News & Updates

Shout out for the women!

It was a big day for South Derbyshire Road Runners (SDRR) with over forty runners in action at three events, including fifteen in action at the running jamboree that is the Great North Run (GNR). The three events had a couple of things in common. The courses were all far from flat and the weather conditions were hot and humid.

The Lichfield 10k was the race of choice for many being the latest round in the Burton and District Summer Road Running League (BDSL) and the latest leg of the Club Championship. Pride of place goes to SDRR’s women who clinched the BDSL title with a race still to go. Jenny Laing led the group home in a terrific chip time of 42.22 and first place in the women’s race. Sara Insley ran superbly for 43.09 as did Christina Hawtin for 45.29 with Donna Reid, continuing to progress with a hard running 46.00. Sara Insley’s performance secured her a well-deserved first place in her age category. Tracey Glover gave her usual maximum effort in stopping the clock in 48.27 and third place in her age category with terrific support from Emily Atkins, Linda Dakin, Emma Sharp, Sophie Picket and Pauline Cooper as they finished in very respectable chip times of 52.35, 58.16, 61.01, 67.06 and 79.40, respectively.

The Club’s men must wait until next Sunday and the last race in the BDSL series, the Tamworth 5 to see whether they can clinch a Club double in the series. They did their chances no harm with some terrific performances in this race. None more so than Chris Pearson who is slowly getting back to his best after injury and led the way home with an excellent chip time of 35.54. A performance good enough to secure the MV45 prize. The ultra consistent Mark Slade was next in 38.44 with Dan Bower also ducking under the forty-minute benchmark with 39.23. The strength of the team has always been in the consistent packing right down the order and this was emphasised with excellent and important, performances by Rom Chambard, Sam Fearn, Stewart Laing, Mark Farrar and fittingly Men’s Club Captain, Andy Orme as they finished in 40.05, 42.14, 42.15, 42.53, and 46.14, respectively. Colin Mee, who has had an excellent season, is, like many of the Club’s runners, chasing an age category prize in the BDSL and his 46.27 significantly enhanced his chances of being on the podium at the presentation evening. Club mate Ross Ballinger has a terrific record of being on the start line for Club Championship races and he is also a solid performer as his 47.44 here shows. Club mate Paul Glover is running as well as ever and he was in Ballinger’s slipstream as he stopped the clock in 47.54 with Shane Stanton completing the Club’s finishers in the men’s race with a very respectable 57.04.

Only the London Marathon matches the GNR for atmosphere and a large contingent of fifteen from the Club were there on the start line to take in the delights of the Northeast on Sunday. Steve Green was first back in a very creditable 01:32.23 with Dave Green also performing well to finish in 01:36.51. Andrea Beaty stopped the clock in 01:48.52 with Neil Swift relishing the atmosphere to finish in 01:53.03. Sara Sneath, Ralph Hauthmacher, Robert Read and Matt Collins arrived in South Shields relatively close together recording chip times of 02:14.22, 02:15.19, 02:18.19 and 02:25.45, respectively. John Pegg gave everything to finish in 02:33.39 with Dave Lunn, like many others, running to raise money for terrific causes, finishing in 02:37.25. Sarah Green managed to duck under 3 hours in 02:54.27 before Lucy Cartwright and Danny Scott crossed the line together with times of 03:01.05 and 03:01.06 and Helen Clark and Teresa Swift, who most definitely will have enjoyed the atmosphere, finished at the same time of 03:08.00.

Jane Wade, Chris Mason and Pete Wright were in action at the Newcastle (Staffs) 10k, which also doubled as the Midland Masters 10k Championship. All survived the famous Black Bank recording chip times of 59.34, 49.23 and 41.40, respectively.

Endurance, endurance, endurance

For many runners Spring is marathon season and for those from the Club on the start lines at the Aldi Ashby 20, the Coniston 14, the Wolverhampton 10k, the Wilmslow Half Marathon and the Derby 10k many thoughts were on testing out their endurance for the challenges ahead.

Taking part in the Coniston 14 has long been a tradition at the Club and on Saturday six members tackled, in wet conditions, the scenic and undulating course that goes anti-clockwise around the perimeter of Coniston Water. Stuart Halsey led the contingent home with a superb chip time of 01.40:13 for third place in the MV60 category. Chris Hanman ran well for 01.46:03 with Andy Orme, not far behind, in 01.48.30. Emily Atkins and Jay Darnley continued their upward trajectories in recording 02.00:16 and 02.06:16 respectively with Karen Wilks, giving everything, to complete the Club’s finishers in 02.29:14.

