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“RUN LIKE A LEGEND” Mile, Friday 26 July

by Ian Hedley

Having completed the Durham City 10K on the Thursday night, on possibly the hottest day in the world, my wife Helen and I then took part in the “Run Like a Legend” 1-mile event the following day – Friday 26 July 2019.

We’d spotted this new event when signing up to the 10K and thought it would be worth investing the £5 entrance fee to take part and see if we could emulate Sir Roger Bannister in breaking the 4-minute barrier! Not a chance! No, having never run ‘just a mile’, neither of us had any idea how ‘fast’ we could complete it in, so we were both intrigued. Plus, it was only 5 minutes down the road.

The route was an accurately measured 1 mile course along the banks of the River Wear – starting outside the Boat Club / Whiskey River (beneath Elvet Bridge), across Baths Bridge, down to the bandstand alongside the Racecourse and back.

Able to book in advance, we picked the 4pm and 4:20pm time slots (slots were available every 20 minutes throughout the day from 10.40am to 5pm) so we could cheer each other on after work and so Cameron could along too!

Throughout the Friday, the weather remained sweltering – the journey to Durham being completed with air con at full pelt. Having arrived and parked up, we made our way to the start, by which point our friends, “thunder” and “lightning” (no, not some quick runners!) had made an untimely appearance…

Helen collected her number and electronic chip timer as we watched the immediately prior wave of runners complete their efforts. Having spotted a few people we know who’d just finished, we asked how they’d got on – times of 07:20 and 08:47 were quickly shared which didn’t ease our tensions!

The time quickly came around to 4pm and Helen was off (alongside another 6 or 7 runners). Unfortunately, not long after the start, heavy rain joined the aforementioned weather conditions, so, having collected my number and chip timer, Cameron and I quickly took shelter!

Helen returned in a very impressive 08:37, despite the greasy conditions, and was delighted with her time. Having seen Helen and others do so well, I was now feeling quite anxious. This was only heightened when the next wave was delayed by 20 minutes whilst the storm passed due to safety concerns. Having made my way to the start line, I then spotted Laura Weigthman – so only the WOMENS BRITISH ROAD RECORD HOLDER at this distance (4:17 for those interested!!!) – limbering up next to me! She asked a few others in the wave what their anticipated times were – “06:25”, “06:00”, “05:48” – at which point the only thing I could think was “…bl**dy hell, I’m going to be last here!” Luckily, Laura resorted to just giving us the countdown to the start and then we were off…

After a quick start, Baths Bridge was soon in front of me and I had ended up tucked in right behind a guy from Aycliffe Running Club (the same guy who had announced he was trying to beat his 05:48 PB! Ridiculous! A few things passed through my mind – “…going too fast” the main one, though that was quickly followed by “…just stick with him”. Not understanding what pace over this distance I could sustain / achieve was a strange feeling too, but somehow I did manage to stick with him. As we headed back over Baths Bridge, he had managed to pull away a little although I did manage to reduce this to a couple of yards again when we reached the buildings and the final 50m!

As he appeared through the narrow gap toward the finish, Helen was just about to start looking for the camera and so was very surprised to see me appear right behind him – so no finish line photo. I surprised myself too – I’d initially thought I may be able to achieve 06:30ish so to finish in a time of 05:51, I was delighted! 28^th place out of 198 efforts over the course of the day (behind a couple of really speedy Harriers in Ciaran and Chris Lines who finished 4^th (05:12) and 7^th (05:17) respectively – very impressive gents!). The guy from Aycliffe achieved a PB too (05:47)!

Summary:

If this event is on again next year, I would definitely recommend it to other Harriers. The £5 entry fee was great value. The route was marshalled throughout, electronic chip timed, and we were each given a Nike t-shirt, a fantastic medal and the same goody bag as we’d received following the 10K event upon completion (although the lentil chips remained unopened on this occasion – yuk!).

Other Photos from the festival:

Somewhat belatedly, a race report from this years Blaydon Race.
This race, though not the most scenic is a special one for me. It’s based on the original horse race, which started in 1862. Less than a month after I was born I was taken in my pram to watch the centenary race. Clearly this must have been a sign and 49 years later I ran my 1st Blaydon Race. I’ve now run a few in succession, attracted by the bottle of beer and ham and peas pudding bun you always get at the finish.

