Runners

Results

Race Entries

Runners Profiles

Club Runner of the Month

Distance Log

Club Records

Club Person of the Year

Results

Emer Casey Memorial London 10km - Sunday 17th November 2019

The Emer Casey Foundation was set up in 2006 following the death, at
a young age, of Emer Casey from Youghal Co. Cork from ovarian cancer.

Phoenix Running Riverside Half Marathon - Sunday 17th November 2019

St Neots Half Marathon - Sunday 17th November 2019

Adidas City Run - Fulham 10km - Sunday 17th November 2019

947 Ride Joburg - Sunday 17th November 2019

Maverick Trail Kent 22kms - Saturday 16th November 2019

Run Through 5km, Victoria Park - Saturday 16th November 2019

Run Through Half Marathon, Victoria Park - Saturday 16th November 2019

London Cross Country Championships, Parliament Hill - Saturday 16th November 2019

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 16th November 2019

Run In The Dark 10km, Battersea Park - Wednesday 13th November 2019

Fabrizio reports: I generally take a break after the year-end long race, and spend about a month with little training, and indulging in activities that a serious athlete wouldn't condone increasing the opportunities to sample Shiraz and Barbera, getting a monthly pass at McD, and avoiding fruit and veg like they were poison. I didn't realise that at work I had put my name down for Run in the Dark, which the company decided to enter to support the Mark Pollock Trust. Mark Pollock is an endurance athlete who became blind and subsequently wheelchair-bound after a fall from a second-storey window, and now aims to inspire people to build resilience and collaborate with others so that they achieve more than they thought possible.
It is one of those events when I thought multiple times: why am I doing this? It's cold, it's wet and rainy, it's windy, it's dark: my idea of hell really. And I wasn't fit for running, or so I thought, with nearly three weeks of hibernation and only 5 miles of running on my legs during this period. Similarly, I had to force myself to remember what to pack, what I'd need pre-, during, and post-race, so I shoved a few bits and pieces in a backpack without any conviction that this would be a race to remember from a performance perspective. Although the race was entirely on tarmac, with a foot injury still lingering I opted for super-cushioned trainers specific for trail running that I have used in the last month or so: Hoka One One Speedgoat, which I am more and more in love with.
Until I passed over the start line nothing (almost) went the ideal way. A long commute to the place (Battersea Park), including a mile walk from the station to the extremely crowded marquees where race packs were available and bags were dropped; then a (too) quick warm-up without stretching or strides, a last-minute vest changeover (so I could tell everyone that ELR was there); then trying to squeeze in the crowd to get as close as possible to the start line, and still not being able to get closer than about 50 metres. By then I had forgotten in my bag three things, clearly not essential: my new head torch, a gel, and gloves.
It took a good two minutes to be able to run in a straight line without having to slalom between other runners. As at the half I ran three weeks ago, I kept looking at the watch at every kilometre, more and more surprised that I could run another one at that pace despite (in this case) the lack of training, and wondering when I'd hit the wall. Indeed, I kept lapping other runners, and only towards the end was I able to run just about on my own. I did hit the wall about a mile to the end, but I kept going, realising that I was going to get a good time.
At the end I did get a VB (Veteran Best; in nearly all distances my PBs are out of reach): 37:43, 5th overall and first vet. After finishing I attempted a cool down (couldn't get any cooler than that, I'm afraid). I stayed for a few more minutes, waiting for my colleagues to put an end to their agony, then politely declined to stay for a drink as at that moment a hot bath was all I needed, and it was about 90 minutes from there.
The race lives up to its name: it's in the dark, although there is sufficient lighting to see puddles, runners and other obstacles. Those familiar with Battersea Park will know that the course is as flat as you can get, and the trees provide good shelter against the wind; on the sad side, the start avenue is far too narrow and dealing with the other 700 runners was a challenge. It is definitely a race I would run again, and would recommend running here to all those who look for a PB course or a good place for tempo runs or fast long intervals.
Now let the hibernation continue for a few more weeks: ZZZZZZZZZ.

Chase The Moon 5km, QEOP - Wednesday 13th November 2019

Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 13th November 2019

Chase the moon. 10k Olympic park. 1st position. 33:46 and 3:10 min PB!
I wanted to do a 10k before the end of the year to complete a great year of PBs. After find out I will not be able to run the XC race this weekend due to work I decided to book something local and have it done.
Weather was great for running on the cold side. Race started fast as some runners were doing a 5k. I felt fast and comfortable and adopted a 3-4 position. After 2 laps(5k) I was tempted to do a Sprint and get 1st position for the 5k but I quickly discharged the idea as I was going for a 10k PB and position wasn't as important. A group of 3 separated from the rest and did good at controlling the pace and don't get too carried away. On the last lap I started increasing the pace and chasing them and at the last 500 m I was confident I had enough energy for a long sprint and that should give me the victory
Chuffed with my time and the 1st position and knowing there's still room for improvement.

Marathon Swims 5km, QEOP Aquatic Centre - Sunday 10th November 2019

Splits
Dan; 22.33, 22.07, 22.19, 23.09, 24.28
Joanna; 21.00, 21.34, 23.03, 24.22, 25.20
Katherine; 26.35, 27.14, 27.06, 26.18, 27.49
Jason; 31.37, 33.24, 35.44, 36.57, 38.29


Joanna: A very boisterous 5km swim today with a few bruises picked up along the way.
Chuffed that I managed a sub 2 finishing 3mins faster than last year in 1.57.19
but you need to be made of stern stuff against some of the swimmers in there.
I doubt I'll do it again as there's little enjoyment factor but at least I'll be going out on a high.
More training over the next couple of weeks before my big day so feeling positive at the mo.
Thanks as always to my best support team; Marc, Stuart, my mum and Sandra and it was great to see Kat & Jason swim beforehand.
A great water-based day for ELR.

Regents Park 10km - Sunday 10th November 2019

Stebbing /Essex 10m - Sunday 10th November 2019

Behobia-San Sebastian 20K - Sunday 10th November 2019

Alexandra: Race Report Behobia-San Sebastian 20k
So much to say about that weekend ! A few months ago, I heard Maud talking about the trip, as I love Spain and running weekends, I asked if she needed some company and she managed to get the organisers to offer me a free entry as well. Since, I only had to buy a (cheap) flight, the decision was taken quickly…
Maud will probably explain better than me how both the organisers of the race and the University of San Sebastian took amazing care of us, from arranging our transfers to offering us lunch and the VIP treatment after the race. During the whole weekend, we only met with my favourite type of people : the warm and welcoming ones! I also had the opportunity to practice my Spanish which was a big plus and believe me, explaining the story of 'the clap' to the Dean of the University in Spanish was quite a memorable moment.
The race, then! We knew we would have to wrap well before the start, a 30 mins trip on a crowded train from San Sebastian to Behobia then a stressful 2 kms walk to drop our bags on time more than 1 hour before our race hoping it wouldn't rain too heavily, we had fun crossing the border for a short warm-up in France , a bit of standing in front of the big screen looking at the start line then it was time for Maud to go, That's when it suddenly started to pour again and I was cold, fortunately, I managed to find shelter for 20 mins just near the very interesting new urinal for women. I almost felt sorry I didn't want to pee anymore cause I would have loved to try them! (more info here: https://www.lapee.dk/ ).
Luckily, the rain stopped and I could go to my pen, The silver lining of running so badly this year is that I don't feel any pressure before running a race, I know in advance that it will be slower that what I should be able to run anyway, But, then, that mentality probably doesn't help, vicious circle and all.
Anyway, off we go and as expected, I was struggling at even a 10:30 min/mile pace at the start, oh well, after Beachy Head 2 weeks ago, any race will feel easy anyway, just hang on there, Fortunately, it got a bit easier. I had a laugh at myself passing the city of Irun (pronounce it Eeroun) finally realising that the name I kept seeing since we got our numbers the day before had nothing to do with running and being a runner (yep, I really thought there was a place, probably a type of leisure center city called ' I run' in North of Spain) Always good to have a giggle while running The race was certainly undulating with some longer hills at 3 points of the race but again, after the last few hills I encountered in my running, they didn't seem that high, High enough, though, to remind me that since the last 6 months, each time my heart rate goes above 160, I am finding it difficult to breath then feel dizzy, so there you go, I had to walk to get the heart rate down and feel ok again. One day, I will stop going around the world and get it checked, promise ! The enthusiasm of the crowd and the volunteers was amazing, I absolutely loved that old man in his underwear on the terrace of his apartment playing on his drum for us, It was pouring rain at times but they were there with their umbrellas, screaming and shouting 'Venga, Venga, Venga! Animo!!! (which I had to translate to some French runners seriously, guys, what did you think it was dah!) The most memorable moment was obviously the hailstorm I faced mid-race! Unbelievable Really painful on my face so I was running with my hands on my head, but the crowd was still there encouraging us while we were facing it This race is extremely popular in the area. It started 100 years ago and this year was the 55thedition so there are a lot of traditions attached to it. Then, the weather calmed down, I passed the first 5k in 29 mins, then 10k in 1h00, I was trying to remain within that zone and finish in around 2h00-2h05mins for the 20k, Less than 3k to go, I was more on less on track, and that's when we arrived in San Sebastian with a change of weather again and a heavy rain and wind to finish that race in a badass way. I managed to sprint a little in the last km, it was nice to see the City Hall from a distance despite the rain and by that time, the crowd was on fire, Seriously, Londoners, you have competition for the London marathon.
I finished in 2.02.02 , not that great but not so catastrophic, pretty much the reflection of my last 6 months of running, Completely disorientated after the race, I was trying to find the VIP tent where Maud was waiting for me but ended up in tears (a bit of a pattern this year too,sighs.) in the middle of the street till someone picked me up and decided to escort me to where I needed to be, I was then pampered as I have never been after a race !
Around 25% of women participated to the race this year, the organisers are aiming at getting a 50% female participation by 2025 which is why they invited Maud to hear about the #RunEqual campaign, I will certainly come back in 2025 (if not before) and I am hoping to take a few more ELRs with me too ( feminist men welcome too :-P, there are many of you at the club) If this race report doesn't convince you, wait till you see Maud and I's t-shirts on Wednesday night, They are absolutely gorgeous ! (and of course, participants had the choice between a male and a female t-shirt)

