A lot of club members were out on Saturday. Thirty-Seven of you! At ten parkrun events.
JD is back running regularly at the Pally. Ian was having a quiet run in Wales. Whilst Victoria and Gareth were First-Timers at the Pavilion.
Rob was he pacing – or being taken by? – daughter Ellen [First Lady finisher and a PB as well]. Still Rob came top on AG though 😊. Our statesman Peter was back at Congleton for his first parkrun since October.
As for the Parkrun Series courses:
Just one Squire out. Ian at Bramhall – IanS. It was his 249th! Next one is his biggie!
Three Freshmen were at Didsbury. Two first-timers: Markus and Steve. Markus pipping it. Roy still taking time to get back to fitness.
The Slickers had a big turnout at the very busy Alexandra course. Qes first club member to finish and a PB again – 3rd time on the trot – by a whopping 2 minutes!! Louisa first timed and had an AG of 83%. Sharon first-timed. Tracy had a AG of 85% – which was 3rd overall. PaulN was top Paulo. Huma and Big Al trotted around together – chatting? Oliver and JP also ran as did 22-minute man Nic. No other PB here though for our Wilmslow runners.
The WAGS were out too. At Wilmslow. Andrew was first Club member home, then Jim. Rebecca our first lady member to finish. Ashley and Dave were having a right tussle. The C’s were back. No PB for Janet – but 3rd on AG with 80%. Andy running 23 minutes and volunteering too. Nicky and Don in charge.
Lastly at Alderley we had James first runner home. Richard, after a fast start, not too far off his PB. Mike was even closer his PB as he approaches his 250th parkrun. Dr D next . Then a trio – Richard pipping Tom [who PB’d again] then Susan. As for me – it was Dog Day Afternoon come early.
A desire of Sausage bap and to commence Series points collection; and to get back early for a busy weekend – what better than a jaunt around AP? A quick loop of the car park brought the realisation that Thursday’s session at the gym when I concentrated on legs and leaving my back alone perhaps wasn’t the wisest preparation. So Sub-30 was feeling like a challenge too fast. So, into the atrium or whatever it is called I did some stretching. Quite a few WRC members were about. Dr D reminding me not to overdo the hip.
Back outside and there were quite a few dogs about!! Eight or Nine? I heard faint clapping from the front as the dogs were socialising. The we noticed everyone was moving. And all of us near the back were caught unawares – No klaxon or Loudhailer or Town Crier available?
Off we went. 13-plus seconds to the start line. I settle into the pace of the snake-of-runners in front. Dogs go past. Runners blocking the width of the path in front of me. Some runners choosing the Grassy velodrome-like slope to my left to overtake. Dogs stopping for ablutions; dogs chasing other dogs. One decides it’s a better game to keep jumping and grabbing the owner’s lead. Two others choose to get friendly and intertwine! It would be easy to lose your concentration. But I have my music this week to put me in the zone. With this slow pace I don’t think I will be puffing this week at the start with the pace we are going. Another big tree to my left. Another male dog doing the business. At the first bend a canine is squatting! Another wants to wee every 50 metres or so whilst running.
At 500m I realise I am blowing again! So much for that theory. Hopefully I can make training this week. That might sort the problem out.
Still very busy but chicanes are arriving and I bravely/foolishly undercut runners!! My watch informs me I am at least 38 seconds over pace. A couple of down hill sections. A few more passed. Now the dog brigade is arriving and being relieved they quickly go past me. Mind you that last dog was on a waist lead – thought they weren’t allowed. Two Kilometres and the watch now informs me my target is now 56 seconds off. The Glute ache is at the back of my mind, the hamstrings let me know they are both tight. I am thinking – this course is 5.1/5.2 k. Never going to make it. Try to raise my pace. The next update tells me the gap is now 72 seconds. Two ladies are running side by side and there is no safe way past them. A queue forms. At the bottom of the hill, I risk undercutting and get away with it. The queue bunches with the ladies and sorts itself out. I focus on the young lady ahead. Uphill keeping style and gait. Together. I work at it. Another dog goes by. The woman has it on a retractable lead!! Surely that can’t be allowed!! They go past us. 200m ahead it’s having a toilet break. A minute later back they come again. The dog now is raring to go. It nearly cuts the lady just in front of me up. After apologies and she struts off with canine. A few people are overtaken. One lady is walking every so often. As I am on lap 4 I encourage her and tell her its not far now! I don’t understand why I can’t see the sign for home. My watch then informs we have just Finished lap 4 and my gap is now 66 seconds. Whoops I hope the lady doesn’t remember me when I said it wasn’t far to go. Oh well if I have over 1k to go I wont ever be able to run sub 5 minutes. But let’s see if we can get nearer 30:30. I see the sign. I raise my pace. I pass a few. I see the finish but can not go faster. Actually, I slow down. Finish and stop watch. Lungs go into over pumping. Can’t find my token. I search my waist band: hanky, jelly beans, coins, £5 note, credit card, car Keys!! Where is the token. I leave scanning queue and empty waist band slowly. There it is – Somewhere in the lining. I get it out and get scanned.
Back to the car, change shoes and then treat myself to bacon bap as sausage looking very dry!
You may not know of the various talents of some of our runners. In the olden days you might have crossed a lady’s palm with a silver coin and had her read your tea leaves, or tarot cards to see how your park run future was panning out. It’s moved from there. For a coffee you can spread out the parkrun running tokens on a table and have Susan read them. 😊
Having realised that this course is ‘shorter’ not ‘longer’ on my watch I was to find out later that I had Sub-30’d!! Just goes to show – don’t give up and always run through the finish line! 🙂
Remember. If you have run a parkrun this weekend and do not appear here. Check your profile and ensure you have Wilmslow RC as your club.