The race starts in the centre of Newcastle down from the Bigg Market, a part of town transformed from it’s usual clientele on the night of the race. There are often cancan dancers at the start and of course the obligatory rendition of The Blaydon Race song. I am word perfect on this , having learned the words as a child, living in Blaydon as I then did. In days gone by when car radios and subsequent in-car entertainment didn’t exist, my family sang the words of all the Geordie songs when on car journeys, the Lambton Worm and Cushie Butterfield being the other songs in our repertoire.

The mayor rings his bell and the race gets underway. There’s always a bottleneck a few hundred metres from the start near the Central Station where you have to walk at my section of the race. Then it’s past the Life Centre and heading towards the Arena before the never ending Scotswood Road stretches out. This year it was baking hot with no shade along this long road. I so wanted a water station anywhere along here, but alas there was none.

Eventually you get to the Scotswood Bridge and cross the River Tyne. I’d seen Mark Raine and Andy Featherstone run off in the distance , and David Round overtook me long before the bridge. After the bridge you run away from Blaydon on the south side of the river, eventually reaching the turnaround point and start heading back towards Blaydon. The water station eventually appears and I had to stop and take on some hydration even though it was less than a mile to the finish. It was desperately needed and helped me get up the gradual climb on the dual carriageway. In previous years there have been medical incidents on this section, but fortunately I saw no evidence of any this year and reached the top of the climb to enjoy the gradual descent and then U turn towards the finish. This came earlier than usual in Morrison’s car park this year shortening the race a little from previous years.

The finish is always crowded but well organised with your refreshments and T shirt handed out quickly and I headed off to try and find my chauffeur Tom who had been happy to drop me off in town close to the start and then drive to Blaydon where he had luckily found a spot to park up and wait for me. Other Harriers taking part were Mark Raine, Andrew Featherstone, Barry Johnston, Dave Sawyer, Ian Hedley, Antony Edwards and Chris Lines.

by Christine Hearmon.

The 32nd Darlington 10km, 11th August 2019

Another wonderful morning of running through the streets of Darlington. It’s a race I look out for during my summer in the UK. A break in the wet weekend and an early gathering around the Town Hall with lots of fellow Harriers amongst the 2000+ entrants. The course route is a cruising two laps of the town, starting on Houndsgate and heading uphill to join the first of two loops anticlockwise around the residential areas west of the centre. The race finishes back in the town with a sprint along Skinnergate that needs to be sustained along High Row.

For many, the first chance to get to know your fellow runner and their preparation is in ever the growing toilet queue, curtesy of the Dolphin Centre. Lots of t-shirts from previous years. A few people talking of last night’s beers, or alternatively PBs. It’s that type of course.

It’s a narrow holding pen and a bit of optimism with your starting position goes a long way. The Rocky theme tune Eye of the Tiger gets us underway, but as always, its quickly drowned out by the crowds of locals that line the first 500m.

The racers quickly thin out, but the crowds generally hold strong. I’ve hit a 39 min target in previous years, but becoming a daddy in the past few months allowed me to relax and take what comes. I had family waiting at the 3 and 6km mark, and it never fails to spur you on. Lifting the knees, a little higher and getting ahead of the guys in front to hola a happy birthday to a family member. Thanks for the support!

Despite two laps, it feels like a gradual uphill all the way. The relief comes when the course route breaks from the loop and peels off toward the centre. Just less than a km to go. It’s a great finishing dash and one to hold your nerve on the wet cobbles and sharp bends as Skinnergate turns into Bondgate, and Bondgate into High Row. Loads of support and a dash to the finish. Destroyed, and only 6 seconds ahead of my older bro. Still, I can’t let him beat me.

Thank you to the race organisers and all the volunteers who make it a top race, year after year. A shout out to the young quiet lad who stood in the toilet queue, and was smiling at the end with a PB and a time of 36mins. Didn’t catch a name, but top running!

