Reebock Challenge Saturday 18th October 2003

The Roberts family journeyed north of the border for the popular Reebok Challenge Cross-Country Series which opened on Saturday 18th in beautiful style with a new venue, Callendar Park, Falkirk. The rolling grassland course, set in the grounds of an historic house, had a number of sharp climbs but it was firm underfoot, there having been little or no rain for almost a month, bad news for the mud-lovers but good news for the speed-merchants.
Douglas Roberts was first to run, in the U13 Boys event over 2.7K. He made a good start and found himself running in second place with the eventual winner, Matthew Gillespie, just 50 yards ahead. Towards the end he had a bad patch with a thigh muscle hurting him but, although overhauled by one, he kept going and finished 3rd in a time of 9:39. He received a Reebok wallet for his efforts.

Jessie Roberts was in the next race, the Under 15 Girls 4K. Unfortunately she had a slow start but did pull some positions back. Jessie is a good competitor and usually able to run well in a hilly events but this time the sharp hills made a difference as, on the second lap, she lost places to other girls in the race. She finished in 8th place in a time of 14:20, a good opening race to her season, but she was very disappointed to be 1:25 behind the winner, Non Stanford of Swansea who won the Series last winter.

Richmond Castle 10K Sunday 9th October 2003

Two individual prizes, the best “B” team and all seven runners listed in the first column of page one of the results – that was Richmond and Zetland Harriers reward at the Richmond Castle 10K on Sunday 19th - Louise Jackson taking 3rd Lady prize and Mike Brooks 1st M55.

There was a full house on the start line outside the Bishop Blaize Hotel with the entry limit reached during the preceding week. The 400 runners made their usual mad dash on the cobbles of the Market Place, looking for any advantage down The Channel and Station Road before the sharp right turn into The Batts. The overcast day had turned to light rain as the leaders ran up Sleegill to Holly Hill, the first of four stiff climbs. Down Sandbeck, then the second climb up Plumer Road into Catterick Garrison and the field was already stretching out behind the blue and white vest of Morpeth Harriers’ Chris Sampson. Left onto Hipswell Road, past the Swaledale Fell Rescue Centre and the halfway mark, there was a battle on for team prizes - Morpeth had two runners in the first five but only two whereas eventual winners Hartlepool Burn Road and Darlington Harriers both had three in the first twenty. Turning back towards Richmond, a minor detour helped make-up the exact race distance, before another left, down and up the third hill back to Holly Hill. Sheila Allen of Houghton & Peterlee had been first Lady from the off but she was still in Alison Raw’s sights, the race-long tussle not untypical of many others, up and down the field. A sharp right into Theakston lane, past Richmond RUFC ground and back onto the “main road”, across Mercury Bridge and the last climb back up to Richmond Castle and the finish line inside. Chris Sampson finished untroubled by runners or hills in a time of 33:43, almost a minute ahead of Alistair Tatham of Quakers, with Martin Willcox representing ITC in third. Steve Robinson of Bingley was 1st Vet finishing in 7th place overall in 35:52 and Sheila Allen was both 1st Lady and 1st Lady Vet, finishing 23rd in 39:29. There was a medal and a goody-bag for all, refreshments and real ale in the Market Hall, results on sale and the presentations all in double-quick time leaving everyone with appetite and time for a Sunday roast dinner in any one of the many Richmond pubs!

RZH results: 19th Brian McNabb 38:27, 31st Mike Brooks 39:58, 37th Louise Jackson 40:25, 46th Shane Gray 41:21, 47th Jim Robinson 41:24, 50th Taff Rogers 41:30 & 58th Tony Hewson 42:13.