photocredit Ross Haddow

Eight North Norfolk Beach Runners were among 450 who ran the Worstead 5-mile on Friday 27^th July. It would have been more but NNBR were marshalling the event and most of the membership were tabard-clad and scattered around the lanes of the hinterland.

In a temperature close to 30C, the race, which forms part of the Worstead Festival, was won by Dominic Blake of Reepham Runners in 27.06, with the first Beach Runner home, Chris Parker (SM), claiming 10^th place in 29.46. The other Beach Runners were: Adam Smart (SM), 24^th in 31.25; Dean Howard (MV45) 63^rd, 33.52; Kathryn Head (FV35) 156^th, 39,52; Phil King (MV60) 193^rd, 41.18; Jen Armstrong, (FV40) 188^th, 41.46; Kat Sanders, (FS) 230^th, 44.26; and Club President, SuperSeventy and all round good egg, Noel Spruce (MV70+) 303^rd , 50.42.

Author: John Worrall

North Norfolk Beach Runner and tri-athlete, Tony Witmond, is on the Danish island of Fyn this week competing in the International Triathlon Union’s world championships.

Tony, who coaches the North Norfolk Harriers (athletes in 8-18 age group) and at NNDC’s Sporting Centre of Excellence which is run in conjunction with Gresham’s school, is competing in the Aquathlon involving a 1km swim and 5k run.

Tony does have previous at this sort of thing. He was part of the GB 50-54 age group squad at the European Championships in Slovakia last year when he finished 6th, and of the GB 45-49 squad in France in 2016 when he finished 9^th. Last year he was 2nd in age group at the GB national championships. By way of a warm-up for the Denmark gig, he gained age group gold in two of the three races in the recent Wroxham 5k series.

And while he’s in the groove, he’ll be at Peterborough later this month for the GB National Aquathlon championships and then at the European Triathlon Union’s championships in Ibiza in October.

None of this running around comes cheap of course, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of his sponsors, Saxon Air.

Author: John Worrall

Forty-three Beach Runners were among 590 sweating it out on Wednesday evening at the third race in the Wroxham 5k series, organised by Norwich Road Runners.

First home among them, Finlay Swanson, was also the youngest, having only recently entered the 17-39 category, his time of 16.52 getting 12^th place overall, a performance not entirely down to the coolness of youth because one of his coaches at North Norfolk Harriers, Tony Witmond, clocked 18.38 to take gold in the M 50 to 54 category for the second time in this year’s series. Tony was looking good for the European Championships in Denmark where he will compete this week in the Aquathlon.

Other notable performances at Wroxham came from Adam Smart (M 17 to 39) in 17.51 for 33^rd overall, and Charlotte Neale (F 17 to 39) in 18.02 for 39^th overall and 2^nd in category. Gary Linder (M 60 to 64) ran 20.59 for 4^th out of 21 in category. Lady Beach Runners were first and third in the F 55 to 59 category, Karen Balcombe in 22.56 and Rachel Robson in 25.47. NNBR SuperSeventies squad member, Mike Marshall, (M 65 and over – but over a decade into that anachronistic categorisation) ran 29.03 for 17^th out of 21 in category.

Spare a thought also for Shay Boyfield (lady veteran 40) who chose this summer for her first ultra, the Ultimate Trails 55k at Ambleside in the Lake District mountains. In temperatures “somewhere between 24 degrees and inferno”, she finished 338^th out of 375 in a time which was academic but was certainly hours rather than days.  “It was epic” she said. Short sentences are always best when you’re out of breath.

Author: John Worrall

Seven North Norfolk Beach Runners and 332 others braved the heat in the Breckland Badlands to run the Harling 10k on Sunday 1^st July.

First Beach Runner home was Neil Adams (M40-44) in 36.29 for 3^rd overall and 2^nd in category, followed at some distance by Phil King, (M60-64) in 47.51 for 101^st  overall but 3^rd in category. The others in the chase were Kathryn Head (Senior F) in 49.43 –  116^th and 9^th; Dave Spooner (M 45-49) 51.53 – 135^th and 21^st; Chris Spooner (Female 45-49) –  51-54, 136^th and 9^th  ; Jen Armstrong  – 52.00, 138^th and 10^th ; and Liz Ashton 1.08.47, 284^th and 43^rd.

Meanwhile, the day before and closer to Beach Runner home, seven were among the 828 who ran the Holkham 10k with the slight comfort of a sea breeze, if a somewhat disconcerting categorisation system.  Alex Curtis (M 30-34) was the first Beach Runner in 49.25 for 11^th overall and 3^rd in category, followed by Sophie Saunders (F 25-29) in 56.11 for  309^th and 13^th with  Ivan Allen (M 50-54) in close attendance in 56.10 for 308^th (on the gun but it’s the chip that counts) and 31^st . Others from NNBR were Matt Harmer (M 30-34) in 1.00.34 for 442^nd and 35^th ; Helen Lewis (F 45-49) in 1.02.14 for 482^nd  and 25^th;  Vicky Hampson (F 25-29) in 1.03.45 for 502^nd and 20^th; and Mrs L M Bygrave  (F50-54) in 1.09.00 for 620^th and 21^st.