We’ll be back next year!

By Michael Pyle.

This was a first for me, but both Ray Carmichael and Andy Corfield have done it before and were able to convince me of its appeal. It was a very enjoyable run and one that I would like to repeat in the future. Because it takes place the same weekend as the Darlington 10k, the Harriers’ turnout was quite low (just half a dozen of us) but we all had a great time in a lovely setting.

The race is described by the organisers as “scenic, fun, fast with PB potential … (and) only a few inclines”, and some of this is true. “Inclines” is one of those words, like “undulating” which makes it sound much more benign that it really is. To my way of thinking and running, the two climbs would alone rule out any prospect of a fast time. But, to me at least, that wasn’t the point – this year I am going for scenic and this run certainly fits that description as it snakes through the Derwent Walk Country Park never far from the riverside.

Ray was kind enough to drive and to offer a lift to me and Andy, plus Rosie Warnett. Parking was free and easy and we made our way to the start/ finish area where there was plenty of entertainment, food and coffee outlets. This has become a big event now (it was a sell-out with 1600 entrants) and so a good atmosphere was already building, along with the rain clouds. It was a pleasure to meet up with Aileen Henderson and Karen Killingley, and Aileen’s partner took some great photos.

There had been some discussion about appropriate footwear and in view of the amount of recent rainfall and the likelihood of muddy patches I opted for trail shoes but to be honest you could have run in anything. Anything that can handle parkrun terrain can handle this. All the paths are good and surprisingly free of puddles.  As we made our way to the start line, the heavens opened and a good soaking appeared imminent. I was chatting to Andy at the time but he is more hardy than I am and continued on his way while I took shelter under the canopy of a burger van. There were a few other like-minded souls but the discussion about whether this warm dry area was the best place to spend the next hour or so never ventured beyond the purely hypothetical and eventually we trudged to the start. This meant that I started very near the back: didn’t matter at all as it was chip-timed, but it did mean that my first kilometre or so was very slow.

I thought that I was doing quite well until the first hill arrived when I realised that although the rain had stopped the weather remained very humid. About half way up I was passed by two women running together, one of whom said “There’s no air, is there”. At least, I think that’s what she said, although she may have been lamenting the absence of an heir or any hair. By the time I had enough breath to make enquiries to clarify this point, they had disappeared into the distance. I was soon able to pass Andy who just keeps going for mile after mile and is always very encouraging when I run out of puff towards the end of races.  Ray and Rosie, of course, were way in advance of us and I was not to see them for a long time…

The last 3K is gentle downhill and is tremendous. I will appreciate this more when I do the run again, as on this occasion I could not overcome my fear that there might be another of their famous “inclines”. But all was good; the finish line came into sight and although it is one of those runs where you appear to be at the finish and then realise you have to do another little loop round to it, I was feeling good again and able to look forward to that satisfying post-run coffee and very impressive medal.

By Mike Wood.

This is a lovely, popular race, (500 entry limit) and is a fantastic challenge on multi terrain, including trails, grass, coastal paths and also pavement/cycleway due to a short diversion as a result of costal erosion.  Some paths are narrow, so overtaking can be tricky!

The course starts with a 1-mile loop to the south of Souter Lighthouse, then heads north round to the end of Marsden Bay.  There are then two loops from the north end of Marsden Bay, along the Leas towards South Shields and back, then you run south to Souter Lighthouse and complete the final mile loop, which is more or less the same as the first mile.  It’s loopy!

The event is well organised and parking was easy (£3) but the race started about 5 minutes late……and did last year too, because there is always a long queue at the ladies’ loos. The weather forecasters said it was only 20^oC, but I’m sure they were wrong and it was hotter.  That said, and because of the loops, there was plenty of water available, and in places, a lovely sea breeze.

The route hugs the coast and there are reportedly dolphin sightings regularly, so it is a pleasure to run. Though the coastline seemed pretty calm on Sunday, the treacherous reefs & rocks have shaped a long history of smuggling as many ships have run aground, hence the lighthouse was opened in 1871.  There’s lots to investigate when the race is over, Marsden Rock and Grotto and Souter Lighthouse, now a National Trust property, with a very nice tearoom. A rewarding place for the finish of a great race.