Maud: Since Alexandra has already posted about the race I will try not to duplicate too much. Sorry it ended up a bit long anyway...
Last year I wrote an article for the race magazine of the Behobia-San Sebastián. They had just launched their 50/50-25 initiative, which is a commitment to achieving equal numbers of men & women entering the race by 2025. They also invited me to run the race last year, but it was quite short notice and I wasn't able to.
This year they asked me again, and with plenty of time to plan I immediately accepted. It wasn't practical for Peter to come with me due to our parental responsibilities, but Alexandra nobly stepped into the breach.
I was then asked by the local university if I would give a talk the day after the race - I really wanted to say no, but I am trying to get better and less nervous about stuff like that, so I agreed.
I'd been simultaneously really looking forward to it and totally bricking myself about the talk, but at the last minute I nearly had to cancel. Peter's father is seriously ill, and he had to go to Scotland to be with him at short notice. And while our sons are now 17 & 18 we couldn't leave them alone for the weekend given G's fragile mental health, and the possibility that they might lose their granddad while we were both away. Thankfully my mother stepped into the breach and came to stay. I was still pretty uncomfortable about leaving them, but they were in safe hands.
I was very fretful on the plane heading out - not being able to contact my family. But once we arrived, and I knew the my mother had arrived at our house I was able to switch off and trust that they would be OK. We were met by a taxi and taken to the city hall in Sebastián, where due to our flight arriving late we had just missed the race presentation (and the most of the food), but we met some of our hosts, who were all so warm and welcoming that we felt at ease straight away.
On Saturday we went to the race expo at Irun - it's a big race with over 30,000 runners entered. We were met by Arantza from the organising club, picked up our bibs & T shirts (really nice women's fit ones), did some photos and then got the train back to San Sebastián for an amazing lunch - a pintxos bar crawl with Felix from the university.
We'd agreed with Arantza that rather than just take a taxi to the start we would go by train to get the full race-day experience. We were met at the station by Eñaut, had had interviewed me in Newcastle a few weeks ago, and he take some pics of us on the train.
The weather forecast for the whole weekend was pretty awful, and it was indeed a cold, wet and windy morning. The bag drop closed (officially) quite a long time before the start so it was a challenge to keep warm on reasonably dry. Most of the runners had disposable ponchos, but we weren't that well prepared.
I got a pretty good soaking as my wave was walked to the start line, but after that I was pretty lucky, and missed the hailstorm that Alexandra got caught in. I really enjoyed the race itself - I paced it sensibly so as to be able take it all in. In spite of the awful weather the local support was brilliant. Eñaut was there again at the finish line - we confused the marshal by me going back towards the line a couple of times so he could get some more pics.
Then I had to convince a security guard who spoke no English that I needed to go to the VIP tent - Patxi who was supposed to meet had been misled by my negative split. Sadly Haile Gebrselassie was no longer there (Patxi showed me his selfie...), but there was wine and snacks and somewhere dry to change - Arantza had arranged for our bags to be fetched from the truck and brought straight there. Afterwards we went to the post-race reception at a nearby hotel.
Then on Monday I did an interview with a local journalist followed by the talk at Deusto University, which was also streamed to their other campus in Bilbao. Wasn't at all happy with it, but I guess I never am. I was relieved to have Patxi & Arantza alongside me, and they shared the questions at the end. Mighty relieved when it was done.
What a weekend - you couldn't ask for a more friendly bunch of people. We have promised to go back - in 2025 if not before.

Athens Marathon - Sunday 10th November 2019

Phoenix Running Excalibur 11 (Invincible Conquest) - Saturday 9th November 2019

Essex Remembrance Run Half Marathon, Saffron Walden - Saturday 9th November 2019

Essex Remembrance Half Marathon - 1:33:59
Really happy with another half marathon PB just 7 weeks after the Scottish Half!
Since then I've been training hard for the Dawn to Dusk marathon including going
to track the day after the half and doing 200 miles in October but buzzing that
the hard work is paying off with course PBs at the two Hog Hill races and
Cheshunt XC and a half marathon PB today.
Nice bonus to pick up the pace in those last few miles and sneak a sub 1:34 on
chip timing after my watch recorded 1:34:02.
Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend!

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 9th November 2019

Chingford League - Event 2 - Hog Hill 2, Redbridge Cycle Circuit - Tuesday 5th November 2019

Team results:
Ladies A Team 4th, Vets 4th (4th in both overall after 2 events)
Men A Team 3rd, B Team 3rd, Vets 4th (A & B 4th overall, Vets 5th overall)

Jacob Reports. Here are the updated ELR Winter League rankings, after Chingford League race #2. No change at the top of the leaderboard, but lots of movement further down, as runners who have done at least two races jump ahead of those that have done only one.

Numbers after each name:

- Participation score

- Overall performance score

- (Performance score in this race - if applicable)

- Overall score

**Women:**

Name - Part. Perf. (Race perf.) Score

1. Fiona Day - 100 115 (116) 106

2. Maud Hodson - 100 113 (113) 105

3. Kasia Stachowiak - 100 108 (109) 103

4. Carolyn Edwards - 100 99 (97) 100

5. Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera - 100 90 (90) 96

6. Becky Evans - 67 130 (128) 92

7. Caroline Frith - 67 121 (120) 88

8. Emily Clarke - 67 115 (116) 86

9. Sandra Preston - 67 113 (114) 85

10. Janet Bywater - 67 109 (113) 84

11. Chloe Millan - 67 106 82

12. Katie Whitton - 67 105 (105) 82

13. Cat Hoult - 67 100 (101) 80

14. Filipa Soares - 67 98 (95) 79

15. Kathryn Hertzberg - 67 90 (91) 76

16. Veronica Carrasco - 67 90 (92) 76

17. Ellie Wilkinson - 33 118 67

18. Susannah McLaren - 33 110 64

19. Lauren Kelly - 33 107 63

20. Sarah Burns - 33 103 61

21. Claire Emery - 33 101 60

22. Tina Bennett - 33 97 (97) 59

23. Anna Dingle - 33 85 54

24. Lauren Stevenson - 33 84 (84) 54

25. Maya Goodwin - 33 83 53

26. Joanna Qiu - 33 81 (81) 52

**Men:**

Name - Part. Perf. (Race perf.) Score

1. Calvin Bobin - 100 132 (131) 113

2. Billy Rayner - 100 115 (116) 106

3. Jacob Stevens - 100 114 (113) 105

4. Mark Moir - 100 111 (112) 104

5. Michael Wilson - 100 110 (112) 104

6. Karan Gadhia - 100 103 (106) 101

7. Arthur Diaz - 100 91 (87) 96

8. Euan Brown - 67 136 (136) 94

9. Patrick Brown - 67 131 (129) 92

10. Warren Ibrahim - 67 122 (120) 89

11. Gareth Davies - 67 112 (110) 85

12. Peter Hatley - 67 112 (112) 85

13. James Nichols - 67 112 (111) 85

14. Lance Fuller - 67 108 (107) 83

15. Andrew Howard - 67 107 (108) 83

16. Ciaran Canavan - 67 106 (108) 82

17. Alex Jameson - 67 95 (94) 78

18. Cathal Lynch - 67 91 (91) 77

19. Mark Durrant - 67 90 (92) 76

20. John Henry - 33 130 72

21. Thomas Grimes - 33 127 71

22. Mark Boulton - 33 124 (124) 69

23. Paul Thompson - 33 123 69

24. Peter Craik - 33 118 (118) 67

25. Michael Bamford - 33 117 (117) 67

26. Neil Gage - 33 112 (112) 65

27. Craig Livermore - 33 112 (112) 65

28. Nick Clarke - 33 110 64

29. Emmet Fitzgibbon - 33 102 61

30. Ford Cadiogan - 33 100 60

31. Mounir Dahbi - 33 99 60

32. Stuart Hodson - 33 98 (98) 59

33. George Georgiou - 33 96 (96) 58

34. John Healy - 33 93 (93) 57

35. Jason Levy - 33 87 (87) 55

36. Kirk Johnson - 33 86 55

37. Imran Mustak - 33 65 (65) 46

Maratona do Porto - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Marathon des Alpe-Maritimes Nice-Cannes - Sunday 3rd November 2019

VeloPark Greenwich Tritons Team Duathlon Relays - Sunday 3rd November 2019

2 mile run, 6 mile cycle, 1 mile run
East London Runners 2.00.33 15th team, 7th mixed
M Bamford 6.24,7.08/3.05,2.49,2.50,2.50,2.54,3.47/7.00
S Burns 7.39,8.36/2.50,2.52,2.50,2.53,2.53,4.00/8.11
J Dale 6.20,7.13/2.54,2.57,2.51,2.57,2.55,4.06/6.37
East London Triathletes-Bitten My Hats 32nd 15th mixed
J Bywater 8.32,9.35/3.24,3.24,3.25,3.24,3.26,4.19/9.24
P Hatley 6.51,7.16/3.11,3.15,3.18,3.21,3.19,4.08/6.53
Captain-Drax Team
J Levy 8.13,9.25/3.30,3.22,3.34,3.29,3.33,4.26/9.13

TCS New York City Marathon - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Nick Hoult : New York Marathon 2019.
The toughest course of the five marathons I have run but definitely the most enjoyable and memorable. It started on on Staten Island with New York, New York belting out on the loudspeaker and the cannon going off to signal the start of the race. The highlights never stopped.
Brooklyn was a ten mile long street party of gospel choirs, rock bands and I even heard bagpipers at one stage.
Queens was just the same but the mile long bridge to reach Manhattan was eerily silent with no spectators and a tough long climb before dropping down into Manhattan on First Avenue.
Plenty of anti-Trump placards (you are running better than the government, that kind of thing) but an absence of Fancy Dress proving that running a marathon dressed as a Rhino really is a British thing.
Residents in Harlem were dishing out salt in pots (Harlem salt the best in the world) and at this point I passed a man running the race backwards
Central Park was a series of rolling hills and the end was the top of another little climb. Finished in 3.41.57. Aimed for sub 3.40 but knew that was going to be tough for me on this course and was pleased to have run a steady pace without blowing up.
Nice big apple shaped medal that weighed the neck down a bit but three beers Later in a bar with Jonathan and Bernard it all felt so much easier again

Lode Half Marathon - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Stevenage Half Marathon - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Loughton Inter Club Vets' Champs - Saturday 2nd November 2019

Teams - 4 to score
Men 4th, women 2nd (level on points with winners Eton Manor, who I think get the win on a higher placed 4th runner)

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 2nd November 2019

Midnight Half Marathon - Thursday 31st October 2019

RunThrough Halloween Chase the Moon Olympic Park 5K - Thursday 31st October 2019

Run Through Bedford Autodrome Marathon - Sunday 27th October 2019

Ironman 70.3 Team Relay , Marrakesh - Sunday 27th October 2019

Swim 43.43, T1 8.01, Cycle 3.15.34,(Louis LeRoux)
T2 2.47, Run 2.22.54 (Rachel LeRoux)
Relay 10th of 17.

Rachel: IronMan Marrakesh Relay finished, Louis Le Roux swim and bike
and me on the run, and boy was it hot and very hard, 32 degrees with no shade
and long roads that went on forever!
On a plus side we beat Michael Bamford

Ironman 70.3 , Marrakesh - Sunday 27th October 2019

Swim 58.44, T1 7.17, Cycle 3.30.16, T2 4.34, Run 2.23.09

Chasing Pumpkins 5km, Haven House - Sunday 27th October 2019

Run Through Bedford Autodrome 10km - Sunday 27th October 2019

Chasing Pumpkins 10km, Haven House - Sunday 27th October 2019

Supersports 10m Series, Chiang Mai - Sunday 27th October 2019

Tom Woods: And that wraps it up for 2019.
10 Mile International Race Series Ran
Hat Yai in 1:33:42
Bangkok in 1:34:59
Korat in 1:28:39
Chiang Mai this morning in 1:27:19.
Now time to start marathon training again for Khon Kaen , end of January

River Thames Half Marathon - Sunday 27th October 2019

Worksop Halloween Half Marathon - Sunday 27th October 2019

Stort 30m - Sunday 27th October 2019

Carlton D'Souza: Peter and James, really enjoyed the run with you
both yesterday, challenging but great fun on a glorious sunny day.
Couldn't have asked for a better support crew in JP and Jonathan (and my
new best friend Bella), really appreciated your support and the lift.
Had a great day out, thank you.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 26th October 2019

Beachy Head 10km - Saturday 26th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Beachy Head Marathon - Saturday 26th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

James Nichols: Beachy Head trail marathon completed today in 3.57.59.
Really enjoyed that - well, most of it, there were a lot of hills, too many
to count! Nice to get away from the cities and do a race like that, probably
the toughest thing I've done. Very windy but the sun was out, what a way to
check out the spectacular scenery.

