Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Roadhogg runners

2017 News Archive

2016 News Archive

2015 News Archive

2014 News Archive

2013 News Archive

2012 News Archive

2011 News Archive

NEWS ARCHIVE 2013

Gaddesby Gallop

Gaddesby Gallop

Another fun canter through the countryside; Nick couldn't quite defend his title, but he probably didn't want another caricature (first prize) anyway. The runaway leader took a wrong turn and ended up 4th (Nick, whose path finding hardly rivals Tonto's, seemed surprised at this!). The regulars were joined by James, who has recently decided to join us.

Bagworth

A beautiful day for running; shame about the hangovers! Despite the festivities of the previous night, we managed an excellent turn out; they're made of stern stuff, these Roadhoggs. Amanda Harris marked her debut as a second claimer with an excellent 12th place and Nick also dug deep to make the top 20. Results and Kim's report.

Oo La La!

Can Can

Never let it be said that we don't know how to let our hair down! A little bit of French glamour came to Aylestone as we staged our Annual Awards Evening at LCCC. A big thank you to John, Keith and helpers for putting on such a great evening.

Congratulations to the award winners: Ludo Renou (Athlete of the Year), Steve Wheeler, Bec Bromwich (Road Running Captains' Awards), Nick Cobley, Jackie Brown (Cross Country Captain's Awards), John Davies, Vicky Sutton (Most Improved Runners) and Ruth Stevely (Chairman's Award).

Markfield

Markfield attracted the masses again; with over 350 men and 150 women there were so many that they ran out of finishing disks! A split start and the temporary removal of a gate reduced congestion but there was still queuing at several points. We had something like 27 Hoggs out, including our V81 superman; Rex. Ludo (8th) and Nick (11th) spearheaded our men's effort and Jackie and Vicky Salt led in the ladies. Results, Kim's report.

County Champion

Ludo

If he carries on like this, he'll need to invest in a trophy cabinet! In a delivery so late that even the Royal Mail would be red-faced about it, we've just learned that we have a County Champion in our midst; Ludo's fantastic 9th place in the John Fraser 10 has earned him the Veteran (V35+) 10 Mile title. This happy occurrence comes courtesy of the first 3 county finishers all being V35+, so the title went to the next vet to finish; Ludo.

Graduation Day

Roadhoggs (with a little help from the Corries) fielded an impressive 6 teams in the inaugural Leicester University Relays; staged on Vicky Park by the Student Running Club. Jackie, Mark C and Dave Pearce won the mixed team competition over the 3K circuit by an impressive margin and Ruth teamed up with a couple of golden oldies (Dale and Dave) to bag a bronze medal. In the men's race Sam, James, Ludo and Nick finished an excellent third to two very good university teams. Thanks to Mark C for organising the entries. Split times to follow.

Charlotte Conquers Snowdon

Congratulations to Charlotte on her first Marathon. No testing the water here; straight in the deep end with the Snowdonia Marathon, one of the hardest road events around. It only has 3 hills but they last for 3 miles, 2 miles and the 3 miler from mile 22 is a brute!

Foremark

Vicky Nick

We were a bit low on numbers and some of the faster men were missing but our middle order put in some good performances to get the new season off to a decent start. Nick finished well in 13th and he was matched by Bec for the ladies. Vicky Sutton continued her improvement, running a great race for 20th and we also welcomed Vicky Salt who was making her debut for the club. Results.

He's a Winner!

Ludo

It was only supposed to be a training run, but when you find yourself on your own in the lead it would be rude not to.... Ludo chalked up the first win of his running career by scooping first place in the Dartmoor Vale Half Marathon, beating the defending champion into second.

An Emotional Day All Round

Ruth and Kirstin

John's wasn't the only achievement at the Leicester Marathon and Half. We had a club record 14 in the Full and 28 in the Half. Hitesh finally smashed the 4-hour barrier and there were impressive Marathon debuts for Mark R, Ferrante, Jon M and Craig N. Kirstin achieved a personal landmark with her first Half and there were PB's galore; John D, Sam J, Dan Barnes, Steve W, John H, Emma, Vicky, Ash, Ian, Rich and Lucy.

The Long and Winding Road......

Stew Crew

It was a journey begun in 1984 but it was the slowest of slow burners; John's first Marathon left such an impression that he didn't run another for 23 years! Some little seed must have been planted and the drive for a hundred Marathons started to gather pace. That quest came to an end in an emotional finale as he led 'The Stew Crew' over the line to the cheers of massed teammates.