I crossed the finish line in 83 minutes and 18 seconds, cheered on by the locals who were convinced I was running for South Shields, very happy with my time, and I think first lady over 50.

By Janet McRae.

I suspect that Ciaran and I share a ritual with many Harriers. When the Lines mob is planning a holiday, one of the items on the list of priorities is to find a parkrun that is local to wherever we’re staying. Another is to speculatively check whether there happen to be any appealing races in the area while we’re in the vicinity. I should add that this ritual only applies to Ciaran and me, and not the rest of the family!

This year, the parkrun fix was provided by Penrhyn parkrun, which is set in an impressive National Trust property – Penrhyn Castle is an imposing, relatively modern (for a castle) landmark near Bangor. As ever, parkrun was a welcoming and friendly experience and the perfect way to start a weekend.

However, for me, the following day delivered the running highlight of the holiday. I had spotted that the North Wales Half Marathon was taking place during our trip, but hadn’t got round to entering before the online deadline. Luckily, the organisers confirmed that a few places would be available on the day. So, I rocked up in Conwy at 7:30am and managed to secure one of the last numbers.

The race started on the beach at 9:00am (it was being set up when I first arrived) and the first mile was on the sand, which I found to be a little softer and more challenging than the similar surface during the recent Northumberland Coastal Run. Then, we followed a fairly flat route west for four miles, along a tarmac path by the sea. This was great for finding a rhythm and comfortable pace. One guy from Kirkby Milers eased past me, but I picked off a couple of runners who had set off a little too fast. I reckoned that I was placed somewhere in the top 20. At about five miles, we turned, crossed a footbridge and headed into the village of Penmaenmawr (I’m glad that I only had to type that and not pronounce it!). By this time, after taking turns to lead the other for a little while, I had got ahead of the Kirby runner again.

Then the hard work began. A series of longish steady climbs took us towards Sychant Pass and the eighth mile was the crux of the race – a steep and sustained section on road and trail up to Conwy Mountain (a grand name for a modest sized hill really, but a very tough part of the race nonetheless). By this time, I was on my own, but could see about eight runners not far behind me (including Kirkby man and a local runner who seemed to be enjoying himself far too much). I managed to stay ahead of all of them during the final climb, as my delighted expression near the summit testifies.

After that high point, there were some lovely undulating trails, during which runners were rewarded with a fantastic view of Conwy and its majestic castle. I glanced back a couple of times and Kirkby guy and happy Welsh runner were still on my tail. Then, we started the steep descent back into Conwy, which worked well for me. I gained distance on my pursuers and got ahead of another runner who was being cautious during the downhill section.

By the time I got back onto more level ground, I was 10 miles into the race. I was about 150 metres ahead of Kirkby man, who had also got ahead of the guy I passed during the descent, but that lead didn’t feel secure as I was starting to get pretty tired. We headed west for a couple of miles, before turning right and back onto the beach for the final mile. Once again, I found the sand section to be tough and Kirkby man started to gain on me quite quickly, along with the runner who we had both passed during the downhill, who had recovered well. Thankfully, for me, I was able to find enough energy to increase my pace for the last few hundred metres and crossed the line about 50 metres ahead of the other two, in a time of 1:32:14. My watch shows the distance as a little under 13 miles, but it was definitely a harder race than most half marathons that I have completed.

I finished seventh overall (higher than I thought I had, which is always nice!), out of 365 finishers. It was a thoroughly enjoyable race, which was very well marshalled. Miles seven and eight were particularly tough, but that seemed to work in my favour on this occasion, and this was a run during which there were times when I could really appreciate the setting. I didn’t know anyone else who was running and as always in such races, I tried to find someone to match myself against, and aim to beat. The Kirkby runner was that person this time and it was satisfying to win that personal battle.

If you’re ever in North Wales in early August (and assuming the race is run again), I’d certainly recommend the event. More details at www.runwales.com.

Chris Lines.