Alexandra : Silly me did the Beachy Head marathon today 2 years after
the first one!
I had forgotten about half of the hills and really struggled out there today
with a painful ankle but I conquered it once again with a 20 mins course PB !
Gosh, was it gorgeous!!!!

Jacob Stevens:Beachy Head Marathon race report:

I signed up for this race - my first trail marathon - as I'd heard from the ELRs who ran it two years ago that it was very scenic and challenging. After a wonderful meal with the ELR team on Friday night and a good night's sleep, I felt ready for the challenge as I walked the mile along the seafront to the start with my wife Joanna (who was, far more sensibly, going to have a nice walk along the cliffs while I went about my marathon malarkey). Being a medium-sized race (2000 runners), the bag drop and start were hassle-free, and soon we were off, up a ridiculously steep hill (which I walked, not wanting to tire my legs out so soon) and then up and around the ridge of the South Downs, with amazing views over Eastbourne. I was planning to run slightly slower than my road marathon pace along the flat parts of the course, but soon realised that there weren't going to be any flat bits - it was all up or down - so I just ran by feel. After 5 miles the scene changed to woodland - muddy in places - and then we climbed to the top of Windover Hill, which was (aptly) very windy but had breathtaking views of the Cuckmere Valley and the Weald - probably the most scenic bit of any race I've ever done. This was followed by a steep descent, a bit of boggy ground by the flooded river, a short section through the quaint village of Alfriston - the only road section on the entire course - and then another long slog up Bostal Hill, the highest point on the course. I stopped and had some squash and a biscuit at the checkpoint here - the checkpoints were all very well organised, with a good selection of snacks as well as drinks - the sausage rolls looked tempting, but I didn't trust my stomach.

The next section was supposed to be a nice long gradual downhill path, but it was directly into the wind and it felt as if I was still running uphill. I passed the halfway point at just over 2 hours, and then it was down another steep slope back to the river, and more muddy ground. Now, I was expecting the next few miles to be flat alongside the river, but no, they managed to find some hills to send us up, including two long sections of steep steps! And then finally we came to the start of the Seven Sisters cliffs, which are very steep in places (I walked the steep bits). By this stage, my knee was starting to hurt when running downhill, and I was a bit worried I might have picked up an injury. The scenery here is lovely, and I tried to focus on that to distract me from the tiredness and pain. I bumped into Joanna on her walk near Birling Gap, which gave me a nice mental boost, and then it was up the long slog to the top of Beachy Head, and finally the last mile downhill back to Eastbourne. The race starts and finishes at the same point, so you have to run down that ridiculously steep hill at the end - not an easy task when your legs feel like they're about to give way at any moment. But finally I was across the line, finishing in 4:11, a time I was very pleased with, given the course difficulty. My knee seems alright after the race, so hopefully no injury.

I'd really recommend this race for anyone who likes a challenge in stunning scenery. I may be back to run the half next year...

Alexandra: Race report Beachy Head ! Maya: sorry for the delay, all the others : sorry for the length!

Beachy Head number 2 ! There are so many great marathons out there, I was not really planning to do that one again this year but a fine group of ELRs talked about it and I then saw that it could be a good opportunity for an ultra-training after the Loch Ness marathon, I booked my hotel and joined the fun!

I had absolutely loved it 2 years ago. As it was my first marathon at the time, I couldn't compared it to anything, tough, yes but aren't all marathons supposed to be ?

I was quite confident on my way to Eastbourne on friday, having ran an eventful (once again!) marathon 3 weeks before, I knew my body could take the distance, I was only slightly worried that it might have been too soon after it and that my body hadn't properly recovered, Still relaxed at the start of the race, the maranoia only started kicking in after 1 mile,That mile! So, so hilly! My calves were burning like never before and I wondered if they would ever stop feeling that bad,is this what an injury feels like ? Then it was the turn of the sole of my feet and I started to worry about fascia plantitis… pure maranoia, By mile 4, I had twisted my ankle several times and that was it, I started to think that I would never finish that race and that I would have my first marathon DNF, That couldn't happen, I had already lost my speed (well, not that I was ever fast!) this year, I couldn't also lose my stamina! Meeting Sophie Edwards at the first checkpoint distracted me, it felt good to have friendly face around, I continued and she passed me a few miles later so we stopped to take a few pictures of us on the way. Then on a long downhill, I lost her and I was not sure anymore if she was in front or behind me. The more the race was going, the more I realised how running with Roselin 2 years ago had distracted me from the pain at the time. By miles 8, I was still unsure I would be able to finish! I had completely forgotten how many hills were thrown at us during that race. There was no way I could run them, they were too steep. I kept thinking: I want to run, let me run, can you give us more flat bits ? And that wind ! Just before the second village, I ran for a bit with a guy wearing football shoes ! He was too afraid of falling in the mud and grass,but of course didn't think that it would be hard to run on it on the bits of tarmac. I thought really hard about what shoes to wear and chose comfort over grip by wearing my ON, I had not regretted it. I passed the half way point in 2h50 and I knew that the 2 set of stairs and the Seven sisters were coming, At that time, I was really not sure I would beat my 2017 time !

My ankle was ok on the flat bits but really painful on the down and uphills, I didn't think it was serious though, there is no way I could have really injured it and ran that far ! There were a bit more downhills half way, that's what I needed to get it together. When I reached mile 15, I knew that I could run 11 miles more, how long it would take didn't matter, especially as several times during the race, we had to queue quite a while to be able to pass some gates! Then, after the two set of stairs, finally came the ultimate reward of that race: the sea wall and its beautiful downhill ! Spectacular!!! I checked my watch, there was still a chance I could go under the 6 hours despite the Seven sisters and I went on, hills after hills, down after down. By the time you reach them, you run with people you have seen several times for the last few hours and start making friends, we were encouraging each other The wind was violent, but luckily at times blowing the right way and pushing us on hills, at a point, the wind even pushed me to run uphill.

Five hours, by that time, I was at around 22 miles , how long will it take me to finish ? If I remember well, the last 3 miles were quite flat then downhill, What was I thinking, of course not! It was still not the end of hills and around mile 24, that huge last hill showed up. I felt really discouraged,I couldn't do it anymore, all I wanted for a while was not even to walk uphill but simply stop, go on the side, sit with my arms around my legs and wait there till the pain stops, but that would be silly, I was so close, all I could do was going on, then finally, that long downhill till the end , that felt so good, we could see Eastbourne from the top of the hill, the final bit is pretty steep but I am a fearless downhill runner and pushed by it, I even sprinted to the finish line and beat that guy in front, we both had a good laugh about it. I hadn't checked my watch for a while, I was pretty happy to see a time of 5h40 mins for a race that I found a lot tougher than I did 2 years ago.

Next year, they are adding a Half-marathon to the marathon and 10k, so I'd say, it's a possibly maybe…

Thames Trot Ultra - Saturday 26th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Rob Dixon: Race report - Thames Trot 48
When I first told Maud Hodson I was running this, she warned me about the mud! Blessed with that wisdom, I donned my trail shoes and set off at a nice pace. The rain held off for a while but when it started, it didn't really stop. All went swimmingly (no pun intended, despite the small ponds on the route) for the first 20 miles but there was a lot of mud!
Despite being concerned about the cut offs, I managed to gain 90 mins of time and then maintained that until the end. I didn't have much time to look around, the wind and rain kept me bent over double but there was one beautiful autumnal moment, where I looked down through a tunnel of trees and the ground was blanketed with russet, brown and yellow leaves. I wish I'd taken a photo but it probably wouldn't have captured the moment.
I kept telling myself to run as far past 30 miles as I could and I managed to keep moving until the late 30s. One thing which really helped were salt tablets I tend to suffer from cramp when running anything greater than 20 miles so I was super relieved when I didn't cramp up.
The last few miles were slow and when I spied the finish line, my gait loosened and I actually felt like I was running, rather than the ugly shuffle run I'd been doing for the previous 3 hours. After a quick coffee at the finish, I hobbled off to find a taxi to my hotel.
Hope everyone had a good weekend of running!
Rob

Paula Bedford: So this run was about the mud. I knew it would be long , windy and wet but had not really considered how it feels to run on mud. Most of it was like running on a ice rink without ice skates. The first bit was so muddy that by 25km, the point I thought I'd feeling good, I already was wondering how on earth I would be able to finish. Thankfully by 40km I'd got my shit together and it was then about making the check point cut offs which I did one by one until I was on the home straight. By far the hardest run I've every done. So now to decide what's next !!

Serpentine Last Friday 5km - Friday 25th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Detroit Marathon, Michigan USA - Sunday 20th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Roselin : Two for one report (Chicago & Detroit)
I probably ran the race of my life last week in Chicago. 4.27 pb, I still can't believe it! Didn't think it was possible with five weeks of little to no running leading up to it, due to a combination of niggling knee pain and lack of motivation after the New Forest marathon.
Race day and the conditions were almost perfect, cold, windy but the sun was shining! I could not rely on my garmin to pace myself as it was going bonkers with the skyscrapers. Worked out well as I just ran to feel and found myself running pretty even splits. I was feeling great.
I started to struggle around 35km but still felt under control. Less than a club run to go, I can do this. 4.30 was in the bag if I just kept plodding, I couldn't believe it. Then something happened at mile 25. We approached the final stretch downtown, the noise from the crowds were deafening and I felt my heart racing, my breathing out of control and numbness in my hands and face. My legs were fine but I knew I couldn't run or I'd faint. I must have panicked and let the moment overwhelm me. I wasn't going to blow the 4.30 though and managed to see it through. What a race. Amazingly well organised and fantastic support. Loved Chicago, will definitely be back some day!
I couldn't have done any of this though without Danny Wong who basically crewed me the entire way! Somehow managed to beat the crowds and see me at Miles 3, 13, 17, 21, and 24! He probably ran half a marathon just getting from place to place. Just when I needed him he was there cheering me on, giving me an extra gel, gummies, pain relief! I've never been able to run an entire marathon before but knowing I'd see him in a few miles again kept me going. Supporting is the hardest job right?
Now onto Detroit and marathon number 10. A trip to the states for me meant I wanted to get my flight fares worth and I managed to twist Danny's arm in running this one with me. The appeal for Detroit was an opportunity to run in both the US and Canada! We had to go through customs and border control at the expo to get our bib which was an experience! Crossing the border during the race meant everyone had to carry passports during the run, and no backpacks/running vests or water bottles! Early 7am start meant we got to see the beautiful sunrise as we ran along the Ambassadors Bridge. It was one hell of a tough race, everything hurt. I could barely move after 15 miles. How was I cocky enough to think I could do this? So different to Chicago but so enjoyable for different reasons. It definitely had more of local race feel, pockets of support were great - beer and snacks dotted along the route, and the race merch was ace! For 1/4 the price of Chicago we got a great tech long sleeve (ladies and men fitted too!), gloves, buff, sunglasses, bottle, endless food, free race photos....oh and the medal? Biggest, heaviest and best bling yet! We may be back for this one too .

