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Results 2021

Serpentine Last Friday of the Year 5km - Friday 31st December 2021

Flitch Way New Years Eve Half Marathon - Friday 31st December 2021

Plain Crazy (12.5 miles) - Wednesday 29th December 2021

Some medals are harder to earn than others and I definitely earned this one today!
Plain Crazy is a 12.5 ish mile run and has been described as hilly, cold, scenic, desolate, windy and even snowy. Well today it was definitely hilly, the views were pretty non existent due to the low cloud, and it was certainly wet and very windy.
The race starts and finishes on the edge of Warminster and immediately goes straight up onto Salisbury Plain. A large part of the race is on Ministry of Defence land that is only open to the public for a few days a year, which is why the briefing notes include these words of warning
'DO NOT LEAVE THE ROAD, there could be UNEXPLODED BOMBS
The route takes you up and over a steep ridge before you get up onto the Plain proper - via a very steep ascent up a muddy field that everyone walks up, doubled over with their hands on their knees. Then it's miles and miles of tank tracks which are horrible to run on - think really badly done pebble dashed house, totally uneven ground with lots of loose rocks and large potholes that are best avoided or you could end up waist deep in water.
The wind was relentless but mostly coming from behind or sideways until mile 10 when the road turned a corner into a wall of wind that almost stopped me in my tracks. The next 2 miles were a long slog, up hill on a road that had water pouring down it, into the wind, and my pace dropped by 2 mins/mile despite me trying as hard as I could to keep the momentum going.
Finally we started the descent off the Plain back to the start in Warminster and boy was I glad to see the end.
My time was 1.43 which was 3 minutes slower than 2 years ago, not too shabby given the conditions today. Definitely one to recommend-any money raised goes to the Royal British Legion which is why there are poppies on the medal. A good end to my 2021 year of running.

Run Through Velopark 10m - Tuesday 28th December 2021

Christmas Day parkrun - all venues - Saturday 25th December 2021

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Sunday XC League Event 3 - Fairlands Valley, Stevenage - Sunday 19th December 2021

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256 men & 165 ladies
Teams
Men A 10TH OF 19, B 7th of 7 , Vets 8th of 19. Overall A 10th, B 7th Vets 8th.
Ladies A 13th of 19, Vets 8th of 19. Overall A 13th, Vets 11th.

Joe Gunn was the first ELR home on his Sunday League debut in 30th place overall in a speedy time of 30:15 with John Henry just 10 seconds behind him and Alex Pickering in 30:34. Shahib Ali was the next finisher for ELR in 34:14 followed by me in 34:20 and Mark Moir in 35:28. Jacob Stevens finished in 37:43 and Adrian Frost ran well to round out the men’s A team scoring in 39:04.
Thanks to our turnout we had enough people for a B team too with Michael Wilson crossing the finish line in 39:26 and Grant Conway 43:53. It was great to see Alex Jameson after such a long time and he was the next finisher in 45:22 followed by John O'Brien in 47:02. Another special guest Arthur Diaz came down from Chester and wrapped up the B team in 49:54.
Our women's team also ran well with Caroline Frith the first ELR lady home in 35:33 followed by Becky Evans in 37:13. Sandra Preston was the next finisher in 42:10 ahead of Catriona Hoult and Phoebe Bowman who finished 10 seconds apart in 44:22 and 44:32 respectively to complete the scoring for the women's team. Morag Campbell and Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera also ran well and pushed each other all the way to the finish with Morag just ahead in 48:36 and Alex in 48:57.
After the race we all enjoyed lots of cake, thanks to Caroline and Becky for bringing treats along for us. We were really pleased at such a great turnout and it was a brilliant end to the XC season for 2021. There’s lot of fixtures coming up in January but in the meantime thank you to everyone who’s supported XC so far and wishing you all the best for the festive season! Karan Gadhia

Torrington Christmas Caper (Approx 9.5m) - Sunday 19th December 2021

Run Through Olympic Park - 10km - Saturday 18th December 2021

Run Through Olympic Park - 5km - Saturday 18th December 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 18th December 2021

Sunday XC League: Event 2 - Trent Park - Sunday 12th December 2021

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398 finishers. 244 men & 154 ladies.
Team results
Men A 8TH OF 19, B 6TH OF 19, Vets 5th of 19 - Overall A 9th, B 7th , Vets 6th.
Ladies A 12TH OF 19, Vets 9th of 19. - Overall A 14th Vets 10th.