Club: Organised by Elvet Striders

Distance 5.3 miles

The Willow Miner Trail run is organised by our local running neighbours Elvet Striders, and is a “must” race I have been wanting to do for a few years now, but have always left it too late to register! Not this year though…

This year’s entry fee was £7, and I was eager to taste the much-talked about buffet that would follow the race. Then at registration stage, I read the small print, there would be no buffet this year! Oh no, in Dave Walkers words: “it’s an unbelievable spread”…and this amazing supper had vanished in the blink of an eye. I had to read it again and again, even making the screen bigger. Not all was lost though, as a set meal of chilli con carne was on offer. Never mind I thought, I had to book and that was it.

The race terrain itself is a mix of woodland walks, field edges, grass paths, river banks, bridges and steps with a series of hard climbs and fast descents. Starting at the Houghall College sports field and running through Great High Wood to the south west, and on to Low Burnhall Woodland Trust, where the aptly named Willow Miner sits, you will loop back on yourself, twisting and winding home to the start / finish line, taking in all of the above features in one form or another – reaching the 5.3 mile race distance (approx. 8.4km).

With plenty of high grass, trees and branches to the sides, many of the grass paths towards the Willow Miner can be single file in places, so choosing that moment to pass (if you fancy it) can be tricky. Get it right though, and you’re away. There was a fantastic number of local family and friends supporting the runners and clubs on the night, and well marshalled across much of the course, all offering plenty of encouragement, well wishes and direction. Parking is very easy, with hundreds of spaces available to the rear of the Houghall College or opposite the main road at the Durham University Maiden Castle car park. Registration was easy too, simply follow the signs on the night to the old gym hall at the rear of the Houghall College.

The blue and white club vests were donned this year by Tracy Henderson, Rosie Warnett, Chris Hearmon, Marie and Dave Walker, Andy Featherstone and myself. This year I was a little worried that my race plans could be abandoned by a stiff neck 48 hours before race day, and was feeling pretty rubbish. Would a quick phone call to Neil at PPPT be successful? (More on that later). I persevered with Nurofen and my friend Deep Heat, as I was determined to go out and enjoy it at the very least.

Setting off from Coxhoe in plenty of time, I headed for Shincliffe, passing Tracy Henderson at Bowburn’s Jet Garage (she looked in the zone with her backpack), not realising she was en route to the event herself!

With parking and registration sorted I bumped into a few other Harriers and we headed out to the starting field. Then I got the urge, and a quick toilet stop was needed. No lock on the door. No lights…Well, as all ofus runners know, when you need to go, you need to go.

We all met in the start / finish field and headed over to the start line, where three gentlemen from Elvet Striders had gathered to say a few pre-race words. One Strider in particular, touched us all with his personal brain tumour journey and a moment to reflect. It certainly gave me a lump in my throat.

The start gun went, and we were off, and within a few hundred yards it was out of the field, up the steps and on to the Great High Wood paths, snaking through the various up and downs, and out at the top.  Dave Walker was a familiar partner in crime, and I was hot on his heels as we picked off various runners. Sadly, at 4k, a stitch was knocking on the door, and even though I tried to run it off, it wasn’t going to go away.

Never mind, “keep it going” I said to myself as we weaved around the tight single file river embankments, opening-up to the last big climb (or so I thought). I passed a Blaydon Harrier at the top and kept pressing, skirting around the edges of the fields, THEN it was the last big climb up a steep stepped hill (catching my breath with a brisk walk), and along the edge of the field footpath. This was familiar territory, as I headed down the steps (a reverse of the first kilometre) and back on to the woodland path again. Head down, weaving through the woods, I popped out at the end, down the steps and sprinted for the finish line (proper big strides too). DW was giving the big thumbs up…around the dog leg, and finish line in sight.

Done. That was it. Hands on knees……water, water, I needed water.

I headed back up to the dog-leg corner and joined DW, as we congratulated each other, clapping and cheering our Harriers home. And then they hit us (no, not our Harriers). Bloody midges. Millions of them. It was so muggy and humid, the little buggers were everywhere…so we made a quick exit and headed to the finish line to cheer on. Marie was on another flyer too…was it those midges?!

