Cross-Country Results
                    2009/2010

Sun 28 Mar

Equinox Run

Results Index

Paul reports: "The Beds/Bucks duo travelled to Elkington in Northamptonshire to take part in the Equinox Run [14.2 miles] an event organised for mountain bikers, runners and walkers to raise funds for the Rainbows Hospice for children and young people. The route was 'point to point' from Elkington to Peatling Magna in Leicestershire via Stanford-on-Avon, Gravel Hill, Walcote, Gilmorton and Peatling Parva and consisted of country roads and dirt tracks. Although the sun was shining, a cold headwind and a number of significant uphill sections - the last quarter of a mile into Peatling Magna was uphill - meant the run was challenging. The tea and biscuits - bourbons and chocolate chips - in the Village Hall at the finish were most welcome !!!"

Sun 28 Mar

Daffodil Dawdle

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 28/03/10, 4 Collingwood runners travelled to Newmarket for the 21st Daffodil Dawdle 26.4 mile marathon which was virtually all off-road. The marathon involved navigating around Newmarket and the surrounding countryside following well written instructions.

Andy Stalley and Steve Cooney had a good start. Dave Ross started with Mel Johnstone but soon joined the other two. Andy and Dave then kicked on together with Andy doing all the navigating. Everything was going well until the 22 mile checkpoint when Dave took over the navigational duties. By 22.5 miles both Andy and Dave were hopelessly lost and had to rely on a helpful runner who found them wandering helplessly in the middle of nowhere. The runner pointed them in the right direction and they joined the correct route with about 2 miles to go.

Dave Ross went past Andy with a mile to go and finished his 170th marathon in 4 hours 17 minutes. Andy Stalley finished his 121st marathon just a minute behind in 4 hours 18 minutes. Steve Cooney was next and completed his 107th marathon in 4 hours 21 minutes followed by Mel Johnstone who finished her 121st marathon in an official time of 5 hours exactly. Mel thought she had broken the 5 hour mark since her Garmin showed a time of 4 hours 58 minutes but there was a delay in the timer recording her time."

Sat 27 Mar

Oner 78.6 mile Ultra

Results Index   Full Results

Allan reports: "This event started for me as a chance remark on the Ultra marathon thread on Fetcheveryone, I had no intention of doing it as I’d already booked up Glasgow to Edinburgh as my ultra for the month, however due to the flu I missed this race & so had decided not to do anything other than The Cotswolds Ultra on the 21st instead.
This all changed quite suddenly when the Oner thread opened with the stunning line of “Stupid”, followed by “Does a little Jig” then myself with “Mentalist”. A general chit-chat ensued with all the usual nonsense & then the killer post appeared.
“The history of this event goes some way to describing how hard the event is. In 2007, 20 runners started the course and only 5 finished. In 2008 the event had to be pulled at the first check point as the weather had deteriorated to the point where preventing loss of life became a priority. The 50 or so runners were taken to a shelter point until 5am when they started a short version of the course (50 miles!). Only 18 made it to the end. If you want a real 'life' challenge do this race. If you want an easy life, don’t”
Organised by Votwo the weekend is split into 2 different events, one is 3 very hard Marathons spread over 3 days (The JCC) or you could choose the Oner & do all 3 non-stop in 24hrs.
Well that was that really, those of you who know me, know that I cannot resist a challenge like that, so I signed up for the Oner the next day.
That was it then; at 6pm on Saturday the 27th of March we were standing in a field near Charmouth in Dorset about to retrace the route that several hundred marathon runners had taken 2 days previously doing the JCC. A quick group photo followed & then with the casualness I love about Ultra marathon running the starter just shouted “GO” & that was it, we were off.
Having never done this distance before I didn’t really have a gameplan or tactics for this, but having my one & only DNF along this coastline I knew how tough it potentially was & that I was going to walk the hills & take it steady going down them. What I didn’t realise was how bad the mud was going to be! The first couple of miles were ok & I took it nice & steady, nobody seemed to be in too much of a hurry although a couple of folk just headed off into the distance at about twice my speed. After the first few miles the mud kicked in & that was that really, it all seemed to degenerate from there! I was having a particularly bad time of it as I just couldn’t seem to get my feet out of the mud & my headtorch was next to useless as it was just reflecting back from the water on the floor & so it seemed to make the mud look just like a pond. At the race briefing were told to try running without them as your night vision should be able to cope & so I turned it off. Worked great for about a mile or so until I was going down some wooden steps, didn’t see where they started & then twisted my ankle. I was in agony as it’s an old injury & so I knew that it could go 1 of 2 ways, if I took it easy for about 15 minutes & it didn’t swell up then I’d be ok, if it did swell up then that would be game over for me. Quickly popped about 4 ibuprofen (I know that’s too many but I was a worried man) & tried to slow my pace for a while. This was a bit harder than it seemed as I’d joined up with a group of runners & we seemed to be working well together in a team & I didn’t really want to lose that comfort zone as I was feeling quite low at that point. The pills worked in that they stopped the pain & I didn’t get any swelling but they never helped the mud. At this stage it was truly awful, we were less than 10 miles into a 78 mile race & all I could think about was binning it as I just couldn’t get any grip anywhere. I think I used & heard about every swear word going over the next couple of hours as we all struggled with the terrain.
All this time our group was getting smaller & smaller & I ended up running with James Adams & Mark Cockbain, 2 legends in the ultra running world & I felt quite honoured to be in their company. We stayed in our little group for the rest of the first Marathon & finished it in just over 6hrs. I managed to break out of my melancholy at this point and actually started to look forward to the next phase.
Off to Portland to run around the island. Glad to get out of the mud we set off at quite a good pace to try to make up a bit of time, we soon slowed down though as the fog was coming in as we were running around the cliff edge side of the Quarry. Only being inches away from a cliff edge in the fog really does sharpen all your senses & it did get a bit hair-raising at times. I slowed down to a walk at this point as there was more mud on the ground & I didn’t fancy taking a header into the sea.
We found checkpoint 5 fairly easy & we all took the time for a brew, nice warm sugary coffee to keep us awake was the order of the day, Mark was the first one to head out as he seemed to be anxious about the cut off times. We all followed him & by now our group numbered about 6, we pushed on quite hard made good time until we went passed the prison, somehow all of us missed the coastal path sign & we ended up on the road heading into the centre of the island, luckily we were caught up by a support crew member who told us of our error & we quickly back tracked. We made a couple more wrong turnings in Portland before we finally got ourselves back on track & headed in the right direction. Checkpoint 6 & some warm food, Pasta & another brew were in order, Mark was getting very concerned about the cut offs now but James & myself were a lot more relaxed about it & thought that we’d be fine. We flew out of the checkpoint & hammered through the town of Weymouth to try & make up any lot time, James at this moment made a comment about shorts & running tights which upset one of the other runners a little bit but hey ho, never mind. Through the town & helped by a local runner who did our guiding for us we got to witness the 4am kick out of the local clubs & kebab shops, ah teenagers, you’ve just got to love them.
Back on the coastal trail now & the sun was starting to come up, we all felt a lot happier now as we could start to see exactly where we were putting our feet. It’s amazing how little light you actually do need to see properly when you’ve been running in the dark for hours. We stopped for a few photos on the way to Lulworth Cove as the scenery was just fantastic, watching the sun rise along the coast seemed to make the nights efforts all worthwhile & although we still had about 30 miles to go I somehow seemed reassured that all would be well.
Lulworth Cove &the end of the 2nd Marathon, time taken so far was about 12.5hrs in pretty awful conditions & although this last section had the reputation of being the hardest I was feeling confident about getting to the end in plenty of time.
I soon found out that its reputation was in my opinion very understated. The hills were absolutely horrific, we were having to take rest breaks walking up them & at one point I was on my hands & knees just trying to climb up as my quads & calves were burning with the pain of working so hard. We really had a very hard time of this section & I took us 6hrs or so to do 13 miles at one point we only managed half a mile in 30 minutes!! Tough goes nowhere near to describe it. We sat down at the top of one hill for a rest & actually had a discussion about whether or not we would be able to maintain our speed & do another 13 miles in the remaining 6hrs!! Blimey, there I was running with 2 blokes who have done the hardest races in the world & we’re actually talking about trying to cover 13 miles in 6hrs & not the normal 1.30 to 1.45 we would normally do it in.
We weren’t to worry though as we’d broken the back of the last leg & although it was still a bit hilly in places it wasn’t nowhere near as bad as the previous 65 miles had been. We upped our pace & cracked on hoping that no JCC runners would go past us, that wasn’t to be though as first one & then another & another went passed us, all of them were saying well done, congratulations telling us how brave/mad/mental we were, but it was nice to have the interaction & their comments were certainly helping me along as I was feeling very tired then.
Onto checkpoint 11 & James was starting to seriously lag behind because an idiot on a motorbike had made him fall over twisting his ankle, he told Mark & myself to go on & he’ll make it back to the finish on his own, but running 70 miles plus with someone doesn’t make you want to leave them & so we slowed down a bit & waited at the next checkpoint for him to catch us up. A couple of painkillers later & we were on our way again with a swift walk through a very slippy harbour & then some good old fashioned tarmac to run on. At every checkpoint I’d been asking how many in front? How many have dropped out? How many more miles to the next one etc etc. This helped me along just by trying to keep all the numbers in my head & giving me something to concentrate on when I wasn’t concentrating on not falling off the cliffs. I’d worked out that we were somewhere in the top 15 or so & when I saw 3 other Oners ahead of us just before we reached the beach, it got the competitiveness in me going & I told the other 2 that if we took these 3 we’d get a top ten finish, Mark & myself went for it straight away & ended up dragging James with us as he was still in loads of pain with his ankle. We overtook them fairly easily but I still wanted to beat them by more & so didn’t let the pace drop for ages, a quick walk followed & Mark was continuously glancing behind us to check that they weren’t catching us up, if they jogged then we ran & so it went on until we reached the beach. A quick check behind & they weren’t there so we walked for a couple of minutes to try & get some energy back. Onto the beach proper & we saw the 3 oners again, they’d cut through the side to get on the sands a bit quicker & so any distance advantage we’d had on them was now gone. I’d like to say that at this point we just carried on until the finish but we never, it was then eyeballs out time to try to get home in under 21hrs, we could see the marshal in the dunes & we were going great guns, James’s girlfriend Gemma was there taking photos of us as we ran in, we made it to the marshal in just over 21hrs, about 10 seconds over only for him to tell us that the finish was another ½ mile away!!!! Cue loads of swearing and gesticulating at that moment but Gemma reassured us that he was right & that it was no more than that little ½ mile left to run.
Well we ran it; all 3 of us grinning like Cheshire cats splashing through all of the puddles on that home straight towards the finish to finish in a time of 21hrs 7mins. A truly awesome feeling of achievement swept over me as I went over the line, this was the longest & hardest race I had ever done & I felt very proud of myself & of James & Mark for running this remarkable race.
I have a mantra by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I tell myself when things are getting a little tough & I certainly said it to myself more than once throughout the whole Oner experience
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

I certainly saw what was behind & in front of me & I managed to catch a glimpse of what is inside of me during those 21hrs out on that coast. Will I do it again? Maybe, but the ultra world is big & I want to see a lot more of it."

Sat 27 Mar

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

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Sat 27 Mar

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

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Well done to Gill on another pb, by 2s.

Sun 21 Mar

Cotswold Ultra

Results Index

Allan reports:
"Four Collingwood members travelled to the village of Temple Guiting today for the Cotswold Ultra Marathon, a 35 mile road event through the countryside.

The race start was over a mile from the race HQ so we had to walk up a big hill to get there, a small taste of what was to come. They held the entire field of runners back at HQ for an additional 15 mins or so due to getting the marshalls out on the course, which in the end was a good thing as due to a badly fitting door Dave had managed to get himself locked in the handicapped toilet!!!

The race itself started over 15 mins late but once we got going it was out into the beautiful Cotswold countryside & for once the sun was shining down on us. At one stage I was considering going shirtless as I'd overdone it with my longsleeve shirt. No incidents to report during the race other than the course itself was very very undulating with a couple of nasty hills thrown in for good measure.

Dave was the first one home for Collingwood in a time of 4.39. I was next in 5.06 followed by Steve in 5.31 & last but not least Mel came in with a time of 5.55.

Mel, Dave & Steve were using this run as part of their training for the Comrades 56 mile Ultra Marathon in South Africa in May, whilst I was using it as a warm up for next week's Oner a 78.6 mile Ultra in Dorset.
We were all very pleased with our performances today & with the organisation & checkpoints for the race. We got a nice crystal paperweight for our efforts & we were also rewarded with some free cake at the end as well. All in all a great day out."

