Welcome to the latest edition of the Saltaire Striders newsletter.
If you would like anything to be included in the next edition of the newsletter please submit it to davidbower1@hotmail.com before 20th April 2024
Nick Breare
It’s with great sadness that the committee announce that one of our very own striders - Nick Breare died peacefully in hospital on Wednesday 6th March following his battle with cancer.
We send love and thoughts to his wife Kathy and his daughter Alexandra (Alex) at this difficult time.
Nick's great friend Mervyn is running the Manchester Marathon for Yorkshire Cancer Research in his memory, if you would like to donate, please do so via the link below.
Nick and I joined Saltaire Striders at the same time about 8 years ago. Over the years we did several 10Ks and number of 1/2 marathons together. As the next step I wanted to do a full marathon, but Nick wasn’t interested. He had done full marathons when he was younger and didn’t want to spoil his record by doing it again now. He was the better runner of the two of us – well organised and more competitive. However, at my insistence he agreed to run with me one marathon when Covid pandemic came, and we all went into lockdown.
By the time the restrictions were lifted, and we met up to train again, he had a constant nosebleed. He was desperate to get it seen to, and even tried to go private to get it diagnosed and treated. However, due to the NHS massive backlog he didn’t get the opportunity and it was well over 18 months before he saw a consultant and treatment began. He underwent over 50 painful radiotherapy sessions to burn the cancer cells in nose and mouth. The 3 months checkup, thereafter, gave clear and he heaved a sigh of relief. But when he went for the 6 months checkup the cancer was growing again. Next, he underwent a vicious 8-hour surgery and lost his nose and upper pallet - having been told his options were either that or a slow and painful death. Then he lived with a prosthetic nose and a liquid diet for next 12 months. The 3 months test after the procedure gave an all clear again, however the 6 months test revealed the cancer was back again - this time it had got into his jawbone and was incurable!
Having accepted that he can no longer run a marathon to keep his promise; Nick did the next best thing. He encouraged me to sign up to Manchester marathon as it is a flat one and requested that I do it to raise funds for Yorkshire Cancer Research to show his gratitude for all that they had done for him over these years. Since signing up to the marathon I have been training in earnest and he has been taking a keen interest - monitoring my progress on Strava and offering advice.
When I last visited Nick last Friday (1st March), he had just come out of hospital after an emergency admission and was very poorly, but alert and gracious as ever. He said he was going to come to Manchester on the marathon day to wave me off. Also, he wanted to attend the John Carr 5K as a spectator this year to meet up with the fellow striders he hadn’t seen for some time. But these were not to be - Nick died on Wednesday 6th March in St James’ Hospital, Leeds. Nick’s funeral is due to take place on Wednesday 27th March, details are yet to be announced.
When I signed up to the marathon and created a fundraising page, I said I was doing it in honour of my friend Nick. Now with a heavy heart, I have updated the page to read ‘In memory of my dear friend Nick’. You too could honour Nick’s memory and support the incredible work of Yorkshire
Nick, right, pictured with Mervyn Silva.
Upcoming Events
Annual Awards Night-Date for Your Diary!
Will be held at Northcliffe Golf Club on Friday May 3rd 19:00 for 19:30. The cost per person has been set at £15.
This will follow a similar format to last year, with a buffet, prizegiving, raffle and disco.
Bookings will be live via web collect shortly.
The awards categories are being finalised, and will be announced in due course.
Burnsall Away Trip and Evening Meal
Please join us for the annual Saltaire Striders away trip to Burnsall. This year the event will be taking place on Friday 14th June.
All are welcome and invited to attend. And, of course, bring a partner or a friend to join you for the evening - they don't have to be able to run, they can go straight to the pub!
We will get a coach (paid for by the club, more details below) up to Burnsall where there will be three different runs from which to choose (or just head into the Red Lion). Following the runs, there will be the female-only option of using a hotel room in the pub in which to freshen up or the unisex option of a wash in the Wharfe!
