Waveney Valley Athletic Club members Bill Kingaby and Alan Fairs competed last Sunday in road races over different distances in Suffolk and Norfolk. Kingaby took part in the Stowmarket Half Marathon, an event which was held over a rural course which took in the villages of Buxhall and Brettenham. He finished 85th overall in a time of 1:36.39 from a field of 315 runners and placed second in his inaugural race in the veteran 60+ category.

For Alan Fairs, his focus has been on achieving gold standard for his age for the forthcoming presentations. He considered that, following his recent illness, his best chance lay with the shorter distance of 10k and took part in the Mad March 10k at Coltishall, He finished 34th from a field of 154 in a time of 42:40 and over a minute inside the time for the standard. His time was also just 9 seconds outside his personal best.

W.V.A.C’s Halesworth-based Richard Gallard competed in the Gorleston Park Run on March 10th and covered the 5k distance in a time of 21:17 finishing in an excellent 13th place out of 127 runners.

Three Waveney Valley runners competed in the 2nd Colchester Half Marathon on March 11th 2012.

The event started at the Weston Homes Community Stadium and went through the centre of Colchester and out into the countryside and back into the stadium.

The conditions were good, some small hills but excellent course. Tim Earl finished in 1.24.08 a personal best knocking 4 minutes off his previous half marathon time and a superb overall position of 36th out of a field of 1061 runners. Mark Nussey running this half marathon for the first time in the latest barefoot running shoes ran a time of 1.41.38, a personal best knocking 2 minutes off his previous half marathon time and finishing in an excellent overall position of 245th overall. Paula Lambert finished in a time of 1.54.28, 530th overall.

As I thumbed through the Journal’s sports pages in January 2010 little did I know that two years later I would be holding a half marathon medal.In that paper I noticed an article about ‘Getting back into running’ – a beginners course for 6 weeks at the end of which you will be able to run/jog for 30 minutes.Well I hadn’t run for over 20 years so I thought why not, good place to start, so on a cold dark February evening I found I struggled to jog the length of Normanston Park’s car park without getting out of breath. But after completing those 6 weeks I decided I loved running and as I progressed I joined Waveney Valley AC running my first ever race a 10K in Great Yarmouth in October 2010. After enjoying it I decided to run at Framlingham Cross Country the following weekend. Lets just say I have a love/hate relationship with cross country!! As I started to improve I looked for new challenges and despite a few hiccups in my training I ran a few races and gained some PB’s.

As a family we had booked to go to Florida over Christmas 2011 and discovered that the Disney World Marathon Weekend was towards the end of our stay on 6-8th January. How could I go to Disney World and not do a race there, running through the parks. I decided to attempt the half marathon. Fitting in the training was a challenge and a major hiccup 8 weeks before the race threatened me even making the start line. I was sidelined totally for two weeks and told to take it easy after that. A revised training plan and a brilliant sports therapist worked and grateful thanks go to the members of Waveney Valley for their encouragement especially David who ran my longest training run of 13 miles with me the day before Christmas Eve. After that run I actually believed I could do it. We flew out to Florida and I tried to acclimatise but 100% humidity and temperatures in the mid 20’s was a far cry from the 2 degrees on the 18th December when I had run 10 miles at the Beccles Turkey Trot.

I woke up 4 days before the race with a hacking cough and cold and slight temperature, great I thought. Luckily it subsided a bit for race day on Saturday 7th January and when I left the villa at 3am for the 5.30 race and the temperature was a cool 10C. I meet up with some runners, who are Disney fanatics, who I had got to know on the internet and some of us met up for dinner that evening. Running through Disney and the Magic Kingdom especially running under the Castle was just magical and despite my interrupted training I managed a respectable time of 2 hours 29 mins and 24 secs finishing 10,003rd out of 22,435. I found the race went really quickly and was surprised that apart from the overpass at mile 10 I didn’t struggle as much as I though I would. The crowds and support around the course was amazing. Having caught the running bug I am now looking to better my ½ marathon time sooner rather than later.

When I first mentioned that I was running the ½ marathon people asked me who I was running it for. I hadn’t thought of doing it as a sponsored run, but as one of our club runners is a Marie Curie nurse and I know people who have been affected by cancer, it seemed an obvious choice to raise funds for them. I set myself a target of £500 but to date I have raised over £700. I would like to thank all those who have so generously sponsored me and I am now collecting that sponsorship in, I am still accepting donations if you would like to visit my fundraising page – Just Giving – Tracy Mayne

Tracy Mayne.