Mel: "Slight correction to times - Steve 5h 25 mins and me 5h 44. I didn't start my garmin, so I worked out the time from 10am start but of course we started late and my official time is 5 h 44 so even happier!!!!"

Sun 21 Mar

Sevenoaks Circular Walk

Results Index

Andy reports:

"35th Sevenoaks Circular Walk
I was the only Collingwood runner at the 35th Sevenoaks Circular Walk, organised by the Kent LDWA, starting and finishing at the Sevenoaks Rugby Club. However, the day started a little oddly as I arrived at the start of last year’s event, the Sevenoaks Cricket Club. I thought it was easy to park, not surprising really.

Anyway, unusually for an LDWA Challenge event all walkers and runners started together at 8am, meaning that after 100 yards I was in the lead with no one to assist me with the course narrative. The event is meant to be 30 miles, but after running with Richard and Dave in the last two weeks, I clearly had caught their ‘navigational virus’. This was going to be a really eventful and painful run!

Firstly, I slid ten foot down and across a very muddy path into a large bush that thankfully saved me from injury. Conditions were good in part, very muddy and slippery in parts and there were some very claggy clay fields, making going not that easy on a constantly undulating route, with many gates and stiles.

Next, I started a really heavy nose cold, which I really wanted. Then, I smashed my left ankle into a metal sqeeze gate. If you thought that you heard a very loud scream this morning, it was me. Cut, bruised and swollen, my ankle settled after a few miles, but became very painful for the last ten miles.

By 8 miles I was about 600 yards in the lead and running well. At the second checkpoint at 8½ miles, I was 600 yards off the lead in fifth place. I completely missed a waymark, partly obscured by a hedge and took a lovely tour of an orchard and some country lanes, before approaching the waymark for the second time and seeing it, arghhh!

I got back to second and then took a tour of the local golf course, watching a low drive pass ten foot over my head. I got back in to the lead by the third checkpoint, before getting myself totally confused by the route narrative. It said ‘turn right on to the path and the path bears left’. However, the turn was left and the bend right. Not only did I add distance, I lost time stacks of time as well. So, back in fourth and struggling with my ankle, I decided to write the day off as, ‘a bad day at the office’.

I jogged into the finish, only just in third place; having added two extra miles to the event, which cost me about thirty minutes in total. If I had stayed on route, I would have been comfortably first; clearly I am a true Collingwood marathoner! My finishing time on my Garmin was 5:24.

£5 got coffee and biscuits at the start; four checkpoints with a great array of food and drink; beans on toast and coffee at the finish; a certificate and results to be posted out this week. Another great LDWA event. Now, all I have to do is free my ankle enough to get to work in the morning!"

Sat 20 Mar

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

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Well done to Nicola on a new pb by 13s.

Sat 20 Mar

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

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Well done to Richard on a new course best.

Sun 14 Mar

Bedford Clanger

Results Index

Andy reports: "Five Collingwood marathoners travelled to the start at Box End Park Watersports Centre, south of Bedford for the first "Bedford Clanger", a mixed terrain marathon, where the route was a 27.15 mile circular course around Bedford. It was mostly off road following footpaths and where possible stayed in open countryside. The course was not marked, but excellent written route instructions were issued at the start.

The course was very flat with only one very short hill to speak of. Conditions were good underfoot and the weather fine, but with occasional strong winds. You could start when you wanted so telling where you were on the day was impossible.

Mel Johnstone, Dave Ross, Steve Cooney and Andy Stalley started together, with Allan Rumbles following behind with two other 100 Marathon Club members.

Andy and Dave forged ahead and stayed roughly together until the last couple of miles when Dave pushed on to finish in 3:55, in first place, with Andy two minutes behind, in second place. Dave however did on three occasions previously disappear into the distance ahead of Andy; just a pity that he was not on the race route!

Steve was next in having helped another 100 Marathon Club member around, to finish in 4:16, in 6th place. Mel came in with a time of 4:38, in 20th place; which given some nasty blisters on her feet was an excellent achievement. Allan was a little held up by one of his running partners suffering a leg injury, so finished in 4:43, in 28th place. There were 56 finishers.

Mel, who was wearing green, was escorted down one path by a large butterfly, in a perfectly matching green. How did Mel coordinate that? Other than that a pleasant day out in Bedfordshire.

Excellent value event, only £4 for three checkpoints with food and drink at the finish, which included ‘Bedford Clangers’, a sort of sausage roll with meat at one end and apple at the other."

Sat 13 Mar

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Gill on a new pb, and to Bill who equalled his.

Sat 13 Mar

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

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Well done to Nicola on a pb and 1st lady, and to Graham on a new course best.

Sun 7 Mar

Steyning Stinger

Results Index

Andy reports: "Richard is now officially a true Collingwood marathoner! Four Collingwood members travelled down to Sussex for the 9th Steyning Stinger off-road marathon, over the lovely South Downs, but with a number of good climbs, hence the title as it has four major ‘Stings’.

The race started in cold conditions on rock-hard ground under clear blue skies. It clearly warmed up in the second half of the race, but as the wind got up, it never really felt any hotter. However, the ground thawed and the conditions became very slippery under foot on a number of sections. One stretch from 18 to 19 miles, along a very rutted and very wet and muddy uphill section was particularly hard on the legs.

Richard Fox and Andy Stalley started out together swapping places on numerous occasions, twice as Richard failed to follow the clear course markings to go off route. The first time he followed a jogger out for his Sunday exercise, but not in the race and the second time following a Reigate Priory runner. Richard clearly has the navigational ability of a true Collingwood marathoner, a skill which he has acquired in just five marathons. 26.2 miles over the South Downs is clearly not enough, so an extra 0.5 miles made Richard’s finishing time even better and shows clear potential for a road marathon PB in the near future.

Richard eventually broke away after 21 miles to finish in 3.55, a personal best time for an off-roader, having really enjoyed the views of the South Downs and Worthing. He nearly had another detour near the finish, slipping off the path on a steep muddy downhill section, only saved by a helpful bush.

Andy only realised that this was a 118-118 weekend on the route down, having completed his 118th parkrun yesterday and today being his 118th marathon. He persuaded the registration desk to allow him to have the race number 118. Andy finished in 3.58, a time that was better than recent outings; having run well up to 17 miles and again after 22 miles, but in between was a challenge.

Steve Cooney and Bill Walsh worked together for large sections of the route until 22 miles, when Steve pushed on to finish in 4.17, in his 104th marathon; having broken his 103-103 (again parkruns and marathons).

Bill was not far behind in 4.22, his 13th marathon and stated the course was “b$^&*$ hard!” Both had a slight detour when someone moved a direction arrow on the route, which also affected a large percentage of the field.

All four enjoyed the cooked breakfast at the finish, but amazingly Steve only had two cups of tea; far off his PB of seven. No medal, but a shot glass for finishing."

Sun 7 Mar

Wellingborough Multi-Terrain Series - Wendover Woods - 5 miles

Results Index

Paul reports: "Gordon Mathewson - 34'09 [1st SuperVet]

Paul Brooke - 42'01

A sharp overnight frost resulted in the surface of the challenging Wendover Woods course being hard and uneven."

Sun 7 Mar

Leith Hill Half

Results Index

Kate reports: "A tough hilly race, but a great day, and a good race to run, also very pleased to say I managed a PB, my quickest time previously was 3.25 and this race I made it home in 3.17. so well pleased to have pb'd by 8 mins."

Sat 6 Mar

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

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Sat 6 Mar

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

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Well done to Bill and Gill on new bests.

Sun 28 Feb

Wellingborough Multi-Terrain Series - Irchester Country Park 15k

Results Index

Paul reports: "Gordon and Paul completed their current current "off-roading" programme when they travelled to Irchester Country Park to take part in Round 3 of the Wellingborough Multi-Terrain Series 15 K Event and Wendover Woods for the Wendover Multi-Terrain 5.

Gordon Mathewson - 66'56 [2nd SuperVet]

Paul Brooke - 77'44

Following a week of wet weather the course was extensively "mudlogged" and "waterlogged" and as a consequence both our times were slower than for Round 2."

Sat 27 Feb

South Devon Coastal Marathon

Results Index

Mel reports: "Dave and I left Friday afternoon with the view to getting to Devon fairly early and beating the rush hour traffic, however nothing seems to go the plan. Firstly we were stuck on the M3 for two hours due to an accident then the A303 was closed and we had to follow a diversion along narrow country lanes. Just to top things off I had taken the phone number down wrong for the bed and breakfast so had to phone Steve to ask him to look it up on his computer (thanks Steve). We arrived in Devon at 10.45pm and still had to find somewhere to eat. We went to the local Chinese takeaway then checked in to the B&B. Eventually getting to bed about 12.30 - not ideal race prep.

Sat morning race day- the weather looked ok it was dry at least, we couldn't wait to see how our new inov8 mud claws were going to fare after all they were sopposed to be exceptional on mud, and due to all the rain we were certain there was going to be lots of it.
We got organised and made our way to the start at Beesands, on our way we came across a colleague going the wrong direction, hey follow us we said. There was a convoy of cars going down the narrow lanes towards the coast to the start of the marathon. The start on the village green was so beautiful right by the sea, although it was extremely cold, it turned out to be ideal weather conditions. The route took us along the coastal path up towards the start point lighthouse, passing several sandy coves and stunningly beautiful coastal views. Trying to look at these views however was a different matter the conditions underfoot were horrendous, the coastal path had suffered large amounts of wet weather and the mud was so deep in places, when there was no mud the rocks were very slippery and very dangerous. We did pack our essential kit of foil blanket, food, water, first-aid kit, hat and waterproof jacket but it would have been handy to have a mountaineering kit too. So far the mud claws were indeed serving their purpose. After weaving our way along the treacherous coastal path, the course then made its way inland up and over several of Devon infamous hills - along tarmac roads, now the mud claws were difficult to run in as the roads were very slippy, neither of us actually did fall over but it was close on many occasions. The final miles took us through the village of Tolcross up a steep set of steps then through a nature reserve to return to the end along the coast again to where we started at Beesands. We were given a dog-tag as a medal, t-shirt and For Goodness Shakes milkshakes (the guy handing them out said when you drink this you will feel so good you will want to do that run all over again - funny but I didn't!!). The final distance was 27.5 miles and our finish times were Dave in 10th place 4 hours 24 and me in 90th place 12th Female in 5 hours 43. We were both a lot slower than the same race last year, shows how bad the conditions were.
New trail shoes were good but I now have so many blisters it's sore to walk, that's what I get for wearing new trainers for a marathon eh, least I didn't fall over and it was great running down the hills passing people slipping around and running straight through the calf deep puddles whilst others ran round them. Hope feet recover ready for the Wye Valley ultra next week. Dave didn't get any!!!!

All in all this is an ok race, very very scenic, one of my favouries for that, but it is a hard one and is quite expensive to enter and not good value for money, really we even had to buy our cups of tea."

Sat 27 Feb

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 27 Feb

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 20 Feb

Surrey County XC Champs

Results Index   Full Results

Sat 20 Feb

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 20 Feb

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Kate and Gill on PBs.

Sat 14 Feb

Punchbowl Marathon

Results Index

Andy reports: "I saw Rob and Tom on route and they were finishing as I left, so they must have done the 20 miles route, as there is no way that they would have finished that close to me on the 30.

I was pleased to run a lot better than at the Tanners. I was second back, but due to the staggered start I doubt if I was second, probably top ten? 5:15:34 for 30.31 miles. Time on my certificate was 5:16."

Sat 13 Feb

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

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Sat 13 Feb

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

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Sun 7 Feb

Wellingborough 15k Multi-Terrain Series

Results Index

Paul reports: "The Beds/Bucks membership travelled to Irchester Country Park [Nr Wellingborough] on 07/02/2010 to compete in Round 2 of the Wellingborough Multi-Terrain Series 15 km event [5 km & 10 km events take place at the same time]. The course, a 5 km lap, with a number of significant uphill sections was very muddy in places. Gordon was first SuperVet in a time of 1:04'12 and Paul completed the 15 km in 1:16'23. The date for Round 3 is 28/02/2012. Will we better our times?"

