I’ve been planning my assault on the “Most Events” title for some time now. So it was that I found myself heading to Glasgow after a week of debilitating pain in the left Achilles. Thinking that I’d use crutches to get around the course I was in no mood to carbo-load the night before. However I hadn’t planned on the evening of debauchery thrust upon me by the local event team. Richard, Ian, Gillian and Alan forced me to drink copious amounts of alcohol and wiped me off to some nosh house in the wee hours of the night just before closing time. That’s when I was ready to call it a night but NO, it was back to the very same pub to complete the assault course.
So, there was no surprise when I appeared in Pollock Park carrying my head on the ground. My tummy was in no better shape either as I lined up for what has to be the most gruelling of all parkruns. Not sure how but I completed the course in just under 22 minutes. Mysteriously the Achilles had disappeared. Not a sign that I had ever had any trouble at all. The local event team tell me it’s the Glaswegian infused therapy that does it.
For those who don’t know me personally, you shouldn’t always take what I say too seriously… Thanks to everyone in Glasgow for looking after Jo and I.
I would like to wish our newest event, South Manchester parkrun all the best for their first outing on Saturday.
Finally, it may interest you to know that there are over 1000 images from the Brighton and Hove 2nd anniversary parkrun here on sussex sport photography.com : http://gallery.sussexsportphotography.com/a.tlx?k=48uzf1k which are free to download and use.
Ant Bliss regularly gives of his professional time to supporting the parkrun in Brighton and Hove, when he is injured, otherwise he runs it. He is open to any offers of covering other parkruns in exchange for cake and fuel if the diary is open…
info@sussexsportphotography.comQuick bites
· Congratulations to Amanda Birkby who became the 20th Leeds parkrunner to achieve 50 parkruns
· Congratulations to Faye Peachey for winning the Closest Pacer prize at Richmond last week
· Congratulations to the following for setting a bunch of new course records:
o Mark Bruce at Bromley
o Nathalie Christie at Edinburgh
o Samantha Briggs at Heaton
o Jason Simpson at Roundshaw Downs
· There were 17 sub 17min runs at the weekend
· Amager, Bromley, Leeds and Sunderland all improved their number of runners on a Saturday
· Chris Cowell stays at the top of the Most Number of Events league. However his lead may be short lived as a number of parkrunners are hot on his heals
· Vince Howley, Tim McIntyre and Kaye Benjamin are inducted into the prestigious 100 club. There are now 75 100 clubbers
· Rachael Elliot sneaks ahead of Richard Ward in the race to win the most parkruns as Richard takes his final exams
· The parkrun photo of the year is
here
Special invite from Lucozade Sport - Two for One Ticket Offer
There is no doubt that running can become obsessive and a review about a pair of new running shoes can seem more enthralling than a bestseller. For this reason we’ve teamed up with the London Running Show organisers to offer parkrunners a great ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ offer at this year’s event, so you can learn what’s hot and what’s not in 2010. We’ll of course be there with our Sports Scientists to offer runners advice and tips on all aspects of running.
All you have to do is buy one ticket either before at
www.runningshow.co.uk or when you arrive at the show at London Olympia, print it out and hand it, along with a copy of this email, to the guys at the reception who will then give you your second ticket free! Tickets cost £9 in advance or £12 on the door. Children under 16 enter for free.
Note: Only one offer per individual. Offer only valid to the original recipient of this email.
I look forward to seeing you at a parkrun soon! Edd
Reading Half Marathon
I'm writing to let you know that places for the Reading Half marathon are selling out quicker than last year.
The race is on the 21st of March 2010 – just over a month before London and the new Brighton marathon, so ideal training run if you are that way inclined and planning your 2010 diary.
We know a lot of you took part at Reading last year and one of our most important parkrun sponsors, www.sweatshop.co.uk who also sponsor the Reading Half marathon wanted to make sure you don’t miss out.