It was at that point, I had that lightbulb moment! Neil from PPPT had his treatment table at the refreshment tent, so I headed over for 10 minutes of torture (nice torture though…god it was worth it)

Always good craic with Neil (no pun intended of course). But my neck needed it, and I instantly started to feel some relief. Barely off the table, the voices were calling me “Mil, Mil over here” – team photo time!!

Remembering that Tracy had run to the event, it was only fitting that she was given a lift home to Coxhoe after a great Harrier turn-out. Well done everyone. A great evening of running on a tricky and testing course on a very warm and muggy night.

On reflection:

A fantastic local race that seems to creep under the radar, and yet offers so much more, with plenty of excitement, local grass roots club participation and friendly rivalry on the night. It’s on your doorstep and offers similar terrain to what we are used to at the Harriers. At 8.4k it is also a great half-way distance (almost in the middle of a 5k and 10k). It reminds me a little bit of The Handicap (but without the handicap if you know what I mean) in that you can push the pace if you want too, but you might also get caught from behind as well, on the twisty narrow sections between the long grass and bushes. A little bit like one of our older Thursday night training sessions I guess – are you the rabbit, or are you the greyhound? It certainly keeps you on your toes. Not sure if the buffet will return in future years, but I am sure the chilli was just as good.

Put it on your race list for next year. An absolute must!

Milburn

Results: https://racebest.com/results/973cw

As a local-ish Grand Prix race I thought I should give it a go and booked up a couple of months ago. I forgot to write it in my diary, then about a month later the Willow Miner Race at Durham opened for entries, which I do like, yes hilly, hard but a great run.  I spread the word on Facebook because I know a few Harriers also like the Willow Miner and it does fill up fast. It was about 2 weeks later when I was wondering why many Harriers hadn’t entered the Willow Minor the penny dropped, the Sunderland 5K Grand Prix race was the next day!  Oh well I’ll take it easy at the Willow Miner! (Did I heck!)

So back to Sunderland.

First race 6.45pm. Ladies and senior men (over 50s)

Second race 7.20pm. Everyone else, or in other words the fast lads!

Car parking was no problem as there was a large overflow car park, but I’m guessing anyone arriving late may not agree with me, the sports complex has a lot going on. The evening was VERY warm and windy unfortunately, not a cold wind; the good news it was a lot more downhill than up (start at 240ft, finish at 184ft) BUT the main downhill was the first 600m so you were forced in to a fast start!

After chatting to a few Harriers before we set off about the normal stuff like why we won’t be running so fast and not expecting to do well because of …….. heat, wind, tired legs, lack of sleep, not feeling good, injuries, narrow start, the normal stuff, we set off fast downhill (it felt fast which is not good at the start of a race).  It was quite a crowded start and because of the hill it felt like you needed space to let your legs go and take advantage of the hill but maybe it was good that there were people in the way to slow you down a bit.

Once on the flat for start of the small loop the wind hit you head on and it made it really hard work to keep your pace going, not good less than 15% into the race. A small hill was the turning point for the small loop but you didn’t get any benefit of the wind due to the trees on the way back round.

The second loop took you a bit further out, so longer into the head wind but I did feel the wind behind me for a small part of the way back but it didn’t help!

For a warm night with a cruel wind, most of the Harriers had a brilliant run, but I know some suffered from the fast start.

A highlight for me was while we walked back to the car having to stand to the side to let the “fast lads” run past on their fast downhill start; the speed and the cool breeze it created was wonderful!  Also brilliant to watch the start of a race as you are normally running it. (Yes Declan, Paul, Mark and Sam you were the “fast lads!”)

The race was well organised. I also liked the option of bringing your own bottle which they left crates out for you to put them in on the way to the start, then they carried them to the finish for you to collect. The crates were marked by club names, or for the clubs with not so many entries (like us) you were in the “others” crate.

How did I do? Well not bad, the fastest 5k since 2009, but only 12 seconds faster than my recent PB at Sedgefield parkrun which definitely has just as many up hills as it does down!  Yes I do wonder if it was a cooler night and if I hadn’t run the night before would I have beaten my best ever time of 22.01????

by Marie Walker.