results 2302

Northbrook Results

For a complete listing visit the Results Index

February 2023

• Carsington Water 10k
• Wokingham Half-Marathon
• Leicestershire Half-Marathon
• Dirty Dozen
• National Cross-Country Championships
• Ilmington 10k – Tempo Winter Series, Race 5
• Rugely 10 Miles
• Birmingham Running Festival 10k
• Phoenix Monkey Run
• Birmingham & District Invitation Cross-Country League Div 3 Race 4
• Midland Women’s Cross-Country League Race 4
• Centurion Grand Prix 5 Mile Race 4
• London Winter 10k
• Warwick Half-Marathon
• Pendle Way
• Mayhill Massacre
• Enigma Quadzilla Marathon 4
• Enigma Quadzilla Marathon 3
• Enigma Quadzilla Marathon 2
• Enigma Quadzilla Marathon 1

Carsington Water 10k – 26 February 10K

On Sunday 26th February four Northbrookers travelled to Ashbourne in the Peak District for the Carsington Water 10k, a traffic-free lakeside trail run.

The event was well organised with friendly marshals who cheered on our Coventry team and took our photo. The weather was cold but dry and sunny – Tracey

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Wokingham Half-Marathon – 26 February HM

Amanda and I headed down the M40 to the ever-popular and well-organised Wokingham Half to see if all the winter months training and long runs have finally produced results. And I think the answer was a resounding yes.

Amanda posted her fastest half time for a few years and I myself equalled my Half PB from 2019 to the exact second. So all heading in the right direction for the productive summer road season – Damian

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Leicestershire Half-Marathon, Prestwold Hall – 26 February HM

Once we finally managed to get into the car park and decide that the huge queue for the portabe toilets wasn’t worth the wait surprisingly the race started on time. Conditions were cool and dry although there was a brisk headwind at times.

The course mainly winds back and forth around an old airfield (apparently now used for teaching lorry drivers) before a shortish stretch along a reasonably surfaced farm track leads out on to the the local lanes before looping back into the airfield for more discombobulating back and forths. Eventually the course briefly joins the lanes again before heading back up the Prestwold Hall drive to the gravelly finish in front of the impressive house.

Leading the way was Tom, dipping under 1 hour 30 for the first time. My aim was 1 hour 40 having just missed that on my most recent half-marathons so I was delighted to come home 3 minutes under, my fastest half since Kenilworth in 2010. Not far behind was Sally running her fastest half-marathon since 2017 and winning her category.

Once we got to the start line the race was very well organised and is mainly flat, albeit with some rough surfaces so worth considering if you’re looking for a PB in 2024 – Rob

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Dirty Dozen, Cannock Chase – 25 February OTH

A lovely run at Cannock Chase for Chris Archer’s birthday. Sadly, he wasn’t feeling well and had to drop out before the finish. The course is undulating with 3 or 4 big hills but otherwise lovely running through woods on mostly single paths, a bit of mud and the Ditch of Doom and crossing the same hip height stream 4 times. On the final exit, I caught my foot on the weeds and fell in. I was rescured by two runners from ‘Sons of Mudarchy’ and carried very wet and soggy for the last two miles to the finish.

We’ll both be back.

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National Cross-Country Championships, Bolesworth Castle – 25 February OTH

 

After a long anticipated wait for the last cross-country fixture of the season it was upon us, and it was worth the wait. The chance to start with England’s best at a brand new venue only added to the pent-up anticipation. With only one start query we headed North. Our 2 dedicated supporters and the team of 12 men and 5 women were ready. What no-one was expected was the poor traffic management to get on site, adding to extra stress as runners were seen jumping out of their cars a mile from venue and dressing into running gear as they raced up the road for their own starts.

Once we dropped the gazebo into a spot, Tracey parked the van, I registered and we all pinned up. With men still waiting to get on site, the women lined up for their version of the Braveheart start. This should have been a warning for the men, a 200 mtr full on sprint slightly down hill would give you no stop start Mexican wave feature. As we waited at the end of the 1st lap our women started to appear, Katherine experiencing her first Nationals, Debbie next through then Caroline being chased by Jo. Then came our happy runner Tracy. As the leaders just pipped her to the turn she was still wearing her infectious smile, a great example to all our women. All 5 were out on the 2nd lap and all 5 finished, Katherine with a top one-third finish in the event and the team coming 75th out of the whole nation on the day. What a performance.

Next up – the men, some having abandoned their vehicles on the way in, some in the temporary car park having been thrown together but all there, all toeing the line with England’s best, yes that’s us, that’s Northbrook.

