Hawaii, Chicago and ….. Alcester.

IRONMAN World Championships

Kona  – Hawaii

Report – Emma Bexson
 

Professional and age-group triathletes from around the world dream of racing on IRONMAN’s main stage, the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. 

The very best embark on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit. 

Through decades of stellar athlete performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories, the IRONMAN World Championship has etched a reputation as the pinnacle of the triathlon landscape and an iconic global sporting event.

The legendary course takes athletes through the barren lava fields that the Island of Hawaii provides. It is the setting for the ultimate test of strength, grit and heart while calling upon athletes to find the spirit of aloha within themselves.

Our very own Emma Bexson qualified to compete in this year’s events and here are her thoughts on the race:

“If you asked me how do you fancy swimming for over an hour in the choppy, hot, salty waters of the Pacific, followed by riding your bike for 112 miles on intensely hot, windy and rolling roads and if that’s not enough, then following it up with a hilly marathon in a steam room” I might have thought twice about it. However, offered a ticket to Kona there is only one answer. 

Arriving 9 days ahead of the race to acclimatise to the brutally harsh conditions, it became evident that no one goes to Kona to crunch numbers, use data and predict race outcomes.

These are some of the best triathletes in the world with a wealth of experience. They land on Peles holy ground to embrace the experience, endure the harsh conditions and race with pride, just hoping to make it to the famous finish line.

Having endured sea sickness in every training swim, my approach to the race changed, my aim was to endure the swim and start my race on the bike.

Offered some words of wisdom by a very respected coach, he told me “if your feeling it’s a challenge on the bike then your riding to hard, if you feel your riding just right, then your probably still riding to hard, if you feel like it’s easy then your riding at just the right pace.” Previously athletes races have fallen apart on the bike to due to its harsh conditions. 

I took these wise words on board and having made it out of the swim, my slowest Ironman swim time to date 1h14 (53^rd place).  I knew the pace on the bike was crucial and that I shouldn’t play catch up. My plan was to get to the far turn point in good shape and then push on, amazingly I executed this and overtook bikes all the way home. This felt amazing riding and moving up 31 places in to 22nd place. 

On to the brutally hot and humid run with just a few hills thrown in to add to the challenge. This is the part of the race I look forward too as I know I can run a good marathon if I have paced the race well to this point.

The challenge was immense and good decision making was crucial. I embraced every minute from the crowds on Ali’I drive to the harsh desolate conditions of the famous energy lab.

Adapting the cooling method of dunking my head in an ice bucket at every feed station.

I managed to keep pulling back places, eventually running myself in to 12^th in 3h 43m, with an over all finishing time of 11h 02m. 12^th position out of 208 starters in my age group and 187 finishers.” 

English National Road Relays

  Sutton Park Birmingham 

Report – Tilly Campbell, Niamh Hillard and Paul Hawkins
 

Four Stratford Junior Teams headed to a very sunny Sutton Park, Birmingham on Saturday to compete in the highly competitive English National Road Relays, which followed on from the recent fantastic performances of the teams in the Midland Relays at the same venue.

The teams of three athletes ran over a 3.88km course. All of which was overseen and co-ordinated by Clare Plumb, who took up the mantle of Team Manager on the day. 

First up to compete were the Under 13 Boys Team with Joel Ledgard leading out on the 3.88k course.  He ran in a time of 14:47 before handing over to Sam Plumb, returning from injury, who ran up the home straight carrying one trainer having had a lace malfunction during the race. He received a knot trying lesson from the under 17 women afterwards.  His time was 15.55, with Aran Cooper storming in, in a very speedy 14:25 to claim the team 21st place overall. 

A great trio of  Bo Algate 16:36, Martha Peters 16:27 and Annie Silvers 17:18 in the Under 15 race showed excellent determination in a highly competitive race which helped them achieve a 52nd position. 

Showing great strength in depth as always enabled the under 17 Stratford Girls to field two  teams. The first team being Maisie-Joy Spriggs 14:44, Niamh Hillard 15:08 and Olivia Robinson 15:17 finishing 23rd. The second team  of Abbi Cooper 17:02 ,Tilly Campbell 19:47 and Lucy Thomas 17:33 finished 43rd.  

Everyone competing commented on how exciting the relays were and how great it was to run on part of the recent Triathlon Commonwealth 2022 course.

The strong performances and team spirit across the age groups bodes well for the club in the first West Midland Cross Country race in Walsall on Sunday. 