John in numbers: Marathons 100; Marathons since giving up smoking 99; Marathons since turning 50 - 98; Marathons in the last 36 months - 79; fastest Marathon - 3.37.26; slowest Marathon 8.37.00 (although there is an epic tale attached!).

Champions!

Captain Jackie

Congratulations to Captain Jackie and her magnificent Hoggettes; winners of Senior Division 2, Senior Division 3 and Veteran Division 2. Well done to all of those who played their part in a landmark season. Our men also pulled out the stops to preserve their place in Senior Division 1 (finishing 5th) and Veteran Division 2 (4th). Full results and tables.

Club 5M Handicap Race

Rae  Rich

A new course, with what were described as a few "cheeky inclines", provided a good test for one and all. Top of the form were Rae and 2012 champion Rich (the first to mount a successful defence of the title), who managed to exceed the handicapper's expectations.

Congratulations to Clare!

Clare O'Neill

Many congratulations to former ladies' captain Clare O'Neill who married Paul last weekend. She's still running; enjoying the off-road opportunities around her new home in the New Forest. We wish them all the best in their new life together.

A Remarkable Achievement

Alison  Cake

When Alison was younger, she would always have chosen a book rather than a ball, a journal than a jog or a magazine than a Marathon. Cerebral pursuits were in, sporting ones definitely out, so Roadhoggs have inspired a transformation. One hundred consecutive League races is quite remarkable. Latterly, it has meant battling injury and chronic sciatic pain but steely determination is hardwired and she wasn't to be denied her little piece of LRRL and club history.

Hermitage 10K

There was a strong cool breeze to balance the humidity, so that just left the hills to slow us down! Can't say I care for the beginning of the race, but once you're out in the countryside it's a proper treat. It being the holiday season, we were missing a few but there were gritty runs right through the team. Nick must be feeling persecuted at the moment, with everyone trying to knock him off top spot; Mark R was the latest to loom large in the Cobley wing mirrors. Results.

Huncote 5

Rich

Happily the rain relented in time but given the humidity, those puddles didn't half look inviting. Another big turn out for what always proves to be a fast and furious race. Nick missed a PB by a couple of seconds but Mark R, Sam J, Steve W, Ruth and Amy all got the job done. There was one other PB (and a notable one at that); from a man who was making his comeback after smacking himself up quite horribly. Take a bow, Rich Norton!

Results.  There seems to have been a problem with the chip times for finishers from about 50th to 270th.

Hungarton 7

If you wondered where all the hills went at Prestwold, we certainly found them at Hungarton. From the flattest to the hilliest, with some great scenery thrown in to take your mind off the pain. A great evening for running; a break in the stifling heat timed perfectly for the race. We welcomed Jon for his debut and Nathan for his second spell as a Roadhogg. Ludo and Nick battled it out so hard at the front that they both smashed their PBs and Bec led a strong Hoggette team with her now customary PB. Other PBs: Jackie, Amy, Sam and Steve W. Provisional Results.

Prestwold 10K

The flattest and most boring race in the county has had a make-over; it's now has some undulations and much more proper road. It's still quick though, and Bec, Amy and Ludo all set PBs. Drew and Kirstin both made their debuts; Kirstin marking hers with a PB. There were also PBs for Ian, Harry, Mark R, and Steve W. Results are now on the Barrow Runners site.

Solstice Celebration

Nick

Nick may cultivate the druid look with his untamed locks but he celebrated the solstice in a style that no ancient Britain could match. Having paid a dentist a fortune for a winning smile, he showed just that; beating all-comers in the Beacon Hill Solstice Run.

Swithland

Bec and Jackie with trophies

Bec (second senior lady) and Jackie (second V45) picked up their rewards for an excellent winter's work. Nick (6th senior man) also got an award but was too thirsty to stick around for a photo! At one point it looked like we would have a record turnout but we just fell short. Nonetheless, there was much to celebrate; fine weather, a scenic course and some excellent performances. We were also pleased to welcome Mike Cummins in his first race for the club. Provisional results (Birstall website).
Thanks to Dave P for the photo.

Ultra Impressive!

Chris

We were all impressed by John's 4x4 (4 Marathons in 4 days - he's not joined the Chelsea set) but Chris has well and truly trumped that by completing the Hardmoors 110. Yes that's miles (not kilometres, furlongs or any other minor measure)! One hundred and ten miles across the North York Moors (so nice and flat, then!) with a time-limit of just 36 hours. Not surprisingly, more than a third of the field failed to stay the course, but Chris finished this amazing feat 16th in 31.05.08.