Sat/Sun 6/7 Feb

Pilgrim's Challenge

Results Index

Allan reports: "I completed the Pilgrims Challenge this weekend, a two day event covering 66 miles across the Surrey Hills and The North Downs Way.
Day one involved running from Farnham to Merstham, passing through Denbies Vineyard & climbing the notorious Box Hill steps! I got lost for about 20mins at one point & added an extra mile to the route but after I found my way back on course the rest of the race was tough but uneventful.
I finished the first day in 5hrs 37mins which meant that I would be classed as an Elite runner for the following days start. As Merstham is my home town, I went out with a few of the runners to my local hostelry & quaffed a few beers on the Saturday evening finishing off with the obligatory Kebab, not quite Elite status I thought!!!!
Day 2 was a reverse of Day 1 & as I was classed as an Elite runner I had to start the 2nd day at 9am whereas the main bulk of runners left at 8am. I was struggling for the first few miles and was soon left behind at the back and thought ‘oh bugger I’m going to be the last finisher at this rate’. Thankfully, after about 6 miles I managed to pick up the pace and soon started overtaking runners and walkers. I completed day 2 in 5hrs 36mins, 1 minute quicker than the previous day but I never got lost so really I was about 30mins slower.
I finished the whole event in 10th place overall & 4th place for my age group. I was rewarded for my efforts with a couple of technical T-shirts & a medal. Will be back next year as it’s a great weekend’s running.
Ps, Got some Mega chafing issues though!!!!!!"

And another report from Mel: "On Sat and Sun 6 & 7th Feb Myself, Dave and Allan took part in the Pilgrim Challenge North downs way multi-stage Ultra.

This was a multi-stage race along the north downs track way, the oldest trade route in England and the route used by Pilgrims for Winchester, Canterbury and Dover, hence the name. On this occasion we were only following the route from Farnham to Merstham - 33 miles then back the following day (well some of us were only doing one way)

Dave and I decided we would run one way only as we had run a marathon the week before and have one next week - Allan however decided to run both days.

The event was very well organised by a company called xnrg who organise various ultra/extreme events. There were three start times 8am for walkers, 9am for runners and 10am for elite runners, Allan and I started at 9am, Dave started at 10am. The directions were easy - well should have been! Basically we had to follow the North downs way all the way from the start at Farnham to the finish at Merstham sounds easy eh!
Why did I still get lost? For extra training maybe?
I lost a north downs way sign at one point and continued ahead as the organiser said in the briefing if in doubt go straight so I did and ended up by the lime kiln and the Brookham quarry with paths in every direction - so I decided to re-track my steps until I found a north downs sign. Unfortunately this added on an extra three miles and lots of wasted time.
Dave had a good run, even starting an hour behind me he still came past me and I was walking at the time - good excuse though as I was going up the steps on Boxhill, The course was pretty tough generally and very muddy, but also very very scenic. As I was running along I thought about the guys returning to run this in reverse the next day, glad I wasnt!!!
We also had to carry quite a lot of kit which became quite heavy as the miles passed. Never mind although was hard was well worth it, checkpoints were well stocked which cheese, mini sausages, sandwiches, cake, pretzels etc and at the finish there was tea/coffee and cakes lovely.

Finishing times were Dave 5 hours 5 min
Mel 7 Hours 7 mins
Allan first day 5 hours 36 and second day not sure

Well done to Allan for completing the two days he finished 4th Male Vet and 10th Overall."

Sat 6 Feb

Men's Surrey League XC - Fixture 4 - Wimbledon Common

Results Index   Provisional Results

Sat 6 Feb

Ladies Surrey League XC - Fixture 4 - Wimbledon Common

Results Index   Provisional Results

The team was 20th of 38 on the day.

Sat 6 Feb

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 6 Feb

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 31 Jan

The Perch

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 30 Jan

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 30 Jan

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 24 Jan

Winter Tanners

Results Index  Full Results

On Sunday 24th January, eight Collingwood members ran the rescheduled Winter Tanners 30 mile Ultra event and one member run-walked the 20 mile alternative, starting from Leatherhead and running through the Surrey countryside.

Sat 23 Jan

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 23 Jan

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Dominic on a pb in his 10th parkrun, and to Ruth on a cb.

Sun 17 Jan

Fairlands Valley Winter Challenge Marathon

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 17/01/10 I was the only representative from Collingwood AC who travelled to Stevenage for the Fairlands Valley Winter Challenge Marathon. The route was exactly the same as the Summer Fairlands Challenge and we were given the same route description. The differences were only 100 Marathon Club members were allowed to enter and there was only one checkpoint just before the half way route.

The snow had thawed but this meant that much of the course was very muddy in places and it also meant that runners had to run through knee deep ice cold water to get past certain points.

I had a fairly good run and finished my 101st marathon in 4th place and a time of 4 hours 18 minutes and 14 seconds."

Sat 16 Jan

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

The Banstead regulars were back at Roundshaw again as Banstead was still too icy to run. Well done to Shaun on a course best, and Kate on a pb by 34s, despite the muddy conditions.

Sat 9 Jan

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 9 Jan

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Congratulations to Shaun on his win.

Sat 2 Jan

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Richard and Dominic on new bests.

Sat 2 Jan

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Fri 1 Jan

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Fri 1 Jan

Zurich NeuJahrs Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Allan reports on his 100th marathon - (congratulations on the century Allan):

"It’s not every day something like this happens & so I wanted to celebrate my 100th Marathon in some sort of style. I had slowly but surely been working towards my target of 100 Marathons ever since I’d met a member of the 100 Club at my 2nd marathon in 2006, what a long time ago that now seems. As I said, I’d been working slowly but surely towards my ultimate goal of the 100 Marathons until I’d reached 52 & then I just seemed to gather momentum & accelerated the frequency I was doing them. I finished 2008 on 52 Marathons & 2009 on 99!

Whilst I was in the planning stage for my 100th I realised that it would probably land sometime around February/March time & that there weren’t any races around then that I wanted to have as my centenary. So without a definite date or a plan as such I looked around for alternatives, I remembered a friend of mine had done a Marathon at New Year a couple of years ago & he’d enjoyed it, even coming in as the first Briton to finish. I emailed him for the details & said that I may be making this race my 100th. He emailed back & said that it would be a great idea to do it as it was a great race. In the new decade
“Fantastic” I thought, “What better way of seeing in the new decade, than by running my 100th Marathon”. I emailed all my friends & told them of my plans but as it was New Year most of them had family commitments but the ones who could make it said they’d be there.
This was now September & I still had about 18 marathons to do to ensure that I’d get there. By careful planning & a lot of jiggery-pokery I managed to get them done & was all set for Zurich.

The big day arrived 31/12/09 & I was in Zurich Switzerland ready for my race, a few of us met up in the coffee house at Zurich main train station before heading over to Schlieren for the start of the race. As you can guess, with a title of New Years Marathon the race started bang on midnight with an enthusiastic countdown in German for the start of the race & of course the start of the New Year. 3, 2, 1 the starting pistol fired & everybody cheered as we set off into the night surrounded by an amazing display of fireworks which quickly took away any night vision you may have had. I quickly settled into a fast pace as I had set myself a couple of targets for this event, all of my planning & race strategy quickly disappeared when I found myself on the course proper. Although it was New Year in Zurich the weather was remarkably mild & warm with a full moon as well, but there was a fog around the course, which made visibility a bit poor. Added to the fog was the smoke from all of the fireworks & if anybody’s been to Switzerland they’ll know that the Swiss do like an explosion or two!

The course was made up of, as the organisers describe it, 5% Asphalt & 95% Trail, what they don’t tell you about are the tree stumps, gravestones, drain covers & the ten foot drop into the river by the edge of the path by the point where the fog was the thickest. I wore a head torch during the run but for most of the race it was pretty useless as the light was just reflecting back from the moisture in the air & blinding you so in the end it was a choice of being blinded by the light or being blind in the dark (Rock & Hard Place, spring to mind).

As it was a lap course there were only 2 drink stations on either side of the river which we had to cross twice per lap & at each of them we were given hot wasser (water) or hot iso which was a very funny tasting isotonic drink, it may sound a bit funny but hot water on a cold night is actually quite nice, apart from when near the end I came into the drinks station on my own with my head torch turned off & gave the marshals a shock & they practically threw boiling water over me in their haste to get me some, that was a bit hot. Took a hot iso from them along with a couple of bite size banana chunks & carried on. Thankfully apart from this near boiling & a couple of small ankle turns I had a relatively incident free race although I did slow up considerably in the last mile as the race had taken a hell of a lot out of me. Finished the race in 3hrs 22mins 3secs.

I went to Zurich with three intentions, of which I achieved two:
1st was to finish the marathon & get my 100 Club Medal. Done
2nd was to finish as the fastest Briton. Done
3rd was to actually win the Marathon. Didn't happen
Roger Biggs, the Chairman of the 100 Marathon Club was there to present me with my 100 Club Medal, although the start of my speech did shock him a little bit because I swore when I tried to stand up & my legs gave way beneath me.

I received a jar of honey for becoming the fastest Briton, again though my legs failed me & I had to get a young lady to help me onto the podium to receive my award & say a few words to the crowd, who did cheer when the announcer told them I was celebrating my 100th Marathon that night.

Many thanks to my friends who made the trip to the race & to help me celebrate my 100th Marathon, you made a special night more magical for me."

Sat 26 Dec

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 26 Dec

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 25 Dec

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 19 Dec

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 19 Dec

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 13 Dec

Winter in Wheathampstead Marathon

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 13/12/09 I was the only member representing Collingwood AC in the Winter in Wheathampstead Marathon, a marathon organised by the 100 Marathon Club for runners who had completed 50 marathons or more. This was my 99th marathon and the last of the year.

The marathon consisted of 3 different loops of 10 miles, 8.3 miles and 8 miles and we had to follow written instructions around the Bedfordshire countryside. Fortunately although it was cold, it remained dry throughout the race. The recent rain did make the ground somewhat muddy in places. I ran with a group of 3 other runners and we added in a few detours to make a total distance of 27.5 miles. This was not too bad considering even the 100 Marathon Club President did longer than this!

All four of us managed to be the first runners back in a time of 4 hours 35 minutes."

Sat 12 Dec

Ladies' Surrey League XC - Div 2- Fixture 3 - Richmond Park

Results Index  Full Results  Tables

Sat 12 Dec

Men's Surrey League XC - Div 4 - Fixture 3 - Lloyd Park

Results Index

Unofficial times

Sat 12 Dec

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Shaun on a new pb.

Sat 12 Dec

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 5 Dec

Endurance Life - Gower Coastal Marathon - 27.4 Miles

Results Index  Full Results

Allan reports: "On Saturday I took part in the Endurance Life Gower Coastal marathon. Part of a series of seven races around the coastlines of South Wales & England, The Gower starts & finishes in Llangennith just to the west of Swansea. Being born & bred in Swansea it’s an event that I couldn’t miss. It takes in the beautiful Welsh beaches of Oxwich bay, Port Eynon & Rhossili Bay, although it does miss out the one I think is the nicest which is Caswell Bay. Running around these beaches brought back plenty of memories from my childhood & I was amazed at how much of the place I still recognised.

Starting in the wind & rain at 9am the conditions seriously deteriorated over the next two hours until it was blowing a gale & absolutely tipping it down with rain. Obviously being a coastal path I had no concerns about the mud as the water would quickly drain away, how wrong was I!!! I’ve very rarely run in such bad conditions, the water was running down the hill paths like they were streams, the wind was constantly in your face & the mud was 6 inches deep!!! I managed to keep my footing for most of the way round but did trip over a tree root at about 10 miles & hurt my shoulder when I landed.

Kept upright for the rest of the race until the last hill when I slipped & landed on my bum, then went on my back & ended up careering down the side of the hill at about 80mph for 200 yards, I went flying over rocks, stones & bushes eventually hitting the biggest rock there which luckily (??) stopped me from going any further. I was pretty frightened by this but the bloke who was next to me seemed more scared than I was, he came flying down to me to ask how I was. After I checked myself over I just replied that I was ok but just a little embarrassed by what had happened. He replied that he thought I’d bloody killed myself & I had to agree with him as I thought I was a gonna at one point.

Carried on going down the hill & fell over once more but only slid about 5 yards that time. I was pretty shaken up by the experience but managed to get to the finish without any further incident. Told the race organiser at the finish what had happened & said he might want to put some safety ropes out on the course as it was getting very dangerous. He didn’t & I found out later that my mate David slipped down the hill in exactly the same place as myself but luckily for him he only went about 30 yards or so.

For my efforts in my 98th Marathon I received a technical t-shirt & a dog tag to say I’d finished the race. After the race I then had a 4.5hr drive to Arundel for my 99th Marathon the following day."