Rugby 10 

9^th October 2022

Report – Peter Sugden

Athletes from across Northamptonshire and Warwickshire met in the small village of Barby, which sits just on the Northamptonshire side of the boarder and to the south of Rugby, on Sunday morning for the penultimate race of the Northants Road Race League, the last race of the Warwickshire Road Race League (WRRL), and for those from Stratford upon Avon AC the last race of our 2022 Grand Prix competition. 

Hosted by Rugby and Northampton AC, the Rugby 10 (miles) is a hilly route comprising two loops starting and finishing in Barby.

The first loop takes runners down to the adjacent village of Kilsby, then further downhill to Hillmorton on the south eastern fringes of Rugby.  The route follows the A428 for ¾ of a mile before then heading south to return to Barby.  At mile 5 the benefit of the downhill enjoyed by the runners is repaid as the road climbs steadily then steeply up to Barby. 

The route then continues going up as it commences its second loop, finally taking the competitors to the aptly named Ridgeway at the 7 mile mark. 

The next mile or so of relatively level ridgeway allows a good pace for those runners with strength left in their legs from the previous two miles of ascent. 

The final mile and a half of the route comprises a quick descent into Kilsby, then a return to Barby up and back along the same route the runners left Barby sometime earlier.

The weather afforded good running conditions in autumnal sunshine, with a noticeable breeze on parts of the route. 

Continuing his rich vein of form, Matt Burdus-Cook was first back for Stratford in 6^th place overall and as V45 age group winner in a time of 57:23. 

Richard Liggatt was the second Stratford runner to finish, just within the hour in a time of 59:45 and in 10^thplace overall.  Kate Wright continuing her own phenomenal run of results was next to return, second lady overall and taking the V55 age group first place, not for the first time this season, in a time of 1:03:13. 

One place behind Kate in 22^nd overall was Tim Hutchinson, also enjoying a return to form, in a time of 1:03:46.  Next was Seth Turner in 29^th place in a time of 1:05:48.  James Coy finished in 36^th place in a time of 1:08:20, and Peter Sugden finished in 41^st place in a time of 1:09:08, a mere 5 mins faster than his previous quickest time for the course set in 2018. 

Rob Gisborne finished in 60^th place in a time of 1:13:24, taking it steadily following a strong showing in the Stratford upon Avon AC track hour just four days before. 

WRRL stalwart Stuart Griffiths finished in 75^th place in a time 1:17:14.  The second Stratford lady to finish was Suzie Ross in 86^th place, 16^th lady overall, in a time of 1:19:08, one second and one place ahead of husband Max Ross, who following his track hour victory was nursing a sore calf. 

Susan Hunt was Stratford’s third lady to finish in 118^th place, 32^nd lady overall in 1:28:38, no doubt still recovering from her Loch Ness Marathon just seven days earlier.  Dave Maundrell finished 138^th place in a time of 1:39:02 and claiming his Ever Present status having competed in all ten 2022 WRRL races.

The race was won by David Green of Rugby and Northants AC in a time of 54:03.  First lady to finish was Hayley Munn in a time of 01:02:37 and also of Rugby and Northants AC.

We await the final results of the WRRL with huge interest.  Individual places are sorted by taking runners’ best 6 places over the 10 race series.  Matt Burdus-Cook started the race in first place and is expected to be confirmed overall winner as well as MV45 age group winner when the final results are published. 

Overall Team and Masters Team competitions are based on the best placed six men and best place four ladies from each club in each race.  In the overall team competition we expect Stratford men to finish second, just behind Kenilworth Runners.  In the Masters Team competition we expect Stratford men to finish first following strong team results in the Rugby 10 race and in the previous Balsall Common 10k race on top of earlier results.

Alcester Autumn 10k

Report – Hannah Osborne 

This is a well known and loved local race which this year has seen the organisers Raceways, put on twice in the year – a Summer and Autumn addition (doing both gives you the opportunity to gain an interlocking medal).

“I didn’t go into the race thinking I would do well as I’d raced in the track hour on the Wednesday and then National Road Relays in Sutton the day before. My aim was to come 1st under 18 female as that was where I finished in the May 10k. I set off and my legs hurt from the start but as soon as I got to the hill at 3.5 miles I knew I was past half way and I picked up the pace aiming for a negative split.

The final 1k I could see 1st lady ahead of me by about 70m and I made it my aim to catch her which I did and then passed her, finishing in a time of 39.05 which wass a 30 second PB on tired legs. I also, much to my surprise, finished 1st overall lady which I’m very happy about and I’m pleased with my race”

Suzi Graham has continued her strong summer of running, finishing in 49:10, next were Dave Wolstencroft 54:57, Lisa Stevens 56:18, Cara Reynolds 58:16, with Roger Wilson (81) back racing his 1st road race in 3 years, in 58:34.