The women were half way down the start straight ready to witness what only the Nationals can show. The men, 200 across and 8 deep, the silence before the start being replaced by the thunder of 1600 pairs of spikes storming the start straight, the ground shaking and the thunder deafenening. Those who sprinted the fastest avoided the dreaded stop-start as the 200 wide reduced to 10 wide. The men made a fantastic atmosphere as we sang Delila and carried the Mexican wave backwards, but after the hairpin at 200 mtrs things got serious. With most of the team ahead of me I engaged chase mode and started filtering my way through the field. Witnessing the live camera I gave my best jump to ensure I was seen (failed). I passed Malc as his shoe nightmare continued and latched onto Alan. The women were giving us grief that we were not running hard enough. My aim of not being lapped was achieved, not that the pace slowed. I passed Alan trying to drag him with me, the Sphinx vest was next as I spotted Tim further up the field, just too far ahead but a great chase ensued. On the gate turn I spotted Matt storming high up in the field, but the pace meant I did not have the breath to speak never mind to encourage him on. This was fast, the hill was very gradual but felt constant and the men fought for every place. As I passed the supporters to the usual encouragement of "can you not run any faster?" I knew the finish straight was approaching. I was pretty much on my own, reminded by the Godiva coach at 300 mtrs to go to push for it. Checking back a white vest a good 100 mtrs back I was on my own, Tracey bellowing to keep going. 50 mtrs to go and her bellowing changed to screaming, warning I was going to be caught. By whom? There was no-one in sight . But I did what coach Rob teaches – head up, use the arms, chest out and ensure the knees are raised. I was going flat out. Tracey now was louder than the tannoy. As my foot hit the finish line a young Godiva lad pipped me, the chip on my trailing leg. It appears the 800 mtr specialist that he was put his foot down with a km to go. My only consolation was that I was 30 years older than him.

What a great race, what a great run. Matt led us home followed closely by Rory and Lee with Rob, Terry (appealing), Tommy and provisionally Tim making the top 6. Malc chased Alan down, Adrian, Cliff and Kevin showed the sunburst never gives up rewarding them with great finishes. The men came 78th (though we are appealing to get Terry’s finish included which should bump us up to 73rd) out of the whole country, a great result. As we all regaled each other with out own stories we made our way back for refreshment at the Jag Club.

A great Northbrook day on the national stage – Spencer

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Ilmington 10k – Tempo Winter Series, Race 5 – 19 February 10K

Six Northbrookers and two supporters headed to Ilmington for the last race in the winter series. A few were nursing sore heads from the awards night the night before. This was hoody day and our prizes for completing the whole series were black hoodies and sausages – best momentos ever.

I tried everything I could to try to sober up, but the only cure was to run 2 miles up one of the biggest hills around. As I summitted Claudie had stuck to me like Velcro, while Cath had flown up the hill and was out of sight. But a 2 mile climb had cleared the head and my chin lifted. It was time to drop down the 14% incline like I know I can. After 7k Cath drifted into view and I used the Northbrook vest to drag me to the finish.

A great way to finish off the series; no matter how many times we run up this hill it never gets any easier and it never seems to flatten. With warm hoodies on and the roaring fire in the local village pub we settled to rehydrate (or top back up). We’lll be back in about 7 months – Spencer

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Rugely 10 Mile – 19 February 10M

David Hartopp

1:08:46

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Birmingham Running Festival 10k – 19 February 10K

Lee Miller

0:53:21

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Phoenix Monkey Run – 11 February OTH

Nice to run with Gem, an 8 x out & back route on the Thames.

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Birmingham & District Invitation Cross-Country League Div 3 Race 4 at Coombe Park – 11 February OTH

The last day of the League for the season and all roads led to Coombe Abbey. With good weather and dry underfoot this was always going to be a fiercely fought contest.

On arrival we discovered the organisers still had the sheep out and it soon felt like they had trained them to run at the sunburst vest. With our biggest turn out of the year to date (the pull of a "home" fixture) we were all excited to get the race underway. With one small lap and two large laps of a fairly flat course, the 1st mile set the tone for the race. It was quick, the men thundering around with trains of Northbrookers working off each other, with the sheep hurtling across the course as sunbursts ploughed through them.

Great season debuts for 4 of the guys and we finished with 11 ever presents. Overall on the day it was our best season to date result gaining a 6th place with 391 points, Matthew leading us home and Rob hitting form to get 6th in for the counting positions. Our B team managed one better place finishing 5th on the day.

Our A team finished 8th overall for the season with a 5th place for the B team.
This season took 34 bodies overall on the ground, every single one of them contributing and every one of those sunburst warriors being integral to our team’s performance.

Next year you can make the difference and boost our teams for YOUR club.
Well done Northbrook – WE DID IT – Spencer

Full results on Bham League web site

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Midland Women’s Cross-Country League Race 4 at Coombe Park – 11 February OTH

The final Midlands Women’s Cross Country League race was a home fixture at Coombe Abbey with loops around the crater field that all ‘Coombe 8’ runners love so much.

We managed to get 16 amazing women on the start line and there was a huge Northbrook contingent ringing bells and shouting support as we zig-zagged our way through the course. It felt like a Spring day with conditions under foot very firm, but to make it feel like it was a ‘country’ event, a herd of sheep swept across the course several times causing a bit of disruption.

Amanda Deavy was out of the blocks like lightning as she needed to finish in super quick time and get to the Sky Blues for a 3pm kick off; she led the team home and made it to the match. Clare King, making her first cross-country appearance this season, was second, followed by Debbie Campbell.

Great effort by all runners and some superb sprint finishes in front of the cheering crowds. 16 starters and finishers and all in good time to take their places and cheer the men on.

Quick shout out to our Coss-Country Midlands League ever presents for the four 2022/23 races, our Magnificent 7: Caroline Russell, Debbie Campbell, Julie Cozens, Kelly Parker, Sally Eason, Jo Evans and Tracy Jefferson.
Still awaiting confirmation of the final team standings but a great season and great to have so many women enjoying cross country, roll on November 2023 – Sally