Chiswick Half Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Great South Run - Sunday 20th October 2019

Amsterdam Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Sunday XC League - Event 1 - Cheshunt - Sunday 20th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

462 finishers, 280 men & 182 ladies
Team results : combined 8 of 19.
Men's team: A (8 to score) 8th of 19, B (5 to score) 7th of 8, Vets 9th of 19.
Ladies team: A (5 to score)10th of 19, B (3 to score)8th of 10, Vets 8th of 19.

Here are the ELR Winter League rankings after Sunday League race #1 (Cheshunt). If you ran at Hog Hill but missed yesterday's race, you'll have dropped down the leaderboard, but you can easily move back up by taking part in the rest of the Winter League races. Any questions, let me know.

The numbers after each name are:
- Participation score
- Overall performance score
- (Performance score in this race - if applicable)
- Overall score

Women:
Name - Part. Perf. (Race perf.) Score
1. Fiona Day - 100 114 (110) 106
2. Maud Hodson - 100 114 (113) 105
3. Kasia Stachowiak - 100 107 (108) 103
4. Chloe Millan - 100 106 (105) 102
5. Carolyn Edwards - 100 99 (100) 100
6. Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera - 100 90 (89) 96
7. Becky Evans - 50 131 82
8. Caroline Frith - 50 121 78
9. Ellie Wilkinson - 50 118 77
10. Emily Clarke - 50 114 (114) 75
11. Sandra Preston - 50 113 (113) 75
12. Susannah McLaren - 50 110 (110) 74
13. Lauren Kelly - 50 107 73
14. Janet Bywater - 50 106 (106) 72
15. Katie Whitton - 50 105 72
16. Sarah Burns - 50 103 71
17. Filipa Soares - 50 102 71
18. Claire Emery - 50 101 70
19. Cat Hoult - 50 100 70
20. Kathryn Hertzberg - 50 90 (90) 66
21. Veronica Carrasco - 50 88 (88) 65
22. Anna Dingle - 50 85 64
23. Maya Goodwin - 50 83 63

Men:
Name - Part. Perf. (Race perf.) Score
1. Calvin Bobin - 100 133 (134) 113
2. Billy Rayner - 100 114 (111) 106
3. Jacob Stevens - 100 114 (113) 106
4. Mark Moir - 100 111 (113) 104
5. Michael Wilson - 100 109 (107) 104
6. Karan Gadhia - 100 102 (103) 101
7. Arthur Diaz - 100 93 (92) 97
8. Euan Brown - 50 136 85
9. Patrick Brown - 50 132 83
10. John Henry - 50 130 (130) 82
11. Thomas Grimes - 50 127 (127) 81
12. Warren Ibrahim - 50 124 80
13. Paul Thompson - 50 123 (123) 79
14. Gareth Davies - 50 114 (114) 76
15. James Nichols - 50 112 (112) 75
16. Peter Hatley - 50 112 75
17. Nick Clarke - 50 110 74
18. Lance Fuller - 50 109 74
19. Andrew Howard - 50 106 72
20. Ciaran Canavan - 50 104 72
21. Emmet Fitzgibbon - 50 102 71
22. Ford Cadiogan - 50 100 70
23. Mounir Dahbi - 50 99 70
24. Alex Jameson - 50 97 69
25. Cathal Lynch - 50 92 67
26. Mark Durrant - 50 89 65
27. Kirk Johnson - 50 86 (86) 65

The Sunday League uses 10-year age categories, so the adjustment factors used in the performance score calculation are as follows:
SM 1.0676 SW 0.9404
M40 0.9883 W35 0.9144
M50 0.9110 W45 0.8393
M60 0.8338 W55 0.7433

Royal Parks 10km Series - Greenwich Park - Sunday 20th October 2019

Andrea Waller Race report. It was hilly. It hurt. We finished. We ate cake & got bling.

Herts Riverside Half Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

266 finishers
Race report: Herts Riverside half marathon (and 10k)
This is a wonderfully green and scenic race starting next to the white water rafting centre near Waltham Abbey. It's quite a small race and most people seemed to go for the 10k option, so it was quiet on the second lap with not much cheering (though the marshals were very encouraging). But the race made up for this with the river, beautiful willow trees, swans and even a fox running into the forest.
I wasn't that pleased with my time (ELR ladies will know it's uncomfortable running with period/lower back pain) but my friend Richard ran with me, which helped. (He's not yet an ELR member, but I'm working on it...). I was amused to see the other ELR running today was a whole hour quicker than us - well done Joe Gunn!

Amsterdam Half Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Chelmsford Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Nat Dye: Chelmsford Marathon Race Report
This race was an achievement - not so much for finishing, but for getting to the start line.
I was due to run Chelmsford last year, but had to defer following a bike accident. This time round, I almost had to do so again after other unfortunate life events put a halt to training and I wasn’t sure if my body was Marathon ready. Indeed, this time last week, I was pretty sure I wouldn't run. What happened? It seems that lost fitness takes less time to regain than one might think.
For mental health purposes if nothing else, I've recently gotten into the habit of running a little every day. Nothing spectacular - mostly 5k or 5 miles and I'm only up to 14 days. However, in just that time, I progressed from struggling at an easy effort to feeling pretty comfortable and running a little more quickly for the same effort. Although nowhere near peak fitness, by Saturday, it felt like a marathon might actually help, rather than set me back.
So I lined up with Regis and Rob, hoping to simply get round at a comfortable pace, without getting injured. Regis had other ideas and accelerated off into the distance never to be seen again. However, Rob was tapering (!) for next week's Thames Trot 50, so we ambled out of Chelmsford together. The initial pace was a bit faster than either of us were aiming for, but as we both felt comfortable, we cracked on at a pretty even 8:30 per mile, chatting away the miles with others who weren't too out of breath. One such person completed all of the centurion races last year (4x100 miles and 4x50) - such encounters show me how much further I have to go!
Upon leaving town, the surrounding countryside was pleasant and, at times, idyllic in the late autumn sun - running conditions were perfect. We continued to simply put miles behind us and only got slower as the course started to significantly undulate. I felt pleased that running only really felt hard in the last two miles or so. At this point, Rob ran free of my moderating influence and made a dash for the line.
However, my thoughts were on the free food and I used the energy I'd saved by not sprint finishing to jog straight to Wagamama and get ahead of the queue. As I heartily refuelled, I took stock of a marathon that was far quicker than expected and my second fastest. Today, in a rare moment of sanity, I officially pulled out of the Thames Trot in order to focus on the long slow buildup back to top form. Usual running based insanity to resume shortly!

Asda Foundation Yorkshire Marathon - Sunday 20th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Yorkshire Marathon. Soooo tough - nothing to do with the course itself which was perfectly lovely, but after a bobbing along happily with the 4.30 pacer for the first 14 miles (well, that's the easy bit isn't it), I slowed down from there and really started to struggle. Maybe because I've not been well for the last couple of weeks (but thought I was over it) or maybe because I'd forgotten just how long marathons are. Big hats off to anyone who can do one without slowing down - that's unthinkable for me.
I was hoping for 4.30 or at least a PB (under 4.37), but missed both and made it in 4.41. Only 3 mins quicker than Chester last year even though the training had gone so much better.
Oh and to top it off, there was a huge downpour just after I crossed the line, meaning we arrived back at our friends' house thoroughly cold and wet. I've now had a bath and hot chocolate and am slowly starting to feel human again.
I guess I'll have to do another marathon to get that elusive PB, but certainly can't think about that today.

Richmond Autumn Riverside 10km - Saturday 19th October 2019

Sri Chimnoy 10km (Golden Leaf) - Saturday 19th October 2019

2nd & 3rd quickest 10km by an ELR this year. (Power of 10)

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 19th October 2019

Supernova 5m, QEOP - Friday 18th October 2019

Hatfield House 10km - Sunday 13th October 2019

Roman River Trails Marathon - Sunday 13th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Maud: Roman River Trails Marathon (Hare & Tortoise Running)
It isn't ideal to run a marathon the day after an XC race. But I'd already signed up for this one before the Met League equalised their races - and then I really wanted to run their first race too. I didn't feel I could take it too easy yesterday as I was represented my 2nd claim club, Woodford Green with Essex Ladies, for the first time, and wanted to give a decent account of myself.
So I was a bit apprehensive about todays marathon. I haven't run 26 miles since July, and had struggled on my (solitary) training run.
The race starts and finishes by the Layer Marney Tower, described on Wikipedia as the 'apotheosis of the Tudor gatehouse'.
The terrain was a bit of everything - some proper mud, massive puddles, grass, gravel & a few short bits of road. And hills, of course. Trail races are rarely flat. The marathon course is two laps the HM, which presents the considerable psychological challenge of crossing the finish line, watching other runners getting their medals, and then heading out for another two hours plus.
As soon as I started I could feel yesterday's effort in my legs - the uphills were a real struggle. It was going to be a tough day in the office. I had slowed down by the middle of the race, but I just had to accept that that was how things were. And once I stopped worrying about my pace the miles started to pass more quickly. And then I started to feel stronger again. And began to overtake a few people. I enjoyed the second half of the race much more than the first even the the conditions were tougher - the wind was brutal at times, the rain came in and the trails were getting more churned up.
I finished in 4.31.55, 9th overall & 3rd woman out of 38 finishers (I had been 15th/4th at halfway). That's a time I'm very pleased with for a tough, muddy, hilly marathon with not much training and Claybury Park in my legs. I can still do it.
The medal is massive - way bigger than the ones the HM runners got. Worth going round again for. And for only the third time ever in all the many races I've done - a women's fit T shirt. Well played, Hare & Tortoise.

Eindhoven Marathon - Sunday 13th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Mike's Eindhoven Marathon Weekend Report.

This was my 4th year running the Eindhoven Marathon and this year I was accompanied by Mr Kirk Johnson. We flew out very early on the Saturday Morning and had arrived at the hotel by around 10.00am. As the Manageress and some of the staff know me by now, we were allowed to check in to our room straight away instead of waiting until 3.00pm. We had the remainder of the day to collect our race numbers, eat and then try to get some rest. After a mostly sleepless night, (do not ask). we rose and had a hearty breakfast. The forecast for the race day was a sunny 22c so it was definitely a vest and not tee shirt weather. We left the hotel at around 8 minutes before the start of the race - Kirk in a panic as he did not realise that the start was 2 minutes around the corner! (Where have you been - you know the start time!) We wished each other Luck and went to our start pens. I began at a fairly relaxed pace, but very early on started to cough up phlegm. I had a chesty cold and cough after a week and a half and it still had not gone away. (I tried cough sweets, medicine, paracetamol in the days before)! At 5k I was feeling uncomfortable and aching and at 10k I was very fatigued. It was not a case of starting off too fast because even if I had, it would not have affected my body so badly at only 5k and 10k distance. It then went through my mind - do I stop and pull out now and save myself from the physical suffering later on? No, I cannot give up, I must carry on and see how I feel at half way. Another runner approached me and asked if I was ok, after another coughing episode. I said I'm fine and carried on. At half way I was feeling absolutely shattered and would have gladly stopped there and then! However I said to myself, you have already run half, try and keep going for another 13 or so miles. At this stage I was determined to finish just to collect a medal and record a time, even if it was 5 or 6 hours! Somehow I managed to keep to a very slow jog (and I mean SLOW) and did not walk except briefly a couple of times at water stations. The aching pains in my legs were almost unbearable and counting down from 21k - well it felt like an eternity. I was disappointed when the pacemakers overtook me (what would have happened if I had started with the pacemakers? - I don't think it would have made much difference on Sunday). After much sweat and toil I made it to the town centre where the crowds gather with around a mile to the finish and start calling out your name, for encouragement. I crossed the finish line in sub 4.20 still in disbelief at what had happened. I then collected my medal and went to get it engraved. If it had been a smaller Marathon event in England, say Halstead or similar, then I would have pulled out half way. But I could not let myself down and give up in Eindhoven! I had googled running with colds and it said it's fine if the cold is above the shoulders, but not if it is on the chest. In hindsight I probably should not have run. I walked back to the Hotel and eventually Kirk returned. He was completely shattered as well and suffered badly with the heat. It did not affect me too much - it was hotter in Eindhoven last year. Kirk was pleased with his time, as he had targeted 5.15 and we later found his chip time to be 5.22.