Following this will be an amazing five-course meal (details and menu options to follow) in the Red Lion before the return coach home.
All of this for the fantastic price of £34 per person!
Coach Pick-up Locations will be:
First Pick up - Shipley Market Square - BD18 3QJ - to depart at 5.00pm
Second Pick up - Saltaire Shell garage - BD18 4DJ - to depart at 5.10pm
Third Pick up - Bus stop outside Lidl Bingley main street. BD16 2BA - to depart at 5.20pm
I hope that you will be able to join us - any questions just let me know!
Best wishes Tracy Foy
Peco Cross Country League
Following the last race at Roundhay Park, the Peco regular season is over. There are still the relays to come on March 10th in Bramley Fall Park. Please contact Stuart Dunbar if you would like to take part.
The presentation evening will be held on Friday 15th March at the Brudenell Social Club, Leeds.
We have five Striders who have won individual prizes, which is a phenomenal achievement given how many runners are involved.
Helen Love 1st F65
Will Kerr 2nd M45
Andy Brown 2nd M55
Stuart Dunbar 2nd M60
Martin Fillingham 3rd M50
Following a poll from members, this years "away day" race will be the Filey Lions 10K Beach race. This is an out-and-back along the lovely Filey/Hunmanby beach. It's a fairly low-key event with an entry limit of 150 runners, recent years have seen about 90, so the organisers, Filey Lions, are looking forward to welcoming our blue and yellow brigade!
Our coaching team will be working on a training plan for those of us who want to make this a really special race, maybe doing your first 10K ever, first race after returning from injury or pushing for a new PB, this will be a great event to go for! So watch out for some communication from Louise Nash on that front....
Nearer the time we will make more final arrangements, but expect to be setting off from here about 7am, getting there in time to park, warm up etc. Then afterwards have some fish & chips or similar. However Filey is a lovely seaside town so would be great if you wanted to bring the family to support you and have a great Yorkshire day out, or even find somewhere to stay and go for the weekend.
The John Carr 5K race series, a longstanding tradition hosted by Saltaire Striders for several years, is undergoing exciting changes this year. On May 26th, we will be conducting a series of 5K races throughout the day held at Greenhead Athletics Track in Keighley.
Our first race is reserved for runners with a 5K Personal Best of sub-35 minutes, setting the minimum standard for participation.
As the day progresses, each subsequent race will feature faster runners, culminating with 'elite' athletes in the final race. To ensure a smooth experience, a race schedule will be announced, specifying each runner's start time, allowing them to arrive at the track well-prepared. Spectators are encouraged to join us at any time during the day to witness the thrilling races.
Additionally, we'll have a resident DJ providing music throughout the event, and food and drinks will be readily available.
Feel free to bring your family and friends to provide enthusiastic support. In a particularly exciting feature, the finishing straight will offer a 'Lactate Tunnel of Love,' with four designated lanes for spectators to get up close to the action.
The race will be professionally timed using electronic chips integrated into the race number bibs, enhancing accuracy and competitiveness.
The ultimate goal is to achieve Personal Bests while racing against runners of similar abilities.
Summer trip to Tromso, Norway for the Midnight Sun Marathon and other distances. June 22nd 2024
Stewart Spink is proposing what will be a spectacular trip to Northern Norway for a series of varying run distances. A full itinery and flight details from Manchester will follow shortly.
There are more than 6000 participants from all over the world gathering in the streets of Tromsø to join the celebration that is Midnight Sun Marathon.
Midnight Sun Marathon has been held every year since 1990 in Tromsø, the Arctic capital of Norway located at 69 degrees north. About 350 km north of the arctic circle, most of the city is situated on a small island surrounded by the sea and beautiful mountains.
Northern Norway and the nature here is full of strong contrasts that provide intense running experiences for its visitors. During the summer the sun never sets below the horizon and running under the Midnight Sun is a true bucket list opportunity.