Sikhs in the City Dawn to Dusk 10km - Sunday 12th December 2021

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Sikhs in the City Dawn to Dusk Half Marathon (22km) - Sunday 12th December 2021

Sikhs in the City Dawn to Dusk Ultra - Sunday 12th December 2021

Dorney Lake Half Marathon - Sunday 12th December 2021

Dorney Lake 10km - Sunday 12th December 2021

Run Through Crystal Palace 10km - Sunday 12th December 2021

Ware Cup XC, Loughton AC - Saturday 11th December 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

men's Team 4th of 6.

Run Through Battersea Park 10km - Saturday 11th December 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 11th December 2021

Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 8th December 2021

Chase The Moon 5km, QEOP - Wednesday 8th December 2021

Southampton Common 10km - Sunday 5th December 2021

138 finishers

Valencia Marathon - Sunday 5th December 2021

Essex Vets XC, Men 50+, Writtle College - Saturday 4th December 2021

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137 finishers.

Mike Wilson reports.
Congratulations again to Calvin Bobin, taking home another Essex medal - for first V65 Male runner.

We were unfortunately unable to feature in the team scorings, as the requirement was for four Male/Female V40, V50, V60 runners, which we fell short of.

The course was a very scenic two laps of surrounding farmland, fields and lakes. The grass paths were quite narrow in places and only slightly muddy. Except for a couple of steep banks, the course was totally flat and very enjoyable to run around. Paul did well to move his way up the field of runners, after a late start due to being held up in traffic through Chelmsford. A couple of us had a slight panic as we had to drive through different parts of the campus, looking for places to park. Then we set up the wind sail , leaving it to the last minute to PIN numbers onto vest - back and front. I then ran to the start line vest in hand, trying to put it over my head but getting everything caught up, asking for help from Caroline Frith and Raheena from Woodford AC! Everything turned out fine in the end! We did not have any runners in the next race (M40), so we departed the campus leaving Calvin to collect his medal. Thanks to Alexandra for bringing her Canneles, which I googled and found out are small Rendh pastries -

Essex Vets XC, Women 40+, Writtle College - Saturday 4th December 2021

120 finishers.

Run Through Victoria Park half marathon - Saturday 4th December 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 4th December 2021

XXV City Of Jerez Half Marathon - Sunday 28th November 2021

XXV Jerez City Half Marathon.: Two more years later we went back to the starting line of this race. Circuit that got tougher than usual by the wind against it blowing in the ascension, especially by Avenue Europe. As for the race, already from km 3 we have three athletes in the head, including Emilio, a training partner in the early morning and tiredness, and another athlete from Puerto Real, who would go together until km 16. At km 11 I got flat and the engine got me flu, losing some distance and suffering from the nice, but suddenly I walked back on the two kms of climbing at km 14 and a half, and without eating or drinking it, it was better than never throwing the group up. At km 16 the other athlete got a little bit off and we were able to relax a bit in the final part and enter next to Emilio, who was already able to make a podium here, I'm very happy for him. Victory that seemed to get away, but the body often surprises you.
Thank you very much to everyone for the encouragement and congratulations, now I start mine, the marathon, I have to work hard to be able to do 2h24', starting tomorrow I have to change the chip.