At the moment (as of today) they think they will all sell out in the next four weeks – i.e. before Christmas, so if you were thinking of making and entry make sure you do now – before it is too late !
The Sweatshop sponsor the parkrun Monthly Shoe Prize. Hugh Brasher has kindly offers a pair of shoes to each event in the UK per month as a reward for some exceptional achievement. So far there have been 275 winners of this prize.
We (Chris, Anita and I) are going to have a parkrun stand at the event inside the Reebok stadium at the Reading Half, along with many of our friends and other enthusiastic parkrunners. Please pop by to say hello, if you are competing or just supporting your fellow parkrunners, we would love to see you – and you can enter our entry number raffle for some top prizes on the day (we’re hoping for some great spot prizes from our sponsors).
Finally if you know anyone else who is not a parkrunner, but might be interested in the Reading Half Marathon, please forwards on this email, and perhaps mention parkrun to them too? , we’d love to see them!
And please support our sponsors by popping along to your nearest Sweatshop and picking up some Nike kit along with some Lucozade Sport nutrition products and make sure you are properly prepared for the day.
See you at a parkrun soon,
Paul (lesson provide courtesy of Ant Bliss)
Bushy Park Pacing Saturday - could you be a pacer?
Bushy Park runs pacers once a month on the second Saturday every month. If you would consider being a pacer, please contact Andy Pillidge on andy.pillidge@btinternet.com. Pacers will be running on the 14th November, and if there is a full pacing team the target times we will be 20 minutes, 22:30, 25 minutes, 27:30, and 30 minutes. The pacer tabards are easy to spot, if you wish to tag along. Happy running!
Richmond parkrun appeal
Please can the winners of the following raffle prizes from the Richmond parkrun 2nd Anniversary contact the Richmond parkrun office asap to claim their prizes - otherwise they will expire!
- Serpies New Years Day 10km entries
- Sports Massage voucher
- Personal Training session voucher.
Don't miss out on your prize!
Cheers
Karen
Event Directors and Volunteers needed
We still need your help! If anyone is interested in assisting at the following venues then please drop
Anita an email. We are looking for potential event directors, committee members and folks who can volunteer at these events:
· Milton Keynes parkrun
· Birmingham parkrun
Feedback from the field
I would like to thank all the great volunteers who organize the Bushy Park Run. My husband and I had been staying with our family in Esher for 7 days last week and were both persuaded by our son who is a regular runner to join in last Saturday's race. I have never entered a race of any sort and was terrified of what was to happen, but the support from you all was fantastic and we both managed to finish, not last but almost !, but that did not matter, as I felt I had achieved something I never thought I could do at 66.! I just wish we had a similar event here on The Wirral. May be on our next visit we will join you all again. Many thanks for all the work you do.
Carole Hilton
Hi
Just wanted to say a big thank you to all the organisers of the Bramhall parkrun. We have just moved back to the UK from living abroad for 10 years and one of the things I expected to miss was running through the forest around Brussels with my buddies on a Saturday morning.
I've set up a little running group for parents at my daughters’ school St Simons, Hazel Grove, and one of the runners recommended the Bramhall parkrun. Decided to have a go on Saturday and loved it! Great course and fantastic organisation.
Next week my 6 and 8 year old daughters want to do one lap with Daddy and my wife is going to do the whole 5K. You have managed to organise a real family event.
I expect to volunteer for some races (once I actually get a few runs under my belt) as I know from experience how much energy and effort it takes to organise such an event.
Well done to the whole team!
Thanks,
Sean.
Dear the Cardiff Committee,
Thank you for selecting me as the winner of this month’s Sweatshop Prize at Cardiff parkrun.
I hadn't done any running before starting parkrun and the first week I did it, when I crossed the finish line, I burst into tears & said "I'm ill"!!!. I almost didn't come back, but after being encouraged by a fellow runner did return, and feel I have improved a lot.
I would like to say thank you to all those who organise the run and also the volunteers who cheer us along the way, their support really helps.