Sat 5 Dec

The Pirie

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 5 Dec

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 5 Dec

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 29 Nov

Gatliff 50k

Results Index

Mel reports: "Not much to say about this one!

Horrendous conditions, not very nice course to navigate yourself round, thunder and lighting, very heavy rain at the start, wading through thigh deep water (that was in the fields) then Dave's bag went missing at the end - with the car key in. Luckily our knight in shining armour Allan Rumbles came to the rescue, so less said about it the better.

I know that Dave and I certainly won't be doing it again. At least the Collingwood trio finished as apparently most of the 25 or so Serpentine Runners pulled out at half way, London softies eh!!!

Finishing times Mel and Dave 7 hours 7 mins, Allan set off later but still finished in 7 hours 8 mins."

Sat 28 Nov

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 28 Nov

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 21 Nov

Wisley Common 10k

Results Index

Chris reports: "Paul and I did the 10k at Wisley Common today. It was a tough old run with plenty of climbs and severe weather. We had torrential rain and a heavy hail storm which made an already wet course even wetter: quite enjoyed it though. Paul did 50:05 mins and I did 56:22."

Sat 21 Nov

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Gill on a new pb by 24s.

Sat 21 Nov

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 14 Nov

Men's Surrey League XC - Fixture 2 - Lloyd Park

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 14 Nov

Ladies Surrey League XC - Fixture 2 - Denbies Vineyard

Results Index  Full Results  Tables

Results amended 27/11/09.

Collingwood was 24th of 38 on the day, and is 22nd of 42 after 2 fixtures.

Sat 14 Nov

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 14 Nov

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 8 Nov

Steppingley Step

Results Index

Andy reports: “Steve Cooney, Allan Rumbles, Andy Stalley, Doug White and Rob Wilson ran around the gently undulating, but quite muddy 9th Steppingley Step marathon challenge event from Barton Le Clay in Bedfordshire organized by the Beds, Bucks and Northants group of the LDWA.

This was another excellent value LDWA, which cost just £4.75 in advance for Collingwood Members and £6.00 on-the-day. There was tea and coffee, with biscuits before the start. There were four checkpoints with a range of cakes, sweets and biscuits, most had tea and coffee as well. Hot drinks at the finish with quiche, new potatoes, peas and carrots, with pies and custard. All received certificates for their running.

Steve ran with Andy maintaining a steady pace throughout. Andy’s recent lack of training showed and he struggled in the last few miles, but received strong support and encouragement from Steve. The pair finished together in 4 hours and 29 minutes, 72 minutes quicker than last year. Allan was running a steady pace with other 100 Marathon Club members, to finish 4 minutes behind the others, 68 minutes quicker than last year.

The event itself was run in cool conditions, but after some recent rain, included many wet and very muddy sections. These included a few heavy clay fields, during which trainers became heavier and heavier as they collected more and more clay.

Rob Wilson and Doug White also took part, but we have no details of their run, but they were seen eating at one of the checkpoints on route.”

Doug reports: "Rob and I arrived nice and early to find the Village Hall not yet open and waited patiently in the rain (well, in the car, in the rain.) till 7:30 and then registered, receiving our check point cards. Soon after setting off my relatively clean XC trainers were covered in cloying clay adding pounds to every step (free weight training) but at least the rain had abated to be replaced by a chill breeze. Thanks to the L.D.W.A. for the checkpoints being plentifully supplied with such a splendid array of energy giving comestibles and drinks. My particular favourites were the Penguins at checkpoint 3 where we were joined by Andy and Steve. The rest of the run was fairly uneventful till about mile 23 when the heavens opened, which enabled us to run just over 3 miles in real XC conditions. And finally back to the Village Hall which I had left 7hrs and 46mins earlier. Then home at the end of a delightful day."

Sat 7 Nov

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Nicola - 1st lady in her first run at Roundshaw - and Bob on a course best.

Sat 7 Nov

Dorset Coastal Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Mel reports: "On Saturday Dave and I took part in the 1st of the Endurance life coastal series of 7 marathons on various coastal routes, Having done a few of these last year and Dave coming 2nd overall for the whole series we used his prize money to enter this one. We thought we would see how it went before entering any of the others.

We travelled down Friday afternoon with the aim of missing the traffic, but it was a nightmare journey, what with the weather and traffic we didn't arrive until after half seven. I suddenly had a thought oh no I didn't pack my running tights or shorts, what will I do, Dave said don't worry I have a few pairs you can borrow mine - so I did.

Race day we made our way to Charmouth to register and attend the race brief. Then all marathon runners had to join a procession and walk to the start, There were 2 separate challenges made by the Endurance life team:
1. To pick up as much litter as you could along the beach stretch
2. At the end of the beach stretch cross the river instead of taking the bridge.

The course started at the bottom of a very steep grassy hill and followed the Jurassic coast along predominantly clay and grassy trails also known as a UNESCO world heritage site(the only one in the uk).

The course overview stated that it was a trail runners paradise! offering breathtaking views, demanding cliffs and additive exposure to the elements. Well that's not how I would decribe it!! The course undoubtedly was very scenic and did indeed boast breathtaking views, however to see these we had to run up the highest peak in South England known as Golden Cap which rose 191M above sea level. This was no paradise but extremely difficult to run in places, forcing most to walk, even down hills which were so muddy and steep. I only managed to fall over once though, splat on my bum. Eventually I reached the stretch on the shingle beach. This again was very difficult to run, I walked and ran along looking for litter, didn't find any! all the faster people must have picked it up. On reaching the end of the beach I came up to the river before I realised to get the the bridge you had to turn right, I looked over and thought it was quicker just to cross the river so I did, it wasn't very deep but quite fast flowing, then finished the remaining 3/4 mile in very dirty, soggy trainers.

My finish time was 6hours 12mins and Dave managed to take a detour adding on extra mileage and losing his 4th place and lots of extra energy to finish in 4hours 32. The winning time was just under 4 hours so that indicates how hard this race was, and dare I say it but we both thought it was harder than The Picnic.

We probably won't do any more of the series as it costs £50 to enter, and you now have to pay for tea/coffee and your meal afterwards which used to be included. It seems these endurance life races are getting more expensive every year but you get less for it, and the courses also get harder.

Never mind we stayed the Sat evening in a lovely bed and breakfast and spent Sunday in Lyme Regis which was very nice.

Sat 7 Nov

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Kate and Ray on new PBs.

Sat 31 Oct

Blackwater Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Steve reports: "On 31/10/09, Allan Rumbles and Steve Cooney travelled to Purleigh just outside Chelmsford for the Blackwater Marathon. Surprisingly, this was the first time either runner had entered this marathon despite completing 188 marathons between them.

The marathon was a 27.2 mile run through the Essex countryside following written directions. The torrential rain in the morning made the conditions that much tougher, especially running through churned up fields which meant that the mud stuck to their feet making them feel twice as heavy.

Steve Cooney completed his 96th marathon in 4 hours 24 minutes. Allan Rumbles, who plans on another ultra marathon on 01/11/09, finished in 4 hours 46 minutes."

Sat 31 Oct

East Surrey League Fixture 1 - Lloyd Park XC

Results Index  Full Results

Presentations were made at the event for last season's winners. Well done to Nicola who won an award for 1= Senior Lady.

Collingwood teams were 16th and 29th of 33 in today's fixture.

Sat 31 Oct

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 31 Oct

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 25 Oct

Greensand Marathon

Results Index

Mel reports: "On Sunday the 25th, three members of Collingwood (Mel Johnstone, Dave Ross and Allan Rumbles) who had run the Beachy Head Marathon the previous day turned out again this time to run the first ever Greensand marathon. We didn't know what to expect but were quite nervous as it was organised by Dr Rob who organises the Picnic and on the instructions it mentioned lots of hills with an ascent and decent of 5200ft..

The start was in a field close by The Priory school in Dorking. Dr Rob had all the runners gathered there 5 mins before to sing Jerusalem - what a wonderful sound. I hoped that everyone could run better than they could sing!!!

The course was absolutely beautiful and very well marked. We started on a hill, what a surprise and ran through woods, country trails leading up to Leith Hill, this first part was hard as there was a cut-off of 1 hour 20mins. Tt was 6.5 miles but seemed to be all uphill. After reaching Leith Hill we continued up to Somerset Hill, onto Holmbury hill, Pitch Hill, Reyards hill and then Winterfold hill. Then we had to do all that in reverse to return to the finish in Dorking. You could see the faster runners on their way back, just as I was about to go through a gate I saw this mad man hareing down the hill saying be careful it's very steep there, - it was Allan. He had a very good run to finish 8th in 3 hours 54 and well on target for his sub-12 hours for the treble.

Dave decided to take it easy and run with me all the way round. I was finding it quite hard on the hills of which there were a lot! And they seemed to be getting bigger as the course went on!! Then after a really nice gradual down hill towards the end we turned the corner out of the woods to see the finish. We sprinted to make it in 4 hour 59mins.

A very good marathon overall - received a medal, wicking t-shirt (not fluorescent yellow like The Picnic) a ruck-sack in fluorescent green and a breakfast, with orange juice, tea and coffee.

I would definitely recommend running this one and will be doing it again."

Sat 24 Oct

Beachy Head Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Steve reports: "On 24/10/09, 7 Collingwood members participated in Britain's biggest off road marathon, the Beachy Head Marathon. Entries for the 1750 places sold out months ago.

The previous night's rain and constant drizzle throughout the race meant that the conditions were extremely slippery in places, especially on many of the downhill sections. A strong wind also made the race tougher than the last couple of years.

Steve Cooney started well behind all the others except Rob Wilson. Over the first 7 miles Steve overtook Mel Johnstone, Bill Walsh and then Andy Stalley. Bill found running in road trainers rather tough and on 2 occasions he ended up not being able to turn the corner and ended up in a ditch!

Steve eventually caught Allan Rumbles and finally Dave Ross at about 22 miles then disappeared into the mist. Dave was running with a cold and also, like Allan planning on finishing the Greensands Marathon on Sunday.

The visibility was down to about 50 yards with a mile to go. Steve was ahead of a group of about 8 runners and unfortunately led them the wrong way adding on an extra half a mile onto the race before rejoining the correct route. Because of the detour both Allan and Dave had both, unbeknown to them, gone ahead of Steve. On the steps about 100 yards before the finish Steve saw Dave suffering from cramp and being helped by a marshall. Steve passed him and finished in 53rd place in a time of 3 hours 54 minutes. A confused Allan was at the finish trying to work out how he got ahead. Allan finished just a minute before in 50th place and a time of 3 hour 53 minutes. Dave was able to finish a minute behind in 3 hour 55 minutes.

It was another close race between the next 2 Collingwod runners with Andy just edging Bill by a minute. Andy finished in 4 hours 15 minutes with Bill finishing in 159th place. This was Bill's 10th marathon and he plans on joining the rest of the Collingwood Marathon Club in many more marathons next year. Mel also got lost in the mist and finished in 4 hours 49 minutes. Rob's time is not known at present."

Rob found similar poor conditions on Beachy Head and considered retiring at that point as many others were doing. He persevered though to complete his 361st marathon.

Sat 24 Oct

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Kate on another PB, by 12s.

Sat 24 Oct

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 18 Oct

Founders Challenge

Results Index  Full Results

A challenging, hilly, self-navigation trail marathon from Peaslake near Guildford around the Surrey Hills.

Sat 17 Oct

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Kate for a pb by 39s.

Sat 17 Oct

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 10 Oct

Surrey Men's League XC - Cranford Park

Results Index  Full Results  Div 3 & 4 Tables

Collingwood finished in 7th of 10, 1 point behind 6th.

Sat 10 Oct

Surrey Ladies League XC - Reigate Priory Pk

Results Index  Full Results

One short of a full team. Collingwood was 21st of 37 teams. Well done to Wendy who despite arriving a little late for the start due to parking problems still managed to catch up and work her way through the field a bit.

Sat 10 Oct

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 10 Oct

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 4 Oct

Flower of Suffolk Marathon

Results Index

“I ran the Flower of Suffolk Marathon today, starting in Walberswick, on the Suffolk coast, level with Diss. It is a pity that this event is 136 miles from home, because this is another really good LDWA Challenge event and one that I will return to next year.

The event was organised by the Norfolk & Suffolk LDWA and was the third event in the Tri-Anglian Challenge, with the Daffodil Dawdle (March 2009) and the Poppyline (June 2009). Many of the usual 100 Marathon Club runners were in force and the Village Hall was full of club vests before the start.