Firenze Marathon, Florence - Sunday 28th November 2021

half marathon time : 1.23.24

Run Through Greenwich Park 5km - Sunday 28th November 2021

Chingford League XC, Event 4: Fraternity & Sorority Cup, Trent Park. (7.8kms) - Saturday 27th November 2021

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Team Results:
Men's Team 5th of 8 Division 1
Ladies Team 5th of 9 Division 2

World Aids Day Red Run 10km, Victoria Park - Saturday 27th November 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 27th November 2021

Chelmsford 10km - Sunday 21st November 2021

London Cross Country Championships, Parliament Hill Fields - Saturday 20th November 2021

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Ladies 289 finishers.
Men - 432 finishers.

Team 28th of 41.

Mike Wilson reports. The conditions at Parliament Hill were much more favourable this year, due to the dry weather conditions throughout most of November. It was also a mild day for the time of year and there was only a very slight breeze. There was one small ‘sticky’ patch on a left turn at the bottom of one of the hills, with the remainder of the course being firm underfoot. This resulted in some faster times, as runners were not having to pull their feet out of mud for long periods of time. Chloe Millan was the sole representative for the ELR women and finished admirably in 153rd position. In the men’s race, Joe Gunn was first to finish for ELR in 190th position, with Scott McMillan not far behind in 203rd. Our four team scorers were completed by Billy Rayner in 246th and Karan Gadhia, 292nd. Joe, Scott, Karan, Shahib and Finbar all had fine debuts in this event. On a personal note, I enjoyed the race particularly at the finish when I found I had knocked more than two minutes off my 2019 time. (2.13 to be exact). Amit Marks lowered his previous best time set in 2018, from 50.59 to 49.36. Thanks to Karan for baking his delicious chocolate cookies, which were very well received after a gruelling cross country race. Well done to everyone that competed in the Championships. It is a great day with a top quality field of athletes and it was a privilege to take part once again.

Orion 15m - Saturday 20th November 2021

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175 finishers.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 20th November 2021

Maverick X Alzheimer's Research UK Suffolk (Long) - 24km - Saturday 13th November 2021

8th lady, 3rd FV40

Run Through Battersea Park 10km - Saturday 13th November 2021

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 10km - Saturday 13th November 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 13th November 2021

Chase The Moon 10km, QEOP - Wednesday 10th November 2021

Chase The Moon 5km, QEOP - Wednesday 10th November 2021

Roding Valley Half Marathon - Sunday 7th November 2021

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Caroline Frith reports: Every Roding Valley Half Marathon deserves a race report. I have a love hate relationship with this race, but clearly love wins out as I worked out I have now run it 9 times. It was my first ever half in 2007 and my PB is on the course. But when I last ran it, 3-4 years ago, I said never again - clearly my middle aged menopausal brain forgot that bit!
It's a great, local, club run race, and now both my kids run for WGEL I wanted to show my support to them, especially as it might have been the last ever.
I have been training for this race for the past 2-3 months but still only entered today, so convinced that entering in advance would inflict an instantaneous injury upon me. As it was I was nursing a slight adductor niggle, picked up when I stupidly ran 15 miles the morning after the last Chingford league race. However I then spent a week on a beach at half term, eating, drinking and not running and thankfully that solved the problem.
My plan was to run 7.15-7.30 in the hope of a 1.35-1.40 finish time, and I cornered Jimmy on the start line, thinking we might be able to run together.
The start is up hill and I knew my husband and son were waiting for me on Broadmead Rd, which was a nice pick me up after less than a mile. I found the first 3-4 miles the hardest as I just wasn't sure I was going to keep up the pace, even though I was on target.
I caught up with Jimmy at about mile 6, just as he passed his Mrs and cute baby, and then we ran together for about the next 4 miles which was great. Just as I caught up with him I overtook 3 women who were all running together, and thought I was then 2nd or 3rd. Running up through Chigwell the second time several marshals told me I was 3rd so I started to believe maybe I was in contention for a prize. At about then I realised I had dropped Jimmy (sorry!) and the rest of the race was a lonely affair apart from being overtaken by one man heading back down to Woodford.
I was hoping for a good sprint down Snakes Lane to the finish but I randomly developed cramp in both feet about 2 miles from the end. I have never had this before and it felt like running on lumps of wood. I still managed to pick up a bit of speed and was very happy to get on the track for the final 200m.
I did come 3rd lady behind two excellent runners - Victoria Carter of Thames Valley Harriers (she also won our ELVIS race) and Ali Trauttmansdorff of Vicky Park. I think David Hollingsworth (the race director) was rather taken aback by the fact that we were all vets - he asked us whether we wanted vets prizes or our chronological finisher prizes - he said I could have V40 and 3rd lady if I wanted! I declined and took 3rd lady which was rightfully mine.
Extremely proud to have 23 ELRs running - more than 10% of the field, and thank you so much to Stuart, Jo, Sandra, Michael, Grant, Susan, Vinesh and anyone I've forgotten for your cheers. I know I usually don't respond but they do make such a difference!
At the prize giving David said he wasn't sure what the future of the race would be, so watch this space.