There are five different distances to choose from: Marathon (42,2km), Mizuno Half Marathon (21,1km), Coop Mila (10km), iTromsø Mini-marathon (5km) and SNN Kids Race (500m). The races are open for all and day becomes a festival in town. Many locals gather along the streets of the course to cheer the runners on through the streets of Tromsø.
Club Championship-Final 2023-2024 Standings
The final standings will be published following the awards night on Friday May 3rd.
The suspense will be worth the wait!
The final race of the season took place at Keighley on a truly horrendous morning, with 34 Striders running the 10k course, and one tackling the 5k. The condition of waterlogged grass areas on the course caused total havoc underfoot with many caught out with their footwear choice. Will the weather ever get better?
Well done to all involved.
Now the attention turns to the new season's race offerings which are listed below, get entering!
For details on the Club Championship, how it works, and how points are scored, please visit the website via the link below.
The next three Tuesdays see the return of the Bunny Runs up at Haworth. Shorter than a parkrun, they're great fun off road races, and they can't be worse underfoot than the one some of us did last year in very wet conditions! For the championship your fastest one counts if you do more than one.
This Sunday is the local Baildon Boundary Way half marathon. Another tough offroad one one with great local support and usually a lot of clubmates running.
Happy running everyone!
Club Records
Please see the records section on the website, which now include parkruns.
The club records are now up to date on the website with as many results as we are able to ascertain.
Training
Our fantastic coach, Louise, has produced a couple of training plans for those of us taking on either the Filey or Tromso trip 10K races. The plans start in two weeks on 15th April, but if you're doing a different race you can of course tailor them.
Plan 1: for people currently running less than 15 miles a week, running 2-3 times a week and can run 3-4 miles without stopping.
Plan 2: for people currently running 15-25 miles a week, running 3-4 times a week and might have a 10k target time.
Enjoy your training everyone, and hope to see you at the race!
Congratulations to Gary Western and Krystina Kozlowska for reaching triple figures and joining the parkrun 100 club! We've also had two new parkrun PBs in March, both Josh Winterbottom and Jamie Read ran their fastest parkruns at Roberts Park in March, well done!
Parkrun Competition with Ilkley and Baildon
The group stage is now complete, and the draw for the knockout stages has been made. Weeks 1 and 2 results are below for both the Champions league and the plate competitions.
My Running Journey-thanks to Graham for submitting this month!
Name: Graham D’Arcy
Age Category: Over 55
When & why did you start running?
Reason 1
Started running after a golfing holiday in 2019 to Spain with a group of lads. I asked the group if anybody seen an iron in the Villa to get rid of creases on my shirts, when somebody replied “ just put on and the belly will pull it out”, and it did. Mortified, and had to do something about it. Not long after, myself and Ian Dickinson who worked together felt we needed exercise so we looked for a running club to join, and we joined Saltaire Striders, and never looked back.
My favourite race is the Ilkley half marathon. Great scenery, it’s in June, so weather should be good. It’s a very well supported event, and has plenty going on afterwards along with a beer tent: my favourite.
My best race was when I did my first marathon. Very naive one New Years Days morning and decided to enter a marathon locally that year, and found one in Haworth “The Yorkshire Marathon” only to find out later is was brutal muddy and 26 miles is a long long way. I struggled but finished. I was on cloud nine for a week after the event, it was such an amazing feeling.
The best things for me with running is Saltaire striders groups, I have met so many new friends, its great. When running and you achieve something great, either long endurance run, or short run but good time, the adrenaline rush you get when finished is amazing, I love that.
Goals for the future are to keep running and see where it takes me, you have up and down days, but just been out in the fresh air is great. My main aim is to reduce my Golf handicap but different sport 😊
10k 48mins
5k 22mins
Parkrun 22mins , only done three, Always when I play golf.
10k 48mins
Half 1hr 50mins.
Running for me is not about being quick , it’s about being out & looking after yourself.
Yorkshire Vets 2024 Season
We have 7 confirmed races in our Grand Prix series for 2024, but expect to have 9 or 10 in total.