Monday morning we came down from breakfast. The girl in reception handed me my finish certificate that they had printed out - amazing! Kirk then asked for one, so they printed his out as well. As our flight back to Stansted was late (9.00pm) the Manageress let us keep our room until we went home in the evening. We spent the afternoon taking a 20 minute bus ride to Nuenen, which is a small picturesque village where Vincent Van Gogh lived for a couple of years. Although the museum was closed on a Monday, we were able to walk around a part of the Van Gogh trail. This involved boards and listening posts in the streets. We saw some of the sights, including the small church that Van Gogh painted where his father was parson of the church. Also the house that he painted where his parents lived. We returned to the hotel room to listen to 'Vincent' by Don McLean! A nice end to a weekend away, even though the race was a big let down for me. Finally, as the noted Mr Johnson - a man of wise words - remarked; " you did your best on the day and that's enough! Here's Looking forward as always to the next one!

Eindhoven Jumbo 10km - Sunday 13th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Run The River 10km, Edmonton - Sunday 13th October 2019

Victoria Park 10km - Sunday 13th October 2019

Virgin Sport Oxford Half Marathon - Sunday 13th October 2019

Royal Parks Half Marathon - Sunday 13th October 2019

Anna Dingle: Royal Parks Half completed. Really enjoyed this half despite the very muddy conditions in the event village. Lots of twists and turns but I like running in Hyde Park so I enjoyed that very much. Fortunately the rain held off too. Super chuffed with my time today. I have not had the best of running year's this year for a multitude of reasons. I set myself a target of 2hrs 30 mins today after running Bristol Half a month ago. Surprised myself to finish in 2.23:48. I am over the moon. Still a fair way off my best but it's progress and I ran all the way.
My favourite sign of the day at 5km was 'Kipchoge is already in the pub!' And thank you Jimmy Dale for meeting up in the morning. It was nice to chat and dust off the pre race nerves.

Bank Of America Chicago Marathon - Sunday 13th October 2019

Ciaran Canavan - A day that deserves a race report.
Chicago 2019 was always going to be different. My injury woes for the last 18 months have been stubborn, ongoing, recurrent, persistent and non resolving. Plantar Fasciitis that required physio, an air boot, offloading on crutches, shockwave therapy, cortisone injections, surgery and more physio. At the start of May I was staring down the barrel of the gun in the aftermath of the surgery and I honestly believed the chance of lining up at the starting line of the Chicago marathon today was somewhere between zero and none!
Then came August, and I had just started running, so I decided to embark on a 9 week "nought" to "marathon" plan. I was realistic that this was little less from perfect, but this my reality and so times were second to my primary goal. Chicago would mark my 6th Marathon Major, and I'd achieve the accolade of joining the illustrious six star marathon majors finishers club. Yet 6 days into this 9 week plan my life turned upside down through a dramatic and unexpected twist, being the sudden loss of my mum. My rose tinted Chicago Marathon glasses turned a very dark grey, and the world as I knew it crumbled apart.
So, my 9 week plan turned to 6, and thereafter Chicago here I come. I somehow managed to get from Naught to 35k in training, but no smart training in the form of hill, speedwork, fartkek or tempo. As I lined up today in pen A, I felt like a fraud, like I was chancing my arm, and that I didn't belong in the corral I had been assigned. But here I was, and this was my day to shine.
I've been on this 6 star finishers challenge since I completed the London marathon for the first time in 2009 (when it was just 5 Stars), and it accelerated thereafter when I ran New York, Berlin and Tokyo in 2013, 2014 and 2017. Now I had only Boston and Chicago to go. Entry for these a breeze, as I had guaranteed time entry, so I planed these for 2018, and 2019.
Those who recall, Boston was horrendous weather wise in 2018, and thereafter my injuries exploded, bringing me back to the start of this report.
For today, Sub 3.30 was my "A" goal. 3.30 to 4 hours was my "B" goal, and a walking finish in under 6.5 hours was my "C" goal. To my surprise, I managed keep on target of the sub 3.30 pace up to 30k, but thereafter the lack of base training, speedwork and endurance training raised its ugly head. Things began hurting, and hurting bad. My plan was to reach 40k and to walk the last 2.2k. That didn't work. I got to 38k and I gave in. Time to walk. Then I got a shout from behind, "come on London" 6 stars, Congratulations, and about my 100th fist pump of the day, as I had a bib on my back declaring to the world my 6 Star goal for today. And so I began to run again. SLOW, sore, reminiscing, sobbing, asking mum to help me. These 4K were a painful challenge both mentally and phyically. I continued to get slower, though not as slow as walking and I crossed the line in 3.35.36. An aggregate 6 World Marathon Majors time of just under 18 hours and 6 minutes. Average marathon time across the majors, 3:01. I'm sore, I'm gobsmacked at what I achieved today, and I'm elated with my World Marathon Majors achievement. In the face of adversity I did as best as I could today, and I was pretty chuffed with that. Oh, and the bragging rights with my 6 finishers medal is pretty cool stuff.
One last thought, as I lined up at the start of corral A today someone I was chatting too suggested I needed a new challenge now, before continuing to tell me how they had just completed "Comrades" this year. Hm, I thought to myself, I've never been to South Africa. But please don't hold me to this though! Next on the agenda is a little more recovery.


Jose : Chicago marathon race report:(sorry a bit long..)
Chicago was my 7th marathon and my 3rd major! I did not manage to follow any training plans and my overall weekly mileage didn't increased as I wanted due to work, holidays,etc but the positive is that I still manage to avoid injuries.
My main problem during the marathons is always the cramps and I've been trying to find the cause. I sweat a lot and loose lots of salts and I believe that's the main reason, together with the relative low weekly mileage.
I didn't manage to sort out the second so for this race I was ready to take more salt tablets!.
I met Ciaran and Lance at the expo on Friday where Ciaran had to take a group photo for completing the 6th major marathon.
Saturday morning went for a run that turned out a bit longer than desire as I got a bit lost, but I took it easy. I got a bit shock with the temperature drop..3C, and windy...a little bit of panic regarding possible finish time but mostly what to wear...
Went to the centre for a bit of tourism, buy a warmer jacket and met Ciaran and Lance for lunch/dinner at an Italian restaurant...I end up going back to the apartment with a sore throat due to the cold and wind(hate that combination)...and I started taking cold tablets(something that I hate specially before races). I did not sleep much blowing my nose for the whole night +nerves...woke up had my porridge and head to the train.
Not as many people as in London, where the trains are packet with runners, and few people with mental health issues causing trouble in the train (very common here I found....), I arrive to Grant Park for the race. From here, bag drop, toilet visit, a little warm up...all nice and easy.(the scanned you with metal detectors for fear to terrorism). I was in wave 1, A which is after the disable and elite runners. I took me few km to feel comfortable the the pace ( impossible to take as GPS doesn't work well in between the big buildings, tunnels...then I found myself with a nice group of runners. I realized we were going a bit too fast (3:45 average), but I was feeling comfortable and decided to forget about perfect race with negative splits and stay with them thinking that if cramps start at the end (as in every marathon I run),I will have some extra Min. I made sure that I was taking my salt tablets and drinking in nearly every water station as is all in paper cups and I end up spilling gatored in my own face few times.if you mix that with the salt accumulating in my face...I end up having something similar to a expoliating mask .Around km 35 again my legs started wanting to cramp but I manage to keep it under control slowing down a bit the pace. I was shock to see so many women still running around me at that pace( women here are very fast!!). Then at just 1 km from the finish line my right quad started cramping and made me stop, twice, not for long and with some stretching it allow me to run again. I arrive to the 400m to go mark and looking at my watch I realized I will have to do the last 400m in 1 min...so it did not happen, but I'm very happy with my 2:45:35 and nearly 6 Min PB again...so I can not feel disappointed because.. that's the best I've ever done.
Now relax few days in Canada visiting friends.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 12th October 2019

Morag : Did Lyme Park parkrun in Cheshire, it’s a beautiful course but
VERY hilly! I started walking not even 100 m in as it starts you have to run up
a steep hill, my slowest parkrun ever but so good after a tough few days to just
concentrate on where to put my feet and not fall!

Run Through Victoria Park 10km - Saturday 12th October 2019

Met League series - Event 1 Claybury Park - Saturday 12th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Maud: You wouldn't necessarily think of running up and down hills
in the rain and the mud as a joyful occasion, but this afternoon I really
felt that it was.
I ran for the first time in the Met League, representing my new 2nd claim
club, Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies.
Until this season this was one of those events where the women's race was
shorter than the men’s. The member clubs voted to equalise the races for
a trial season, and as we stood on the start and the race director told
us that we would be running three laps, a cheer went up.
Just like at the Essex champs back in January, it is such a pleasure to
take part in events which have made the switch to equality.

Autumn 100 (Centurion) - Saturday 12th October 2019

Earth, Sea & Fire Triathlon, Dubrovnik (Olympic Distance) - Saturday 12th October 2019

Run Through Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 9th October 2019

Ironman Barcelona - Sunday 6th October 2019

Swim 1.03.53
T 1 8.32
Cycle 5.38.10
T 2 9.50
Run 4.46.20

Giffordtown 5km, Fife - Sunday 6th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

MBNA Chester Marathon - Sunday 6th October 2019

SPLITS SCOTT 10K 42.24 20K 1.24.54/42.30 30K 2.07.41/42.46 40K 2.52.07/44.26
SPLITS Lawrence 10k 52.53 20k 1.44.56/52.03 30k 2.37.51/52.54 40k 3.27.00/59.08

Scott McMillan: Chester Marathon: 3:01:55, a PB by well over 5 minutes and a
Good For Age time. Was on for sub 3 hours at 20 miles, but the last 10k was hard, hilly,
windy and rainy - I'm really happy to have hung on for this time.
You can see from the splits where they put the hills on this course (and, today, the wind
and the rain!). Very happy to be taking a big PB home with me.

