you off the circulation list.

Steve

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B