Author: Sam
All Girls Together for the Chicks Chase
by April Meadows
Wednesday 20th April 2016
As Wednesday evening dawned the nerves began to kick in as I prepared to meet my fellow runners (Kate, Susan, Kathleen and Modupe) for my first ever Chicks Chase race.
Pre race nerves are a constant companion at present but after 7 weeks of beginner’s sessions with Kate and solo runs my confidence has grown beyond belief.
As a newbie you are told constantly of the solidarity and sportsmanship between runners new and old, you take this as the cynical newbie who doesn’t dare dream of running 5km comfortably with the proverbial pinch of salt. How wrong I was….
The Curious Case of the Boston Coincidences
Boston Marathon – Mon 18 April
by Pete Mackrell
The next chapter in my marathon tour took me to Boston for marathon number 13, would it be unlucky?
But first we have to start with a bit of history. Boston is easily the world’s oldest annual marathon with the first event being held in 1897, making this year the 120th race. It is always held on the third Monday in April which is Patriots’ Day, a state holiday. This year’s race also marked the 50th anniversary of the first female participation in 1966. That first lady runner: Bobbi Gibb, tried to enter officially but she was turned down because “women aren’t physiologically capable of running 26.2 miles”. She turned up anyway, hid in a bush before the start to avoid arrest, and joined in. She finished in 3:21:40. It took six years before women were officially allowed to enter.
Sweeping up at Sandy
Despite the early frost on Sunday morning, by the time the crowd of 21 runners + supporters from Leighton Buzzard Athletic Club were packed into the sports hall ready for the walk to the start of the 2016 Sandy 10, it was clear that it was going to be shorts and vest weather. The sun was out and it was a beautiful morning for running.
A Sunny Selfie in Sandy!
Sandy 10 was again chosen as the location of the LBAC 10 mile Club Championship race for the upcoming road running season. Some people only turn up to these races to get the Club Champs points, some were there to get PBs for that distance, some were trying to stay sane and not get injured before the London marathon and others were just testing to see if they’d make the start line in 2 weeks!
Ashby 20
Ashby 20: it’s tough, but hugely enjoyable
by Kassia Gardner
This is probably the most fun I’ve had in a race! OK, I wasn’t actually racing it; it was more of a 20 mile run with friends while getting soaked in water fights at the feed stations (disclaimer: I knew a lot of people at the feed stations so I wasn’t having water fights with strangers).
I was running with two friends from South Derbyshire Road Runners, James and Lisa (they are Ironmen), and despite trying to spot them in the pens before the start we’d missed each other but somehow less than a mile in I heard them yell my name and we finally found each other.