NORFOLK GAZELLES 5K CHAMPIONSHIP RELAY

Some people were in Chelmsford (SHUTAAAAAP)

Others were in Chester

A few were in Amsterdam

WE WERE IN EASTON!!!!!😎

If you’ve never done a relay for the club or you’re just not sure as you don’t know a lot of people yet, please consider adding the next one to your race calendar or joining us at Easton next year. The bonding, the laughing, the cheering. SUPPORT is the key word for this type of race. You’re doing it for each other, other runners knackering themselves to then plod back up the route to then holla abuse and encouragement to push you on your lap. Some even opted to run a further lap to help others gain fast times!!

The route itself is challenging but fun. Starting off with a flying 1.5K down a fairly steep descent you windmill down at the speed of knots bending round at the bottom to what is a fairly comfortable incline which then flattens out nicely..

Please note: Enjoy this moment as you’re about to enter the depths of hell for the next 2K 😈

3-4K, it’s horrible. A long, steady incline comparible to Thunder Lane which steepens further at the top. The key is to knuckle down, work hard and find your stubborn inner-self.

Once at the top you get to relax as you bend round heading for the final kilometre down a hill that helps put the fires out in your burning calves.

But wait..you honestly didn’t think Easy Street was on the horizon did you?? NO CHANCE!! There is no horizon as a great big steep hill is blocking your view which you have to dig deep one more time for!! But once you get to the top you can smell the scent of achievement and you get to enjoy the fruits of your labours downhill and then sprinting the final 200 metres round the home bends to the rapturous cheers and applause of your fellow Road Runners!!

It shouldn’t be a PB course but it can be depending on your mindset and love/loathe of hills.

Some fantastic results, team and individual times/awards!! John Hudson is just an absolute machine and barely broke sweat. And we can’t leave out Mark Garrett with his incredible 80+ age grading for the day making him the fairy on top of the christmas tree and best runner on the day!!

Hot grub available at the end in the warm, free fruit and a fantastic wooden, branded medal resembling the course outline!

A great new addition to our race calendar and I look forward to taking part in many more in the future!!

A great turnout for the club at the fast and flat 5k event round Dereham town, the 2 lap course was also part of the SportLink Grand Prix series.

Runners were met with good weather for the early 9am start and with nearly all the course closed to traffic made for some great action for the spectators.

John Hudson was the first Road Runner home, with Jessica B Running coming 3rd overall in the ladies race.

Age category awards were also picked up by:

Tawa Groombridge

Judy Crooks

Stacey Harper

Pat Brightman

Mark Garrett

The club were also joined by members of the recent couch to 5k programme completing their first official 5k event.

Well done everyone and great running once again!

Congratulations to the 40+ plus road runners who had already achieved the testing entrance time ( sub 20 for men and sub 22 for women) and entered this race.

The race precedes the Lord Mayord procession through Norwich and is run on a 2 lap circuit in the city starting on Whitefriars and finishing in Tombland. The race has a superb atmosphere with a large crowd cheering on the runners as they run past some of the cities iconic attractions

The top NRR results were 

Male 

33  John Hudson                00:17:29.0

35  Simon English                00:17:30.8

43  Marc Coles                00:17:40.5

Female

108 Jessica Behan        00:19:10.0

151 Amy Beck                00:19:59.3

168 Tawa Groombridge 00:20:30.0

Thankfully the last of the Wroxham 5K series was run on a beautiful  evening to make up for poor wearer on the second race. 820 runners entered the race that also included Norwich Road Runners acting as pacers. This helped many to record Personal bests  on a good racing evening. Included in that list of PB.s was  City of Norwich AC athlete Nick Earl who was first male home in a blistering time of 00:14:37. First Female home was Jo Andrews of Bungay Black Dog running club in 00:17:36

Filling the 2nd and third spots in the male catgeory were  Scott Greeves of (CoNAC)  in a time of 00:15:03 and Raphael De Bonnieres (Athletic Club Tassin) in 00:15:04.