Duathlon World Championships, Aviles, Spain - Sprint Distance (Age Groups) - Saturday 6th November 2021

4.5k run, t1, 19.6k cycle, t2, 2.8k run
21.44, 2.17, 39.43, 2.31, 13.36

Loughton AC Inter Vets XC - Saturday 6th November 2021

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Team results
Men 6th of 7
Ladies 4th of 4

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 6th November 2021

Worksop Halloween Half Marathon - Sunday 31st October 2021

1090 finishers.

Just got my result - a PW by 24 minutes for the Worksop Halloween Half Marathon.
Nothing was dry; the runners, the volunteers, the electronics recording the results,
the local Temperance Society.
It was horrible but the runners' camaraderie was turned up to 11. And as for the
volunteers; at least we were warmed a bit by keeping moving. We won't forget this
one in a hurry. Andrew Howard

Wimbledon Common Half Marathon - Sunday 31st October 2021

Sandra Preston: Wimbledon Common Half Marathon Race Report
It was a lovely sunny day in Valentine's Park when Kathy Morrissey challenged me to run this race with her for Halloween. It was not lovely and sunny when race day dawned but, having made the journey to south-west London the day before, we were committed. Waterproofs and trail shoes to the ready, we headed to the start location where we got drenched in the short time it took to check in, sloshing our way to the far side of a field to pick up our race numbers. The weather conditions didn't bode well for our hoped for PBs and as we stood shivering in the start waves, our feet already wet through, we found ourselves longing for the race to be over.
The first mile set the scene for the rest of the race - mud, puddles, fallen branches and quagmires. Tiptoeing around the worst of the puddles proved pointless, as faster runners came bounding alongside, drenching everyone in muddy water, so it wasn't long before we just ran through every boggy stretch, the only goal being not to face-plant in the mud.
A two lap course meant we knew what was coming the second time around, which didn't really help on this occasion. The course was well signed, with a Womble or two to cheer us on our way, and some exuberant marshals shouting much needed words of encouragement. The course was hillier than either of us expected, but maybe the headwind and driving rain just served to make the ascents worse than they might otherwise have been.
My final time was 2.05.20 (2nd V55) and Kathy’s was 2.29.18. Not too far behind our hoped for finish times, but given the conditions we were both just relieved to cross the finish line in one piece. Would we do it again? We're thinking of Kew in the springtime, which probably says it all.

