Runners of the Month, 2016

This month’s Runners of the Month create a piece of the Club’s history, being the first husband & wife to win the accolade in the same month.

Not only are they a massive part of the Club, they also make things happen.  Whether it is getting volunteers for our Club Races, organising fantastic Saturday morning Forest of Dean runs, bacon sandwiches too. Being group leader’s on Club night, organising marathon training runs, and their running continues to get better, as they manage to run lots of races too. Oh, and there’s the small matter of arranging an Almosts’ trip to Torremolinos.

Mariel put in a strong performance at the recent Guy Fawkes 5, just seconds off her PB, however her love for running lies firmly off-road. Not only did she place highly at the Aston Subedge marathon but she is a regular at cross country events. She also shares her enthusiasm by organising muddy weekend runs for other club members to enjoy. Congratulations Mariel!

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Di has not only trained for and completed a half Ironman this year but she also recently completed the Brooks Snowdonia marathon in under 5 hours. Closer to home the long hours of training on Bredon Hill resulted in a return to form on the road in her sub-2 hour showing at the Cheltenham half marathon.

Becoming a new father has clearly not affected Josh’s running, as he has earned PBs at all distances from 10k upwards this year. However, it is at the marathon distance where Josh has excelled with top 40 finishes in Chester (2.53 PB) and the notoriously challenging Brookes Snowdonia marathon (3.04). Well run Josh!

Gemma followed up her strong 3.33 showing at this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon with a creditable 2.33 at the Cheltenham half marathon pushing her sister Hayley in a wheelchair. No mean feat on very challenging terrain around the racecourse. It was difficult to tell whose smile was broader at the finish – Gemma’s or Hayley’s. Nice work, Gemma (and Hayley)!

Dan really enjoys and is very dedicated to his running and has been steadily progressing since joining the club. He can often be seen at the track giving it his all! Well done Dan!

Doug has been nominated this month for the amount of help he gives to the club. Doug can often be seen at races on the lead bike or, in the case of the Meteor Mile, getting drenched in the finishing area whilst filming all finishers to ensure accurate times for everyone. Thanks Doug!

Jeanette is a well deserved winner this month as she has been working hard on improving her speed which will shortly translate into new PBs we are sure. She also convincingly won Race 4 of the club handicap series. Well done Jeanette!

Congratulations to Gemma this month for her consistent form and recent successes – Gemma was first lady at the Stroud Trails Half Marathon, at the Westonbirt 10K and most recently on leg 7 of the Cotswold Way Relay. Well done Gemma!

Dave has been training hard and racing well recently – and watch out for him on his new bike! Dave is also a great asset to the club and has worked tirelessly on organising teams for this year’s Cotswold Way Relay which was a great success thanks to his hard work – he does love a spreadsheet! 🙂

Doug Wight’s stunning run at the London Marathon in April earned him a top 200 placing with his phenomenal time of 2:36:58. Testament to his hard work and disciplined training, Doug also won the recent Stroud Trails Marathon. Awesome running, Doug!

Congratulations to Sheila (aka ‘Zippy’) for working hard to improve her race times recently, resulting in personal best times at the 5 mile, 10 mile and half marathon distances. Keep it up Zippy and keep smiling!

Mike has been nominated by his daughter Catherine for always putting maximum effort into his training (whilst running a busy veterinary practice) and quietly getting on with his races. He recently completed his first ultra (34 miles) in a very respectable 6 hours 41 minutes. Well done Mike! 

Kat has set herself the challenge of completing 4 marathons in 4 weeks – Paris, Manchester, Brighton and London – all for charity. Best of luck Kat with your 4-in-1 challenge and keep smiling!

Congratulations go to Louise this month for always being enthusiastic and helpful. Louise has recently recovered from an ankle injury and is going from strength to strength.

Seth Gilbert’s efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed. Always smiling, Seth enjoys his running and is making steady progress. He is also a regular volunteer and always willing to help out. Well done Seth! (photo by Barry Cornelius).

Congratulations this month to Mark Medland who, after months of targeted training, pulled a marathon PB out of the bag at sunny Seville, finishing in 3 hours and 45 minutes. Well done Mark and keep up the good work!