Samantha Lines of Waveney Valley took  the female second place with a time of 00:17:38 closely followed by a junior runner from  North Norfolk Harriers, Hattie Reynolds (00:17:46)

Exercising People In Communities (EPIC) Norfolk star on their web site that' We strive to build stronger communities through physical activity and are looking forward to bringing together the people of Aylsham and North Walsham by holding these 5km events, which takes you around the towns.'

This was the second of the races, the first being held in Aylsham on the 12th April.

Perry Payne was the first NRR runner across the finish line in a chip time of 00:17:09 to finish second. Paul Smith in a time of 00:18:49 finished 8th while Ian Bray was 13th (00:18:54) 

Stacey Harper took second female place with a time of 00:20:50,  followed by Deborah English in a time of 00:20:54 taking 3rd place.

A special mention to Trevor Potter who broke the 30min barrier for the first time with a chip time of 00:29:44 in the M65+ group

With 3 days of rain leading up to the day, the second race in the Wroxham 5k series was a little under threat with the possibility of flooded roads.  Thankfully the drainage was good enough to allow the race to take place – which was set to be a good one with a competitive field boasting some of the regions best talent on show.

The new fast finish course meant the stage was set for some fast times – and it delivered along with some close racing with a record finishing field of 796.

In the Men’s race Piers Arnold from City of Norwich AC took victory and therefore crowned county champion with a blistering time of 14:44 – Fellow club member Ben Spratling was runner up with another very impressive time of 14:47, Logan Smith also City Of Norwich AC rounded off the top 3 with a time of 15:10.

In the Ladies race it was as close as you could get – with confirmation and double checking done into the early hours to ensure the correct result stood.  Isabel Rodriguez from City of Norwich took victory and the county championship with a time of 17:30.759. Samantha Lines was runner up for Waveney Valley AC with a time of 17:30.799, with Faith Viney from Bure Valley Harriers completing the top 3 with a time of 17:34.

Norwich Road Runners social committee were on hand for the pre and post race refreshments with plenty of cakes sold raising a total of £330.00 for the MS Therapy Centre.

With the rain it had an impact on some of the Chip timing equipment, big thank you to Jon Beverley of Total Race Timing to resolve any issues – if anyone still has a query or is missing please drop an email to mailto:myrace@norwichroadrunners.co.uk  or Total Race Timing.

The speed of light 5K was advertised as a 'perfect opportunity for a 5K personal best' Run on a flat fast course on the Lowestoft South Pier on Sunday 23rd June, it was part of the 'first light festival, a 24 hour event celebrating Lowestoft's position as the most easterly town in the UK, Liam Rowlands was the first Norwich Road Runner home in time of 00:18:07 earning him fourth position in the  M1-39 group.. Matt Jenkins and Nathan Edwards were the next  NRR male runners home  in 00:19:19 and 00:19:21 respectively  Deborah English came 3rd in the F35-44 group with a time of 00:20:51  followed by Stacey Harper in 00:21:28 taking the 4 spot in the same group 

The only obstacles appeared to be some unsteady all night revellers!

 Forty one Norwich Road Runners took part in EPIC Norfolk's first road race for the summer of 2019, on Friday 7th June in Aylsham. 

Trevor Gannon  ( Gun 00:17:33) headed the NRR contingent across the finish line, taking 6th place overall and first place in the M40-44 category. Marc Coles (00:17:57.4) and Paul Smith  (00:18:50.5)took second and third place in  M40-44, finishing 12th and 25 in the overall positions. 

Amy Beck crossed the line in 17th place with a time of 00:18:29.8 and Jessica Behan was 21st runner across the line in 00:18:44.3.  They did the double in the Female open category with first and second place. 

Other noticeable results were  Nuria Laiglesia Frances, second in the F40-44 age group and Michael Ames third in the M50-54 category.