Following the disappointment of last years race being cancelled due to very icy conditions, this year’s 10mile Turkey Trot, organised by Waveney Valley Athletic Club, was successfully staged last Sunday, despite a few concerns after the previous night’s frost.

But the race went ahead, and 158 runners braved the freezing temperatures and occasional snow showers, to make it safely to the finish with no mishaps reported. It was the highest finishing total since 2006.

The race, which started near St.John Leman High School, Beccles took the runner’s through Ilketshall St.Andrew and Ringsfield village and back to Beccles.
For Luke Allen of Waveney Valley and Daniel Bradley of Tonbridge A.C. the race was a close contest from the start for first place with the Kent athlete ahead till near the half way point then Allen took the lead and held on to it to win in a time of 54:13, just 17 seconds ahead of Bradley.

First lady to finish was Marie Shirley of Colchester Harriers, clocking 1:04:42 in 18th place overall, with Rebecca Jordan of Stowmarket Striders second. City of Norwich A.C. took the men’s team prize and Stowmarket Striders won the ladies team prize.

Winning Christmas vouchers in their veterans age groups were Neil Davison, Angela Mann, John Christopher, Sandra Roberts, John Moore, Bobbie Sauerzapf, Terry Epps, Lynda Moore, Arthur Whiston, Veronica Manly and Jim Hayes.

Due to organising and marshalling duties by Waveney Valley club member’s, just two other runners from the host club competed. Nigel Herrod clocked a respectable 1:16:54 for 71st place and Tracy Mayne, overcoming another injury setback after recently tripping on a manhole cover, finished 157th in 1:54:10 and confidently predicted her planned half marathon in Florida next month was back on.

Race Director David Pimlott thanked everybody who helped to make the event go smoothly, especially on such a cold winters day.

Waveney Valley Athletic Club member Alan Fairs’ brave comeback to competition after a cycle accident at the end of August continued last Sunday with an excellent personal best time at a very windy Norwich Half Marathon.

The accident, which left Fairs with a number of injuries and a split cycle helmet, kept him out of action for several weeks but his determination to get back to fitness has been rewarded with a new best time of 1:37.56, more than five minutes faster than before, and 348th position from an entry of well over 2,000 runners.

Also competing for Waveney Valley were Nigel Herrod and David Pimlott who both finished very close to their times at the recent Ipswich Half Marathon. Herrod’s 1:46.32 (739th) was just outside his previous race time while Pimlott was a few seconds faster than before with 2:06.08 (1,608th).

Three members of Waveney Valley AC running club ran the 3rd Adnams 10K. This popular three lap race around Southwold has seen numbers increase, this year 750 runners had entered, although the organisers must be disappointed that only 578 turned up on the day. This year’s race had none of the problems with the chip timing that they had last year.

First home for Waveney Valley AC was Kevin Booth who finished in 86th place in 45 minutes 23 seconds knocking 11 seconds off his personal best although he was disappointed not to have gone quicker, but he suffered after running the first lap at too higher pace. Second home was Nigel Herrod who was running on his 55th birthday he finished in 100th place in 46 minutes 1 second knocking 10 seconds off his fastest time of the year. Third home was Seamus Wrigley who finished in 130th place in 47 minutes 44 seconds, this was Seamus first race for the club and showed how much the Tuesday night training has improved his speed and endurance.

Five members of Waveney Valley Athletic Club competed last weekend in the Adnams Brewery Great East Run 20k and 10k races organised by Bungay Black Dog Running Club.

Bill Kingaby and Richard Gallard ran in the main 20k event which had an entry of just over 250 runners. Kingaby finished in 78th place in a time of 1:33.02. He was fourth in his age category, just one place outside the race prizes, and first in this race in his age category in the Suffolk affiliated club’s Grand Prix road race series.

Gallard, having recovered from a recent injury, ran close to his team mate and finished just a few places behind in 85th in 1:33.49.

In the 10k supporting race Chris Pimlott, despite having the misfortune of losing his timing chip from his shoe during the race, was still recorded as sixth finisher in a time of 38:47. Paula Lambert, in her third race in as many weekends was 73rd in 53:35 and Tracy Mayne, continuing her return to competition after her shin splints operation in the summer, was placed 155th in 1:06.43. There were 179 finishers in the 10k race.

The races, which started at Bungay Sports Centre, took in the countryside and villages between Bungay and Halesworth and all finishers received a bottle of Adnams beer, medallion and goodie bag from the sponsors and organisers.