Lawrence: Very happy to achieve a 3:51:13 debut time wearing ELR top & in memory
of my recently departed auntie Helen. Sadly couldn't find Scott at start, but did see him
flying in the opposite direction at the turnaround.
He did an amazing time on a TOUGH course. Donato's 3:08 was also outstanding

Baxters Loch Ness Marathon - Sunday 6th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Halfway: Arthur 2.10.45 , Alexandra 2.15.11

Loch Ness marathon race report (I don't know how to make them short):
So so much relief, The preparation for this marathon has been more than sub-optimal, Having lost a lot of my running form after Manchester (still no real idea why), I continued running as frequently as I could but with only a few runs over 14-15 miles only a part from Spitfire and the Essex way relay, Adding the lack of sleep of the 3 last weeks and having been sick with food poisoning last week (starting to be an Autumn marathon tradition), this could only go wrong ,Despite coach Grant repeating me that I will be OK!
I had no expectations about a time, I was merely hoping I could finish, I kept avoiding thinking about it, focusing on the fact that I would be in lovely Scotland and that this in itself would be fantastic,
Start of the race, my friend Diarmuid from Ilford and I met Arthur at 7.00am to take a bus to the end of the Loch Ness, gorgeous drive, but got in idea of the elevation . We arrived at 8.45am , it was terribly windy and rainy up there with no shelter, The queue to the loos was so insane that I only manage to reach it at 9.57am for a start at 10.00am (they seemed to have been overwhelmed by the increased number of runners), running to the start, I just managed to find Arthur for a selfie start.
We started together, trying to make sure that we wouldn't go too fast from the start which was tempting with all the long downhills and sharp uphills , Not too give too many details, but my stomach was starting to behave badly at around mile 6 and I knew I would have to stop soon, Arthur was already going a bit too fast for me so I let him go' After a toilet stop, I felt better but I was only mile 9 and so anxious that I would break at some points After mile 10, the route was a bit flatter and I kept steady' I did the half in 2h13, I knew that the second part was more hilly and that I would slow down
The landscape was absolutely stunning, the weather got better and better as we were running and twice, I could hear the waves on the border of the lake, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my anxiety.
Mile 16: 10 miles to go, I was starting to be more confident , Just a Sunday social to go,Then, mile 19, sharp pain in my quadriceps, almost like I had something moving under my muscle, never felt something like that, could it be an injury? no,no,no, can't be an injury that's it , I will have to give up and DNF my first marathon, no, no, this can't be I am massaging it on the side of the road and it seems to have gone away I am restarting, it feels ok, catching up with 3 German runners who passed me earlier, there are so many nationalities around, apparently 45 in total this year Mile 20, 21 , not long to go, my pace is getting slower and slower but still reasonable, under 5 hours which wouldn't be too bad, really !
Then, stomach pain again really, this is getting ridiculous, Another stop, get it together ,so many voices in my head, but I see a lot of people struggling even more than I do, mostly young people You need a lot of life experience to be able to handle the pain and the doubts of a marathon.
But, I am getting there 'miles after miles, the sharp pain again mile 24, I massage it while running, now pretty sure it's just a cramp' It goes away again and finally, it's there: Mile 25 , we are on the other side of the river I can see the other runners on the other side of the bridge, trying to see if Arthur is among them' the cramp comes back just before the bridge, last walk, oh what's that restaurant? Could be nice for tonight, totally random thoughts! Finally, the last 500 yards, a row of spectators encouraging the runners, shouting my name as they see it on my vest and I see the finish line as the speaker mentions ELR. As you can see on the picture, I felt a huge relief and joy to finish my 5th marathon in 2 years in 4h49 mins which felt great…
The next 30 mins were all of a blur, got my unisex t-shirt , my medal, my goody bag, then stopped and cried for 10 mins , completely lost till someone picked me up and brought me to the food place Diarmuid and Arthur found me there and it was joy all over again.
Despite, the loos issues at the start, I would recommend this marathon to anyone who want to run an absolutely gorgeous course and is not ready yet for a trail one, It was extremely well organised and everyone has been extremely friendly and supportive. I will come back one day, better prepared
I guess at least I can say I did my long run for the Beachy Head marathon in

Wimpole Estate Half Marathon - Sunday 6th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

A quite hilly off road route and I managed about 1 1/2 mins quicker
than last year despite a lot more mud & wet conditions.

Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10km - Sunday 6th October 2019

Southend 10km Classic inc Essex Championships - Sunday 6th October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Royal Borough of Kingston Half - Sunday 6th October 2019

Cadiz XC League, Spain (8.5k approx) - Sunday 6th October 2019

Today was time to do something completely different to the type of races
I have been done recently, taking part in the first fixture of the XC league
in Cadiz. Berlin is already forgotten, and with my eyes on the Seville
Marathon in February, it was a good change to test if my legs were recovered
from the marathon training, with a very good level of athletes and an great
course. In the end, first overall, with the first 5K at 3:27/km and doing the
last 3.5K at 3:17/km. I felt very good today, but nothing like running at home
with friends from all the clubs.
Now time to recover some speed lost during the marathon training.

Livingstone XC (3.7km) - Saturday 5th October 2019

Saltmarsh 75m (Relay team) Spice Girls - Saturday 5th October 2019

The Spice Girls with Sonya Hurtado & Minna Orsimo 1st team , 4th overall in 8.28.40

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10km - Saturday 5th October 2019

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 5th October 2019

Chingford League - Event 1 Hog Hill 5km, Redbridge Cycling Centre - Tuesday 1st October 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Team scores: Men A Team 3rd , B Team 3rd, Vets 5th,,Ladies A Team 4th, Vets 4th

Mike Reports. A total of 38 East London Runners' gathered at the top of Hog Hill, for the first of two Chingford League races around Redbridge Cycling Centre track. In driving rain and strong head wind conditions, the runners produced some fine performances around a very challenging hilly course. The Brown Brothers lead the club home in style in the Men's race; Euan finishing in 1st place with a time of 16.40, followed by Patrick whose time of 17.14 saw him take 4th place. Billy Rayner was 33rd in a time of 19.16. In the Women's competition, Ellie Wilkinson was first back for the club in 21.52 which was good enough for a top ten finish; closely followed by Caroline Frith in 15th (22.15) and Becky Evans in 23rd (22.43). There were a lot of other very good individual times recorded, with some runners making their Chingford League debuts. Thanks to everyone who ran today, just two days after the Valentines Park 5k and also to Frank who turned up to support and take photographs on a dismal evening.

Jacob Reports. As mentioned in the last newsletter, we have a new ELR Winter League competition, based on both participation and performance. Here are the rankings after the first Chingford League race. Since there has only been one race so far, everyone has a participation score of 100%, so it is essentially an age-graded performance ranking at the moment. Things will get more interesting after the next race.

ELR Winter League Rankings After 1 Event.

**Women**

*Name - Part. Perf. Score*

1. Becky Evans - 100 131 112

2. Caroline Frith - 100 121 108

3. Fiona Day - 100 119 108

4. Ellie Wilkinson - 100 118 107

5. Maud Hodson - 100 114 106

6= Lauren Kelly - 100 107 103

6= Chloe Millan - 100 107 103

8. Kasia Stachowiak - 100 106 103

9. Katie Whitton - 100 105 102

10. Sarah Burns - 100 103 101

11. Filipa Soares - 100 102 101

12. Claire Emery - 100 101 100

13. Cat Hoult - 100 100 100

14. Carolyn Edwards - 100 99 100

15. Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera - 100 91 97

16. Anna Dingle - 100 85 94

17. Maya Goodwin - 100 83 93

**Men**

*Name - Part. Perf. Score*

1. Euan Brown - 100 136 115

2. Calvin Bobin - 100 132 113

3. Patrick Brown - 100 132 113

4. Warren Ibrahim - 100 124 110

5. Billy Rayner - 100 118 107

6. Jacob Stevens - 100 116 106

7. Peter Hatley - 100 112 105

8. Michael Wilson - 100 111 104

9. Nick Clarke - 100 110 104

10. Mark Moir - 100 109 104

11. Lance Fuller - 100 109 104

12. Andrew Howard - 100 106 102

13. Ciaran Canavan - 100 104 102

14. Emmet Fitzgibbon - 100 102 101

15. Karan Gadhia - 100 101 101

16. Ford Cadiogan - 100 100 100

17. Mounir Dahbi - 100 99 100

18. Alex Jameson - 100 97 99

19. Arthur Diaz - 100 94 98

20. Cathal Lynch - 100 92 97

21. Mark Durrant - 100 89 95

**Scoring Method - Summary**

For each runner, we calculate a participation score and a performance score. The participation score is the percentage of Chingford and Sunday XC League races that the runner has taken part in. The performance score is calculated by taking the runner’s time for each race, applying a gender/age adjustment (similar to parkrun age grading) and then comparing that to the median time of all runners in the race (24:15 for this Hog Hill race); this is then averaged over the races they took part in. The overall score is a weighted average of the two scores: 60% of participation score plus 40% of performance score.

**Scoring Method - Details**

For anyone interested in the details, the scores are calculated as follows:

*Time *= Runner's race time

*CatFactor *= Conversion factor from gender/age category standard to mid-point between SM & SF standards - see below.

*AdjTime *= *Time ** *CatFactor*

*MedianTime* = Median time of all runners in race (all clubs, all categories)

*RacePerfScore *= *MedianTime */ *AdjTime ** 100

*PerfScore *= Mean *RacePerfScore *for runner over season

*PartScore *= (Number of races attended by runner) / (Total number of races) * 100

*Score *= *PerfScore ** 40% + *PartScore ** 60%

Category factors are calculated using WMA age factors and male/female 5 mile road race records (similar to the data used for parkrun age grading). The factors used for the 5y Chingford League categories are as follows:

SM 1.0676 SW 0.9404

M40 1.0076 W40 0.9017

M45 0.9690 W45 0.8630

M50 0.9304 W50 0.8156

M55 0.8917 W55 0.7674

M60 0.8531 W60 0.7192

Warsaw Marathon - Sunday 29th September 2019

Folkstone Half Marathon - Sunday 29th September 2019

Bishops Stortford 10m - Sunday 29th September 2019

Yes was quite brutal battling against the elements. Run mostly over
farm land so was quite exposed and very muddy. Good fun though!

Supersports 10m, International Race Series, Race 4 of 5, Korat, Thailand - Sunday 29th September 2019

Start time: 4am local time.

Elvis 8 - East London Runners Valentines Charity 5km - Sunday 29th September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Race Awards for ELR
3rd lady : Ava Lee
1st FV50 : Karen Levison
2nd man : Liviu Ionita
Ladies Team: 1st (Ava, Karen & Caroline Frith)

Elvis teams: SCORERS
Men: Liviu, Jose Rodriquez, Stuart Kelly, Scott McMillan, Fabrizio Stefanoni and James Wilson. 2nd place
Ladies: Ava, Karen, Caroline, Becky Evans, Lauren Kelly and Katie Whitton. 1st place.