This was a really flat course, following an estuary and rivers; going through forests, reed beds, moorland, fields and a few nice villages. The local farmers seemed to have a competition to see who could stack their hay bales in the tallest and most artistic way. Cold at the start, but under a cloudless sky and bright sun.

There were four excellent checkpoints, with a good selection of cakes, biscuits, fruit, sandwiches and rice pudding with jelly and fruit cocktail.

In the end instead of the official 26.6 mile distance, I managed 28.2 miles; thanks to a tricky route narrative; which caused me and many of the field problems. I missed a turning when I did not see a line of pine trees in a pine forest. My biggest problem was where the narrative said, ‘bear left on indistinct path’, which translated to, ‘turn right on large path’; how did I not see that? My detours cost me about 30 minutes in lost time. Add to that, I had a generally poor run, but finished in a official time of 4 hours and 21 minutes.

I may have been 2nd, but probably 5th. However, I was 3rd in the times after two events, but the first two runners did not run today, so I may have been 1st overall.

Certificate awarded at the finish, with a hot meal and drink and a fantastic selection of puddings; the homemade red cherry cheesecake was worth the trip alone. All of this for the silly price of £5.”

Sun 4 Oct

Clarendon Way Marathon

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 04/10/09, Collingwood members Allan Rumbles and Steve Cooney were back in action once again in their quest to reach the magic 100 Marathons. Both plan on reaching their Centuries in the first week of January 2010.

This time they took part in the Clarendon Way Marathon which started in Salisbury in Wiltshire and runs along the historic Clarendon Way to Winchester in Hampshire. There was also a half marathon which started in Broughton 1 hour 45 minutes after the full marathon.

The marathon route passed through some stunning countryside along the mostly off-road course. According to the organisers, the marathon was "tough and challenging but one of the most scenic races you'll ever enter".

Allan went off at a fast pace and Steve took it steady for the first half, which he completed in 1 hour 53 minutes. He eventually caught Allan at about mile 19 and helped by the half marathon runners around him, managed to complete the second half in 1 hour 52 minutes. This gave him a finishing time of 3 hours 45 minutes for his 92nd marathon. This was also a course best by 3 minutes. Allan's legs felt the numerous marathons he has done recently and he finished his 87th marathon in a time of 3 hours 58 minutes. This was still a course best by 12 minutes for Allan."

Sat 3 Oct

Gibb 5

Results Index

Collingwood won the prize for first visiting team, assisted slightly by being the only visiting team.

Sat 3 Oct

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Kate on a pb.

Sat 3 Oct

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Alex on a pb by 1:33.

Sun 27 Sep

New Forest Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Steve reports: "On 27/09/09, 6 Collingwood Runners took part in the New Forest Marathon. The marathon is now classified as a multi-terrain marathon instead of a road marathon due to much more of it being in the New Forest National Park itself.

The race started in bright sunshine and warmed up during the morning. The scenery was definitely better than the old course. There were hundreds of horses and ponies near the course and they did not seem that bothered by the sight of thousands of marathon and half marathon runners passing them. They just carried on grazing as if it was a normal Sunday morning for them.

Dave Ross had another great run and finished in 3 hours 4 minutes 39 seconds. This was good enough for 12th place and 2nd MV40. Bill Walsh had a fast start and Steve Cooney took it steady for the first 3 miles before upping the pace. Steve did not catch Bill until mile 25 and then had a storming finish overtaking a number of runners in the last mile. Steve finished in 69th place in 3 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds with Bill finishing in 76th place in 3 hours 32 minutes 55 seconds. This was a massive pb by 10 minutes for Bill who had every right to be very pleased with himself. Allan Rumbles was not that far behind Bill and came home in 86th place in 3 hours 35 minutes 31 seconds. Mel Johnstone was only 15 minutes behind Allan and was 173rd in 3 hours 50 minutes 37 seconds. This was a course best for Mel by 22 minutes. Annette Helliwell was the next runner in 444th place and a time of 4 hours 51 minutes 15 seconds. 514 finished from 864 entrants.

The Collingwood Male team finished in 4th place overall which was impressive. However due to an admin error, Allan was listed as an unattached runner so if the organisers entered him as a Collingwood runner then they would have got 2nd Male Team place."

Sun 27 Sep

Switchback 5

Results Index

Sun 27 Sep

JW Ultra 30

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 27 Sep

JW Ultra 30 Mile Relay

Results Index  Full Results

The team were 14th of 25 overall, and 3rd ladies team.

Sat 26 Sep

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 26 Sep

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 20 Sep

Green Chain Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

Steve reports: "On 20/09/09 I took part in the second Green Chain Marathon which was run over a 27 mile scenic multi-terrain course, and on a well sign posted course of the Green Chain paths around the South East London area.

The course started in Avery Park and followed the Green Chain paths to the River Thames at Thamesmead then onto Erith, Plumstead Common, Mottingham, Chislehurst and then back to Avery Park. Historic sites included the Lesnes Ruins in Abbey Wood, The Crossness Engine pump and Eltham Palace.

A route narrative was also supplied so the course was fairly easy to follow although some runners went the wrong way when a sign was moved to face the wrong direction.

I completed the 27 miler (my 90th marathon) in a time of 3 hours 54 minutes 14 seconds and was well inside the top 10.

The £15 entry fee included unlimited water, squash, biscuits and jelly babies at the 7 check points as well as a good quality medal, tee shirt and baseball cap.

My next marathon is on Sunday where a number of Collingwood's marathon runners will compete against a similar number of runners from Sutton Runners at the New Forest Marathon to help celebrate Jim Mundy's 200th marathon."

Sun 20 Sep

London To Brighton

Results Index

Allan reports: "Marathon no 84 in the bag. 58 miles cross-country. I'm ******** knackered. Only one diversion of a mile or so near the end. The course is about 70% different this year."

Sat 19 Sep

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Andy on yet another CB, and to Kate on her first run for the club.

Sat 12 Sep

Lea Valley Three2Go Trail Marathon

Results Index  Full Results

On Saturday 12th Sep three Collingwood members ran a very warm Lea Valley Three2Go Trail Marathon - starting in Ware in Hertfordshire and
finishing at Hackney Marsh. Richard Fox finished 30th in 3:49:45, Bill Walsh came in 34th in 3:52:12 and in 123rd was Doug White in 6:16:15. (126 ran).

Doug reports: "Using my new SatNav I arrived bright and early at the start in Hackney Marsh and met Richard and Bill in the car park before we set off by coach for the start in Ware. After registration there was a bit of standing around waiting for the start during which time I remember saying to Bill that I quite liked running in the heat. I was to regret this over the ensuing hours. What caused the conversation about the weather was the fact that even at 9:30 it was beginning to warm up - and continued to a very hot day. I began quite well taking care not to overdo anything after some small problem with my piriformis. Everything went well till about 18 miles when 8 miles seemed a long way off. However eventually the 40kms mark arrived and a complicated game of in and out the dusty bluebells began as several loops and u-turns inserted, by Hugh Jones, to make up the distance, rather detracted from a very enjoyable marathon.

P.S. I counted the first lap of the field as my warm-up"

Sat 12 Sep

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Keith on a new course best

Sat 12 Sep

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Janet and Wendy on massive new PBs, Wendy by 1:35 and Janet by 1:13.

Sun 6 Sep

Dry Hill 10

Results Index

Sat 5 Sep

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

4 runners, 4 course bests, including new member Alex. Well done to Bill (7s), Martin (55s), Alison (72s), and Alex (7s).

Sat 5 Sep

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Shaun (13s), Andy (2s), Ruth (5s), Gill (26s) and Janet (5s) on CBs/PBs.

Sun 31 Aug

Pathfinder Marathon

Results Index

Andy reports:

12th Pathfinder Marathon

“Five Collingwood members made their way to Conington in Cambridgeshire for the 12th Pathfinder Marathon, a scenic off-roader crossing many fields, a few woods and some lovely villages, with mostly a good set of route narrative instructions. One thatched cottage, by a stream and ford, was postcard perfect.

The event is named after the 2nd World War Pathfinder Squadrons which flew from airfields in the area and provided routes of 42km, 32km, 23km & 14km, for runners and walkers.

Steve Cooney, Allan Rumbles, Melanie Johnstone, Dave Ross and Andy Stalley started together in good overcast conditions around a gently undulating course with no real hills to speak of. The sun rarely appeared and the temperature luckily never reached the forecast 26 degrees.

Steve and Andy were returning after finishing joint 1st last year; Allan was using the event as a test after injury; and Dave’s job was to escort Mel around to safely complete her 99th marathon.

Steve and Andy soon moved ahead in a lead group of five. After ten miles, the group had split with Mark from Sheffield and Dave from Cambridge in the lead, then David Thompson from the 100 Marathon Club, followed by Andy and then Steve. The two leaders took a slight detour to emerge behind Andy and David. The four then worked well together for many miles. Unfortunately Steve had problems in the same wood and lost time, but gained a third of a mile in extra distance.

David was dropped after 17 miles, leaving Andy to run in the lead group of three back to the event HQ, in the village field, to finish in joint 1st for the 2nd year running. Andy’s time was 32 minutes quicker than last year in 3 hours and 35 minutes with a PB for this type of event by 16 minutes.

David finished 4th just 20 metres ahead of Steve and Lisa Barry, another 100 Marathon Club member, in joint 5th. Steve was also 18 minutes inside his time for last year and also had a PB for this type of event by 3 minutes, in a time of 3 hours and 49 minutes.

Allan, Dave and Mel stayed together finishing in 4 hours and 39 minutes. A relieved Mel had safely completed her 99th marathon ("I felt ok and ran ok, knocked 37mins off last years time too") and now has a week off before her big day in Scotland at the Moray Marathon, her home event.

Medals, mugs and a cloth patch were all available at the finish, along with cheap teas & coffees; and very tasty bacon rolls.”

Sat 29 Aug

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Bob on a new course best.

Sat 29 Aug

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Andy on a new course best.

Sun 23 Aug

Dorset Doddle

Results Index

Dave reports: "Mel and Dave travelled down on Saturday to do the Dorset Doddle today.We got to our Hotel called the Junction in the late afternoon. When we checked in we were told by the barman, another Saffer that there would be a Disco from 9pm until 1am, I thought yes I am up for that but having looked around the pub we realised we might not fit on the dance floor as the locals were gigantic ! The pub was part of the hotel so after our wee walk through Dorchester we popped back for a sumptuous meal, fish and chips for me and fruit crumble, Mel had liver and bacon with sticky toffee pudding, no alcohol after getting a bit blotto on Friday at our engagement meal which was great.

I stayed up until midnight watching the moto X finals live from Battersea Park while Mel caught up on her beauty sleep. We set the alarm for 5am as we had to drive to Swanage, the finish, in order to get the bus from there to the start back in Weymouth. The latest bus left at 7.30am,we arrived with plenty of time but as we were getting on the bus Dave Lewis from the 100 club said they weren't taking bags back to the start so we raced back to the car to dump our stuff and just managed to get the last bus whew.......!

The race started at 9am from the clock tower in Weymouth. Weather conditions were sunny and slightly windy. I ran with Paul in joint 1st place for about the first 6 miles then was joined by the European 100km champion a lady called Heather Fairling. We maintained a steady pace for virtually the rest of the ultra continually switching between 2nd and 3rd places.

We finally caught the then 1st placed man at the final checkpoint, though as we left slightly behind him and missed a turn about 2 miles from the end we couldn't quite catch him. He finished 2mins ahead. There was a fairly steep hill at the end which I ran up strongly to come in in 2nd place with Heather quite close behind. Mel had a very solid run maintained a steady pace but felt quite hungry towards the end of the race so she resorted to picking blackberries to stave off her hunger.

Unfortunately apart from cold orange and blackcurrant cordial at watering stations of which there were only 5, there wasn't much to eat and when Mel got to them there was no food left i.e. Flapjacks and biscuits. I fortunately had one biscuit and one Flapjack and half a piece of cake. I will be feeding Mel up tonight with a 5 course meal. The drive home was a nightmare, we went to get the ferry back across from Studland bay but the traffic queue was horrendous so we backtracked and went via Wareham instead only to get stuck there too. The Satnav said that it would be about 10pm by the time we got home.

Anyway we both enjoyed the race thoroughly, final times were Dave 5.28 2nd place and Mel 7.29.We might go back next year but if anyone does it, do stay Sunday night and have a day off on Monday, it's lovely scenery. We got a chicken and mushroom pie a salad and baked beans washed down with tea or coffee and rice pudding and fruit salad
The cost of the race including the bus to the start was £12 quid what a bargain !

Mel & I would like to say a heartfelt thanks you all for such a lovely evening on Friday night too, it meant a lot to us."