At the other end of the spectrum, both meteorologically and geographically, was the marathon in Wellington, New Zealand, where in driving, torrential rain, not unusual in “Windy Wellington” as they call it, the first Beach Runner home, indeed the only Beach Runner home, was Nathan Bayle in 3.37.28.

Author: John Worrall

Forty Seven North Norfolk Beach Runners were among 630 entrants in the 2^nd race of the 3-race Wroxham 5k series organised by Norwich Road Runners on Wednesday evenings, counterintuitively in Hoveton but that’s close enough.

First Beach Runner home was Neil Adams (so what’s new?) (M40-44)  in a time of 16.26 for 11^th place overall and 3^rd in category, followed closely in the NNBR order of things by Chris Merrylees (M40-44) in 16.52 for 17^thoverall and 4^th in category. Two other relatively senior NNBR citizens – Tony Whitmond (M50-54) in 17.48 for 39^th overall but FIRST  in category, and Euan Prasser, in 18.34 for 85^th overall and 11^th in category – completed the foursome which carried off the Masters Gold. Somewhere in among them was Chris Parker (M17-39), 17.32 for 29^th overall and 17^th in category, who’s not yet a master but he isn’t getting any younger.

First lady Beach Runner was Charlotte Neale (again so what’s new?) (F18-39)  in 18.06 for 59^th overall  and 5^th in category.

Two NNBR SuperSeventies were there,  Mike Marshall clocking 29.17 for 549^th, and Liz Letzer, in 33.12 for 599^th, but since this was yet another event still not categorizing beyond “65 and over”, category positions are irrelevant because they wouldn’t be comparing like with like.

Author: John Worrall

The Mike Groves 10k, the second race in The 2018 Coltishall Jaguars 10K
series, took place around RAF Coltishall on Sunday 10th June when a flat
runway course attracted 10 North Norfolk Beach Runner potential pb
baggers, first home among whom, in the absence of Neil Adams, Chris
Merrylees and one or two others, was Darren Armstrong (M40-44) in 39.12
for 26th out of 488 finishers and 9th in category.
More particularly, 88th overall was Gary Linder (M60-64) in 43.12 for
1st in category. And not far behind him was Sam Weller (M65-69) in 44.41
for 113th overall but 3rd in category, which augers well for his
imminent qualification for the Super Seventies squad. First lady home,
paradoxically, was Vicky Last (F 18-34) in 51.29 for 221st overall and
14thin category.
Meanwhile, going back a week and three years after she started running,
Beach Runner Beck Maun (FV40), tackled the 28.5 mile Calderdale Way
Ultra (short), a Pennine course substantially off-road in West
Yorkshire. Finishing fast in 6.40.35 to grab 26th place out of 46
finishers, she would have done better, had not her navigation led her
adrift a couple of times, eventually to cover 31 miles. But fair enough,
this wasn’t Roman Camp and practice makes perfect.

Author: John Worrall

Sixteen North Norfolk Beach Runners took a change of evening sea air by running the third race in the Great Yarmouth Promenade 5-mile series organised by Great Yarmouth Road Runners on Wednesday May 23rd.

First home among them and first also in the M40-44 category was Neil Adams in 27.58 for 8th overall in a field of 562. Not far behind, though considerably further in age, was Ethan Davies (M 15-17) with a time of 29.45 for 29th overall and 2nd in category.

First lady Beach Runner was Chris Spooner (F 45-49) in 38.04 for 205th and 8th in category, closely followed by club chairman Clive Hedges, (M 55-59) in 37-13 for 208th and 11 th in category. And talking of hierarchy, club president, Noel Spruce (M70+) was in the mix with 45.02 for 398th overall and 4th in category. But high office was outrun by soon-to-be-SuperSeventy Sam Weller (M65-69) in 36.38 for 193rd and 2nd.

Meanwhile, north of the border, two Beach Runners ran the Edinburgh marathon, Alex Curtis running 3.10.42 for 380th place, while Karl Harper, (m 45-49) ran 4.14.47 for 3806th place and a third pb in three marathons.

Nineteen North Norfolk Beach Runners were among the 484 who ran the Dereham 10 mile at the weekend, first home among them, as usual, being Neil Adam (M40-44) in 59.00 for 7^th place overall but 2^nd  in category. He was followed, in 8^th overall, by Chris Parker (MO) in 59.56 which was good enough for 1^st in that younger category, the finishing order nevertheless demonstrating again the health benefits of sea air for the ageing male.

First lady Beach Runner was Chrissie Spooner (F45-49) in 1.17.03 for 180^th overall and 6^th in category.

Other Beach Runners ranged far and wide, with Colin Stark doing the Ultra Trail Snowdonia, a 53-mile jolly involving a 5.00 am start on the Saturday and 20,000 ft of climbing with two visits to the top of Snowdon. Running for 17 hours, he came 34^th out of 206.

More particularly, in a private park in Hampshire, Maria Greaves did the Triple Enduroman  Triathlon – a 7.2mile swim, 336 mile bike ride and a 78 mile run, finishing in 59 hours and first in category because she was the only UK female to finish at all. Now that’s what you call a park run.

Author: John Worrall