Monday 20th August
7pm Track Session at PoW
Tuesday 21st August
7pm Pittville Park
Wednesday 22nd August
7:00pm Old Pats, Everest Rd, Cheltenham
Thursday 23rd August
9:30am The Norwood
7:15pm PoW Track
Saturday
Cleeve Golf Club, 9am
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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.
A special mention is due this week to three Almosts who successfully competed in Ironman events.
On Saturday Matt Proome travelled to Sweden to take part in the Ironman Kalmar challenge. After months of intensive training, Proome finished the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.22 mile run in an impressive time of 12hours 18mins.
On Sunday 19th August Amber Bullingham and James Eastwood both participated in Ironman 70.3 in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Eastwood completed the event in 6hrs 05mins and Bullingham in 6:35.
A group of seventeen Almosts took part in the Westonbirt House Summer 10km run on Friday 17th August. First Almost home was Michael Harris in 46:40, followed by David Pilling in 47:34 and Dave Chittock in 51:38. Deb Cartlidge was first Almost lady to complete in 51:39. Also running were Kate Freeman in 53.36, Suzanne Hills with 53:57, Jackie Slaughter 54:44, Ceinwen Davies 59:41, Charlotte Jameson 59:55, Kasha Price 1:01, Wan Hartley 1:02, Adrian Courtenay 1:06, David Nelson 1:07, Iris Mayo and Claire Gallagher both in 1:09, Mark Stojanov in 1:11 and Julie Averiss in 1:17.
Kevin Balchin and Gregg Woodman formed part of a team in the South West Tough Mudder event on Saturday, helping to raise money for the 4Louis Charity. The 10 mile event involves overcoming 20 different obstacles along a muddy trail run around the Badminton countryside.
Katy Sworn took on a different kind of challenge in Tywyn, Wales by completing the 2018 Race the Train event in just over two and a half hours.
At this week’s Cheltenham parkrun, Louise Inchley finished her 50th run with a time of 25:53. There was also a new PB for Chris White with 21:47, for Alice Harmon with 23:30,for Lepha McCartan in 25:33 and for Peter Kimpton with 27:24.
Parkrun tourists this week included Piotr Michalski who gained a new PB in the Paris Parc Monsouris event with a time of 20:41. Prash Sripathi was 5th overall in Gloucester City parkrun with 18:58, Jo Foster was 5th lady in Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun and also gained a new PB of 22:01, whilst Martin Foster came in as 21st overall in the same event with a time of 19:09.
Robert Foord went to Portrush to complete his 50th different parkrun venue on the beach, Karla Cleverley ran in Hagley Park, Christchurch, New Zealand parkrun, Rich Smith took on the pebbles in Seaton, Iris Mayo ran in Worcester Pitchcroft and Kev Fairs took part in York.
Overseas, Karla Cleverley ran in the Christchurch, New Zealand, 10km Night Series on Friday, and was very pleased to finish the sandy course in 1:26, whilst Francis Bull took part in the River Valley 10km Trail Run in Maryland, USA.
Almost Athletes hosted their popular Bugatti 10K race based from the Prescott Hill climb venue on Wednesday evening. On a sultry evening and over a testing, undulating course there were a number of standout performances from the club in the field of over 270 athletes. First home overall for the race was Neil Laurenson from Black Pear Joggers in 35:04. First lady overall was an Almost Athlete in blistering form this summer, our new member Helena Youde in 39:20.
The top 3 men for Almosts were Josh Hand 38:10, Simon Jarvis 39:00 and Prash Sripathi 39:07.
The 2nd & 3rd Almost ladies were Ellie Laney 44:20 and Hattie Jenkins 42:38. Together with Helena Youde the trio collected the ladies team prize for the night.
There were PBs on the night too for Stacey Osmond in 45:33 Hollie Linton in 48:05 and Ingrid Harris in 48:14.
At the Salisbury 54321 50K off-road Ultra, several Almosts stepped up to an ultra-distance for the first time & did not disappoint at their debuts. In the full 50K Dave Rogers was home in a superb 4:31. Lepha McCartan was delighted with her 5:46 and Andrew Wilkinson and Thom Stephens triumphed in 6:17. Ingrid Harris & Allan Green completed the marathon distance in 4:09 & 5:06 respectively. Finally, Helen Fursman Reid delivered in the 33K challenge at 3:15.
At the Birmingham Canal Canter marathon which actually measured 27.5 miles Mark & Anne Marie Willicott made the most of a hot toast feed station at 5 miles and recorded a 5:45.
At the Standish trail race, the first 3 men home for the Almosts were Josh Hand in 1:05, Prash Sripathi in 1:08 and Shaun Carr in 1:16. For the ladies the top 3 were Lucinda Hand in 1:22, Kim Mansell in 1:23 and Lorraine Taylor in 1:32. Special mention should be made for visually impaired Almost Jayne Murphy who completed in 1:57 having been guided on his first experience at this by Robert Dalton-Morris. This race was a double header for many with the Cranham Boundary Chase on the same weekend. Almosts took the men’s team prize with Prash Sripathi in 44:39, Shaun Carr in 48:31 and Haiggy McHaig in 50:25. For the ladies the top 3 were Ingrid Harris, first lady overall in 53:12, Hayley Woolnough 60:15 and Lorraine Taylor 60:43.
Piotr Michalski completed his 50th parkrun at Cheltenham having also being awarded one of the club's Runner of the Month awards. Peter Morris scored a new parkrun PB of 20:36, as did Matt Proome in 18:59. At Braunstone parkrun, Jo Foster was 3rd lady in 20:20 whilst Martin Foster ran a new PB of 18:55. Sue Monaghan was 1st in her category at Bakewell parkrun. Rich Smith travelled to Wootton Under Edge for a 31:47. Iris Mayo was first in her category at Evesham.
Finally, the Club was sad to say goodbye this week to two members Marc & Kate Plummer who are emigrating to France. Both have been dedicated members of Almosts and stalwarts of the Cheltenham running community and parkrun at Cheltenham.