Elvis Series final placings
Ladies:
2nd place overall: Karen Levison
1st V50 award: Becky Evans
Ladies Team: 1st place - East London Runners.
Men:
3rd man: Liviu Ionita

Ladies: (* all 8 events)
2nd Karen Levison 1st V5O 26pts
7th Becky Evans 2nd V50 95pts
10th Katie Whitton* 129pts
12th Maud Hodson* 3rd V40 144pts
14th Andrea Waller* 5th V40 200pts
21st Catriona Hoult 7th V40 282pts
22nd Carolyn Edwards 283pts
27th Bernadett Kalmar 9th V40 344pts
28th Mary Connolly 9th V50 349pts
33rd Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera* 11th V40 409pts
35th Caroline Moore* 11th V50 422pts
38th Helen McGuinness* 13th V40 444pts
46th Diana Rexhepaj 12th V50 521pts
50th Maya Goodwin 21st V40 650pts
51st Kathy Morrissey 22nd V40 663pts
55th Alice Barrett 722pts

Men:
3rd Liviu Ionita 20pts
4th Jose Rodriquez 22pts
9th Scott McMillan 3rd V40 112pts
10th John Booth 118 pts
15th Danny Lee 5th V40 177pts
21st James Nichols 217pts
23rd Mark Moir 245pts
25th Peter Craik* 7th V40 278pts
32nd Warren Ibrahim 8th V40 324pts
34th Craig Livermore 329pts
35th Jacob Stevens* 10th V40 331pts
38th Michael Bamford* 5th V50 379pts
39th Jimmy Dale 383pts
51st Grant Conway* 8th V50 519pts
68th Stuart Barton 22nd V40 732pts

57 Ladies completed the 6 of 8 races (16 ELR) and 16 did all 8 events (5 ELR).
88 Men completed the 6 of 8 races (15 ELR) and 19 did all 8 events (4 ELR).

Elvis 8 - East London Runners Valentines Volunteers - Sunday 29th September 2019

Pam Bennett & Miranda Thompson - Entries on the day
Pam Bennett also Cake Stall
Rebecca (tailwalker from val parkrun) - Fun run
Ian Liardet - marshall

BMW Berlin Marathon - Sunday 29th September 2019

Shahib Ali reports: Berlin Marathon 2019 - initially dry but cloudy then gave way to a persistent light drizzle, which progressively got heavier, otherwise unblemished running conditions; no congestion of note, flat course and wide roads, so no excuses at all. 3.34:20 - on the positive course record for me and my fastest autumn marathon time. However, like the Great North Run 3 weeks ago, left with more questions than answers. In isolation happy enough with the times, amongst my fastest over HM and marathons, however, during both races could not sustain the early pace and withered towards the end. Had lots of cramps today, multiple stops to do stretches, scratching my mind for reasons. Likely a combination of setting off too fast, overestimating my fitness, lack of mileage in the legs, inadequate lifestyle behaviour in relation to diet and rest and simple not good enough on the day. I've had previous scars with marathons, which I have well and truly addressed, and in a way it's great to have more challenges to attempt to find answers to going forward. I will likely take a sabbatical from marathons, allow Samia Choudhury to train for her spring marathon, difficult with two young kids for both parents to be training, and focus myself on shorter distances and try and get certain times over those disciplines before thinking of embarking on marathons again.
Well done to all the East London Runners who took part in Elvis, Berlin, Warsaw and all the other races.

James Nichols Berlin race report (the long read...)
Marathon number ten for me and Berlin had been on the to-do list for a while so I had been looking forward to it ever since completing number nine in Rotterdam six months ago.
That race in April had been a huge personal breakthrough over the marathon distance with the seven minute personal best of 3:14 being above expectation. I had struggled in previous Autumn marathons but I now had a training plan that proved it could deliver results.
Over the summer I was a bit slow to get going with it, perhaps over concentrating on shorter distance races, but the last 6-7 weeks went swimmingly and I nailed some quality long runs so I arrived in Berlin perhaps slightly undercooked but feeling confident that I could go close to that PB.
The Saturday morning parkrun felt necessary to loosen the limbs and ease any nerves while catching up with club mates and I was we rested by race day morning, although woke up a lot earlier than planned. It was the most relaxed I had ever felt on a marathon morning and I was careful to resist many of the temptations on offer at the hotel breakfast buffet.
I met up with Carlton, Jonathan and Andy to walk the couple of miles to the start, and (for then at least) conditions felt great for running - cool and slightly spitting but a downpour was forecast for later in the morning. My start time was 10 minutes later than the gun and walking over to the pen I bumped into Shahib. I climbed the barrier as those early starters cleared the space, took my jacket off and despite expecting to be held back was able to nonchalantly stroll over the starting mat, so no time to get nervous!
I eased through the first 20k or so - perhaps too easy. Despite some frustration at other runners cutting into corners or across me to get to the magic blue "fastest route" line that was marked on to the road, I was happy enough with the start but even at that stage I didn't feel quite right. No panic though and I started to speed up slightly from 10 miles onwards for the business part of the race, getting to halfway in 1:38. This was a minute down on target but with that sub-3:14 still a possibility. They were my best miles, I passed Carlton but was struggling. It was too early to feel tired and another 80 minutes at that pace felt a long way off.
Sure enough from about mile 16 onwards my pace slowed by 20 seconds a mile, then 30 seconds a mile, then 40. I adjusted expectations - a PB was now out of the question but a very respectable 2nd fastest marathon of sub-3:20 was a possibility if I could keep the nagging doubts and increasing tiredness away and chug along at the current pace. By now the weather had turned and it was throwing it down. My race number was disintegrating and despite knowing Berlin well I wasn't taking in the sights and the crowd as I usually do at marathons. In short, I simply wasn't enjoying it.
Through 20 miles and my pace slowed further. I had nothing left and Carlton came past me this time. I started reaching for anything that would get me through and have race over and done with; There were some strange drink offerings on the refreshment stands and having avoided them all race I now sampled all sorts! At 40k, with even sub 3:20 now gone, having battled away I finally cracked and slowed to a walk only for a runner to shout at me "zwei kilometer, come on!" He was right and so immediately I resumed the slow but steady jog instead, all the way to the Brandenburg Gate (the only sight I did take in and savour) and the extra 400m (1 lap of the track! That was my distance measurement of choice throughout that painful last 5k) to the finish line.
Completed in just over 3:24. Relief rather than the sense of euphoria usually felt in the finish area, instead I was soaking and shivering and just wanted to get out of there into somewhere warm and dry. Perhaps 15 minutes of sulking until I got talking to others - known and unknown - and soon perked up. Any marathon is an achievement and I learned a lot in this one.
What went wrong? It's difficult to say for sure but the shortened training block probably did catch up with me in the end, and my form throughout the summer has generally been slightly below par. Perhaps I didn't allow enough recovery from the busy and successful spring. I don't think I've quite nailed a taper yet either, and on race day itself I might revisit my race nutrition strategy for next time.
There are positives though as well. My best time in an autumn marathon, when I have always struggled, and the fastest of the 3 majors I have done (just 3 stars left to get!). I also battled really well through adversity at the end there which I can hopefully draw upon next time in the closing stages when I hope to be more positive and less tired. Overall a great weekend, congratulations to all the other ELRs who competed and shared the experience with me.

Ealing Half Marathon - Sunday 29th September 2019

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 28th September 2019

Ragnar White Cliffs Relay - Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Ragnar White Cliffs Relay race report (21-22 Sep):

Arthur Diaz, Cathal Lynch and I, along with five other friends and colleagues, took part in this 170-mile day & night relay around the coast from North Kent to Brighton. This is the third year I've done this event, but the first time with other ELR members. The course consists of 30 legs, ranging from 3 to 9 miles. In a standard team of 10 everyone runs 3 legs each, but since we were two runners short, three people (including Arthur and Cathal) did 4 legs, and I did 6 (39 miles total).

After preparations including allocating legs, hiring a couple of minibuses (nice to have the space), and a run+pub team get-together, we were on our way to Sittingbourne on Saturday for our 11am start. The weather was perfect, and after a couple of inland legs we were running along the coastal paths of North Kent - leg 4 (my second) had some lovely scenery near Herne Bay. At Margate, the four of us in the first minibus had a couple of hours for a pub dinner while the other half of the team did their bit, and then we were back running again. By this time it was close to dusk, which meant two things: mandatory night safety gear (head torch, reflective vest etc.) and insects. Huge swarms of tiny black flies surrounded the marshes south of Sandwich: luckily they didn't bite, but I swallowed a fair few and got loads in my eyes; I wondered why the locals in the next town of Deal were giving me strange looks until I realised my face was covered with the dead critters. Soon we were looking out over the cliffs down to the port of Dover - much more attractive at night - where a little twist was to have one runner go down the steep and narrow tunnel to the Samphire Hoe nature reserve (on artificial land left over from the Channel Tunnel construction), only to have the next person run all the way back up again; thankfully I had the 'down' leg.

Ragnar White Cliffs Relay - Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September 2019

Ragnar White Cliffs Relay race report (21-22 Sep):

Once we'd handed over the baton to the other half of the team again, it was time to catch some sleep at Camber. Some of us put down our sleeping bags in the marquee while others slept in the minibus; while I think we all got a little kip, it could hardly be described as a good night's sleep. For a start, it was less than 3 hours before we had to get ready to run again. My next leg - past the town of Rye where I grew up - was at 3am and a challenge (it was flat, but I think anything would be challenging at that time of night). Arthur did the one after that, which was one of the toughest - nearly 9 miles along a track, then a narrow sea wall that's awkward for running, and finally up a steep hill to Fairlight. While Cathal was running the next leg along the Hastings seafront (another long one), the rest of us had a nice view of the sunrise at Bexhill, and after a few more legs we were in Eastbourne. By this time the weather had turned, but it was only showers - much better than the continuous downpours we had last year.

The final ELR run was Arthur's extra leg up to Beachy Head - this could have turned into a much longer run for him had we not noticed on the tracking app that he'd gone the wrong way! The runners in the other minibus had the last bit over the Seven Sisters - a stunning leg which I ran last year - and then on to Brighton, so we drove ahead and had plenty of time for a proper breakfast at a lovely cafe: scrambled eggs and sausages on toast never tasted so good! We waited at the finish for our final runner to arrive, and the whole team ran the last 100m together for a group finish. The official results haven't yet been published, but we finished in about 26.5 hours, which hopefully places us in the top third.

All in all, a really good event: well-organised, with the right balance of running and logistics, long enough to be a challenge but not so demanding that you want to give up - and most importantly, suitable for a wide range of abilities due to the different leg lengths. I might organise a team again next year if there is sufficient interest, and I'd like to try their new trail relay in the Forest of Dean in June (expect a post from me about that event soon).

Results are out, we finished in 26.36.51, and came 40th team out of 109.

Arthur Diaz: Great race report Captain! You've done a tremendous effort in
not just running double legs but also organising and planning the whole team event.
Plus, driving us everywhere too when you are not running. Kudos to you mate!
Thanks again for inviting me join such an unforgettable experience.
Proud to be an ELR Ragnarian and Feet of Endurance member!

Muslim Charity 5km, Victoria Park - Sunday 22nd September 2019

436 finishers

Weymouth Half Ironman 70.3 - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Our Danny Wong completed his first Half Ironman 70.3 at Weymouth today in 7 hrs 13 mins!
Incredible! Swim was cut short to 950m due to horrendous conditions!
Who's up for the next 70.3 ELR trip?