Sat 22 Aug

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Annette on a new pb.

Sat 22 Aug

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 15 Aug

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

89 ran. Well done on course bests for Richard, Keith, Andrew and Martin.

Sun 9 Aug

54321 Marathon/30k/20k

Results Index  Marathon Results  30k Results  20k Results

Steve reports: "On 09/08/09, Collingwood members travelled to Salisbury in Wiltshire to participate in the 54321 Marathon, 30k and 20k runs.

The trio of Dave Ross, Andy Stalley and Steve Cooney entered the marathon, Nicky Stevenson entered the 30k run as part of training for the Moray Marathon next month and Mel Johnstone changed her entry from the marathon to the 20k run since she was recovering from her recent swine flu illness.

The marathon took in 5 rivers, 4 large hills, 3 country estates, 2 castles and 1 cathedral. A variety of other sites of historical interest were also on the route. Amongst them was a large yew forest dating back over 900 years when the Normans planted the trees in the 11th century.

Dave finished in 6th place in a time of 3 hours 28 minutes. Andy was close behind and finished in 10th place in 3 hours 33 minutes. This was a course best by 11 minutes. Steve was next in 23rd place and a time of 3 hours 46 minutes. This was also a course best but by 9 minutes.

Despite the course being signposted, Nicky took a wrong turning and was helped back onto the correct route by a friendly local (who apparently spoke with an American/Canadian accent). She still managed to finish the 30km run in 33rd place in 2 hours 51 minutes.

Mel finished her 20km run in a time of 2 hours 05 minutes in 67th place which was a good effort given the circumstances."

Sat 8 Aug

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Keith on a new cb, and Andrew by 46s, Callum a pb by 1:18, and Maja by 12s.

Sat 8 Aug

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Gill on another pb, by 2s. 151 ran.

Sat 1 Aug

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sat 1 Aug

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Gill on a new pb by 7s.

Thur 30 Jul

Near As Damn It 10k

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 26 Jul

Downland 5.5

Results Index

Sun 26 Jul

Downland 30

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 26/07/09 while Mel Johnstone and new fiance Dave Ross were relaxing in the Swiss Alps after their marathon there yesterday, Andy Stalley, Allan Rumbles and Steve Cooney took the somewhat shorter journey to Clayton in West Sussex for the Downland Challenge 30 mile Ultra marathon. It started near the bottom of the infamous Ditchling Beacon and soon after, the runners had to climb the massive hill.

Andy was aiming for a sub 4 hour 30 and was soon up with the leaders. After a time of 5 hours 12 last year, Steve was aiming for a sub 5 hour run and took it a bit steadier. Allan did a 52 miler last weekend instead of just the standard marathon that Andy and Steve did so he was feeling a bit more tired.

Andy had a great run and finished in 6th place in a time of 4 hours 23 minutes, well inside his Course Best time of 4 hours 46 minutes. He was helped along by a ewe and 2 lambs that had wandered from their field onto the narrow path and were Andy's pacemakers for a third of a mile. They were running for their lives since they probably thought Andy wanted them for his Sunday lunch! Steve was only 5 minutes behind and finished in 13th place in a time of 4 hour 28 minutes. This was another Course Best by 45 minutes. Allan's recent runs affected him and he finished in a time of 5 hours 17 minutes.

There was also a 5.5 mile Challenge that Gill Stalley entered. This tough run involved going up Ditchling Beacon twice and she finished in a fine time of 1 hour 07 minutes."

Sat 25 Jul

Davos K42

Results Index  Full Results   Photos Dave  Photos Mel   Engagement Pic

Dave reports: "Mel & Dave travelled to the beautiful Alpine village of Davos (Switzerland) on Thursday 23th and after the 3hr train journey from Zurich to Davos and wee bus ride (the last bus of the evening) managed to finally get to the lovely Alpine Guest house in Laret, just outside Davos town.

I had phoned ahead to let them know we’d be late and they kindly left us 2 bottles of Swiss beer, some freshly baked bread, cheese and ham which we devoured with gusto at our midnight feast. This was our second meal of the evening as we’d had some chicken wraps washed down with a bottle of Champagne whilst on the long train journey, much to the amusement of the local Swiss folk !

The following am, it was bright and sunny (perfect weather) for a trip to Jacobshorn the highest mountain in the area which I said to Mel would be a great spot for the views and nice walks along the myriad mountain paths. She quizzically wondered why I had spent ages packing my day pack so I said that I didn’t want to forget all the bits we needed for the day – weak excuse though !!

The ski lift taking us to the top was packed with tourists from seemingly the 4 corners of the globe. On arrival, after getting 2 cable car rides to get there, we walked around briefly admiring the picturesque views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains; it was breathtaking. I had to make an excuse so I said I had a dodgy tummy and that I might be a while in the W.C. Mel looked a bit worried as I scurried off. The kit bag was unpacked in the loo and I had a full kilt, sporran etc in there, which I donned and rushed out to the bench where Mel was left seated, still admiring the view. Onlookers looked on at me in complete amazement, and I even had to stop and pose for a picture. Mel was busy admiring the view when I suddenly appeared in my outfit, she put her hand over her eyes and just said “oh my goodness”……… I was in fits of laughter.

I led her down a mountain path and away from the tourists onlookers, then got down on one knee and popped the question, though perched precariously close to the edge of the cliff, fortunately she said “yes”.

We thought we’d celebrate with a wee libation at the Alpine restaurant and ordered some Champers which went down really well especially at that altitude, I then got changed as I was getting quite a few stares whilst sitting there still dressed in my kilt, much to Mel's amusement!

We made several phone calls to family to let them know our exciting news, and then dashed off shortly afterwards to register for the race at the Expo, as it was all set for the following day, Saturday. We bumped into Ian Sharman at the Expo, who was due to do his 100th marathon the K78 (which took me 10 hrs last year to do) though as Ian proved with a final time of 6.50 this was a walk in the park for him.

The race started in Bergun on Sat, which was a short train journey from Davos and fortunately Mel & I were able to enjoy a hearty breakfast as the race only started at 11.30am. As we were on the train, we went across a railway bridge, over which the 8am (Ultra) runners that were competing in the K78, were running. It was nice to be sitting on a comfortable train and watching the battle of the masses as they made their epic journey over a very tough and undulating course.

We eventually arrived in Bergun and had plenty of time, so I suggested that we have a nice coffee and do the pre-race ritual preparations in a quiet coffee bar whilst the masses milled around outside, chattering excitedly and cheering on the K78 racers. We stepped outside to make our way to the race start to drop off our kit bags, just in time to see Ian Sharman and the leading lady (at the time) Lizzy Walker cruising though the town up a very steep hill, almost effortlessly.

Having dumped our bags we made our way to the start, and watched in amusement as we saw an aerobic workout with music, being staged. Some of the runners had joined in though we thought better of this and conserved our energy ready for the race, whilst merely doing some gentle stretching………………

The klaxon sounded at 11.30am on the dot and the mass of humanity wound its way like an uncoiled snake, up the hill and on towards the outskirts of the town, we then looped back and through the streets of Bergun, whilst the crowds clapped and cheered us on.

The K42, lived up to all expectations in terms of the physical demands that we expected. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful but as the description of the race indicated there were climbs up to 1890 metres, making it the highest altitude marathon in Europe. We seemed to climb and climb at about 15kms, to the 20km mark, it was almost impossible to run this part of the course as the altitude and steepness of the terrain made conditions extremely hard. Having reached the snow line at one of the major checkpoints which was a large hut, we were offered small bits of bread, clear/salty soup, sports drinks and water, which really helped to replenish our depleted energy reserves. I found the 2L hydro-pack which I’d topped up with electrolyte replacement (Nuun) to be invaluable. Mel took hers too and this really helped, as the hill climbs took an exacting toll, and being well nourished helped delay the onslaught of glycogen depletion considerably, in fact I didn’t get any cramps at all.

On arrival at the stadium in Davos at the end of the race, I had a sprint finish with another runner who was 200 yards ahead of me with about 1 km to go, I managed to pip him to the post by a few yards and was very happy to have completed the course in under 4 ½ hrs. The music playing at the end made me laugh as it was appropriately “Highway to hell” by ACDC. I retrieved my bags and had a quick shower then made my way back to the finish to find Mel, though having hunted high and low, she could not be found. Finally whilst watching the presentation ceremony, in which Lizzy Hawker was given her 2nd place prize, I glanced over towards the track and saw Mel looking around trying to find me. She’d come in, in just over 6hrs and confessed that it was the hardest marathon she’d yet done!

We have decided we’ll definitely go back one day, though we have plans to conquer the “Jungfrau” next year, which Roger Biggs of the 100 Club says is a better and even more scenic race, hopefully some of you will join us. Switzerland is a magical place and it will always have a special place in our hearts !!

Carpe Diem and keep on running………………………….

Final Times were :

Mel’s time was 6.05.37 she came 153th overall and 29th in her age group.

Dave’s time was 4.28.47 I came 86th and 27th in my age group.

Sat 25 Jul

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done on a course best to Andrew and Annette.

Sat 25 Jul

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to the bros. A new pb for Steve by 5s and a first time sub 20 for Shaun, beating his pb by 17s.

Sun 19 Jul

Fairlands Valley Challenge

Results Index   Full Results

Andy reports: “Six Collingwood members took part in the Fairlands Valley Challenge, a 26.2 mile off-road route-narrative marathon starting and finishing in Stevenage. The organisers allowed multiple start times, so everyone set off at different times.

Rob and Tom set off early with the walkers, to be passed by the other members along the way.

Steve and Andy ran with a Sutton Runner, Steve Barber, who was running his first off-road marathon. All three finished strongly together in 3:53:24, a course best for Steve and Andy by 14 minutes. All three enjoyed the cake at the six aid points on route. Conditions were variable, no need for sun cream today; drizzle at the start and heavy rain at the finish.

Dave and Mel set off 30 minutes after Andy and Steve. Dave was home in 3:49 having run in a group with people familiar with the course and consistent with his pace.

Mel finished in 4:37 without worsening her injury. Tom and Rob were still out on the course when we left.

Fairlands Valley Spartans always provide an excellent BBQ at the finish, which was only dampened by the rain. Steve edged out in the post race food and drink competition. They tied on two quarter-pounders each, but Steve won by two teas to Andy’s single coffee.”

Sat 18 Jul

Roundshaw Downs 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

This was the first running of the Roundshaw Downs Parkrun, in beautiful sunshine, with 4 of Collingwood competing and 2 volunteering. Annette was running with her son Alex. Callum and Jessica Dunning were also running but Jessica retired with a sore arch, and young Callum decided on just the one lap. There were 46 finishers.

Sat 18 Jul

Banstead Woods 5k Parkrun

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 12 Jul

Andredsweald High Weald Challenge

Results Index

Steve reports: "On 12/07/09 5 Collingwood runners, from the 8 who completed the 30 mile Ultra Tanners Marathon the week earlier, took part in the Andredsweald High Weald Challenge. The start was in Forest Row, Sussex and the run involved following written instructions around the Kent and Sussex countrysides. There were just a couple of roads to cross but numerous stiles, fields, footbridges and kissing gates throughout the route. This run was just over the full marathon distance at 26.6 miles so the Collingwood quintet thought it would be quite a bit easier than last week.

However the heavy rain the night before and morning of the race meant that conditions were fairly tough. There were plenty of hills but unfortunately the downhills were extremely dangerous to run down at any kind of speed and they had to be negotiated very carefully.

Andy and Steve started at the front of the field and were eventually overtaken by just the one runner. They came joint second in a time of 4 hours 40 minutes. Mel was struggling with an injury and Dave, being the true gent, stayed with her to the end. Both finished in 5 hours 30 minutes. Allan also struggled a bit and finished in a time of 6 hours.

All 5 are back in action next Sunday at the Fairlands Challenge Marathon in Stevenage where Mel, Allan and Steve will take another small step in joining Dave and Andy as full members of the 100 Marathon Club."

Sat 11 Jul

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

Results Index  Full Results

Sun 5 Jul

Tanners Hatch Marathon

Results Index

Andy reports: “8 Collingwood members ran the Tanners Hatch Marathon starting and finishing at Leatherhead Football Club, covering a hilly 30 mile route around Surrey, including another visit to Box Hill. The route is a reverse of the Winter Tanners that was run in January.

Dave ran another steady run to be first back in 4:44. Steve dropped Andy after a couple of miles to disappear into the distance. Andy managed to catch Steve up at the fifth checkpoint with four miles to go. They then finished together in 4:56. The only event on route was Andy taking a tumble going down Box Hill, but he had a lucky landing in soft grass.