Summary
- Busiest: Alexandra Pk [389]; Quietest: South Wales [81]
- Tourists: Rob (Scotland); Ian (Wales)
- First finisher: James
- Top AG: Rob [79.77%]
- 80+ % AG: Tracy [85.43%]; Louisa [83.36%]; Janet [80.35%]
- PBs: Qes and Tom
Wilmslow runners’ results are below:
Bramhall parkrun
A total of 311 runners took part at Bramhall parkrun event #679
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Gareth N R GRIFFITHS | U/a | 17:49 |
32 | 1 | Ella BUCKLEY | U/a | 22:18 |
52 | 47 | Ian SMALLWOOD | WRC | 23:26 |
Congleton parkrun
A total of 260 runners took part at Congleton parkrun event #471
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Jack SCHOFIELD | U/a | 17:10 |
25 | 1 | Natalie DUNCOMBE | U/a | 22:32 |
182 | 115 | Peter WATSON | WRC | 32:02 |
Ally Pally parkrun
A total of 168 runners took part at Ally Pally parkrun event #491
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Nehal LAVEY-KHAN | U/a | 19:50 |
16 | 1 | Natasha CALVERT | U/a | 22:48 |
21 | 20 | Jonathan DUNKLEY | WRC | 23:11 |
Haverfordwest parkrun
A total of 81 runners took part at Haverfordwest parkrun event #209
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Roscoe HOWELL | U/a | 18:09 |
10 | 1 | Jennifer WILLIAMS | U/a | 23:50 |
35 | 28 | Ian ASHCROFT | WRC | 29:29 |
Wilmslow parkrun
A total of 258 runners took part at Wilmslow parkrun event #352
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Robert HOLT | U/a | 17:13 |
5 | 5 | Andrew CLEAL | WRC | 18:33 |
9 | 9 | Jim PENDRILL | WRC | 19:45 |
10 | 1 | Samantha JONES | U/a | 20:01 |
13 | 3 | Rebecca JACKSON | WRC | 20:35 |
19 | 16 | Ashley FARRELL | WRC | 21:18 |
21 | 18 | Dave BAXTER | WRC | 21:21 |
44 | 37 | Graham CREWE | WRC | 22:57 |
45 | 38 | Andy WATTS | WRC | 23:01 |
70 | 12 | Janet CREWE | WRC | 24:51 |
Fletcher Moss parkrun
A total of 316 runners took part at Fletcher Moss parkrun event #148
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Finlay GODDARD | U/a | 17:58 |
14 | 14 | Markus DALGAARD | WRC | 21:11 |
16 | 16 | Steve GREAVES | WRC | 21:21 |
20 | 1 | Amie HUGHES | U/a | 21:38 |
231 | 134 | Roy POWNALL | WRC | 31:55 |
Queen’s parkrun, Glasgow
A total of 153 runners took part at Queen’s parkrun, Glasgow event #98
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Cameron SWANSON | U`/a | 17:53 |
4 | 1 | Ellen DOWNS | U/a | 19:43 |
6 | 4 | Rob Harry DOWNS | WRC | 19:56 |
Alexandra parkrun, Moss Side
A total of 389 runners took part at Alexandra parkrun, Moss Side event #91
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Michael MANNINGS | U/a | 16:14 |
9 | 1 | Lucy ARMITAGE | U/a | 17:35 |
21 | 19 | Qes HUSSAIN | WRC | 18:31 |
48 | 7 | Louisa HARRISON | WRC | 19:49 |
72 | 57 | Paul NORRIS | WRC | 21:12 |
79 | 11 | Sharon JOHNSTONE | WRC | 21:29 |
97 | 14 | Tracy BOWN | WRC | 22:05 |
111 | 84 | Nic BOWN | WRC | 22:40 |
130 | 97 | Paul GARNETT | WRC | 23:26 |
154 | 113 | Oliver Thomas JOHNSTONE | WRC | 24:32 |
171 | 126 | John PORTEOUS | WRC | 25:25 |
233 | 56 | Huma RAHMAN | WRC | 27:37 |
234 | 163 | Alan Charles TURNER | WRC | 27:38 |
Alderley Park parkrun
A total of 148 runners took part at Alderley Park parkrun event #36
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | James SPEEDIE | WRC | 19:17 |
5 | 1 | Faye SHARPLEY | U/a | 20:06 |
6 | 5 | Richard HARRISON | WRC | 20:13 |
8 | 6 | Mike HILL | WRC | 20:32 |
13 | 10 | Graham DUCE | WRC | 21:57 |
16 | 12 | Richard LAWSON | WRC | 22:09 |
17 | 13 | Tom MCGAFF | WRC | 22:16 |
18 | 5 | Susan HARRISON | WRC | 22:35 |
92 | 62 | Patrick GRANNAN | WRC | 29:43 |
Pavilion Gardens parkrun
A total of 170 runners took part at Pavilion Gardens parkrun event #16
Position | Gender Position | parkrunner | Club | Run Time |
1 | 1 | Michael COOKE | U/a | 18:24 |
15 | 1 | Vickie HALLAM | U/a | 20:54 |
56 | 42 | Gareth AMOS | WRC | 25:19 |
107 | 36 | Victoria WILLIAMS | WRC | 29:50 |
Patrick Thank you for another excellent round up of WRC parkrun results and well done on your continued recovery. Er was that OK Roy?
Thank you John and thank you, as always, Patrick for your usual fine reporting of all the news from ParkRuns. Another good run from you Patrick, keep it up! Great to see Peter Watson pop up in the results. Ian A. was disappointed with his run in Wales, as was I with mine at Fletcher Moss, a PW there. Some very good times across the board from WRC members. The standard of Age Grading results is outstanding!