Recent News

13th May The busiest race week of the year with 30 Whippets in action in the Market Drayton 10k and another 10 in the Chester Half Marathon. It was great to see so much red and white on show!

Stars of the show were Vicky Leese and Graham Jones who both claimed club records in the 10k at Drayton. Vicky was also 3rd lady home - and that was after leading the mass warm up!! But there were plenty of other PBs gained too. Sadly, I had to pull out after 2 miles with a hamstring problem - and I was just beginning to enjoy the hill!

At Chester, Jo Meadowcroft was first home followed by Richard Stewart.

Anyway, well done to all who took part today. The handicapper is especially pleased - the first club handicap race is next week! It was great to see Elaine Dines, Rob Lewis, Katy Furber and Linda Callaghan in action again. Photos to follow in due course.

Both races are part of this years New Club Championship series with Christine Henderson leading the way for the Women and Richard Stewart for the men. But it's close in both categories.

11th May I've found the Haughmond Handicap results at last. Three Whippets took part with Emily Dove third woman home in 24th place. Kate Waterhouse was 88th and Cathy Reynolds 101st.

Yesterday was the 2nd week of the Beginner's Course and despite a very overcast sky we had even more people turn up! There were over thirty taking part including 8 newcomers. We were even given a round of applause by the Cricket club as we passed by!

On a personal note, I met up and ran with two friends from Blackheath and Bomley Harriers. John Turner and Peter Rogers are running from John O Groats to Lands End to raise money for Cure Parkinson's trust. They are running 30 miles a day and the run will take 29 days. Poor Peter has been suffering with a foot problem for the last week which is making life very tough for them. I ran with them into town from near the Willeymoor and then out the other side to Dearnford Lake. Details of their expoits can be found on here.

7th May One result so far from yesterday. John Rowlands ran the Uttoxter half Marathon. More results expected from the Haughmond Handicap Chase later.

Our beginners course got off to a good start on Thursday with 27 starters. Fortunately it stayed dry! A great start to this year's course.

1st May Fi Challinor also ran at Manchester but she was missed from the official results - soggy chips are never good! They have now sorted out her time. Fiona was delighted to go under 4:30 for the first time and very pleased they didn't lose her time!

Also running at the weekend was Emily Dove who competed in the Yorshire 3 peaks race. Finishing the gruelling fell race in 4:53:41.

30th April Must have been a quiet weekend - the results haven't exactly been flooding in! On Saturday, three Whippets took part in the North Wales 10 mile Road championship at Wrexham. Graham Jones was first back in 18th place with a time of 61:13. Jo Meadowcroft was 62nd in 73:52 and Sarah Owen was delighted with her 88:16 in 104th place. Jo must have really run hard because she didn't appear for the Breakfast run (or was that it swim?) the next morning!

Despite the appalling weather, Simon Phillips, Carl Swain, Andrew Corbett, Maureen Whyte and Julie Corbett all set off from the Raven Cafe on Sunday morning for an enjoyable splash round the countryside. I was impressed that they stayed out on the road for more than half an hour before returning to join me for breakfast.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for Adele Minshall who took part in the Manchester Marathon on Sunday. I think she must have been a bit soggy at the end!

One other result to report from the previous weekend. Christine Henderson set her first 10k time of the year with a run in the Langdale St George's day 10k. Christine ran 61:53.

22nd April A great London Marathon race for the Whippets. 7 Whippets competed in ideal conditions, setting 2 club records, 3 Age Records and 6 pbs! Vicky Leese knocked 13 minutes off the Ladies Record while Colin Jones smashed 10 minutes off the Men's! There was also a new Age record for Rob Sharam. Well done, all of you!

Any chance of all you folks getting together for a photo asap for Sara Rogers and the press!

21st April Two results to report. On Wednesday, Jon and Keith ran 5m at Lilleshall in the first race of this year's Sexarathon series.On Saturday, Sarah Wilson managed to escape from the children for 22:40 to record a new club record in the Mile End Park Run.

17th April The Sandstone Trail 10k results are now out and show that James Rainbow and Keith Cotton enoyed a hilly Cheshire run.

James writes: "It is a great hilly cross-country course and was not as muddy as I thought it would be. However there were a couple of awkward freshly ploughed fields to run across. Still pleased with my time though." (Editor: I think the handicapper will still ignore this one, James!)

16th April Unless there were any Whippets in the Sandstone Run, it looks like it was a quiet race weekend for the club with just John Rowlands and Sarah Wilson in action in the Newcastle 7. It was Sarah's debut in the NSRAA series and she throughly enjoyed it - even the first 3 miles uphill!

9th April Air Products Photos now uploaded to Picasa Photos on Picasa

8th April Despite a persistent drizzle the Air Products 10k proved to be a successful outing for many of the 13 Whippets who ran. There were Age records for Jo Meadowcroft and Simon Phillips alongside pbs for Richard Stewart, Adele Minshall, Bob Wilson and Fiona Dillon. Richard knocked 50 seconds off the time he set at Trafford last year in what was probably the best Whippet performance of the day.

The race was another in the Club Championship series which is still led by Richard Stewart and Laura Fisher. The next qualifying races are the Market Drayton 10k and Chester Half on 13th May.

3rd April Added AGM minutes to Notices Page

1st April It's no joke! Neil Spencer and Julie Corbett crossed the finishing line in the Olympic stadium as part of the National Lottery Olympic Park 5 mile run. They had a fantastic time in the run involving 5,000 runners that was graced by ideal running conditions under blue skies!

The other major action this weekend was the Ironbridge Half Marathon. Jon Morgan was first home in the popular but hilly Half. Emily missed the start but still had a good run. Also enjoying the scenic route was Kate Waterhouse who recommends the race to all Whippets!

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