Kind Regards,
Kelly
parkrunner of the week
Name: Julie Abbott
Age: 44
Home parkrun: Bramhall
Occupation and pastimes: Mum of 3, Internet and marketing services salesperson, very slow triathlete
No of runs: 14
How has parkrun changed your running: I'd never run a 5k before, even when I was at school. Now I run 2-3 times a week, 4-6k runs, and do the parkrun about once a month. I've even been to a running club a few times. Thank you to Simon Clapham from Scarab Tri for encouraging me to do my first parkrun last September, and for running round with me in his personal worst time to get me through it!
No of times volunteered: I think about 12 times as a race reporter and several times as a marshal and first aider, sometimes all 3.
What do you do at parkruns: When I'm marshalling, shout and clap a lot - I always have sore hands when I get home! I know it pushes me along when someone gives me a cheer, so I try to encourage all the parkrunners, especially those at the back who I'd normally be running with.
What do you like about parkrun: That everyone can take on their own challenge; someone at the front is doing it in under 17 mins, someone at the back may be doing it in 40, in between people are doing PB's - everyone is achieving something. And it gets me out of bed on a Saturday.
Most memorable or Funniest parkrun moment: Every runner who struggles round but sticks with it; watching the leaders hurdling geese on lap 1; Santa run with friends in December; the parkrun where 2 of my friends, my niece, nephew and oldest son all completed a 5k race for the first time, and my 2 younger sons completed a whole lap! I was so proud of all of them (see the photo of some of us).
Anything else: I will crack 30 minutes. Sometime soon. Hopefully in 2009
Here is a
picture of the proud Abbott family
Crispy’s Corner
Barcodes
We’ve been using barcodes for a few months now, and we’re pleased to say they have been a huge success. The number of corrections we have to make after the runs has decreased and the amount of effort to sort out the results has been reduced. So please take print out your barcodes and remember to take it with you to your run. There is a link to the barcode page with this newsletter email, and also on every results email you are sent after running. It’s a good idea to laminate it with sticky backed plastic (to avoid sweat damage). If you don’t have access to a printer, you can forward the mail (containing the link) to a friend, relative or colleague who does, and get them to print it for you.
Some runners have also reported that the barcodes scan from iPhones and Blackberrys – I have no idea why they were running with their phones, but it’s an option I guess. If you are going to try it, I would suggest taking a paper version the first time (just in case yours cannot be scanned).
Leeds
While Paul was up in Glasgow, I was in Leeds at the weekend. It was my second visit there, but the first under the new team of students that took over at the beginning of this term... and a grand job they’re doing too. They had a record turnout but coped marvellously with the numbers. It was great to meet up with the some of the runners afterwards at the cafe – it is amazing to hear some of the stories about how parkrun has changed people’s lives. If Paul had been there, he would have had tears in his eyes (again).
South Manchester parkrun
Our fourth run in the Greater Manchester area and our third University lead parkrun starts this Saturday. Good luck to Gail and her team. I believe this will be the last new parkrun of 2009, so those of you aiming to do all the parkruns (see http://www.parkrun.com/results/MostEvents.aspx) have a brief chance to catch up before the new year and a whole batch of new events kick off.
Four ways to assist us
We’re always being asked by runners how they can help us, so I thought I would come up with a list:
- Enjoy parkrun and tell everybody you know about us. It also helps all the volunteers if runners have registered before their first run, so please get them to register on the website.
- Follow the advice and instructions of the marshals and other volunteers at the runs – in particular, in the finish area, please keep moving once you have crossed the line.
- Volunteer – you knew that one was coming up didn’t you? Further information on each event’s volunteer page.
- Donate kit – from time to time all events need to replace kit; if you have anything you would like to donate, and think it might be useful, have a word with your race director. I know for example that Bushy are desperately short of a laptop at the moment – if you can help them out on that, please get in touch with bushyDirector@parkrun.com .
Happy running
Crispy
chris@parkrun.com