Fantastic news – the club finished off the Burton and District Summer League in style at the Tamworth 5 Miler, with the men’s team sealing victory in this year’s competition!

Always a popular race, the course, starting and finishing a Tamworth AC’s track, is an undulating one, leading runners around the town’s green spaces. There were some excellent results on the day from the many Lichfield runners, with Matt Orford taking first place, Tom George finishing in 5th, Andy Evans in 7th and Ben Stanaway in 9th. Judy Hammersley and Joanna Alsop were the first two ladies home for the club, in 12th and 13th respectively. Fantastic performances too on the day from: Morgan Bradley (13th), Matt Allan (14th), Phil Radnor (30th), Wayne Asprey (40th), Adrian Jelley (42nd), Nick Parkes (63rd), James Thomas (69th), Stephen Howard (72nd), Phil Hammersley (73rd), Phil Pinney (123rd), Joy Atkin (20th F), Julia Smith (21st F), Janna Heathershaw (26th F), Gillian Jelley (30th F), Carina Allan (45th F), Ann Schwarzenbach (55th F), Libby Hyde-Durrant (58th F), Marian Lowther (59th F), Abbi Storer (65th F), Charlotte Wesley (70th F) and Maria Andritsou (71st F).

So many of our members have contributed to this year’s brilliant result in the league – well done to each and every one of you! We can’t wait for next season!

We had a wonderful weekend welcoming hundreds of runners to our very own Lichfield 10k and Family Fun Run! For the third time, local runners, as well as many others who had travelled considerable distances, took on the route round the country lanes, featuring the famous ‘five hills’, and achieved some fine performances. Congratulations to you all!

Results as follows:

Fun Run
1st M: Oskar (RSAC)
1st F: Zara (RSAC)

10K
1st: Joe Rainsford: Heanor Running Club (32.53)
2nd: Jonathan Carter: BRAT (33.51)
3rd: William Bowram: St Albans Striders (33.56)

1st F: Abbey Van Djyk (38.22)
2nd F: Emma Pick: Peel Road Runners (40.20)
3rd F: Emily Merrison: City of Stoke AC (40:31)

Our fantastic pacing team of Richard, Phil, Morgan, Ryan, Jess, Ruth, James and tail runner, Charlotte, provided support along the way, helping many runners set new personal best times. Sincere thanks to you all, and the many other club members who worked so hard to make the day so successful.

Lastly, congratulations to the LRC runners who competed in the race: James Kay: 37.16 (7th), Andy Evans: 37.20 (8th), Ben Stanaway: 38.12 (9th), Matt Allan: 39.04 (15th), Wayne Asprey: 41.57 (35th), Phil Hammersley: 48.16 (123rd), Phil Pinney: 55.19 (293rd), Claire Purkiss: 1.04.06 (497th), Gemma Causer: 1.09.06 (582nd), Aby Jones: 1.14.07 (610th), Rachael Green: 1.29.19 (670th). You did the club proud!

We’ll be back next year – save the date!

You may have spotted the dazzling display of yellow tops at Beacon Parkrun one warm Saturday in August! Ably led by LRC member and run director, Tom, the club had an amazing time supporting the event by providing marshals, timekeepers, barcode scanners, park walkers, tail walkers and, of course, all 11 pacers. We also talked to lots of people about our upcoming 10k and beginners’ course. Thank you for having us, parkrun; see you again soon!

This year’s Staffs Knot was as fantastic as usual; Stafford Harriers always put on a fabulous race! Although the LRC squad was smaller than at the previous event, our 4 men and 8 women put in great performances, with the men’s team (Andy Evans, Tom Hodgson, Wayne Asbury and Owen Davies) finishing in 3rd and the women’s (Esther Hunt, Jess Webb and Ali Evans) in 7th place out of 20 teams. Andy finished in 8th overall (1st in category) in 29:14; Esther was 10th female (3rd in category) in 36.37, course PB! Well done, everyone; it was a tough one in the heat!

We had a Friday night out with a difference, at the Tara Kinder Memorial 10 – a new event for the BDSL, held in Elvaston Country Park! There was another great turnout, with runners from the BDSL clubs, plus others from the Derby area, and competition for the top spots was fierce. The course was a flat and fast three lapper; fortunately the rain held off, resulting in near perfect conditions for the race, and there were some fantastic performances from the team. Ryan Simms was the first of our runners over the line, finishing in 34:15, another distance PB and 6th place overall. Jess Webb continued her excellent season, bringing the women’s team home in a PB time of 46:30.