Stort 30 - Sunday 31st October 2021

The Stort 30 Race Report (30 Mile Ultra Marathon along the River Stort in Bishops Stortford) - Sunday 31st October 2021.
I decided to enter the Stort 30 just two weeks before race day, as my plans for a road marathon in October did not materialise. Also, I had wanted to run a trail Ultra Marathon and heard some good reports of this race from other ELR club members. On the morning just before 8.00am, I met up with Kirk Johnson near Bishop's Stortford town centre and we walked in the pouring rain to the race headquarters at Hockerill Sports and Social Club. We collected our race numbers and along with the other participants, were given the final briefing. This included a warning to wear waterproofs to keep warm in case we had to withdraw from the race. At 9.00am precisely we were all led out like lambs to the slaughter onto the sports field and the klaxon sounded immediately, for the start of the race. Two laps of the field, before continuing along some roads and down some steps onto the River Stort towpaths. The race was 15 miles out to the turnaround point at Rye House, Hoddesdon, then 15 miles returning along the same paths back to the sports ground. The paths were mainly made of grass or gravel, very narrow and close to the river. At some points you had to be careful not to fall into the water, due to the wind and slippery mud! There were check points approx every 5 miles where you could take on water, squash, flapjacks or jaffa cakes etc. These were mostly situated by the side of bridges which you had to cross over to access. I skipped the first check point at 5 miles, but visited all the others to refuel. The only point where it was compulsory to check into, was the turnaround at 15 miles. At that part, an official took a note of your number and made sure you were within the cut off time limit of 3 hours 30 minutes at half way. If you were seconds outside the limit, you would be transported back to the start as a 'did not finish'. There was also a 7 hour time limit to complete the race, otherwise you did not receive a medal and were treated as DNF! After a few miles there was a tremendous rain storm which brought ankle deep puddles under foot, however I got through that OK and very quickly found my way at the 10 mile point. Every now and then there was a lock or a bridge to cross over and there would be a ribbon tied to a post, to guide the way. Close to half way there were some twists and turns and it would have been very easy to have taken the wrong turn. Luckily there were a few people standing around who could point the correct direction and also by this time, the race leaders were heading back and I was able to shout out to them if I was in doubt. There was great camaraderie out there and everyone was giving encouragement when they passed each other near the turnaround. I checked in at 15 miles feeling strong and after another 1.5 miles on the return I passed Kirk running by. By this time the sun had come out and I was feeling warm, so I took my jacket off and tied it around my waist. I started to tire considerably around 20 miles and the mud from all the rain was horrendous. I was wearing good trail shoes, but it was still very slippery and I had to walk some parts. Annoyingly, by now I had very bad back ache (which quickly got better after I finished) and it was difficult to keep on running, so I had to walk until my back had eased and I could start running again. For many miles on the way back I was alone, as the field had thinned out considerably. Occasionally I passed some people out walking along the river path and they gave me some encouragement. I had decided not to look at the mileage or the time on my watch at any stage, otherwise it is very consuming and it takes over. It is very easy to guess how far you have run anyway. Instead I broke the run down into 5 mile sections and was just looking forward to the next feed station. Also, I wanted to try and enjoy the run and complete it, rather than 'compete' for a good time. My lack of long distance training put paid to that. The last 5 miles were incredibly challenging - I knew I was well inside the time limit, but I still wanted to push myself to finish sooner rather than later! I found some strength from somewhere and then together with another runner, managed to locate the exit off of the towpath, for the last half mile along the road to the end. I was calling out to people 'how far' and 'where now' and then finally the relief when I saw the gates to the sports ground was amazing. Everyone was shouting 'well done', however there was still one lap of the field to go, before the finish line. I ran the whole lap and the race organiser was there at the line, to hang the medal around my neck. The race results were 'live', so I went inside, had a shower and checked my result over a few cups of tea. I had given myself a rough target time of 5 hours 30 minutes and my official finishing time was 5.38.52, which I was very pleased with considering the appalling conditions. The field was much smaller than in previous years. There were 97 starters in total, of which nine did not finish, a reflection on how tough the going was on the day. I was 47th and Kirk finished in 71st with a time of 6.34.55, which he was happy with. Kirk was feeling faint at the end and the medical attention he received was superb. These smaller events are great as they are very well organised and everyone is so friendly and helpful. I did not know what to expect at the Stort 30, but having now run my first trail Ultra, I feel I have leant a lot and will be more prepared in the future. This was a very tough but enjoyable race day experience.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 30th October 2021

Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5km - Friday 29th October 2021

Rock 'n' Roll Liverpool Marathon - Sunday 24th October 2021

Venice Marathon - Sunday 24th October 2021

Beachy Head 10km - Sunday 24th October 2021

453 finishers.


