HY Runners enjoy a parkrun takeover

The whole occasion was a fantastic advert for Hy Runners as a club and here is their report.

As part of their parkrun takeover, HY were asked to fill as many volunteer spots as possible, while promoting park run and their own club.

The ethos of parkrun is that ‘it is not a race’, it is a fun run designed at getting people into running and give them confidence to run regardless of ability.

Runners had travelled from near and far from towns such as Eastbourne, Bexhill to Basingstoke, Dulwich, and Nuneaton. Mark Tewkesbury kicked off the briefing before being joined by race director Benji Symes.

The 291 runners were set off at exactly 9am, heading east on the out and back course, accompanied by the soundtrack to Rocky with the Bill Conti song Gonna Fly Now.

Marshals were in place and guided the runners superbly around the course.

First runner over the line was Hy’s William Carey (SM20-24) in a superb PB time of 16:12.

First female over the line was junior runner Sophia Collins (JW11-14) also with a new PB of 22:41.

The highest age graded runners were: Hastings Runner Christine Sanderson (VW75-79) in 29:22 (85.64%) and junior Luke Draper (JM11-14) with a fantastic PB of 17:30 from Weald Tri Club (84.23%).

Focusing on how HY’s own runners fared:

* After William Carey came in first, twin brother Oliver came in second with a PB of 16:50.

* Lee Page was fourth in 17:42 while Sam Brown came fifth with a huge PB of 18:16, slicing 1:28 off of his previous parkrun best.

* Madelaine Jenkinson, 1st U15F with club U15F parkrun best of 24:49 in her first parkrun.

* Ivy Buchanan, 1st U9F and set a club U9F parkrun best with 33:18.

* Tina Wren, 1st FV50 with 22:42

* Lenny Weir, 1st JM10 with 53:48

* A huge PB by four minutes for Amanda Porter with 33:34.

The parkrun was completed only once the tail walkers led by Eric Hardwicke and HY’s very own Jemma May O’Gorman, had come in behind the very last runner and walker on the course.

Then it was over to the pub for breakfast and coffee with Arrianne Callow and HY’s results processors John and Sandra Bridger.

Timekeepers Kev Davis and John Bridger and HY’s barcode scanners did a magnificent job. Results were uploaded onto the parkrun page quickly and accurately.

Leo Cacciatore, Glenn J Cooper and Darren Ribs Rogers were among others to play vital roles.

Meanwhile, HY Runners members have been busy elsewhere too.

Paul Mathews took on the daunting task of Iron man 70.3 in Weymouth.

To complete such a challenge is a mammoth task in itself but he completed it with aplomb and finished 525th out of 1500 in the field.

A 1.2-mile swim was followed by 56-mile bike ride and a a 13.1-mile half marathon along the Dorset coast.

It was Mathews’ second ironman this year and he said: “I got it done. The swim and bike were solid and conditions were very good.

“However the run was a different story, sadly, and I struggled a fair bit again in the hot conditions and just felt tired. You get what you deserve in this sport, so no complaints. Finishing 526th place out of 1,500 finishers isn’t too bad at the second attempt at the distance.”

Mathews thanked HY Runners and head coach Terry Skelton for their support.

Skelton said: “I really believe Paul is underplaying his achievement. It’s always nice to come high up the leaderboard, but some races are about getting it done and Paul has more than done that.”

Elsewhere HY’s Leo Cacciatore came second at the Hospice in the Weald 10k in Tunbridge Wells, completing his run in 38:02. At the Northiam 10k Jim Ballard completed his run in 54:23.