Well it has been a bit of a monumental week this week with some epic and momentous races taking place this week and members pushing their bodies to the limits with some remarkable performances.
On Saturday 16 March, 8 members travelled to Newcastle to take park in the Tyne Bridges to Boundaries Ultra. Just a few days before the race, the runners found out that the route had been changed and had been extended to a whopping 34 miles. The route started on the vibrant quayside, before heading through the industrial areas and along the river to the beautiful country parks and riverside meadows. The route itself was along scenic trails and winding roads and even the odd stepping stone across the river at one point. Richard Campbell (4:57:23) finished an amazing seventh in this epic race, with Richard Trowles (5:01:21) finishing in tenth place. Also representing the club were Mikey Taylor (6:33:02), Daniel Tatham (6:40:18), Sallv McDonnell (7:00:54), Ian Payne (7:24:51), Cath McDonnell (8:42:12) and Bernadette Cooper (8:42:24).
The following day saw a busy day of racing and some more epic runs across the region and beyond. Six members took part in the Save the Rhino Run which started near to Durham Amateur Rowing Club. This was a timed event where runners could chose the distance they wanted to run. This could be anything from a 5k rising up to an Ultra. Two runners managed to complete five of the 4.3 mile laps of the course achieving a total distance of 21.8 Miles. Steven Dawson (3:18:38) and Jayne Rudd (4:38:22) both achieving this distance. Runners who completed three laps of the course were able to achieve a half marathon with Paul Dalton (2:01:12), Jean-Pierre Hupin (2:27:16), Carley Cooper (2:28:31) and Em Flynn (2:38:59) all achieving this feat. Fantastic running from them all.
At the same time, two members travelled to Locke Park in Redcar to take part in the Harry Gamble-Thompson Locke Park 20(Ten). The runners had the choice of choosing to run either 10 miles or 20 miles. David Stothard (1:36:08) and Ian Stothard (2:06:45) both completed the 10 mile race. Two members travelled to Thirsk on the same day to take part in the Thirsk 10 mile road race. John Surtees (1:00:22) and Tracey Surtees (1:14:13) both representing the club with Tracey finishing as third female in the over 35 category.
One member travelled to York for the Vale of York 10 mile race, with Kirsty Cameron (1:48:16) the sole representative for the club. One member travelled a bit further afield to take part in the Aldi Ashby 20, which was a 20 mile race in Ashby in Leicestershire. Richard Tonge (4:08:12) was the sole representative for the club, collecting a smart pink hoodie in the process after completing the race.
One member travelled to Kielder as part of the Trail Outlaws Dark Skies Runs. Sandrine Hewitt (2:02:52) completed the 11 mile night run which started and finished at Kielder Waterside, running north towards viaduct, before turning and heading back to the Waterside. The event featured 818 feet of climbing, a tough run at anytime, let alone in the dark.
It was also a cause for celebration for the Junior Section with their annual awards taking place at Heighington Village Hall. It was an opportunity to celebrate the end of the season before the new track season begins and to recognise all of their hard work, effort and improvements over the last year. There was also a special performance from Will Allison who competed in the primary school cross country finals for Year 5 and 6 pupils, taking place in Peterlee. Will finished 13th overall out of 100 runners and was the first Year 5 pupil to finish, an excellent achievement and bodes well for next year.
If you are feeling inspired and are interested in joining the club, you can turn up for one of our sessions. More information is available on our website www.ayclifferunningclub.org.uk or our Facebook page. If you would like to chat with someone, then you can email ayclifferunningclub@gmail.com. If interested in the Junior Section you can email arc.juniorsection@gmail.com. Make this year the year you or your children get into running and join us to keep it going for many years to come.