A private facebook group exists to back up the official YVAA website by "pushing" information out to members and to encourage dialogue, comments and enquires. Details of how to register can be found at https://www.Facebook.com/groups/3189196357821902/
12 Stage Relays
Congratulations to our mens 12 stage relay team who finished a very respectable 30th overall and were 26th A team so hopefully will be eligible to run in the national finals in Birmingham.
A strong effort by all...
Graham D'Arcy. Gave up his own Peco at Roundhay Park to assist Jamie Read who was feeling unwell. This is not the first time he's done this after similarly helping Fay Kaina in the Solstice Saunter last year. A very popular Strider who is happy to put others first.
Lord D'Arcy in full flight at the Middleton Park Peco
Committee meetings
All previous committee meeting and AGM minutes dating back to 2009 are available to view on the club web site
Uopdated Committee Members 23-24 following the AGM
Chairman - Ewan Gibb
Secretary - Tim Gore
Treasurer - Tim Mosedale
Men's Captain - Stuart Dunbar
Ladies Captain - Claire Thaper
Social Secretary - Stewart Spink
Training & Coaching Co-ordinator - Louise Nash
Membership - Martin Fillingham
Communications - David Bower
Welfare Officer - Donna Pollard & Anthea Griffiths
Female Vets Captain - To be managed by committee
Male Vets Captain - To be managed by committee
BMW Chair - Anthea Griffiths
John Carr Chair - Rachel Parker
Runs Organiser - Marcus Isherwood
Club Training Runs
1. Monday evenings at 19:00 meeting at Caroline Street/Victoria Road, Saltaire. Four Group runs varying in distance and pace, one being the beginner's course detailed above.
2. Wednesday track sessions at Keighley track are back atCarlton Keighley (formerly UAK), Green Head Rd, Keighley, BD20 6EB.
We have a track share arrangement with Ilkley Harriers, each club paying half of the booking fees. Since re-starting, these sessions have proved to be very popular, regularly attracting 20+ Striders every week. This IS NOT just for the rapid runners, all capabilities are catered for!
• Start time is 7.15pm, so arrive a few minutes before, ready for warm up and drills before the main session.
• Entry has been reduced to £2 collected on attendance - payment now by card, no cash please!
3. Thursdayevenings at 19:00, starting from Nuffield Shipley
Four group runs varying in distance and pace.
4. MONTHLY STRUCTURED TRAINING SESSION.
Our next monthly structured training session led by Richard West will take place on Monday
Saturday/Sunday long runs
There is a closed facebook group Saltaire Marathon, Long Or Short Run Friends for people who are interested in doing some longer runs (e.g. for company for marathon training) at a steady pace. The runs are arranged via the group on an ad-hoc basis. If interested please ask to join the group.
Club vest /kit
Club vests are now available from Richard and Bev West, priced at £18
Please contact richard_west@sky.com.
Race Results
Please let me know if you do an event which may be missed by me, as it is impossible to know the results of every race nationwide. Thanks!
Leeds 5k Series
28/2/2024
10th Martin Fillingham 17:23
28th Tom Kay 18:06
61st James Gardner 20:14
75th Marcus Isherwood 21:36
78th Tim Mosedale 22:13
Liversedge Half Marathon
3/3/2024
19th Stuart Dunbar 1:26:50
78th Mick Brearley 1:39:36
237th Helen Love 2:00:48
304th Jenny Shaw 2:21:52
Dentdale Run 14.2 Miles
9/3/2024
114th Tim Spencer 2:14:47
The sole Strider running Dentdale!
Haworth Hobble Ultra 31.7 Miles
9/3/2024
33rd Thomas Dransfield 5:04:05
152nd John Singh 6:06:32
156th Richard Stone 6:06:57
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As well as the regular Sportsshoes 10% discount code, we now also have a 15% monthly discount code for Yorkshire Runner. This can be used online or instore in Otley where you can even take a short test run before you buy. Please note that the Sportsshoes discount is only for orders over £50.
The code will change each month and can be seen under the featured tab or e-mail Jack Verity - jlverity@blueyonder.co.uk