Tri-Man

Ian Ian

The more observant among you will have noticed that Ian has been taking training a bit more seriously of late. Some look to challenge themselves by running a Marathon, while others, like Ian, look to add new skills and go for a triathlon. He completed the Leicester Sprint triathlon (400m swim, 20K bike, 5K run) in a very respectable 1.31.03 (130th out of 169). Perhaps we'll have to add burgundy tri-suits to our kit list? Iron man next, perhaps?

West End Girls

Our ex 'Pet Shop Boy'* was overshadowed by the Hogettes who fielded a team of 14 (smashing their previous record of 11). There was great team spirit from Jackie, Clare and Dale who ran with tired legs from having completed the White Peak half the day before. There were debuts for Ashley, Leah, Vicky and James, first races of the season for Valerie, Neil and Hitesh, plus a guest appearance from Adrian (still in his lucky yellow shorts). It was also great to see Reem and the young Roadhoggs fan club out to support our runners. Final results.
[* Roadhoggs trivia; Nick worked in a pet shop before joining Coles.]

Letting Our Hair Down

Hoggs

Roadhoggs and friends were out painting the town burgundy on Friday, complete with special guest 'Arthur Marathon' (ask Keith!).

Livingston Relays

Congratulations to the members who turned out for the annual Livingston Relays. Our senior men's teams came 5th (beaten only by elite clubs) and 19th, and our ladies came 9th. Results.

Will Makes His Mark

Will announced himself on the Marathon scene with an accomplished debut, recording 3.06.11 in the Manchester event.

The Hit Man

Chris

Our very own 'ghost runner' was at it again on Sunday! Chris flew in under the radar, ran a PB, then left without a trace. By my calculations, his 3.38.01 was his first time under 3.40. Well done Chris.

Proud!

Hoggettes

It wasn't so long ago that having a ladies team was just a glint in the chairman's eye. Today, 5 'Hogettes' showed how far we've come by making their Marathon debuts; putting months of dedicated training to the test on the streets of London. Ladies, you have made a bunch of gnarled old runners very proud!

Barbara lead the way with a beautifully paced 4.04.41 and Clare (4.28.25), Lorena (4.41.28), Lucy (4.59.28) and Valerie (5.02.25) all acquitted themselves well. [Thanks to Ruth for the photo.]

If that wasn't good enough, Ludo broke his Half and Full Marathon PBs in the same race; he clocked 1.19.00 at halfway and held his form for a sensational 2.41.25 finish (an improvement of over 12 minutes).

John Makes His Marathon Mark

Congratulations to John Hallissey who achieved his first sub-4 hour Marathon on Sunday! All of that heroic running home from races must have done the trick.

Centenary Celebrations

Markfield team

Thanks to everyone who made my 100th consecutive LRRL race so special. Thanks to Dave for the tankard, Keith for the banner, Trudy for the cake and everyone for sharing it with me (the day, not the cake!). Special thanks too to the Martin family; without their support in the early days, it simply wouldn't have been possible.

Spring turned up (at least for a day) and so did the runners; we had a fantastic turnout even though several members had their minds on London. Craig made his debut and we also welcomed Rachel, Dave B and Dan Ban for their first League outings of the year. Despite the hills and strong winds, it looks like there were PBs for Harry, Steve W, Bec, Jackie and Charlotte; well done all. Results.

Ultra Champion!

Jerry

News has just reached us of a quite staggering triumph for our very own Jerry. There was no gurning involved, just 40 miles of supreme athleticism. Two years ago he tackled the 'A Coventry Way Challenge' a 40 mile equivalent of the Round Leicester, finishing 5th. Not satisfied with this he went back this year, ran 47 minutes quicker and won the race by a whopping 25 minutes!

Jon Hits a Half Century

Heapy Old John

Jon braved sub-zero temperatures, knee-deep snow drifts and more mud than a porker's parlour to become only the second Roadhogg to complete 50 Marathons. The eagle eyed among you will spot that John (the first to achieve the feat) was also there, taking his total to 86. When, hopefully, he reaches the magic number, he'll look back on today as one of those days when he really toughed it out. No Marathon is ever easy, but few are as hard earned as this was.

It transpires that while your intrepid reporter was sheltering in his car nearby, Chris checked in at Copt Oak on route to a highly impressive 19th place finish. Well done, Chris.

Thanks Everyone!

Marshals

The Roadhogg family were out in force to ensure that our race passed off without a hitch. We also managed to field useful looking teams as well. Our ladies continued their hot streak with Bec, Jackie and Charlotte all finishing well up. Results.