Allan and Mel ran separately. Rob, Tom and Doug started early with the walkers to be passed by the others.

This is the penultimate Tanners Hatch Marathon, with the last and 50th running in July 2010, which might be a 50-miler!”

Sat 4 Jul

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Shaun and Steve M on PBs, Shaun by 23s and Steve by 26s. Shaun was intending to get down to sub 20 by the winter but it looks like Christmas may come early for him.

Sun 28 Jun

Herts Hobble

Results Index

Andy reports: “Five of the regular Collingwood Marathon runners made their way to a very hot and sunny Hertfordshire on Sunday for the Herts Hobble. This was a 26 mile off-roader put on by the local LDWA. The course this year was a circular route taking in three checkpoints, all well stocked with cakes and biscuits, with much needed cold drinks. Quite a scenic and pleasant course going through woods, fields and farms, with just a few linking stretches of road.

Steve and Andy set off with another 100 Marathon Club member David Thompson to run towards the head of the field. They covered the gently undulating route without incident or going off route to finish together in 4 hours and 28 minutes, in joint second place out of 107 finishers. Andy was the steadier of the three, not running as comfortably as the others, but glad to be towed around the second half of the course.

Mel, Dave and Allan all finished together in 5 hours and 20 minutes, having run together at times and separately at times. They were all joint eleventh home.

Due to the number of fields that were crossed with high crops, along with overgrown paths lined with tall grass, thistles and nettles, all apart from Steve had allergic reactions on their legs, which were irritable and covered in pink blotches. The reactions were calmed with Allan dispensing anti-histamine tables.

A certificate, a ploughman’s lunch, along with strawberries and cream, were the rewards for all finishers. Despite the hot conditions, Steve tried for his personal best post race cups of tea, but halted at a mere six! Entry fee was only £4.50 for yet another excellent LDWA event.”

Sat 27 Jun

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Shaun on a new pb by 1s, working towards his winter goal of sub 20. Also, to Dominic by 4s and Janet by 1:16, both on their second run at the event.

Thur 25 Jun

Near As Damn It 10k

Results Index   Full Results

Tue 23 Jun

Horton Country Park Relay - 4 x 1.45 miles

Results Index  Individual Results  Team Results

A great turn-out with 4 Collingwood teams, all mixed, and refreshing to see 2 family teams - Team Stalley and Team Dunning. Well done to Alex, Stuart and Callum on their first outings for Collingwood.

The above links are to provisional official results.

Sat 20 Jun

The Picnic Marathon

Results Index   Full Results

Steve reports: "On 20/06/09 Andy Stalley and an impressive 5 other Collingwood Marathon Club runners completed "Britain's Hardest Marathon" on Box Hill in Surrey. The members included Bill Walsh, Melanie Johnstone, Dave Ross, Allan Rumbles and Steve Cooney. Andy chose this marathon as his 100th and did not want to forget his 100th so chose the most difficult marathon he could find. It included 16 ascents and 16 descents of Box Hill as well as several hills on the other side on Mickleham Downs. Hundreds of steps had to be climbed and the stepping stones negotiated several times to cross the river.

About 150 runners started this race and there were several who pulled out or did not finish within the 7 hour cut-off time. Andy, Mel, Allan and Steve had all completed this 2 years ago but it was new territory for Dave and Bill.

The marathon started at 2pm to make it that bit tougher and the half marathon started at 4pm. The marathon half way point was back at the start so the route had to be run twice. Dave joined the leading pack and Steve was not that far behind.

As Steve was finishing the first 13 miles (after exactly 2 hours) he saw hundreds of runners looking up at him hurtling down Box Hill. As he turned around and started running up Box Hill again the start of the half marathon was called and a few seconds later he was swamped by the rather fresher legs of the half marathon runners running up Box Hill for the first time.

Dave and the other front runners were sent the wrong way and had to add on a bit later. Bill had some problems with his quadriceps which made the uphills, downhills and steps difficult. That meant that the entire marathon was even harder than it should have been for him. Allan felt sick after the first 3 miles and thought he was actually going to be sick over a fellow runner. He pulled to the side of the track but then carried on after a couple of minutes. Fortunately he felt ok after 20 miles. He then stopped to apparently massage a young lady's thighs who was complaining of cramp.

Dave finished in a time of 3 hours 59 minutes. Steve was next in 4 hours 31. Andy came in home in a great time of 4 hours 54 with a massive grin on his face, relieved in actually reaching the magic 100 marathons. Allan's time was 5 hours 12. Runners who completed within 5 hours were awarded a trophy so Allan may have received a trophy like the other 3 had he not stopped for a massage break. Mel and Bill were not that far behind in 5 hours 23 and 5 hours 25. Steve, Andy, Allan and Mel all beat their previous times.

Andy had invited all Collingwood members for a picnic after The Picnic and it was appreciated how many turned up to support him. There were also several members of the 100 Marathon Club who witnessed Andy being presented with his 100 Marathon medal.

All the runners (except Bill) are back in action again next week when they are all competing in their next marathon. Mel, Allan and Steve are all fast approaching their 100 marathons. Dave and Andy are now looking forward to reaching their 200th marathons!"

Regarding Allan's "massage break", we received this email:

"Please can you pass on my huge thanks to Allan Rumbles who after nearly getting to the finish line after 26 gruelling miles took the time to rescue me. He was amazing not only did he sort out my severe cramp he actually got me running to the finish line. I had been training forever for this event and not finishing was not on my agenda so to have to stop so close to the finish line was unbearable. I have to say there were tears of frustration at the thought of not finishing and screams when he massaged my leg! Allan and the guy running with him were fantastic and I so want to thank them for all they did.
Thank you."
Penny

Sat 20 Jun

The Midsummer Munro

Results Index

Sat 20 Jun

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

Results Index  Full Results

Well done to Dominic and Janet on their first runs at Banstead and first outings for the club.

Steve Cooney and Andy Stalley were on volunteer duty today but were both presented with prizes for their respective 1st and 2nd places in the points table for the year. Well done to both.

Sun 14 Jun

Cheltenham Circular Challenge

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Andy reports: "I ran the Cheltenham Circular Challenge today, starting and finishing at the Cheltenham Race Course. The route is 26.2 miles, made up of four separate sections which can be run or walked on their own, or in combination to make the full marathon distance. You get the climbs out of the way in the first eight miles and then it is a gentle undulating route, passing through villages, fields, woods, Gloucestershire Airport and near to GCHQ. The route is marked with small round discs, as it is an official walking route and that was supported by yellow pointers, making it a well-waymarked route. Quite uneven under foot, and with what seemed like 200 stiles and gates to get past.

There were three checkpoints and another five water stations that were really necessary in the heat and sun. I carried my own drink, but needed all the stations. I drank four litres on route and still was well dehydrated at the finish.

Today was my ninth event in nine days and so I took it steady, aimed for less than 4 hours and 30 minutes, finishing in 4.23.10; 36 minutes better than last year. As I was one of the last starters, I overtook hundreds of walkers and runners on the way round; so must have been in the top ten, as I was never passed.

It was a great feeling coming in to the Race Course, knowing that my 99th marathon was about to be completed and The Picnic is now just six days away. The hard work is nearly done, just one to go!"

295 finishers.

Sat 13 Jun

South Downs Marathon

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Mel reports: "This year three members of Collingwood took part in the South Downs Marathon - Dave Ross, Allan Rumbles and myself.
A new format for this year was that there were two start times - if you thought you were going to be longer than 4 and 1/2 hours then you had to start at 9am (that will be me then I thought) everyone else started at ten.

The route started in the grounds of Slindon College, only a short distance from the South Downs Way trail. This was a point to point course which followed along the downs to Queen Elizabeth's Country Park and included an elevation gain of 5728 ft and loss of 5523 ft. The course was very scenic but was quite tough so good practice for the Picnic next week. The race was very well marked so I didn't even get lost this week. First home for Collingwood was Dave in 3 hours 33 min and because he had started at 10am and me at 9am, passed me at 23 miles, which was quite good on my behalf as I was expecting him to go flying past me at 19/20 miles. I was determined not to be walking when he did come past - unfortunately he passed me on a hill and I was walking. I finished in 4 hours 38 mins, very happy with that as the injury seemed to hold up and I was 19 mins quicker than last year. Allan had a good run and finished in 4 hours 2 mins, was saving some energy for his marathon the next day.The event was well organised and we received a lovely technical t-shirt and medal. All in all another good day and run, would do it again even though it was quite a tough race. The changing rooms were brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sat 13 Jun

Bushy Park 5k Time Trial

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Sat 13 Jun

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Steve equalled his best time.

Sun 7 Jun

Poppyline Marathon

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Andy reports: “I ran the Poppyline Marathon today, starting in Sheringham, on the North Norfolk coast. Gill and I found a charming B&B, just a minute from the start, which allowed a late check-out and use of a much needed shower; after an event with enough showers of it’s own. It is a pity that it is 175 miles from home, because this is a really good event and one that I will return to.

The event was organised by the Norfolk & Suffolk LDWA and was the second event in the TriAnglian Challenge, with the Daffodil Dawdle (March 2009) and the Flower of Suffolk (October 2009). Many of the usual 100 Marathon Club runners were in force.

I thought the route would be flat, but was in fact gently undulating, going through woods, heaths, fields, country lanes and following in part the North Norfolk Railway Line (the Poppyline) and the Coastal footpath. There were some lovely views over the fields, the railway and the coast.

There were four excellent checkpoints, including one on a station platform, with a good selection of cakes: I recommend the sponge cake. On one of the heaths, a footpath marker was a nice picture of a squirrel, another route used a picture of a butterfly.

The event started in drizzle, then heavy rain and winds, which dried up by 7 miles. It stayed mostly dry until the last few miles along the cliff-top path into driving rain and a strong wind.

As I had a heavy cold, I took it easy and aimed to jog round without getting lost, just to finish my 98th marathon, with 99 next week and The Picnic, my 100th now less than two weeks away. I finished in 4 hours and 44 minutes in 6th place I think. In the end instead of the official 26.8 mile distance, I managed 27.54 miles; thanks to following a confident running on a bit of tricky route narrative; he claimed to know the route, he did not! The narrative was good, but lacked distances, so you needed to stop and check your bearing to make sure you were still on route.

Certificate awarded at the finished, with a hot meal and drink and a fantastic selection of puddings; the fruit crumble was excellent. All of this for the silly price of £5.”

Sat 6 Jun

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Shaun on a pb by 15s, and Gill by 1:55.

Sat 6 Jun

Morden Hall 5k Time Trial

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Sun 31 May

Isle Of Wight Needles Marathon

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Dave reports: "Mel & Dave ran the Needles Marathon on Sunday 31st May. The weather was gorgeous and we awoke at 4am and set off at 5am to get the Lymington - Yarmouth ferry to Freshwater where the start of the race was going to take place.

Having boarded the ferry we met numerous 100 Club members and laughed and chatted excitedly with them regarding past and forthcoming events. Little did we know the last laugh would be on us! We managed to get a lift with Dave Lewis/Colin Poole, both 100 Club men, from the ferry port to the race start some 2 miles away which was a benefit not having to hail a cab.

The facilities at the start at the West Wight Leisure centre were really good and we found showers/lockers even a nice restaurant serving wholesome fare. The atmosphere was buoyant and familiar faces popped up all over the place, so we had to tear ourselves away from conversations and get registered.

Finally at the race start the gun was fired though it was 15 mins later than the detailed start of 10am. The scenery was simply breathtaking as we meandered along the coastline and lovely beaches past bathers eating ice creams in the hot sun and relaxing languidly in comfortable deck chairs. We got to the Needles (simply stunning) after a series of climbs up stairs that were too steep to run and then past the WW2 Needles battery which was overrun by seemingly endless coach parties of Chinese tourists taking snaps of everything in sight!

We did a series of steep climbs and ran past a large Celtic cross, a spectacular landmark on the cliff-tops further along, which traced the coastline. Having come to the point at which the course split into the ½ marathon and the marathon turning point at 11.5 miles, there was supposed to be a marshal to indicate that the marathoners should go straight on (which in Mel’s and my case) there simply wasn’t. We both got back to the Leisure centre we were told that we had taken the wrong route. I re-traced my steps (only to discover there was a sign indicating marathon straight ahead) which I had missed completely as did Mel.

