parkrun Report – Saturday 27th August 2016

As usual on a Bank Holiday, Bristol & West runners were spread far and wide at various locations around the country.  There was just the one runner in London, where Jolana PRICE was at Bushy with a time of 31:49. Another capital visitor was Neil SCHOLES who recorded 19:32 at Edinburgh.

There was another attendance of over 400 at Ashton Court, but PBs were a bit thin on the ground, with many runners saving themselves for other events over the holiday period. Daniel MORGAN was first SM20-24 in a time of 21:33. Alice DOGGRELL was the first female and first VW35-39 recording a time of 21:39. Fleur COCKLY and Emma WITHERS were first VW40-44 and first VW45-49 respectively. Bristol & West’s only PB at Ashton Court was recorded by Joseph Hull, with a time of 24:32, a thirty-seven second improvement. Joseph earns the Performance of the Week title this week.

At the other local runs, Isobel MEDCROFT was the first SW18-19 in 23:41 at Chipping Sodbury. At Pomphrey Hill, Claire SHINE recorded a time of 24:39 and was first VW45-49. Imanol FLAMARIQUE EDERRA was in fifth place in a time of 18:32. Sarah EVERITT ran a time of 25:46 at Bath Skyline. Greg CHANCE and Paul JEFFERSON battled for fourth place at the Forest of Dean. Greg was fourth in 18:34, followed by Paul in fifth place in 18:57. Darren PHILLIPS was the first finisher at Lydney, with a four-second PB. Martha WHEELER also achieved a PB with a time of 26:57.

Claire HALLISSEY at Tring, and Jessica BRUCE at Aberystwyth were also first females. Francesca KNAPPER at Jersey and Helen NEWBERRY at Dartford were second females. There were three second men; Maciej BIALOGONSKI, also at Dartford and Scott WATKINS at Killlerton, along with Jarlath McKENNA at Keswick This  leads nicely in to Steve GRANT’s report on his travels in the Lake District, including last week’s parkrun at Keswick

“A belated Keswick Parkrun report for the week ending 20th of August.  Firstly, thank you Keswick AC for letting me join in a training night.  The runners a bit sparse as there was a National Fell competition two days later and they had a Fell race of their own the night before but we had a great fartlek session around countryside a tourist like me would not have come across.  I entered the Fell race and the Parkrun and for both events was first finisher, from Bristol & West.

The fell race was run in the mid-20’s with clear blue skies and we were told it had a steep climb near the start, levels off and goes through a 4ft stream.  Being naive I interpreted ‘levels off’ as ‘it becomes level’, but no the gradient just isn’t as steep and apart from one sizeable dip on the ascent it was up up up all the way.  The stream in question was 4ft wide, not deep thankfully.  After the climb, it was time to hang to on to your curlers for the descent in the knowledge that the steep part of the ascent was waiting to be become a death defying downwards plummet late on. Thankfully no injuries were sustained and I was part of a great three way sprint for the finish cheered on by the many earlier finishers.  Club honour and visitors discretion were both maintained.

The parkrun was 3 days later, 10°C cooler and wet like only the Lakes does wet.  They have two routes for the parkrun – one near the lake when it is quieter and the one on the old railway line I ran.  It is a ‘there and back’ course on a gravel path that gently inclines away from Keswick before a more significant incline, a run round a wooden walkway suspended over the gorge and then down the other side of the hill.  The turnaround point is where the path stops due to a significant footbridge being washed away in the floods last winter.  One other bridge on the railway line was washed away, another is closed due to flood damage, and there are some parts of the town still being repaired nine months on.  The parkrun was as well organised as usual with the handy cover of the old railway station platform for the marshals to operate from.  As a twist to the normal welcoming procedures, they ask how many locals are there rather than tourists as we overwhelmingly dominate the event.  My youngest made one of his rare Parkrun visits but without his bar code, and when he gave his home event as Little Stoke we got a few questions and some nice support from the marshals.”

If any one wishes to produce a contribution about their parkrun tourism, please email to roger.brocklesby@btopenworld.com

Saturday’s results for Bristol & West club members are at the following link http://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/clubNum=245&eventdate=2016-08-27