Across The Channel – 37 and counting.

Marathon de La Rochelle

Report – Susan Hunt

My mate Linda and I had always fancied a seaside marathon so we entered Blackpool in 2020. After it was cancelled twice due to COVID, we decided to upgrade to La Rochelle instead.

Our posher seaside destination meant we soon persuaded some fellow FV50s to join us and last weekend the “old birds” went on tour (a slogan which went on our hoodies, and totally bewildered the French).

La Rochelle marathon is the 2nd largest in France (after Paris) and this was its 31st edition.  The hardest part of a marathon can often be making it to the start line this was definitely true in our case. 

First, we’d had to obtain the mandatory medical certificate (in a time when getting an appointment with your GP feels akin to securing an audience with the Pope) and then we’d had to endure a horrifyingly bumpy 11 hour cross channel ferry ride and survive a 4 hour drive on the wrong side of the road.  

Running 26.2 miles was going to be doddle!

The flat 2 lap course took in the harbour, old port and medieval city centre and finished with half a mile on every marathon runners’ favourite surface: cobbles.

Of the 12000 runners, about half were solo and the rest were in relay teams of either 2 or 4. 

The atmosphere was just incredible, with crowds lining the route telling us to “allez” and 12 bands playing (one every 2km).

It was my 37th marathon and the first where oysters were offered at aid stations. It was also the first in my SAC vest, which drew lots of comments from French runners (happily most were about Shakespeare and none were about Brexit).

At the end, we were rewarded with a great medal, a box of 6 oysters, a wind jacket (look out for me showing off in it at track night) and the ladies also got a rose.  Oh and a rice pudding. 

I may be slowing down but I was proud to have run every step and my time of 4:23:02 was a significant improvement on last month’s marathon at Loch Ness, where I ran 4:23:50.

Now to decide which marathon we’ll do next instead of Blackpool…

THE BRITISH ATHLETICS CROSS CHALLENGE
 

Report – David Jones

The 3rd round of the 2022/23 British Athletics Cross Challenge Series took place in Sefton Park in Liverpool at the weekend for the European Cross Country Championships trials with our very own Alex Adams competing

UKA’s Strategic Lead for Major Events Cherry Alexander said, “The Cross Challenge series is a fantastic opportunity for those athletes developing in the sport and it also provides competitive domestic racing opportunities for our British athletes to prepare them for Championships in the future”

Moving into 2023, the final fixtures will take place in Perth on the 14th January and The British Athletics Cross Challenge Series Final will once again take place at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough, at an event which also incorporates the UK Inter Counties Championships. 

Alex Adams, the club’s “Male Junior Athlete of the Year” missed the first of these events in October due to injury but competed in Milton Keynes on 12th November, finishing in 10th place with a time of 19.46. The race was won by Connor Bell from Central AC in a time of 18.17.

Following his recovery from injury, last weekend in Liverpool he moved up to finish in 6th place with a time of 17.42, closing the gap on Connor Bell, who finished in 5th place, to just 2 seconds. The race winner was Isaac Morris of Cambridge & Coleridge AC with a time of 17.06.

I’m told that following his injury, such has been his determination to get to back to full fitness that Alex has forgone playing his beloved football and prioritised his running. Apparently he has also given up socialising with his mates, choosing training instead. Impressive or what ?

The competition now moves on to Perth in Scotland in January, where Alex is hoping to compete. It will then be on to the final in Loughborough on 14th March.

Alex’s hopes for the remaining 2 fixtures are a top 5 place and medal in Perth and hopefully a top 5 place at the final.

His comments on the Liverpool race were as follows “ Liverpool Cross Challenge at Sefton Park. 5.5km in 17:42. I went off strongly but not too quick and settled into the front group.  The pace picked up and the field strung out but I was sat in the chase group that eventually broke down into the field.  I picked up a few places on the last lap but was outrun in the finishing straight.  I felt good and very strong the whole way round. I possibly could have run harder and made an earlier move but I was happy with the result”.

These races also give Alex the opportunity to meet up with and compete against runners he competed against on his international debut last March in Wales.