A very busy weekend saw the club entering 3 teams in the Cleveland Way Relays, a free to enter event for clubs, no prizes, and people doing it just for the love of running – thanks are due to NYMAC for organising it. The course is over 110 miles, mainly along the Cleveland Way, starting at Filey and finishing in Helmsley. It is divided into 16 “legs” varying in distance and difficulty, to try to accommodate runners of all ability, and the club had 60+ members involved, as well as family members and supporters ferrying runners to and fro at the start and finish of their “leg”. Who but a close family member would be happy to deliver their runner to a start in Filey at 5 am, especially on a cold, misty morning!
Ben Morgan, Clare Rowntree and Luke Shannon ready for the start of the Cleveland Way Relays in a misty Filey
Ben Morgan, Clare Rowntree and Luke Shannon drew the short straw this time, though it was probably cooler for running than later in the day. Their leg took them virtually a half marathon distance to Scarborough, with the course covering Robin Hoods Bay, Ravenscar, and other coastal towns before a new mini mass start at Whitby at 9am.
Gary Wilkinson and Joe Joyce in Whitby after their leg of the Cleveland Way Relay
Neil Cooper handing over the baton to Louis Mayfield and Tracey Docherty
This allowed for teams to catch up if they were getting behind, and to make sure they were back in Helmsley for the all important fish and chips! From then on it was largely along the Cleveland Way apart from diversions to Roseberry Topping and the White Horse, and another mini mass start at 2 pm at Clay Bank.
Joe Lofthouse, Tracey Lowther, Mike Lowther, Will Jagger and Sarah Harrison, part of the Cleveland Way Relay team
This was a splendid club and team effort, and of the 16 teams involved, both the Men's and Women's Team came 2nd in their respective categories, with the B team 12th. Well done to Rosie, Tom and Marc for masterminding the whole thing, sorting out teams and times of start, and fitting distances to be covered to appropriate runners.
All happy at Helmsley and ready for fish and chips!
If Marc Davies goes anywhere near a mountain, his inclination is to run up it, and such was the situation on his recent holiday in Wales. On Tuesday 6th he competed in the Tal y Mignedd event, less than 4 miles, but its 1800 feet of ascent made for a very tough run indeed, though cakes at the finish made it all worthwhile. Not satisfied with that, a few days later he was on Ras Moel Hebog, Beddgelert, on a very hot day, 29 degrees C, with the temperature causing the field to be reduced drastically to just 17. The course was on closed roads through the village followed by a tough ascent, savage near the top, over 4.7 miles in total with 2400 feet of ascent!
Marc Davies at Tal y Mignedd in Wales
Photo – Thomas Owen