CLC Striders Race reports – for the weekend of 10-11 December 2022
The second weekend in December saw another good couple of days for CLC Strider’s runners competing in different disciplines. With the temperatures beginning to fall over the weekend, conditions varied from cold and crisp to falling snow, slush and ice.
Gloucestershire Cross Country League – Race Day 2
On Saturday 10th, it was the second race of the Gloucestershire Cross Country League, with Striders travelling south west to the river bend at Frampton on Severn to run on a new course across farmland at Milton End. The ground was rutted and frozen hard in places, making the going difficult underfoot. But the course made for a perfect and picturesque cross country challenge.
The ladies team were led home by Helen Knight in 30th place overall and as 3rd in her LV40 category. Helen was followed by Rachel Vines, who finished in 50th overall and as 6th in the LV40 category. Amelia Mullins was next scorer, in 74th place overall, but as 1st in her LV50 category. The fourth team scorer on the day was Helen Howes, who was 80th. Also running were Fiona Brady-Miller in 88th, Rebecca Reynolds in 105th and Emma Abbey in 110th.
The ladies’ senior A Team finished in 9th place overall, with the Masters team finishing in a strong 2nd. In the same race, David James, the club’s MV70 super vet finished 3rd in his category.
The turnout for the Strider’s men on the day was thin, with Nick Ledwold finishing in 92nd overall, Paul Northup in 102nd (6th in his MV55 category), and Eoin McQuone in 138th. Short of their six scorers, the men didn’t register in the team standings on the day.
Telford 10k
On Sunday 11th, Liza Bradshaw and Helen Knight travelled north to compete in the high-quality field assembled for the annual Telford 10k. On a bitterly cold and snowy morning they battled hard through the increasingly slippery conditions to both finish well sub-40 on the day – Liza in a time of 39:06 and Helen not far behind in 39:19.
Bovington Trail Marathon
Meanwhile, also on Sunday 11th, down in Dorset, club ultra specialist Rob Bircher was battling the elements across M.O.D. terrain in the Bovington Trail Marathon. Rob finished in a time of 4 hours and 53 minutes – an incredible achievement, given the slush and snow and a minus four-degree centigrade temperature at the start.