After two big months perhaps the summer heat is encouraging club members to work on their short distance speed. This month we saw a big number of PBs over 5k, 5m and 10k and the Grand Prixs continues to get tighter, but David Kindred is holding on to his lead.

The club also took part in the Ridgeway Relay, an 86.5 mile race from Buckinghamshire to Wiltshire. The sun came out and lightly toasted the 9 runners taking part. So keen was Pete Stockdale that he ran two legs! Once again, David Kindred's and Jeannie Hamers' organisation was well appreciated as UKNR successfully completed this event for the third consecutive year.

Personal Bests
5k: Ian Thomas (18:52), Matt Leatham (19:18), Richard Lake (20:25), Mike Jarman (21:59), Peter O'Grady (22:55), Claire Hesketh (23:44), Paul Arrowsmith (24:03)
5m: Richard Whilding (38:11), Ann Hood (40:34)
10k: Adam Cox (39:48), Matt Leatham (42:20), Barry Quirk (42:49), Peter O'Grady (47:54), Joy Potter (52:24)
HM: Mike Pullon (1:30:41), Michael Connor (1:55:30)

Debuts
5k: Richard Lake (21:05), Alex Lee (22:37)
10m: Richard Whilding (1:20:10)
HM: Andy Earp (2:11:33)

Achievements
Adam Cox: Continued his great progress with his first sub-40 10k
Shaun Bonnor: Knocked a massive chunk off his course best going sub-4 at the tough, offroad, Seabank Marathon.

At the end of April I talked about what a marathon month it had been. Well May was maybe even more of a marathon month with the equivalent distance of 24 marathons being raced by club members. But it was 10ks that got the focus this month with a total of 36 times clocked over the distance, including 10 PBs.

Not much has changed in the Grand Prix with David Kindred leading the way and Mike Pullon close behind. But the next few months are usually full of activity and the two leaders will have to maintain their great form if they want to stay out in front.

Personal Bests
5k: Mike Pullon (19:36), Stuart Graver (20:14), Mark Willcocks (24:11), Paul Arrowsmith (25:08, 24:54)
10k: Mike Pullon (40:26), Adam Cox (41:11), Matt Dunn (44:53), Phil Hayes (46:05), Glenn Richer (49:13), Michael Connor (51:34), Joy Potter (54:16), Phil Wadey (55:09), Wendi Witton (1:01:47)
10m: Glenn Richer (1:30:30)
HM: Richard Lake (1:32:01)

Debuts
10k: Robert Newman (52:41)
HM: Andy Opie (1:44:00)
FM: Barry Quirk (3:54:02)

Achievements
Adam Cox: Knocked over 5 minutes off his 10k PB set in February this year. An impressive improvement.
Matt Dunn: Sub-45 for 10k.
David Kindred: Finally clocked a legitimate* sub-45 10k
Barry Quirk: Sub-4 in his first marathon
Michael Connor: Ran the Crowle 10k 5:49 quicker than he did at the same event last year, which was his first race. Great improvement.
Nick Dunk: Put in a fantastic performance at the Ridgeway 40 finishing in 7:50:56
Stephen Price: Won the Aston-on-Trent 10k for the second time
Anthony Tamburro: Won the UKNR Fantasy Football league

*David ran a sub-45 last year only to find out the course was short.

The Ridgeway Relay is a team relay, which runs the 90 mile length of the Ridgeway from Aylesbury to Marlborough and is organised by Marlborough Running Club. It is run over ten legs, the legs varying in length from 5.4 miles to 11.0 miles. UKNetrunner.co.uk have entered a team for the third year but we are currently a runner short. So if you want to be part of the team and fancy a run in the lovely setting of the Berkshire downs on Sunday 20th June please let me know either on the forum here: http://aluaka.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~2444.asp

or drop me a mail at david@uknetrunner.co.uk 

 
[Submitted by David Kindred]

April was a marathon month for UKnetrunner and everyone knows that April is London Marathon month. But club members also took part in 5 other marathons! The traditional 26.2 mile test of human endurance (apologies to our ultra-running members) provided rich pickings with 7 PBs and a further 5 people making their debut at the distance.

At the other end of the scale we've also seen a number of PBs over 5k with a handful over distances in between.

So after months of slogging away in the cold of winter all that marathon training could prove a good base for a summer of PBs. And with David Kindred and Mike Pullon starting to take command of the Grand Prix, will anyone jump out of the pack and chase them down. But the Grand Prix is a marathon not a 5k and we're only just rounding Cutty Sark in this particular race so there's still plenty of time for things to change.

Personal Bests
5k: David Kindred (21:21), Glenn Richer (24:03), Gareth Hughes (24:14), Peter Jacobs (24:49, 24:45)
5m: Bill Preston (44:18)
10k: Richard Whilding (45:39), Sarah Chewings (1:04:48)
10m: Steve Gunn (1:21:06)
HM: Barry Quirk (1:36:42), Alex Lee (1:59:26)
FM: Stephen Price (2:45:38), Dominic Gunton (3:10:55), Mike Pullon (3:27:02), Steve Allenby (3:51:18), Laura Foster (4:01:27), David Kindred (4:11:41), Barry Davis (4:26:51)

Debuts
5k: David Shaw (21:30), Mark Hill (23:00)
10k: Alex Lee (47:03), Phil Wadey (57:30)
HM: Adam Cox (1:38:26), Neill Mison (1:46:10), Michael Connor (1:57:29)
FM: Graham Kirk (3:26:04), Richard Whilding (4:02:36), Dean Ward (4:55:44), Zoe Stockdale (5:11:20), Peter Perren (5:16:41)

Achievements
Mike Pullon: Cracking 3:30 for the marathon.
Alex Lee: Dipping under 2 hours for the half marathon.
Matt Dunn: Firstly, for completing the Compton Challenge 40m and then for battling his way around the Cornwall Coastal Marathon (on different weekends obviously)

After a quiet start to the year UKNR burst into life in March with plenty of racing and a handful of PBs. And with marathon season fast approaching March was a month for longer races with a number of UKnetrunners racing over 20 miles and 4 clubbies taking part in the Kilomathon.

The clocks have gone forward which means the darks days are over and with a quarter of 2010 done and dusted the Grand Prix is now starting to take shape. David Kindred leads the way after some fine performances closely followed by Mike Pullon and James

Barnes. But the real racing is yet to begin and with a few members now returning from injury the Grand Prix is sure to get more interesting through the spring and summer.

Personal Bests
5k: David Kindred (21:36)
10k: David Robertson (39:47), Craig Chewings (48:57)
10m: David Kindred (1:12:47), Phil Hayes (1:17:34), Barry Davis (1:19:36)
Half: David Kindred (1:41:41), Phil Hayes (1:43:25)
20m: Mike Pullon (2:39:06), Dean Ward (3:26:10), Mark Willcocks (3:35:51)

Debuts
5m: Graham Kirk (31:14)
Half: Gareth Hughes (2:08:37)
20m: Mike Pullon (2:39:40), Steve Allenby (2:43:51), Dave Mullaney (3:01:25), Charlotte Dutch (3:02:01), Dean Ward (3:28:21)

Achievements
David Robertson: Breaking 40 minutes for 10k
Nick Dunk: Ultra-man Nick completed the Eco Trail de Paris 80km race with a jaunt up 300 steps of the Eiffel Tower to finish.
David Kindred: PB's over 5k, 10m and Half Marathon all in one month.