Sunday, saw good running conditions for the Aldi Ashby 20, with a massive contingent of thirty-one runners from the Club lining up to tackle this two-lap, undulating course around the Northwest Leicestershire countryside. First back and just inside the top 50 finishers was Robbie Cresswell-Howe with an excellent chip-time of 02.11:49. Robbie’s Spring target is the Manchester Marathon. Mike Nash, who has been slightly hampered by a niggle recently ran a superb even pace to finish in 02.12:22. Sam Bassett, also Manchester Marathon bound, finished in a distance PB of 02.13:13 with Steve Green, who will tackle the London Marathon in April, showing he’s on great form as he stopped the clock in 02.17:48. Also looking in good form was Jack Leafe, who will travel to the USA in April to take part in the Boston Marathon, finished here in 02:21.36.  Next was a group of runners who are either heading for the Manchester or London Marathons comprising Tim Rhodes, Rom Chambard, first lady back for the Club, the redoubtable Jenny Laing, Mark Harriott and David Green who recorded chip-times of 02.22:01, 02.23:27, 02.24:16, 02.24:57 and 02.28:34 respectively. There were also some excellent performances in the next group to finish with Darren Potter in 02.33:46, Andrea Beaty in 02.35:26, Donna Reid in 02.36:02 and Becky Moult in 02.39:31 all looking in really good form. Andy Allsop and Richard Nash were inseparable as they finished in 02.41:00 and 02.41:37 respectively with Steve Leafe in 02.52:35, JJ Jones in 02.53:08, Neil Swift in 02.53:54 and Rich Miller in 02.56:01 all finished in close order in very respectable times. Ash Wooton ran well to duck under three hours with 02.58:16 with photographer par excellence, Ian Archer enjoying a well-earned rest day to record 03.02:42 with Robert Read breathing down his neck with a good time of 03.03:15. Dave Walters, who is tackling the Chester Marathon in the autumn, set out an early marker of his form, with a consistent 03.11:31. There was then a slight pause before the next group of runners made the sanctuary of the finish line. This shouldn’t though detract from the achievements of Emma Sharp, Linda Dakin, Kev Clarke, Teresa Swift, Sarah Walters, Lucy Cartwright and Danny Scott who all gave maximum effort to achieve and in some cases surpass their pre-race goals as finishing times of 03.35:34, 03.40:20, 03.45:09, 03.45:10, 03.46:17 and 04.39:58 and 04.39:59 testify.

Slightly further afield Steve Bullock continued his comeback with 01.23:31 in a very competitive Wilmslow Half Marathon while Jamie Green continued his upward trajectory with a 10k PB of 37:17 in the Wolverhampton 10k.

Finally, much closer to home on a really busy racing weekend, seven members took part in the popular Derby 10k. Pride of place went to Paul Glover, who in his first race as a MV60 led the group home with a chip time of 46.24. Next was Ross Ballinger in 47:28 edging out Tracey Glover and Tony Richards in times of 49:04 and 50:26 respectively. Amy Dakin ran well for her 51:46 before Matt Collins and Becky Johnson completed the Club’s finishers in 56:11 and 71:25 respectively.

Jenny continues her winning streak!!!

While modestly acknowledging she is not currently in peak racing form Jenny Laing continues to turn in unbeatable performances in the Derby Runner Cross Country. In the latest race, over a challenging course in Shipley Country Park, she stormed to her fourth, first place finish out of four races. The shame was, for a variety of reasons, the Club’s women didn’t have sufficient numbers to complete a full team to continue the group’s rise up the Women’s League Table. However, this in no way should detract from the efforts of Lucy Cartwright and Sarah Green who gave everything in finishing in 74^th and 93^rd places respectively.

The Club’s men just had sufficient numbers to complete a full team with some quality performances suggesting they have done enough to hold on to their top of the table position. Chris Pearson led the group home with a superb 7^th place finish. Training partner Mike Nash, with what could be a season long healthy rivalry,  was close behind in 9^th with another in a rich vein of form, Mark Slade, performing superbly for 17^th place. Reigning Club Champion Steve Green and the strong running Richard Nash were also close as they finished in 20^th and 22^nd places respectively. It was great to welcome Shane Chapman back to competitive action after an injury hampered couple of years. Here he scored valuable team points as he finished in 60^th place. Men’s Club Captain, Andy Orme and MV60 Steve Leafe completed the men’s team finishers in very respectable 71^st and 76^th place finishes respectively.

In very different conditions three runners from the Club took part in the Nottingham Holme Run. Rom Chambard tackled the half marathon distance and ran with distinction to finish in 16^th place overall in a chip time of 01.31:28. Dan Bower and Emma Sharp competed in the 10k iteration of the event with Dan storming to a well deserved second place podium finish in the men’s race in a time of 36:37. Emma also ran superbly for a twelfth place finish in the women’s race in 53:36.    

It’s only Mud

Cold and damp, perfect conditions on Sunday for the final race in the 2022 Club Championship, at Allestree, the latest stop in 2022/23 Derby Runner Cross Country League. The six-mile course was challenging but it did not deter the Club’s man for all terrains, Chris Pearson, leading the Club’s contingent home in a superb seventh place in the men’s race. Only two places back was Mike Nash, who made his cross-country race debut look extremely easy. The friendly rivalry between these two training partners promises to push both on to greater things in future years. Seb Van Dijk again performed well over the country to finish in twenty third place with Steve Green and Danial Bower, who have both had wonderfully consistent seasons, not far behind in twenty ninth and thirty third places, respectively. Chris Hanman performed well to finish in forty fourth place with David Green and Rom Chambard completing the men’s team finishers in fifty seventh and sixty sixth places. Men’s team skipper, Andy Orme, was next to cross the line in eighty fifth with outgoing Club Champion, Ross Ballinger, and the battling MV65, Colin Mee not far behind in ninety first and ninety fifth places, respectively. Steve Leafe battled round to finish in a hundred and first place with the improving Paul Hudson in a hundred and twenty eighth. David Walters, Colin Sharp, Gareth Simpson, and Danny Scott completed the Club’s finishers in the men’s race in a hundred and thirty second, a hundred fiftieth, a hundred and fifty first and a hundred and fifty eighth places, respectively.

In the women’s race Christina Hawtin, looked right back to form as she stormed round to finish in eighth place getting the better, on this occasion, of Sara Insley, who herself has gone from strength to strength this season and here finished in a very respectable eleventh place. Lisa Wright ran gamely for thirty first place with the battling Emma Sharp completing the team finishers in the women’s race. Excellent team support was provided by Sarah Walters in eighty fourth, mum Julianne Walters in eighty fifth, Sarah Green in eighty ninth place, Lucy Cartwright in ninety fourth with the indefatigable Pauline Cooper in ninety eighth place completing the Club’s finishers in the women’s race.