Any of us who have run with (or in my case behind) Emma Funnell know that she is one of our best lady runners.  However she’s really outdone herself this time! Huge well done to Emma for not only completing her first ultra race, but being the winning lady, and second home overall!

A big well done from all of us at Lichfield Running Club Emma.  Her report is below. (Emma is on the left!)

“The race was called the 50 Mile Challenge, run by a small company called Challenge Hub, in Kent.

The challenge I did was that we had 15 hours to run/walk/crawl your way through as much of the 52.9 mile course as you could. It was made up of 8 x 6.6 mile laps around a couple of farms, mostly off-road, in a wonky figure-eight pattern. The organizers were fantastic – really kind, super supportive and totally dedicated – they were all there from before 6am (when the run started) to after 9pm (when the race finished). We were given loads of encouragement and training tips to help us get through. The majority of the 87/100 people who entered completed the whole thing, but you had the option to stop and back out at any time and everyone was made to feel a winner regardless of when they finished and how far they managed. The run attracted all sorts of people with all sorts of ages. Some walked the whole way, one man dragged a tyre with him the whole way – he was training for a sled race in the Arctic later on this year! Everyone was super friendly and we all helped each other out.

It was my first official ultra and I had never run that far before (previous longest having been 33miles) – so I had no idea what to expect or how I would feel during or after. I got there early evening the night before and camped at the run “base” – with some others! I kept to a steady, slower pace than usual during the run and was surprised to find that I could keep it up indefinitely without feeling any sort of fatigue at any point. I felt no pains or stiffness of any kind all the way through, and I made sure to keep hydrated and filled with food as I went along – easy to do with all the snack stations at different points along the course! The loops were uneven with some hills, but nothing like Eastern Avenue! It was mostly really sunny throughout the run, but with an hour of pouring rain near the start, which personally I enjoyed as it was more like running back in Lichfield temperatures!

I finished in a much quicker time than I expected to: 9 hours 15 mins. Shockingly, I was the first woman home and set a new course record!! I was also the second person home overall!!”

A massive achievement – well done Emma!  If you would like to find out more about this race, visit http://www.challengehub.co.uk/about-challenges/about-50-mile-challenge.

Many congratulations to Cass Jackson, who won her age category at the Mauritius Half Marathon at the weekend and did an excellent job of providing our club with some quality international marketing!

Cass describes the race, “I left for the race at 6 o’clock in the morning. I thought the weather would be great but it’s an anti cyclone here at the moment so there’s really high winds and rain. I thought I might get blown away or hit by a falling coconut!!!

Anyway we set off at 7am and it was fine for about 15k when the wind really picked up. Blimey it was hard!! But I battled on. And it was worth it! I won a coconut !! Won my age category so there is indeed a podium shot!!” Well done Cass.

For the second year, James Coombes won the annual points competition at Kingsbury Water Parkrun. Well done James!

A special mention goes to John Dawson, who is this year’s Kingsbury Water Park Parkrunner of the year.  John is a regular at this parkrun and I think all who know him will agree he embodies the spirit of Parkrun.

The Kingsbury Parkrun is one of our most local parkruns and is a really nice flat 5K course around some lovely parkland. It’s very family friendly and if you’d like to improve your 5K time this is an ideal run. It’s on every Saturday at 0900 and you can find out more at www.parkrun.org.uk

As usual, this Grand Prix event proved very popular with our members.  The 22nd March showed excellent running conditions weather wise, staying dry and cool.  This was the first year of the new course for Stafford Half, heading south out of the town centre, through some winding residential roads, then heading north around the perimeter of Stafford anticlockwise through some semi rural roads, before heading back into the centre from the north.  The course was fairly flat, with the main incline occurring at mile 10, before a comfortable down hill (or not so comfortable by this point!) path back to the finish line. Our member Cliff describes the route well.

“In my view, a fairly swift route with a few chicanes thrown in to slow proceedings.  Undulating, but without the steep climb up Tixall Hill at six miles.”

Steve Rivers led the field for Lichfield, with an amazing time of 1:19, with John Doyle following at 1:21.  Ed Coppinger put in an excellent effort “loafing” (his words!)  at 1.27!   Sarah Dauncey had a victorious return to racing with a brilliant time of 1:30 and was the first LRC lady home.

Well done to everyone who took part!

Results can be found here:http://www.staffordbc.gov.uk/halfmarathon

Lichfield Running Club had another excellent turnout for this ever popular local event.  Weather conditions were perfect for a good time on this flat, fast course.  It was much cooler than last year (which was positively tropical in comparison!) but it stayed dry with cloud cover throughout.

Congratulations to James Trollope, who repeated his 2011 win by very comfortable margin at 32.20, followed by Jon Doyle and Steve Rivers.  There were also a good number of personal bests recorded throughout the club.  Well done to everyone who took part.

Official race results can be found at http://www.stuweb.co.uk/events/2015/03/15/1966/

Despite clashing with several other races, Lichfield were ably represented by Emma Funnell, Jo Morrison and Alan Argyle.  The weather was excellent on this popular offroad course(considerably better than last year’s hailstorm!). Emma led the race for the club, finishing in just over 48 minutes. Well done Emma Jo and Alan!

Results and further details can be found at http://www.7poolsrun.org.uk/

Michael (Mike) Roger Green a founder and lifelong member of Lichfield Running Club peacefully passed away on 27th, January 2015.

