Photo: Helen and Rob at Isaac’s Tea Trail (photo courtesy of Helen)
Another busy fortnight for Quakers with lots to celebrate including a new Stately Trail event, a first ultra, gold medals for track achievements and a fantastic turn out at Darlington 10k, with a good mix of first time and seasoned runners and lots to celebrate including course and 10k PBs.
1st August: Dales Runner Stately Trails: Forcett Hall (5k and 10k)
Forcett Park is steeped in history. Part of the Estate boundary follows ancient Iron Age fortifications from neighbouring Stanwick Camp. On this two lap course, runners pass a wall used for musket training in the civil war and an intriguing Georgian grotto! Runners were to expect gentle trails across pasture fields, farm tracks and through woodland. The course was a 5km loop with the option of doing two loops for the 10k.
In the 10k event, April Corbett finished the route in 59:02 and 1st in age category, followed by Anthony Corbett (1:01).
3rd August: parkruns – Darlington South Park, Cyclopark (Gravesend) and Hamsterley Forest
At Darlington South Park, Michael Joyeux finished in 8th place overall in 19:19 and Stephen Smedley earned himself another PB, shaving another 39 seconds of last week’s time to finish in 37:29.
Meanwhile, at Cyclopark, Rebecca Howard finished in 9th place overall and 2nd female finisher in 21:04 and at Hamsterley Forest, Sandra Cass was 3rd female finisher in 28:52.
3rd August: Isaac’s Tea Trail Ultra and Marathon (Relay option also available)
With 4800ft of elevation, the race route follows the footsteps of the legendary tea seller Isaac Holden and is a 37 mile loop from Allendale, via Nenthead, Alston and Ninebanks before returning back to Allendale. It is completely within the North Pennines, a stunning landscape of open heather moors and peatlands, dales, hay meadows, upland rivers, wood and intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past.
Helen Clark and Rob Gillham ran together (Rob’s first ultra marathon) in 10:06.
4th August: Darlington 10k
1,727 runners competed in the 37th Darlington 10k this year, and over 100 of them were current Quaker Running Club members. The flattish 2 lap course has a long uphill stretch that provides challenge. It starts in Horsemarket and takes runners along closed town centre roads including Stanhope Road, Woodland Road, Carmel Road North, Coniscliffe Road, Skinnergate and finishing on High Row.
Marc Ellis was first Quaker finisher in 37:24, followed by Dawn Richardson (41:24 and 1st in age category), James Atkinson (41:28), Dave Jones (41:59), Scott Beaumont (41:59), Isaac Johnson-Caddell (42:45), Lou Trainor (43:16), Michael Kipling (44:05), Dave Murphy (44:16, PB), Rob Gillham (44:52), John Dunne (44:56), Deborah Berry (45:07, PB), Ed Griffiths (45:30), Simon Metcalfe (45:38), Dani Walker (45:38), Phil Neale (46:54), Abbie Jones (47:49, PB), Adam Charles (48:03), Danny Mcintyre (48:18), Jonathan Eccles (48:27), Brian Martin (48:56), Ian Bond (49:04), Graham Looney (49:05, PB), Dan Orton (49:20), Ian Burgess (49:30), David Nalder (49:38 and 2nd in age category), Shaune Eland (49:39), Carys Samuel (49:41), Sue Sparrow (49:45, PB), Steve Howell (50:06), Ian Hart (50:11), Anna Hardy (50:29), Diane Lockhart (50:49, PB), Chris Evans (51:07), David Todd (51:08), Ray Reed (51:19, PB), Lisa Bowerbank (51:36), April Corbett (51:43), David Mclachlan (51:45), John Harrison (52:29, PB), Peter Cowan (53:19, PB), Keir North (52:33), Rebecca Jones (53:48), Louise Priestman (53:50), Emily Beaumont (54:04), Caroline Litster (54:09), Wendy Colling (54:11), Heather Mclean (54:15, PB), Nigel Eddy (54:19), Sandra Martin (54:36), Sean