Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Roadhogg runners

2008-9

Reports by Kim Richardson, Cross Country Captain

Derby Runner League Race 5 - Foremark 15/02/09

Report by Dave Lodwick.

Last year it was Kim’s dodgy satnav sabotaging the team, this year some cunningly placed road works nearly did the trick. We had to drive home in convoys; otherwise the ladies would still be touring the lanes of Derbyshire. An assortment of injuries and the rival attraction of the Stamford 30K meant we failed to get a team, again. Still, due to the intricacies of the scoring system (known only to Stan, the Zen master from Hatton) our 3 ladies were awarded some well deserved points. As for the men, we were rudderless without Captain Kim, who was attending a birthday lunch. John Hallissey brought his new wife Julieann but for some reason she declined our offer to join us in getting cold and muddy! The Foremark course is a two-lapper with plenty of variety and a good measure of up and down. Most of the snow and ice had gone, so conditions were fair but with enough mud to make the hills challenging (a bit like running up the “down” escalator). Nick cemented his position as top Hogg with a solid 51st place finish. Best of the rest was Adrian (91st) followed by Dave (100th), John (102nd) and Dale (104th) who had a good battle on the way round. Rebecca was first Hogette in 27th and was ably supported by Trudy (70th) and Fazila (75th). Five or so miles of mud and hills was obviously not enough for Bec because she had Trudy drop her off on the way back, so she could run home from Markfield.

MEN: 51st Nick Cobley 38.29, 91st Adrian Stanley 41.36, 100th Dave Lodwick (V40) 42.02, 102nd John Hallissey 42.09, 104th Dale Jenkins (V40) 42.20, team (Dvn2) unplaced, over all 9th.
LADIES: 27th Rebecca Bromwich 45.56, 70th Trudy Sharpe 58.58, 75th Fazila Hajat (V40) 59.58.
Team (Dvn2) 6th, over all 6th. Combined team (DVn2) unplaced, 9th over all.

Derby Runner League Race 4 - Grace Dieu 18/1/09

Well the girls showed the guys what its all about at Grace Dieu. For the first time we had a full ladies team of 4 with Fuzzy Hajat making her xc debut and supporting Clare, Rebecca and Trudy. It was a bright but cold day, and the course mostly involved climbing up a rocky and muddy trail to the top of the Andes. The finish was at the top of a steep grass bank on the school field, not at the bottom, and our girl runners seemed to appreciate this judging by the language they used as they struggled up it to encouraging shouts from the men. Anyway Clare came in a terrific 10th and Rebecca also had a great run in her bright new shoes to finish 20th. With support from Fuzzy and Trudy the girls team finished 4th, yes 4th, in their division. Well done you girls! For the men though it was more disappointing; only 5 of us ran so we did not finish a team for the first time this season. Nick led us in (again), then Dale and Dave having their usual battle with Dale clearly inspired by the Roadhoggs Cross-Country award he won at the presentation night a week ago. Then came Edmund, not at full fitness but giving us a last race before he departs for Australia (look out for him on Home & Away) and then me. After the race we wanted to take pictures of our first ever ladies team in their mud-covered kit to start a club calendar, but Dave's camera overheated.

MEN: 37th Nick Cobley 37.05, 104th Dale Jenkins (V40) 42.02, 113th Dave Lodwick (V40) 42.22, 143rd Edmund Ward 44.55, 193rd Kim Richardson 51.53, team (Dvn 2) unplaced, overall 9th.
LADIES: 10th Clare O'Neill 42.38, 20th Rebecca Bromwich 44.35, 83rd Fajila Hajat (V40) 59.29, 88th Trudy Sharpe 61.41.
Team (Dvn 2) 4th, overall 7th. Combined team overall 9th

Derby Runner League Race 3 - Bagworth Heath 21/12/08

League race 3 was around the open heath near Bagworth. It was a nice bright morning but with a cold breeze. The going was mud, not clinging mud, not Mud the pop group, but wet, splashy, deep and smelly mud. Two of our runners turned up in new shoes which looked really cool at the start but brown and mucky like all the rest at the end. We had 9 men which was great but again 2 ladies when we need 4 to score; come on you girls what’s holding you back? Why don’t you come and join us and see how much fun this is? The course was the same as last season, a short lap followed by 2 long laps with a steep climb each time. It was hard work with lots of places to slip, not like this easy stuff you do on the roads. Nick was again the first Roadhogg, then Adrian and then John Hallissey making his debut in the brightest orange shoes I have ever seen; when he was on the ridge you could see them from Norway. Then Dale and Rob, then Clare who started at the back and bombed round wearing my vest which is the fastest that vest has gone in years. Further back were both Chris's, Baz, me and Trudy. Some of our times were similar to the last race at Sinai, which was a bit strange as Sinai was a bit longer and certainly more hilly! It must be the mud that slowed everybody down. Afterwards we enjoyed some coffee and Christmas mince pies on the new club tarpaulin.