Mike was born in Lichfield on 4th. July 1936, he spent his youth attending local schools, where he was introduced to sport, mainly playing football and cricket for many different local teams. His working life, again started in Lichfield and when he was called up to carry out his National Service, he even started his training at Whittington Barracks, although, a drafting to Jamaica made many of his friends envious. On completion of serving his Country, Mike returned to work at Tuke & Bell in Lichfield, and the love of his life, Geraldine. They were married in 1961 and over the next few years, firstly Paul was born and then Claire to complete their very loving and close family unit.

During the early eighties, Mike, like many others, was inspired by watching the First London Marathon, he decided that one day he would join the few thousand competitors and run it himself, never thinking, it would be another twenty eight years, before ill health stopped him from running. We first met Mike following an article published in the Lichfield Mercury showing David Lawton, and suggesting any one local who was intending to run London should meet up outside the Greyhound Public House on a Sunday morning so that we could train together. On Wednesday evening 26th, January 1983 at the Acorn Public House, Lichfield Running Club was formed and Mike became a committee member.

In total Mike ran London five times with a best time of 3.38. He has also run many others, including Wolverhampton, Birmingham and the 1983 Peoples Marathon. In 1986 and 1987 he ran The Great North Run, and in 1990 I had the pleasure of running with Mike and both our daughters in the Dove Dale Dash in the Peak district.

Mike was a very quiet person, however, he really surprised us all during one of the London events, when he took a rose from the dining table at the Spaghetti House restaurant where we were all holding our pre-race dinner. Next day he ran for over twenty five miles carrying the rose in his hand until he saw Geraldine on the side of the Mall, and forsaking a PB, he stopped running to present the rose to Geraldine to celebrate her Birthday.

Sorting through his loft one day Mike came across a rose bowl he had won, he presented it to the club, and it is now presented annually to a club member who has carried out an outstanding running performance during the last twelve months.

Mike had to give up running in his early seventies, when unfortunately, due to illness he became unsteady on his feet, he was still pleased to see us though and on occasions while he was able to use his walking frame we would enjoy a natter and a pint at a local pub, then in his wheel chair we managed to see such sporting events as the local stages of the Tour Of Britain cycle races, and lately having coffee with him and Geraldine at their home. It must have been hard for Mike to except that we were still able to run, jog or even stagger around the roads, but not once did we ever hear him complain, Mike was alert to the end, always wanting to know the latest club news, that had not been published in emails or on the club web site.

On behalf of all the club members, who, over the years have known or run with Mike hundreds or even thousands of miles, we would like to say, thank you Mike, it has been a pleasure knowing you.

You will never be forgotten,

Dave L. and Dave N.

One of the first longer races of the year was run on Sunday 11th January, the Trig Point Race at Cannock Chase.  This is a race organised by Mercia Fell Runners Club and is a 16 mile (27K) run through Cannock Chase, taking in  1500ft of ascent. There are a number of “trig points” that need to be visited and as such you can choose your own route, with the above 16 miles being the estimate.

It looks like a run for the more committed runners with an interest in orienteering, due to the longer distance, not to mention the website’s advice of “requires navigation, full body cover, a map and a whistle”.

James Coombes did Lichfield proud as ever, coming in at a brilliant 11th place, finishing the course in under two hours (118.07), with excellent performances also from Matthew Vale and Ian Robinson.

Well done!

The Stroud half marathon has been organised by Stroud and District AC for over 30 years and is described as ” An undulating but quick course with a steady incline between 6 and 7 miles.”  Sunday 26th October saw 1130 finishers in this race.   Andy Walsh and Richard O Sullivan put in an excellent standard of representation for Lichfield.

Both put in brilliant performances, with Andy completing the course in 21st place at 1.22, knocking over 4 minutes off his previous PB, and finishing a great season for him.  Richard O Sullivan completed the first ten miles in just over an hour but then unfortunately suffered a thigh strain and hobbled home in a (lets face it still hugely impressive) 1.20.  Hope you get well soon Richard and big well done to you both.

Well done to all our members who took part in the BUPA Great Birmingham Run on Sunday 19th October.  We had an excellent turn out from the club, with 10 members showing on the results page.  The day was dry and windy with temperatures in the mid teens – excellent racing weather if it were not for the wind!  James Coombes led the guys home with an excellent time of 1.27, with Joanne Palmer the first lady home in an impressive 1.42.

Particular congratulations go to those who took part in this as their first half marathon. One such member, Jo Morrison, who completed the route in 2.03, provides a race report:

“I had no intention of running anywhere near that distance until I did a couple of Musketeers runs, so it’s all their fault!  Due to it being my first half I was extremely nervous come Sunday morning and I worried if I would make it rounds, but to be honest, as soon as I got therier the atmosphere was great and very upbeat so by the time I started I was well up for it.  It was a tough but enjoyable course and the music and bands on the way round were brill.  I loved it to be honest but it made me realise I do NOT want to run a marathon! It was lovely to see a few friendly faces from LRC on the way round too. The Chariots of Fire playing in the underpass on the way to the finish was very emotional too, I would have cried if I wasn’t so tired!”

Congratulations to all our members taking part in the event!

Pictures from the event can be found here http://www.greatrun.org/photos/photos.aspx?ref=greatrun&event=Sports/GRUK/2014/Bupa%20Great%20Birmingham%20Run