Mission Accomplished

Rachel  Chris

Despite the races coming thick and fast, we managed to finish the cross country season with a full team. That means we only had to play our 'joker' in the rearranged fixture at Foremark. Hopefully, we've done enough to keep our place in the first division of the combined team competition. The last race was a new one, fast, furious and flat (and only 4.4 miles). Harry and Ham ran their first XC races for the club and there were welcome returns from Rachel and Chris. Update: It was all worth it as we comfortably kept our place in the combined Division 1. Kim's report. Results.

Ice Cold in Ashby*

The mercury was barely breaking zero, and there was a cold north-easterly but is was nice and dry under foot, so plenty of Hoggs took the opportunity to fill their boots. Our top ladies were flying (PBs for Bec, Jackie and Charlotte) and some of our newer men recorded impressive times, too. Mark R, John D, Sam J and Steve W got PB's (Steve going sub-7s for the first time). We also had LRRL debuts from Morgan, Lorena and Jess; not to mention first starts of the season from Swanee and Steve M. Draft Results.

*One for our more senior readers (Ice Cold in Alex; a wartime drama starring John Mills, Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quinn and Harry Andrews).

Derby Runner 2012-13 Individual Standings

Congratulations to Nick on finishing 4th senior man and Jackie on finishing 5th VL40. Full standings.

Return to Mud Bath Meadows

Fosse Meadows XC

We were back up to strength this week at Fosse Meadows (we even had a posse of supporters to cheers us on). The Fosse Meadows course made a return after many years lying fallow; the last time we were here, John S ran his first cross country (fortunately the downpour on that occasion didn't put him off) and Swanee made his only XC start in a decade or more (yes, really!). The mile across a crop field proved to be a breeze but everything else was covered in mud or water (and often both). The stream crossing was complemented by a knee deep wade through a puddle in the middle of a meadow and the tracks round the plantation were fit only for porkers.

Afterwards we all retired to the pub to set Kim's birthday celebrations in motion with a celebratory cake and a welcome pint. Results. Kim's report.

The Dirty Dozen

Ruth  John D

Boy was it muddy at Foremark. It was the oozy, slippery stuff rather than the claggy sticky stuff but with all of the adverse cambers plenty of people went for a wallow in it. With constant rain all morning, the Roadhoggs' Hospitality Centre (tent) really came into its own. The combination of cosy tent and tasty cakes (thanks Trudy and Clare) were so inviting that Kim almost had to dismantle the thing around them to get people to go home. As this race was an extra (to replace the cancelled Allestree race) we were down on numbers, but that did mean that there was plenty of cake! Results, Kim's report.

Ladies' Day

Amy and Rae

They don't come any tougher than the Charnwood Hills Race and this year they threw in the climb of Old John and plenty of super-slippy mud for good measure. Of course nobody is tougher than our Hoggettes and they were out in force. Nick (a fine 8th) usually grabs the headlines in this race but this time it was the ladies' turn; Bec looked a class act as she stormed to 9th and Jackie (12th) continued her impressive form by claiming the VL45 prize. Amy and Rae showed they are true Roadhoggs and Clare took everything in her stride. The ladies (also 3rd in the team competition) didn't have the mud all to themselves; as well as Nick, we also had Dale, Colin, Baz, Paul, Simon and Hitesh flying the flag for the men.

Barrow 6

Zorro Jackie

The first race of the new season is always a chance to catch up with old friends (and rivals) and to welcome a crop of new Hoggs to the Leicestershire Road Running League. After all of the snow it was a relief to swap husky racing for road running. Of course the sudden thaw and overnight rain meant the Soar had burst its banks and blocked some approach roads; something Dale found to his cost (he should have remembered that 'Lodstradamus' predicted this sort of watery mayhem in his almanac).

It was great to see Zorro (Mike Munday) ride out of the west and we also welcomed Will, Harry, Robin, Steve R and Rachel for their first league outings; hopefully the first of many. Apart from the excellent debutants there were PBs for Mark R, John H, Sam J, Jackie and Barbara. Results.

Bagworth Heath

Robin and John H

Another bright sunny day but testing conditions under foot made for a tough run. Twenty four Hoggs battled with a course that was frozen in places and boggy in others. For the men, Nick was 8th, Jerry rapid, John H had a great battle with new man Robin and John D achieved his goal of a first top 100 finish after another classy run. Bec, Jackie and Ruth were first up for the ladies but there were plenty of good runs from the rest of the team to back them up. Kim's full report and results.