Limbrick (55:11), Graham Park (55:28), Anthony Corbett (55:32), Carmelita Coco (55:36), Jo Meynell (55:51), Lesley Neal (56:10), Julie Bell (56:30), Chris Clark (56:15), Julie Russell (56:24), Mark Trowles (56:25), Stuart Masterman (56:52), Helen Clark (57:19), Paul Roberts (57:17), Helen Clarke (57:21), Julie Whinn (57:53), Gill Colling (57:59), Paul Cockburn (58:15), John Yeomans (58:39, PB), Keziah Morley (58:40), Phil Thornberry (58:48), Mel Newton (59:27), Bryan Dale (59:28), Malcolm Hewitson (59:34), John Whinn (1:00), Jeff Marriott (1:00), Victoria Peters (1:01), Ross Edmond (1:01), David Ledgerwood (1:01), Tilly Potter (1:01), Tracey Fleming (1:02, PB), Sarah Burrows (1:02), Wendy Noble (1:02), Hannah Alderson (1:03), Mark Blewitt (1:03), Ian Young (1:03), Sharon Carr (1:04), David Porterfield (1:04, PB), Brian Cowton (1:05), Gilly Cowton (1:05), Linda Burrell (1:07), Lucy Bendle (1:07), Berni Gibson (1:08), Lisa Quinney (1:09, PB), Zoe Robinson (1:09), Stephen Moore (1:12), Fiona Dixon (1:12), Sally Singleton (1:12), Sue New (1:13), Nicole Westmarland (1:17), Belinda Affat (1:18), Michael King (1:19), Robyn Brentley (1:20), Andy Walker (1:21) and Kylie Rushton (1:23).
Congratulations to Dawn Richardson, Lou Trainor and Deborah Berry who won the 1st ladies team prize.
5th August: NEMAA Inter-Area Track and Field, Monkton, Jarrow
Viv Hardwick was presented with gold medals for North East Masters M70 Leagues in Sprints and Middle Distance at Monkton Stadium, Jarrow. This was after six meetings from May to August, competing in three races each time and two years in a row that Viv has managed to take the titles, plus the NEMAA one-off 3k gold.
Viv completed the 800m in 3 minutes 25.4 seconds (1st in age category) and the 200m in 37.7 seconds (2nd in age category).
6th August: More than a run Summer series 5k
This event takes place in the grounds of Ormesby Hall.
Lou Trainor completed the route in 23:12 and Matt Jackson in 32:30.
7th August: Darlington Trails Riverside 5k
Ian Burgess completed the race along the River Skerne at Haughton in 23:56, followed by Jeff Marriot in 30:35 and Berni Gibson (35:03).
10th August: parkruns – Sedgefield and Shorne Woods (Gravesend)
At Sedgefield, Chris Clark earned himself yet another PB, shaving another 8 seconds off his PB from May of this year, to finish is 27:20 and at Shorne Woods, Rebecca Howard was 2nd female finisher in 22:49.
11th August: Hardmoors Farndale 10k and Half Marathon (Full Marathon also available)
This event starts at Hutton-le-Hole, heading west towards Gillamoor and through Rudland Rigg open moorland before heading down off the hill towards Farndale and back to Hutton-le-Hole.
Sarah Watson completed the 10k in 2:04 and Wendy Noble in 2:05, whilst Hayley Addison completed the half marathon in 3:03 and 3rd in age category.
11th August: Branches and Bays 10k (Championship Race)
Starting in the local village of Hawthorn, the route takes runners through the Durham Wildlife Trust and National Trust managed woodland of Hawthorn Dene, followed by the Bays of Hawthorn Hive and The Blast Beach.
Rob Gillham completed the race in 57:57, followed by Helen Clark (1:08) and Darren Alderson (1:16).
14th August: Sessay Swift 6k
This flat, fast, one lap road race starts and finishes in the village of Sessay near Thirsk.
Marc Ellis finished the race in 22:00 and 2nd in age category, followed by Martyn Farnsworth (24:47), Rob Gillham (25:49), Lou Trainor (27:11), Helen Clark (32:28), Melissa Hird (34:25) and John Yeomans (34:40).
Special Mentions
Congratulations and well done to QRC members that have achieved ‘unofficial’ parkrun milestones over the last fortnight!