Full results: Ryan Simms: 6th (34:15 – PB); Andy Parkinson: 9th (34:32); Andy Evans: 11th (35.01); Dan Turner: 16th (35:54 – PB); James Kay: 17th (35:56 – PB); John Doyle: 21st (36:52); Ben Stanaway: 22nd (36:59); Matt Allan: 28th (37:19 – PB); Owen Davis: 48th (39:43); Adrian Jelley: 85th (42:09)Jess Webb: 21st F (46:30 – PB); Gillian Peck: 59th F (53:29); Sonia Short: 77th F (55:56); Ruth Kennedy-Green: 78th F (55:59); Marian Lowther: 151st F (1:04:09); Charlotte Wesley: 166th F (1:08:44); Aby Jones: 185th F (1:13:37 – PB).

A group of our runners have taken part in the rescheduled Rugeley 10 mile race . This forms part of our club Grand Prix competition. Usually held in February, bad weather led to the race being postponed until July. The course is best described as brutal and beautiful, going through some lovely Staffordshire countryside with 270m of elevation gain. Matt Orford was the first to finish for LRC, coming 2nd overall in 56:01. He was followed by Adrian Jelley and then Esther Hunt, who was our first woman home and 6th woman overall in 01:15:18. Next back was Gillian Peck, followed by Ann Schwarzenbach and Charlotte Wesley. Many thanks to Rugeley Runners for putting on a great event and for all their encouragement round the course.

The yellow tops were out in force at June’s Burton and District Summer League race, the Worthington Six Miler. Thanks to Ivanhoe Runners for putting on a great event which is mainly along forest trails. There were some great performances from our 25 runners, with the men taking the top three places. Matt Orford led the field finishing in 32:39; he was followed by Andy Evans (34:12) and Ryan Simms (34:15). First lady home for LRC was Joanna Alsop in 45:32, the 7th lady home overall. The rain held off and a refreshing pint was enjoyed by some at the end of the race.

What a fabulous evening’s running Lichfield Running Club had at the Washlands Relays! Eleven teams were entered into the competition and runners of all speeds took part. Each runner completed a 1.91 mile leg along the riverside in Burton-upon-Trent and teams consisted of three or four runners.

The official results showed that our men won the senior and veterans team competitions. Well done to Ben Stanaway, Ryan Simms, Dan Floyd and Matt Orford who won the senior competition and Andy Evans, Matt Allan, Richard Bravington and John Doyle who won the veterans.

There were some great individual performances too. Our first lady home was Esther Hunt in 12th place overall in a time of 12:22. She was closely followed by Judy Hammersley and Joanna Alsop. Matt Orford was the fastest man around the course for the whole competition in 09:23. Not far behind him were Ryan Simms, Dan Floyd, Jimmy Pickering, Andy Evans, John Doyle and Dan Turner.

Well done to each and every runner who took part, and thanks to Washlands Women Running Club, who staged the event despite some challenges with the route!

A wet start to the third race in the club grand prix competition (and second event of the Burton and District Summer League) – if there had been more grass and mud, it would have been confused for one of the cross country races!

12 LRC runners were ready to hit the undulating 10k and half marathon routes. Parts of the course hit 386 feet (according to Strava) – it makes our LRC10km seem like a jaunt in the park! (Don’t forget to block the date out in your diary: 8th September 2024!)

Before the race there was an energetic warm up, which was a challenge for one of our members with zero coordination! Both the 10k and Half Marathon started at Uttoxeter Racecourse with a steady long uphill, following the undulating roads through beautiful surrounding towns and villages, ending on a fantastic downhill into the Uttoxeter Race course.

The team won awards in the following categories:

First M45 finisher: Andy Evans (Chip time 1:19:37)
Male team award: LRC Males! (Andy, John, Phil, Tom, Dave and Owen).
First F45 finisher: Esther Hunt (Chip time 1:36:53)

Well done to the rest of the team too: Adrian, Ann, Charlotte, Gillian and Jess. A big ‘thank you’ to Uttoxeter Road Runners for a brilliant, well organised event and everyone who supported the race.

Celebrating LRC successes in recent spring events! Manchester, London, Brighton, Paris, Stratford Marathons and more, and there are still other big ones to come!