Cirencester Park Cross Country
Round 1 of the Gloucestershire cross country league took place in Cirencester Park, a new venue for the championship. The route was tough, with steep hills, mud and even more mud. The team spirit shone through though, with a lot of RSE members taking part – the XC is always a great event to support and cheer fellow members along.
- Nia Glover – 34:27
- Rosie Hartland – 36:16
- Elaine Chapman – 38:47
- Jo Wood – 39:15
- Sharon Smith – 39:26 (1st F LV70)
- Fran Penny – 39:31
- Paul Beaumont – 40:17 (3rd M LV70)
- Carol Sworn – 42:47
- Vanessa Poole – 52:40
- Linda Edwards – 52:41
- Kate Potter – 54:18 (3rd F LV70)
In places it was walking only because the mud was so deep!
Sharon Smith
Well done to everyone who ran!
A note from Dave Witnall, Club Captain:
Well done everyone who turned up to the first event and gave it their best – it was tough conditions but that’s what makes Cross country unique. We have another taster session on the 14th November, and the next Gloucestershire XC event is held at Wotton Park on the 12th December – although this race is slightly undulating over open fields, there are less hills than Cirencester Park. There’s still the possibility of very muddy patches and a wade through very large puddles! In the meantime, if you have any questions, worries or just want to debrief how Saturday was for you, please feel free to approach me at club.
Run Upcote
Described as one of the most beautiful races in Gloucestershire, this 5 mile race crosses a mix of bridleway and trail paths. Held at Upcote Farm near Withington, the route boasts some stunning Cotswold views. There was a fantastic turnout of RSE members, with 10 club runners taking on the muddy trails!
- Sharon Smith – 51:35
- Cheri Edwards – 54:27
- Liz Hilcup – 58:51
- Kirsty Pitts – 59:40
- Janet Daniels – 1:04:26
- Vicki Mason – 1:05:15
- Caroline Joynes-Creed – 1:06:01
- Kevin Joynes-Creed – 1:06:01
- Becca Wilson – 1:10:19
- Kate Potter – 1:10:27
Great local trail race with stunning local scenery. Hills – one called “Bastard Hill”, woods, fields and a herd of deer jumped out in front of me – truly in the country. Loved every minute of it. Yes, really! So lucky with the weather as the sun shone 😊
Becca Wilson
A fantastic trail race near Withington the route took us around fields, through woods and along trails with plenty of mud and puddles along the way. Loads of fun! 😀 At the beginning of the race one of the signs had blown away and there were no marshal’s so everyone ended up doing an extra half a mile 🤣
Kirsty Pitts
Upcote is a challenging 5 mile trail with what feels like far more uphill than down. The wet & muddy conditions combined with a mistake from the front runners resulting in an additional kilometre made today’s race quite a bit more challenging than it needed to be. Overall, I’d say it’s a great race and as it’s only 20 mins up the road, it’s well worth the trip and highly recommended for next year…
Kevin Joynes-Creed
Upcote didn’t disappoint. Torrential rain welcomed us, a shedload of mud and hills, plus a surprise extra circuit of the field making the distance well over 5 miles!
Sharon Smith
Chester Zoo 10k
An interesting and unique opportunity for runners is Chester Zoo 10k, where entrants can spot rhinos and giraffes as they run through the famous park. The scenic route takes in the surrounding countryside before finishing back in the centre of the park.
Running for RSE was Felicity Crotty, who finished in a brilliant time of 59:40!
We saw some camels on the way out and finished with a trip into the zoo!
Felicity Crotty
Westonbirt House 10k
On the bucket list for runners in Gloucestershire is the Westonbirt 10k, a beautiful race through the grounds and surrounding area of Westonbirt House. The course is mixed terrain, finishing directly in front of the historic Victorian building. Anne Gardiner and Libby Butler ran for RSE!
- Anne Gardiner – 54:17
- Libby Butler – 58:33
A beautiful course with some definite ‘undulations ‘ and very muddy sections in the grounds. I really appreciated having the pacers and remembered other RSE members’ warning about the steps at the finish line!
Anne Gardiner
It’s a beautiful course, and first time I’ve run 10k without stopping this year so better than comfortable!
Libby Butler
Brilliant running both of you!
Westonbirt House Half Marathon
Alongside the 10k option, Westonbirt House also hosted a half marathon, following a similar course. This event takes runners on 2 laps of the Tetbury countryside. After running 2 half marathons and a marathon last week, RSE’s Zoe Markham-Lee crossed the finish line with another new PB under her belt!
- Zoe Markham-Lee – 2:02:42
Heavens opened at the start of the race and midway. I think the rain and the wine made me run faster!
Zoe Markham-Lee
Zoe also completed a 250k challenge for the month. Incredible running, Zoe!!
Parkruns
Cirencester Parkrun
- Andy Sworn – 25:24
- Michael Bagot – 25:14
- Steve Sandercock – 26:09 – 1st in age group!
- Kevin Joynes-Creed – 28:22
- Caroline Joynes-Creed – 31:47 (A new course PB!)
- Elaine Chapman – 35:31
- Vicki Mason – 36:17
Tetbury Parkrun
- Linda Edwards – 28:26
- Taryn Hancock – 29:22
- Cathy Steer – 29:29
Berkley Green Parkrun
- Mark Garrett – 19:22
Parkrun result not mentioned? It may be that you’re not listed as Running Somewhere Else in the parkrun results online. For information on how to change/add RSE as your listed club, click here.
Halloween Fun Run
This week also saw the return of the Halloween fun run, a spooky event that saw club members dressing up in their scariest costumes and running around Cirencester, much to the amusement of the locals! This year, club members Phil Scoble and Ollie Hazel gave a haunting tour, recounting ghost stories of the Cirencester buildings. A social at Somewhere Else followed, with fantastic food, a charity contest and great company.
A huge thank you to Phil and Ollie, as well as Linda Edwards and Nadine Brown for organising, and Sarah Page for the charity contest!