The last of this summer’s series of three Broome 10k races organised by Bungay Black Dog Running Club was held on wedneday week.

On a very warm and thundery evening six members of Waveney Valley Athletic Club competed. First to cross the finishing line for Waveney was Chris Pimlott who recorded a time of 38:40 to finish in a strong 12th place from an entry of just under 150 runners.

Alan Fairs was 41st in a time of 43:33, agonisingly just 3 seconds outside a gold standard time for his age, which he would have achieved if the race had been the following day, his birthday. He will now target the Gt Yarmouth 10k in October to gain this standard.

Bill Kingaby finished 47th in 44:17 with new member Tim Groombridge, competing for the first time for Waveney Valley, delighted with his finishing time of 44.36 to take 49th place, Nigel Herrod was 67th in 46:11 while Tracy Mayne, on the road to recovery following a shin splints injury, knocked more than a minute off her previous best time to record 1:02:33, in 123rd.

Waveney Valley Athletic club members Mark Nussey and Paula Lambert took part in the largest ten mile road race the Great South Run on October 30th.

This is a flat course and conditions were good, a slight wind on the last two miles along Southsea seafront. Mark was doing his first ten mile race and finished in a time of 1.18.48, giving him a overall position out of 24,000 runners of 1917th and 1699 male overall. Paula in a time of 1.26.08 overall position of 4104 and 708th female overall. Mark and Paula ran for Great Yarmouth and Waveney Heartcare. This is a local charity. Mark is a Cardiac Rehabilitation Instructor and he exercises members of the group, who have in the past, had a cardiac event.

A dozen members of Waveney Valley Athletic Club competed at the Great Yarmouth ‘ East Coast Run ‘ 10k last sunday, a race which each year attracts a very strong entry of between 400 – 500 runners.

The performance of the day for Waveney Valley came from Tim Groombridge, who after just a handful of races in the club colours of Waveney Valley, is fast emerging as a popular and enthusiastic competitor for the club. He knocked more than two minutes off his previous 10k time to record 42:15, finishing in 69th place.

Jonathon Comyn was 80th in 43:16 and Alan Fairs, having his first race since sustaining injuries in a cycle accident a few weeks ago, did very well to finish 94th, in 44:00. Bill Kingaby was next in 95th, in 44:06 with Mark Nussey just a few places further back in 99th in 44:16.
Waveney Valley’s other places and times: Glenn Doy 139 (46:10), Stephen Gibbs 142 (46:11), David Mower 229 (50:22), Paula Lambert 271 (53:00), David Pimlott 324 (56:30), Stuart Smith 337 (57:34), Angela Mower 388 (1:03.46).

Tim Earl, one of Waveney Valley Athletic Club’s most improved runners over the last few seasons, competed in a 30mile trail run and finished in an excellent second place.

Billed as the J W Ultra, the race, now in it’s fifth year, is held in memory of John Ward, one of the founders of Bournville Harriers Running Club, who tragically died suddenly in May 2007.

For most of the race, which runs along the canal towpath from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Bournville station in Birmingham, Earl was in the lead and was only overtaken by eventual winner Steve Marshall in the latter stages.

Earl’s time was 3:46.02. 48 runners finished the race.

At the world’s largest half marathon, The Great North Run, Jonathon Comyn recorded a p.b. of 1:38.31 finishing in 2,295th place from 37,482 finishers while closer to home, at the Ipswich half marathon, Nigel Herrod was 212th in 1:45.50 and David Pimlott 599th in 2:06.53 from an entry of 857.

Despite a number of Waveney Valley Athletic Club’s members unable to compete in the Scores race due to marshalling and other race organising committments on the day, the club none the less had a good entry of 18 runners take part. WVAC results: 1st Luke Allen 26:06, 10th Tim Earl 30:42, 11th Chris Pimlott 30:43, 19th Chris Booth 33:31, 20th Seb Herrod 33:33, 25th Jonathon Comyn 34:04, 26th Bill Kingaby 34:25, 31st Richard Gallard 35:11, 34th Kevin Booth 35:38, 42nd Nigel Herrod 36:19, 48th Glenn Doy 36:34, 50th Tim Groombridge 36:54, 68th Mark Nussey 37:58, 93rd Paula Lambert 41:03, 104th Paul Harrod 42:35, 111th Catherine Carfoot 43:46, 147th Angela Mower, 152nd Rosie Grieve 55:41.