Current venues

Monday 18th Jun
7pm Beginners Track Session, PoW Stadium

Tuesday 19th Jun
7pm Cheltenham Racecourse

Wednesday 20th Jun
7pm Off-Road: Cleeve Hill Golf Club;On-road: Tesco, Bishops Cleeve. Click this link and see Facebook for other options

Thursday 20th Jun
9:30am The Norwood
7pm off-track session from parkrun start (opposite to Prince of Wales Track entrance)

Saturday
Cleeve Golf Club, 9am

Notices

AA Membership - join & renew now

2018/2019 AA membership form and fees are now due - join/renew here

AA Events

Almost Athletes Marathon Challenge

The AA Road Race Series (see http://www.almostathletes.co.uk/road_race_series_2011.html ) has a marathon option. Since many members put a huge amount of work preparing for a marathon each year it seems right that this effort should be recognised. However it is clearly unfair to specify a particular marathon in the same manner as the shorter races, so that a new set of rules must be devised. The idea is that (almost) any marathon time achieved during year will be recorded a being achieved in a single event open to all members. Points will be assigned when the results of all the marathon runs are known.

These rules are still being finalised, and may need some further adjustments throughout the year. However the basic framework is as follows:

In principle, all marathons which are open public events and whose results can be readily verified are eligible. The AA Committee retain the right to exclude any events which are not easy to verify or could give an unfair advantage. The event may be longer than 26.2 miles but not shorter. As a guide the 100 Marathon club (see http://www.100marathonclub.org.uk/ ) publishes a list of marathons that meet its criteria. Any member contemplating a marathon not on that list, with a view to this challenge, is advised to contact the club Committee at the earliest opportunity to consider its eligibility.
The marathon must be run between the inclusive dates of 1st January and 30th November of the current year.
The AA Member is strongly encouraged to wear the club top but allowance will be made for overriding circumstances such as when running for a charity who provide their own top, and in inclement weather conditions when further clothing such as a jacket is required.
The AA Member is responsible for promptly reporting the details of their achievement including date, event, time and method of verification (e.g. web page reference) to the Road Race series organiser - currently Steve Adams. Time should be 'chip time' if available, otherwise gun time.
Only one marathon time for each member will count. But if a member runs more than one marathon in the period and the subsequent time is better than the previous best, the member should report the new time. This process can be repeated any number of times.
Members will be divided into the same age and gender groups as for the rest of the Road Race series.
At the end of the period (30th November), the members in each age + gender group will be ordered on time and points awarded in the same manner as for the other races in the Road Race series.

The AA Committee are reponsible for ensuring this operates in a fair and transparent manner. They are empowered to modify and override the rules if necessary to ensure natural justice is maintained.

Explantory Notes and comments

It is appreciated that some marathons are 'easier' in terms of terrain, actual distance, weather conditions etc. It is the member's responsibility to choose one or more events that are suitable for achieving a good time.
If the event is an ultra marathon, but the organisers also publish a properly measured marathon time, this time might be allowed (subject to AA Committee approval) for the purposes of this challenge, otherwise the finishing time of the event must be used.
The aim of the challenge is to encourage members to undertake a marathon. It is recognised that many will enter popular events such as Brighton or London, but other events including those more local such as Worcester and Stratford upon Avon, as well as those overseas should all be included.
Marathons with an off-road or multi-terrain element are also eligible, but achieving a quick time is likely to be more difficult.
It is hoped to 'adopt' a relatively local marathon that a number of members can jointly train for. This is not part of the formal structure at present but members are invited to make suggestions.

Latest News

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Cleeve Cloud Cuckoo

Cheltenham and County Harriers hosted the 5.5 mile Cloud Cuckoo multi-terrain race at Cleeve Common on Wednesday the 30th May. A large turn-out of Almost Athletes attended the event, with Josh Hand the first Almost Athlete in at 37:38, Simon Jarvis 40:42, Prashanth Sripathi 40:45, Miranda Foster 47:26, Ingrid Harris 48:01 and Lucinda Hand 48:35.

On Saturday the 1st June, the 20th anniversary, Dartmoor Discovery 34 mile Ultra Marathon got under way. Classified as a cult status run, the race starts and finishes in Princetown, a course that takes one up and down some of the toughest hills that Dartmoor has to offer. The event was attended by Ingrid Harris 5:30, Michelle Balchin 5:32, Danny Carroll 5:34, with Balchin and Harris 9th and 10th Ladies in the race.