35.08 , 9.05, 3.44.49, 7.30, 2.37.27 = 7.13.57

Loire Valley 20km - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Loire Valley 10km - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Llyn Alwen Trail (11.5km) - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

A few pics from the Llyn Alwen Trail race I did this morning. A lovely, low-key event of around 7 miles in stunning scenery - just what I needed after a few disappointing runs recently. I thought it might be reasonably flat as it was a loop around the lake, but in fact there was over 700ft of ascent, although the panoramic views at the top of the biggest climb made it feel worthwhile. We totally lucked out with the weather too - after a warm sunny day yesterday (even in Snowdonia) it was forecast to rain all morning today, but it had stopped before we set off for the race, and didn't start again until we were back in the car (when it tipped it down). There was also a canicross race starting 10 minutes after the main race, so lots of gorgeous doggos for me to schmooze.

Simplyhealth Great East Run - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Run Through Goodwood 20m - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Catriona reports: Nick Hoult and I got very wet and rather dizzy
this morning doing a 20 miler (8 and a bit laps) of Goodwood Motor Circuit
in the rain.
It's a long way to go, but a well-organised Run Through race and there
aren't that many 20 mile races in at this time of year. The main positives
I'm feeling now are: Nick only lapped me once, I was 13 minutes quicker
than last year and we've definitely deserved roast potatoes and apple crumble
for dinner.
Oh and according to Don Bennett, I was second in my age category, but that
might have been out of two, so I won't get too excited!

Scottish Half Marathon - Sunday 22nd September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Scottish Half - 1:36:52 pb
Really enjoyed my first trip to Scotland - did sightseeing in Edinburgh
yesterday and had a great race today!
I spent most of the race wondering where the support was (even the
marshals weren't cheering!) until I got to the finish in Musselburgh
racecourse in front of a packed stand of spectators. It's a flat course
Really happy with my time - a PB of 4:29 from the Big Half in March this
year and 11:24 quicker than the Ealing half this time last year.
Well done to everyone else who ran/swam this weekend!

Run Through Olympic Park 5km - Saturday 21st September 2019

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 21st September 2019

Run Through Olympic Park 10km - Saturday 21st September 2019

Children with Cancer UK Swim Serpentine 1 mile - - Saturday 21st September 2019

Children with Cancer UK Swim Serpentine 2 mile - - Saturday 21st September 2019

Richmond Half Marathon - Sunday 15th September 2019

Jessica reports: It's all about the scenery. That has been my mantra all week. Because - other than the flat, pretty route - things weren't looking good for me and the Richmond half.
The first problem was transport. With the overground and west London tubes out of action, I struggled to find a sensible route from E11. The second thing was the 26°C forecast. Don't get me wrong, I love sunny days. But they're for Pimms and gardens and bbqs. Not long runs.
Thankfully, there are yins to these yangs. NO HILLS is the big one (the Richmond half advertises itself as London's flattest course). It's also absolutely friggin' beautiful. I mean proper stunning. The course goes through Kew Gardens, past the palm house and the temple. It runs along the canal tow path, by Richmond bridge and Teddington lock, through Richmond deer park, and past Ham House. That's a whole lotta pretty.
It's not always easy though. The tow paths are narrow. A stretch through woodland gave shade glorious shade - but also unstable paths. I saw a few people tumble.
I got distracted by T-shirts. At one point I found myself staring at a group wearing a logo of the soles of two shoes - one with ears to look like a cat and the other with a halo. I decided they must be fundraising for a cat rescue centre. I later found out the 'cat' was a devil and the runners belonged to 'heaven and hell running club'.
All-in-all, the Richmond half was a smaller, friendly event. It started with a shaky voice nervously asking 'GO?' to the general confusion (and then laughter) of the crowd. There weren't many pacers - and the ones I did see had an A6 card on a stick indicating their time; you had to be right on top of them to read it. The route was really well-marshalled and signposted though. So despite the heat, my lack of training and my initial grumpiness, the route was so beautiful I was quickly won round.
Like I say, this one was all about the scenery.

Richmond Marathon - Sunday 15th September 2019

Great Bristol Half Marathon - Sunday 15th September 2019

Maya reports: Bristol Half. Right, so I still loved it. But SO much slower. I was going great guns till 8 miles, but I was thirstier than the Sahara and at 8 miles I downed a bottle of water. Rookie mistake that I paid for immediately, as it sloshed about inside me making me feel sick as soon as I started running again.
So I ran walked from then on to come in at 2:38. Not the best time, but the sun shone all its Bristol Love right into me. And then I ate the best ice cream in the WORLD.

Anna reports: Bristol Half all week I had been saying I wasn't going to run and I would support Maya Goodwin, Nicky and Emma. But all week in the back of my mind there was part of me that felt that my various injuries would hold up. So on Saturday morning I packed my running stuff and decided to try and run it. I have never started a race not knowing if I would finish. I had some good advice from Louise Taylor too on run walk ratios which helped to convince me I could do it.
Bristol didn't disappoint. It's a lovely race with flat bits, ups and down. It is well supported by the folks of the city. I smiled a lot and I laughed going round and I cried as I was finishing. There was a wall of sound from supporters on the last mile which made it all the more easier. Also having my brother there to support me was a lovely thing too. He loved shouting 'come on East
London' in the way that we would all shout it!
Time wise - I had only set myself the bronze target, which was to start and see if I could finish. And I managed it! 30 mins off my best but it's progress and has given me back a little self belief.
As for Bristol, I will hopefully be back next year as you were great!

Mao 5m, Menorca - Sunday 15th September 2019

'5/10 milles Mao'. Opted for the 5 when I saw the hills!!! Did it in
48.34 official time, 48.28 chip time. Also managed to be second in my
category i.e. F 45-55. Next year I might win some cheese as the prize
for the 5 miles was 5 kg Menorca cheese but 10 kg for 10 mile winners!
It'd be really good if a few more ELRs did it and we could do the
10miles next year . It's the first time I've been here hoping for bad
weather and got it. Though it was something like 25-28 degrees still.

Harvest Trail, Royston - Sunday 15th September 2019

126 finishers.

Pleshey & Essex Half Marathon - Sunday 15th September 2019

Jubilee Hall Trust Run For Life Trail 5km - Saturday 14th September 2019

Season Finale Sprint Triathlon - Lake Dorney - Saturday 14th September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

750m swim , t1, 21.1k cycle, t2, 5k run
17.58, 3.35, 37.03, 2.01, 19.56 = 1.20.32

28th overall (of 105)
8th vet (of 46)
2nd VM45 (of 9)
2nd overall on the run leg (of 105)

For a few years I'd been thinking about trying a triathlon. The first obvious issue was that I'm far from being a good swimmer, although I can probably swim long distances without stopping, but certainly not at fast pace. So as soon as I targeted a September debut I also signed up to a set of one-to-one swimming lessons to improve technique and, ultimately, time. Everything else, I thought, was good enough for me to have a good go - apart from having to purchase a lot of gear (gosh, this sport is expensive!!!).
The choice fell onto the Dorney Lake Season Finale, organised by Human Race - a sort of RunThrough for running and non-running events. Because of the long swim leg I was reluctant to try the olympic distance, therefore I opted for the sprint: 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run. Apart from making sure the bike fitted in my puny car, I didn't need any special preparation for the day - unless you consider two different outfits and footwear, towel, gels, flip flops, food, ELR top (for the photos), swimming gear, water, ....
Being my first time I had no reference point to say whether or not I was doing good: 106 started in two separate waves - kids and semi-vets (35+) - only one DNF. Proper vets (40+) were 46. During the race I gave everything I had in each leg: the swim was not as fast as I had expected it, but not as slow as my last training sessions - just OK; I was 35th vet when I made my way on the saddle. On the bike I lost the two gels I had in my back pockets and started to consider the sad prospect of getting to the end with no extra sugars. However I pushed super hard, and gained positions.
By the time I was off on my trainers I had risen to 22nd vet position, but trying to switch to what should be a familiar running exercise proved hard, after the bike my legs were confused about the right thing to do. A couple of minutes later I was running fine: my watch reassured me about pace and I closed with a nice progression to close 8th vet and overall second on the run leg, behind the overall winner - a boy of 16.
Will I do it again? Most definitely, probably a couple of times a year, and maybe try the olympic distance once my swim becomes more decent. I reckon I can gain a few minutes on swim and bike, and cut time off the transitions too (almost 6 minutes in total, only 10 did worse).
I would recommend anyone to try tri: if you can't swim, it's a good opportunity to learn (it's an amazing cross-training activity), and most events in summer don't require a wetsuit; a Halfords bike works as good as a 3 grand carbon fibre model. It can be as expensive or cheap as you're prepared to make it.
I feel I should thank Danny and Jimmy for the useful tips, and everyone else who encouraged me on the way: another good story in this great 2019. Now back to more familiar territory: the last ELVIS is just around the corner, and a good performance - not just from me - is needed to complete our year with another smile.

Essex XC 10km Series - Weald Country Park - Saturday 14th September 2019

James Nichols: Did all 5 of this series and put a consistent set
of top 10 finishes together which was enough to receive the trophy for
2nd male overall.
Nice medal when you put all 5 together! Highly recommend these races even
if you can't make the full series, they take part in a lovely set of parks
which each offer their own challenges

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 14th September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Runthrough Chase the Sun Olympic Park 5K - Wednesday 11th September 2019

Runthrough Chase the Sun Olympic Park 10K - Wednesday 11th September 2019

Runthrough Grand Prix - Mercedes Benz World - 5K - Sunday 8th September 2019

New Forest Half Marathon - Sunday 8th September 2019

Langham 10km - Sunday 8th September 2019

Wandsworth 10km (not really 10k) - Sunday 8th September 2019

117 finishers. Course measured about 9.5k.

Bacchus Half Marathon - Sunday 8th September 2019

My second wine run! Gorgeous route, HORRID hills and lovely wine.

Great North Run Half Marathon - Sunday 8th September 2019

Ellie reports Awesome run up north today ! Such a great event ,
sorry not to be running in red today as we were supporting the National
Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) - we were representing at heart!
Lovely to see Shahib Ali at the start! Well done everyone X

Mark Moir The race plan came together at the #greatnorthrun
today and I did it in 1:27:15, an 80 second PB! I'm happy with the PB
and thank you to all of the runners and training partners at
#eastlondonrunners as well as my family and friends who've kept me
focussed on this race even during injury. Big shout out to @lvmoir too
on completing his first half marathon in 1:44. @ Great North Run

Jose reports: North Great Run half marathon this morning.
I wasn't expecting too much after indulging too much during the holidays
but I still manage around 2'20" Min PB in a non flat course. 10 km PB too
with 35'34". Very happy with results, doing last km in 3'16"!
And hand shake with the great Mo Farah at the end( he obviously finished
over 15 min before me)

Koblenz Marathon - Sunday 8th September 2019

New Forest Marathon - Sunday 8th September 2019

Woburn Abbey Tri - Woburner (Middle Distance) - Saturday 7th September 2019

1.9km swim, t1, 90km cycle, t2, 21.1km run
38.31 , 5.41, 3.25.49, 3.16, 1.54.11 = 6.07.47

Run Through Victoria Park Half Marathon - Saturday 7th September 2019

Run Through Victoria Park 10km - Saturday 7th September 2019

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10km - Saturday 7th September 2019

Valentines parkrun - ELR takeover - Saturday 7th September 2019

Pictures available in Photo Gallery