MEN: 68th Nick Cobley 37.38, 88th Adrian Stanley 39.25, 127th John Hallissey 41.52, 130th Dale Jenkins (V40) 42.00, 142nd Rob Milstead (V50) 42.55, 165th Chris Mann (V40) 44.08,  174th Baz Barrett (V40) 44.54, 185th Chris Peach (V40) 45.41, 195th Kim Richardson (V50) 47.45, 226 finished.
LADIES: 19th Clare O'Neill 43.06, 81st Trudy Sharpe 59.44, 84 finished.
TEAMS (dvn 2): Overall unplaced, Men 8th, Ladies unplaced. TEAMS SO FAR (dvn 2): Overall 9th, Men 8th, Ladies unplaced.

Derby Runner League Race 2 - Sinai Ridge 30/11/08

Race 2 of this season's league was out in the Alps above Burton-On-Trent. The start is up a hill and its like that all the way round; steep hills, wet mud, and uneven everywhere so you can't get a grip. It was cold but not freezing. We just about finished a men's team but sadly with Trudy out ill we still only had the 2 girls and needed 2 more. New girl Clare O'Neill made a great debut, racing all the way with old girl Rebecca Bromwich (not an old girl really, its just that this is her second cross-country race) and they finished well up the order in 29th and 30th. As neither were in spikes they did well to stay on their feet. In the men's race, Nick Cobley was first in then we packed well in the middle order. It was good to have Chris Mann back. We finished 7 men which means that the league grants an 8th place and so we scored a team. Thanks to everyone who made it to this race; I appreciate that Burton is in another country but its a Derbyshire club which organises it there.

MEN: 61st Nick Cobley 37.49, 109th Chris Mann (V40) 40.35, 121st Dale Jenkins (V40) 41.19, 127th Dave Lodwick (V40) 41.58, 179th Baz Barrett (V40) 45.41, 191st John Stew (V50) 47.11, 200th Kim Richardson (V50) 49.02, 223 finished.
LADIES: 29th Rebecca Bromwich 45.59, 30th Clare O'Neill 46.00, 86 finished TEAMS (Dvn 2): Overall unplaced, Men 9th, Ladies unplaced.
TEAMS SO FAR (Dvn 2): Overall 9th, Men 7th, Ladies unplaced.

Derby Runner League Race 1 - Market Bosworth 16/11/08

The season opened with a 5.6 mile race from the country park at Market Bosworth. On a pleasant sunny morning no less than 15 Roadhoggs turned out which is a great start for us. The course was muddy in parts but mostly flat, in fact the toughest part was a short section of ploughed field in the second half which clung to your feet like clay and was harder work than the uphills. Mike arrived just before the start, having done the Seagrave Challenge only the day before, ran a great race to finish 6th, and then disappeared again into the mist like Zorro. Behind him both Peter and Nick finished inside the top 100, followed by new dad Adrian. Further back there seemed to be a battle between Rob, Jon and Baz as they all came in together, either that or they are really close friends. This season the league is trying out starting the ladies race 15 minutes after the mens to ease congestion at some points on the course, which meant that I had to fight a lone rearguard action to hold off the women and give the other Roadhoggs men a clear run. For the girls Rebecca made her cross country debut and finished well up, and Trudy ran her usual solid race. We scored well in the mens and mixed race. If only we had one more girl we would have scored in the ladies team race as well, how about it next time girls? Next race is at Sinai Ridge at Burton on 30th November, come on Roadhoggs lets keep this up !!!

MEN: 6th Mike Munday (V40) 34.05, 49th Peter Sloneczny (V40) 37.31, 56th Nick Cobley 37.58, 106th Adrian Stanley 40.54, 128th Dale Jenkins (V40) 41.50, 143rd Dave Lodwick (V40) 42.40, 153rd Ceri Davies (V40) 43.18, 164th Rob Milstead (V50) 43.57, 165th Jon Heap 43.58, 167th Baz Barrett (V40) 44.09, 183rd Chris Peach (V40) 45.01, 187th John Stew (V50) 45.10, 232nd Kim Richardson (V50) 49.50, 260 finished.
LADIES: 35th Rebecca Bromwich 47.35, 79th Trudy Sharpe 56.04, 102 finished
TEAMS: Overall (dvn 2) 6th, Men (dvn 2) 5th, Ladies (dvn 2) unplaced.

Reports from other seasons: 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, 2014-15, 2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10, 2008-9, 2007-8, 2006-7