Katy Hana attended the Bredon 10k Cricket Club Tower run, a run which tracks the paths to the 299m summit of Bredon Hill, Hana achieved 1:09 for this run with glorious views of the Worcestershire countryside.

In Coniston, Martyn Fisher ran the 10k race, described by Runners' World magazine as 'the most scenic trail run in Britain.

The Fairford 10k race was well attended by the Almost Athletes, Martin Foster first Almost Athlete in at 39:17. Richard Birch second in 40:08, Neil Tring third 44:57, Amy Sheer 45:36, Allan Green 46:43, Lorraine Taylor 52:45, Gareth Wilkes 53:30, Stacey Osmond 53:38, Philip Jeyes 53:43, Deborah Cartlidge 54:41, David Lawrence 1:00:35, Sue Monaghan 1:00:43, Sandra Stuart 1:04:52, Kasha Price 1:06:36 and Iris Mayo 1:13:12.

Ceri Griffiths attended Gloucestershire’s newest and most demanding off-road race, The Dursley Peaks Challenge, an offroad race, 10.31km long with 318 m of climb, Griffiths completed this race in 1:11.

A most scenic Royal Windsor Trail Half Marathon was attended by Karla Cleverley and Coralie Pearson, run along the banks of the River Thames views of Windsor Castle.

Parkrun tourists saw Peter Morris at Exeter Riverside parkrun achieving a personal best of 20:49 and Rich Smith at Fell Foot parkrun, Windermere, Cumbria.

Dymock's half popular with Almosts

The undulating course at the Dymock half marathon was a happy hunting ground for many Almost Athletes on Sunday despite several torrential downpours during the race. Top spoils went to Hattie Jenkins who won the women’s race in an excellent time of 1 hour 33 mins, this having also cycled 22 miles to the event. Jenkins also led home the group to take the ladies team prize with Ingrid Harris 1:44, Alison Hume 1:51 in a PB for the course & Claire Sinnott 1:51, a PB by 7 minutes.
Other ladies running included Hayley Woolnough 1:52 (PB), Lorraine Taylor (PB), Cos Pearson 2:26, Catherine Daly 1:55, Claire Cook 2:07, Sandra Stuart and Deborah Elliott.

First man home for the club was Martin Foster in a blistering 1:20. Also running were Prashnath Sripathi, Stephen Taylor, Piotr Michalski 1:42 (PB), Dave Chittock 1:55, Norm Lever 2:06, Rich Smith, Mike Daly, Dom Lyes, Oliver Bell, Neil Tring, Dave Davey 1:54, Steve Yarnold, Haiggy McHaig, Mike Line, Stephen Taylor & Dave Elliott.

Felicity Broom was delighted with a new half marathon PB of 2:17 at Edinburgh.

Virginia Palwyn completed the Casterbridge half, Dorset in 2:49.

Steve and Sarah Wallbridge conquered the hilly 20km Trail de la Mine in Normandie France in 2:19.

At the Vitality London 10k Catherine Daly & Dave Chittock were home in 55:13 and Christopher Benjamin in 57:23.

At the Boddington 10k Pete Mitchener was round in 45:48, Donna Evans in 50:37 and Dave Garnett in 47:25.

Josh & Lucinda Hand ran the Wells 10k. Josh took 10th place overall in 38:25 whilst Lucinda had a fabulous 49:45.

Patricia Peever was 1st Lady at the Worcester Pitcroft 10k in 43:41.

There was plenty of parkrun tourism this week from Ollie Nolan at Enniskillen in Ireland in 28:28 and Robert Foord at Upton Court near Slough in 22:30. Claire Gallagher, Prash Sripathi and Simon Jarvis travelled to Bath Skyline parkrun whilst Claire Hawes was her 1st in Age category at Exmouth. Kim Davenport also notched up 1st in age group at Gloucester City parkrun. Lepha McCartan and Dave Rogers were in Cornwall for the Penrose parkrun near Helston where they recorded 26:37, a PB for McCartan & first in age category. Becky Bendall was at the Conkers parkrun in the National Forest.
Chris McMahon completed his first ever parkrun at Cheltenham 24:14. There was a new PB for Nat Stow, also at Cheltenham in 26:37.