INCLUDES : Xmas Social & Awards, Malc Weir International Success, XC Chad Park, XC National Relays, Starlight Relays, Upcoming Ultra, Navigation, Mark Beighton update
Lots happening and upcoming to keep you all aware of. If you’re on Facebook you may or may not already be aware of these items. Facebook does however seem to randomly prioritise news, hence we like to keep this email coming out to all so that everybody is equally in the know!
XMAS SOCIAL & AWARDS NIGHT – Saturday 16th December – BOOK NOW
from 6pm, Kings Head Belper. Yes it’s that time you’ve all been waiting for. About half the tickets have sold in about 3 days so please check your diaries now and buy your ticket(s) at £5 each here. Buffet included
Come along for a chinwag, a few festive drinks and to catchup with buddies before they all put on weight over xmas new year! The Kings Head is tricky for parking so use Coppice Car Park or on street on The Fleet
MALCOLM WEIR – BRITISH & IRISH MASTERS SUCCESS – News hot off the press from the man himself who was selected to compete in Glasgow on the weekend just gone.
It was a great event on a fabulous course with marvellous weather.
I came in first for the England team and also first overall in my age category.
I was 27th in the 6k race in a time of 26 mins 33s.
Many of you may not see Malc on a regular basis, but he’s there every week at the Thursday speed / improvers sessions inspiring us all. 630pm rotating venues – see calendar
CROSS COUNTRY SEASON – We are firmly in Cross Country season now so most photo’s contain some mud and there’s no surprise considering how wet it’s been out there. Many seem to embrace what these slippery conditions offer – it’s such a contradiction to road running so it’s absolutely fantastic to see. Also, most XC events are in some shape or form a team event – be it a small mens/ladies team or a complete team event for Belper Harriers like the BDL league – and it’s great to see so many feeling part of the team!
CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE OFF TO A FANTASTIC START! As you’ll see from the plethora of cracking photos below, we are firmly all enjoying the XC season in what’s one of the wettest autumn’s on record. Bad news for some but GREAT news for cross country fans – especially when we can capture fantastic action shots like the one below at Chaddesden Park – with Shaun Bott running through the water feature. Thanks for Tony for taking this excellent shot – I hope you didn’t get too wet taking it Tony?
CONTROVERSY FROM SHAUN BOTT! – The eagle eyed amongst you may notice in shot 4 below (taken by Jo Coates – thanks Jo) how we have a very unique approach to running through water by Shaun – clearly avoiding it completely. This has created a stir on Facebook with many against these shocking tactics but one in support (remaining nameless Dave!) All good fun though and I’m sure noone felt short changed after that race. Next XC league races for your diaries are ;
- 3rd December, Pewitt Park, Ilkeston
- 14th January, Bramcote Hills
- 18th February, Holmebrook Park Chesterfield
Dave Horton has given us a write up from the race at Chaddesden Park …
Belper Harriers participate in a service of league races – 5 summer trail races, and 5 winter XC races. These are sponsored by The Derby Runner running shop, but usually referred to as the BDLs, after the long-term former sponsors. They are free to enter for members, so a great series of local races for everyone.
The second in the winter XC series was last Sunday at the nicely flat Chaddesdon Park. The conversation focus for this race is normally the depth of the 4 stream crossings, but after all the recent rain, this was overshadowed by the huge stinking puddle about 500m from the start. Most runners ploughed bravely through it, but the ever-cerebral Shaun, having surveyed it beforehand, reasoned that it was faster to run around. He was right. I followed him. However, shamed by the photographers, we both elected to brave the sewage on lap two.
We did fantastically well at the first XC at Shipley Park, with the ladies team placed 1st (out of 13), and the men further down at 9th, giving a combined result of 4th. Notable performances for Shipley were Esther Broughton and Jan Forrester (both first in their age category) and Jo Sutton , who was 3rd overall lady.
With a great entry of 36 runners this week, and some splendid performances, I’m hoping that we can improve on our combined result. The sense of team spirit certainly benefits from more yellow and black vests, and I’m convinced that this leads to better performances. It’s also helped by a bit of track-side support, so even if you’re not racing, please come down as support. Thanks this week to Jo Coates and Jan’s husband Tony for team support duties.
The full results for race two should be out soon. Click here and search races by race name, and enter “Derby Runner” in the search box, followed by “Refresh race list.
The next XC is Sunday 3rd December at Ilkeston. We always have the club tent and the flag to stash your gear in, and it’s common for cake to be available (please feel free to contribute!).
Dave Horton
NATIONAL XC RELAYS – BERRY HILL – We managed to field 2 mens team up at Berry Hill Mansfield the other week to compete in one of the biggest XC team events of the year – the Nationals. Dave Horton has again given us a summary of the event…
The Harriers had two teams competing in this prestigious event, which conveniently for us is held at Berry Hill in Mansfield every year. It attracts teams from across the country, and the quality of the running is wonderful to observe. As a build up for the Team Gb trials, this ensured that there were many top-class competitors.