We both completed the course, on a day when the temperatures were 25 deg C , having done an extra 4 miles , the course we were told by a Race Official back at the Club House was also slightly longer i.e. 27miles, so all told we’d done 31 miles. Mel though tired and injured showed her tenacity and put on a very spirited run, her final time was 5.35.30 and she was 101st overall, mine was 3.56.36 (14th overall) we were both relieved to have got to the Leisure centre for the 2nd and final time that day !

We would both do it again (though not the missing the turn bit) and we both loved the scenery – it was probably the 2nd nicest off road marathon I have ever done ( the 1st being the Beachy Head marathon).

Bring on the South Downs in 2 weeks time……………………."

Sat 30 May

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Thur 28 May

Near As Damn It 10k

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Sat 23 May

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Gill on another pb, by 1:27 this time.

Sun 17 May

Hillcrest 10k

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Andy Stalley reports: "It was raining heavily at the start, then a nasty hail storm with driving winds, before the rain stopped and it became nicer to run. Good course, if somewhat wet under foot, with marshals everywhere.

I led for the first 50 yards, before realising the pace I was running at. Andy ran a fast and strong race, Keith ran well behind him. Good run by all the ladies too."

Alison reports: "We had a great time at Hillcrest (not quite 10k! - came out on a variety of our Garmins as 5:98, 5.99 and 6.01 miles) started the first 20 minutes in torrential rain! Really nice course, though and Andy Flett came 3rd overall, followed closely by Keith and then Andy. Ruth, Kate and I also ran."

Andy F and Keith were 1st and 2nd Vet Men, with Andy S in 6th.

Sat 16 May

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Gill on another pb, this time by 1:02.

Sat 9 May

Endurance Life - Exmoor Coastal Marathon

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Allan reports: "On Saturday, with Dave Ross already having won the series, Melanie Johnstone out injured & with the prospect of having to face more than three hills, only Allan decided to fly the flag for Collingwood at the Exmoor Coastal Marathon.
Fondly known as “The Beast” this is the final run of the Endurance Life Coastal Series & they’ve definitely saved the hardest till last. Taking place on the North Coast of Devon this marathon involved more than 10,000ft of ascent & descent & started out at the Hunters Inn in the Heddon Valley.
Facing a climb of over 800ft in the first mile followed by 1,150ft two miles later this set the scene for the rest of the event. The spectacular views more than made up for the toughness of the course with the race organizer stating that he thought that it was the most scenic trail race he had ever done & I must say that in my view he’s right.
Having done this race last year I knew what to expect but I had forgotten just how hard it really was, but I was pleasantly surprised when the route was 3 miles shorter than before & came in at 26.5 miles rather than the 29 it was in 2008. On my 10th marathon in 8 weeks I ran the route in 4hrs 46mins leaving something in the tank for the Halstead Marathon the following day where I was due to meet the rest of the Collingwood regulars.
Leaving Devon after the race, I still made it to Nicola's wedding reception where we partied the night away & carb loaded on several pints of Carlsberg."

Congratulations to Dave Ross. He placed second overall in the Coastal Trail Series.

Sat 9 May

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Gill on a pb. Steve narrowly missed out, shy of his course best by 1s.

Sun 3 May

Neolithic Marathon

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Dave reports: "On Sunday the intrepid three musketeers Allan Rumbles, Melanie Johnstone and Dave Ross set out in their quest to complete yet another marathon. The start point was in Avebury and this entailed getting a bus from the famous landmark of Stonehenge. Our bus was scheduled for 7.30am and Mel & I got there with plenty of time to spare, made an obligatory pit stop at the loos and then hopped on the bus to get to the start roughly 26miles away as this was a point-to-point race. Allan wisely got the later bus at 8.30am.

At the race start there was a trickle of folk registering at the Village Hall in Avebury, and a few 100 Marathon Club familiar faces were around strutting in their club gear. I asked one lady what number of marathons she was on and when she said 350 I nearly fell off my chair.

Eventually Allan appeared, we’d arrived at 8.10am and the race started at only 10.30am so it was nice to catch up and have a laugh before we set off on our tour of the Wiltshire countryside.

To our amusement there were some people in fancy dress, a couple of blokes dressed up as Batman and Robin, and a few guys with full Bergens on in army kit (I think they were planning to walk it though) so it was a colourful brigade of participants.

The countdown began and off we went at precisely 10.30am, the race meandered past the village churchyard and out of Avebury though meadows and pastures, the scenery was awesome in the first few miles. The first climb started at about 2.5 miles as we ascended a steep hill which at the summit gave us majestic views of the Pewsey Downs; it was 7th heaven.

The course was well marked and followed way markers that took us across moorland, dirt roads (which seemed unending) and tarred roads. All in all the course could be described as undulating and definitely a test of endurance. The penultimate 25 mile marker seemed too good to be true as I looked at my watch and it was 2hrs.52mins (I thought to myself that can’t be right as I’d never be doing a 3hr marathon on an undulating course) !! Lo and behold I finished the race in well over 3hrs, we quizzed other participants about this at the finish who said they’d got the course markers all wrong.

I felt good and headed straight for the medal tent to receive my race medal, where I was issued with a food token for pieces of hot pizza, a piece of fruit, cake and cup of tea/coffee. It really helped restore and re-invigorate me !

Allan came in and then much to my relief Mel (with a big grin on her face). I was relieved as she had even been hobbling with a bad case of shin splints at the start of the race. We all chatted and recounted our experiences about the race. All in all it was a really good day out and I think we all quite enjoyed in a perverse sort of way.

As Emerson once said “Pain makes man think, thought makes man wise and wisdom makes life endurable”. I should know as I used to get a beating at boarding school so I’ll never forget this. Now I just attribute it all to running, especially marathons as no matter how many you’ve done it always hurts in some way…………………….. but it’s a good sort of pain !

Final race results were : Dave 3hr 11-39 (5th place)
Allan 3hr 49-36 (52nd place – 41 in age Cat)
Mel 4hr 59-02 (238th place) 8th lady – on an injured leg !"

Sun 3 May

Three Forts Marathon

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Andy reports: “Steve Cooney and Andy Stalley today ran the Three Forts Marathon, also known as ‘The Tough One’, where others might opt for a standard flat marathon. The course is off-road, up and down The South Downs (3450 feet of climbing), starting and finishing in Worthing. The 27.2 mile route passes three Iron Age hill forts at Devils Dyke, Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring and due to the length has the slogan, ‘Go the extra mile.’

Steve started well and disappeared into the distance from the start. Unfortunately, he misunderstood the event slogan and following other runners on the clearly way-marked and marshalled course, he ended up down a side road. So in the end he did go the extra mile and did go another extra mile as well, to clock 28.11 miles. He finished with a course best by 8 minutes, with 3:55:30, which probably would have been 3:46, if he had stayed on route. This was Steve’s 77th marathon and 12th of 2009.

Andy decided to run a steadier pace due to continued breathing problems that caused him to walk three times to recover his breathing. He still managed to run the second half over five minutes quicker than the first, to close on Steve but just missed the 4 hour mark by 16 seconds, but this was still a course best by 100 minutes. This was Andy’s 96th marathon and 12th of 2009.

The weather was perfect for running, around 16 degrees, sunny with just a gentle breeze. If you wonder what the attraction of this type of event is, then look no further than the views just after the twenty mile mark. To the north, The Weald and the North Downs; to the south, the rolling South Downs and The Channel. There were a number of paragliders in the air and the oddest sight of the day was thirty men with fishing rods walking across the top of the South Downs; and no, we have no idea what they were up to.”

Sat 2 May

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Keith, beating his previous course best by 7s.

Sat 25 Apr

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done to Shaun, who skimmed 3s off his best.

Sat 18 Apr

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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Well done on a course best by 4s for Alison. Not sure if that's a 5k pb as well. 211 finishers!

Sun 12 Apr

Essex Walkers Challenge

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Collingwood Trio - joint first in 3rd Essexwalkers Challenge

Andy reports: "Today six Collingwood members completed the 3rd Essexwalkers Challenge, an officially 26.4 mile circular route around the relatively flat & scenic countryside around Maldon in Essex. Sadly, Mel was resting a leg injury and was unable to come out to play. She missed an excellent course, with a good route narrative; passing through woods, canal towpaths, farms & nice countryside, including some lovely cottages & barn conversions.

Tom & Rob started early with the walkers & finished in a comfortable 6 hours & 49 minutes, in joint 60th place. There were 101 finishers in the full marathon.

Steve, Dave, Allan & Andy started late due to navigational difficulties on route. Just for a change, we got lost on the way to a marathon, rather than during it. Allan used his local knowledge to detour around Braintree, seemingly three times. Hence the four intrepid runners set off after everyone else had departed, much to the amusement of the starter. We were joined by fellow ‘100 Marathon Club’ runner David Thompson, a regular companion on such events. He was only able to run as Steve had entered twice, so was able to run as ‘Steve2’ on the day. Strangely, Steve’s race number was 118!

Allan (birthday boy today – no cake or beer!!!) was fresh, or not so fresh from yesterday’s Compton 40, so was dropped in the first few hundred yards, to run a solitary race to finish in a steady 4 hours & 44 minutes, in 17th place. He was still walking at the end, which constitutes a good effort after 66 miles in two days.

The other four ran together overtaking all the other walkers & runners, including two Sutton Runners in the first mile! The two Davids did push on ahead at one point, but Andy & Steve were confident in Dave R doing another of his now infamous detours. A little while later the two Davids rejoined the correct route behind the other two.

The four stayed together to the finish through 3 good checkpoints with some nice cakes at each; the Lemon sponge was particularly nice at checkpoint 3.

All four finished together in 3 hours & 51 minutes (by our Garmins) but officially 3 hours & 45 minutes – we have the certificates to prove it. All four were joint first, officially 24 minutes ahead of the next runner.

Andy edges ever closer to his 100th marathon, 93rd today, with ‘The Picnic’ in June scheduled for the magic 100.

Baked potato, beans, cheese & salad at the finish, with hot drinks, a choice of puddings, with Sandwiches on offer as well. Yet another excellent value LDWA event.”

Sat 11 Apr

Compton 40

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Allan reports: "I celebrated the weekend of my 41st birthday by doing a double. The first was the tough Compton Challenge, a 40mile cross country course over the Berkshire Downs. Having failed to finish this race last year I went back to have another go.
The race started bang on time & in much better conditions than last year. I set off at a reasonable pace; bearing in mind that I had a really good run last week & was doing anther marathon the day after I was trying to pace myself at about 10 min miles looking for 6.5 to 7hrs to finish the race.
As it happens I ran a good steady race with only a slight hiccup between 30 & 31 miles when I had to walk what seemed at the time the biggest hill in the world. Following on from that I carried on until I had a bit of a meltdown at 36 miles when I had to stop at a checkpoint for a sugar hit & a nice cup of tea. Well I am getting on a bit!! Had to rouse myself back into action when a mate of mine went flying past saying something about me being an old git & having to sit down every 5 mins!!!
Carried on to finish the race in 6hrs 11mins. Using my London to Brighton time as a reference I had a PB by 1hr 50mins. Moved on the next day to do the Essex Challenge where I met up with the rest of the Collingwood Marathon club."

Sat 11 Apr

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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A big burn-up for the finish between Richard and Martin helping both to course bests and bringing them within a few whiskers of Steve.

Sat 4 Apr

Bath Beat

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Mel reports : "An early start was required by Dave and Mel, having to get up at 4am to travel to Bath to take part in the 10th Anniversary of the Bath beat.
The route followed public footpaths to the south of Bath, known as the Bath Skyline. The views from here were outstanding, you could look down over the city of Bath and due to the weather being so nice it made the experience breathtaking. After leaving the wooded footpaths and passing the first checkpoint which was laden with all sorts of goodies - sausage rolls, pork pies, celery, carrots and cakes galore (of course we had to stop and sample these - can't see good food go to waste) we ran along a historical canal which was also very nice, we were able to watch the canal boats chug past as we ran. The course then went across farmland and woods passing through the villages of Bathford, Avoncliffe, Hinton and Combehay and more food laden checkpoints. I was so full up it must be the only race where we put on weight, before returning to Bath on the Somerset Coal Canal and the village of Midford. We ran with two colleagues Tom and Nick and finished in 5 hours 30min, although I missed the sprint finish between Nick and Dave, as I lagged behind as usual, but we had just right before the end climbed a very steep long set of steps.
All in all a very very well organised run with fantastic scenery, and checkpoints fit for a king, def. go back again. As it was the 10th ann. we received a mug and certificate at the end and guess what, yes more cakes!!!"

Sat 4 Apr

Banstead Woods 5k Time Trial

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