Each member of the 4 man team completed 2 laps of a 2.2km route over a varied route. The fast downhill start for the first leg runners is quite a spectacle, with a mass of spike-clad feet kicking up the clods of earth. An area of quagmire in the wooded section was a challenge for many, especially as the climb out was the steepest section of the course – mercifully short though.
The weather was awful in the lead up to the start, with incessant rain, that kept us all hiding in the club tent. It eased to a stop once after the start, but this perhaps hampered all the diligent warming up that we should have been doing.
The two Harriers teams came in at 145th, and 123rd place (from 205 enties), so, although not exactly podium places, we all left with a sense of achievement. And a need for a hot bath
Dave Horton
STARLIGHT RELAYS ARE BACK! – Thursdays 7pm – this time at Markeaton Park. Another team event but this time slightly different in that it’s at night! Kudos to Sharon for creating this fantastic shot below and I’m sure there’s a Rachel somewhere there lurking in the shadows! Sharon and Rachel have kindly given us a write up of the event clearly showing how much they loved it! Check out the dates below to see if you’re free. Hunt out Sharon Kelby on messenger if you fancy being part of a team for the next events and she will put you in touch with each other. The Peak Running website is here :
- Shipley Park 7th December, 7pm, Thu
- Calke Abbey 4th January, 7pm, Thu
The Starlight relays are a 4 x 2 mile relay race in the dark in a local park. Mixed or single sex teams allowed. Markeaton Nov 9th was the first one. Then Dec 7th at Shipley and lastly Jan 4th at Calke Abbey. Should have been a 7pm start but start was delayed by the organisers due to a major incident closing the A38 which meant I was stuck trying to get from Belper to Markeaton Park without using the A38 but via central Derby instead. Emily Sheldon was super organised, on time and picked up all our numbers and ‘le baton’. By the time I arrived at 7.45, Emily had already done her bit and was wrapped up warm post leg 1, Rachel Clark was already half way round on leg 2 and Rosie Freeman was warming up ready for leg 3. They’ve gone all high tech this year and the batons beep as each team member crosses the line for the end of one leg and start of the next. The organisers use their PA system to shout out the runners number as they come out of the trees in the pitch black baton in hand. The course was really well marshalled, all dressed in high vis and there are glow in the dark markers all the way round on the floor and in the trees to guide you in the right direction. Head torch is mandatory. It got really boggy in the trees on the last half mile, which meant I went over in the gloop. But who cares. Good news, my new water proof trail shoes and seal skin socks kept my feet dry and warm. We certainly weren’t doing it for speed. It’s all for fun and to get a few more miles in my legs over the winter. We’ve got a ladies team ready for all 3 races but if anyone fancies doing any of the other two you can still enter a new team in single races. See link below.
Sharon Kelby
Starlight Relays? Wacky races more like! Once I’d stopped my headtorch slipping down my forehead, I enjoyed the race route, with only a minor detour. Some serious mud at the end , but all good fun. If you haven’t done a relay before, I would definitely recommend it. It’s great to be part of a team and we were all smiling at the end
Rachel Clark. Thanks to Rosie for getting us organised, to Emily for entering the teams and to Sharon for lending me her super warm dry robe to stand in after my leg
ULTRA & HALF ULTRA : SAT 23rd DECEMBER The UTMB & Half UTMB. Shortened to UTMB but properly known as the Ultra Tour of Matlock Bath this is Belper Harriers very own Ultra right on our doorstep. There’s around 15-20 of us starting early on Saturday 23rd to do either the Half (3h) or Full (5h as faster). Setting off half first then full after. The half route ends in Matlock Bath, cafe then train back. Please signup for this here
NAVIGATION SESSIONS FOR RUNNERS – We’ve now got around 15-20 of you runners who are signed up for these upcoming sessions. They’ll take place at night in the next month or so and in pairs or solos that allow everybody to challenge themselves slightly! There will be a beginners and a more challenging course on offer. We’ll offer a prep session beforehand to help people famliarise themselves and plan their route. The actual session will then take place over Allestree Park with debrief in The Red Cow, Allestree. Signup here. If any competent navigators wish to help in the prep or actual sessions let Alan B know.
AND FINALLY…
MARK BEIGHTON TRACKER – Follow his progress here. He’s really living the dream now (well, until he comes back to Belper!) having covered 2,300km in 47days. He’s now passed through the Dolomites (soloing some peaks on route!), passed through Venice and Padua and is now bumming round the Slovenia / Croatia coast. He’s coming across lots of lovely friendly faces on route too – with either fellow bikepackers or Air BnB hosts or warm showers hosts (google it). Keep us updated Mark!