Joanna Wood:
This weekend consisted of;
Great weather
Great views
Great friends
And a couple of not so great hills!
My first race in 2 years - Beachy Head delivered again

Beachy Head Marathon - Saturday 23rd October 2021

Kent Classic Sportive - middle : 48 miles cycle - Saturday 23rd October 2021

Kent Classic Sportive - long : 70 miles cycle - Saturday 23rd October 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 23rd October 2021

Chingford League - Event 3: Velopark 5km - Wednesday 20th October 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Ladies A Team 13th/19
Ladies Vets 12th/19
Men A Team 9th/19
B Team 6th/7
Vets Team 8th/19

Results after 3 events.
Men A Team: 5th of 8 in Div 1.
Mens B Team: 4th
Mens Vets: 5th
Ladies A Team: 1st of 8 in Div 2
Ladies Vets: 4th

Paris Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

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Paris marathon pb. Beating my London time by 39 seconds.
Had to sprint at the end to make that happen though

Yorkshire Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Oxford Half Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Chelmsford Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Bedford Autodrome Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Alice: So today I went on a top secret mission….
I was heart broken with my London marathon time and how the day
went so today I tried again and beat my time by 30 mins!!!
2 marathons in 2 weeks wasn’t my best idea but I finished smiling.

Bedford Autodrome Half Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Sunday XC League - Race 1 - Cheshunt - Sunday 17th October 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Chelmsford & Essex Half Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

Cambridge Half Marathon - Sunday 17th October 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 16th October 2021

Run London 10km, Victoria Park - Sunday 10th October 2021

Run London 5km, Victoria Park - Sunday 10th October 2021

Manchester Marathon - Sunday 10th October 2021

Zoila reports: Manchester marathon race report:
2.5 years since my last marathon
18months since having a baby
3 years since I ran my PB at 3:42 (on a broken leg)
Today I ran Manchester. I have to admit it was my worst ever marathon.
I started off strong running on course for a decent PB but my sugar levels had other ideas were high to start with - 24 mmol high (the normal is between 4 and 7 mmol). By mile 6 they had not started to come down at all so I bolused. Then all of a sudden they came crashing down to a hypo at 2.3mmol despite cramming loads of gels down me.
I sat on the side of the road and two lovely Manchunian police officers on bikes (Rob and Kyle) stuck by, gave me some of their lucozade until I was ok to set off again. They called a medic to bring me some more glucose wooo. I did wait for about 20 minutes for them to arrive though. A formal capillary (finger prick) test of 7.6 and off I went.
My sugars began to rise and I was off again. I just kept cramming gels in me.
I had to stop at mccolls shop at mile 20 to buy something a bit more solid but the lovely guy gave it to me on the house after I explained why I was there when he looked at me with a baffled expression. When you sugars yo-yo as much as they do it kind of knackers you out. So I ended up walking in a few places. I saw those police officers on bikes again and gave them a shout and a wave. They were looking out for me. Which is nice.
The last 4 miles were hard but knowing I had one of our club mates from ELR waiting at mile 23 gave me a boost running toward mile 23. there was still a lot of stop start and walking involved. With a sprint finish I managed to do a few mini 0.5km sprints in-between the walking for the last few miles.
I ended up completing in 4hrs 22 minutes (20 of which was waiting for medics with super quick acting glucose). A time I am not happy with. It's my slowest marathon. My worst one too. But it's all a learning curve. Everyone has bad races. What's important that I'm not injured and that I made it to the end. If I wasn't as stubborn as I am. I don't think I would have finished.
I met some lovely people this weekend. Before during and after the race.

Shahib reports: 2021 Therme Manchester Marathon 3:51:26 - following up from London Marathon 3:32:11 last weekend. 15th marathon, first double marathon in the space of a week, more due to circumstances and the covid-19 pandemic then by design. Did the marathon due to Samia Choudhury’s encouragement - thank you - and glad to have just completed it with no injuries. It was a great weekend in Manchester with parkrun on Saturday morning followed by afternoon in the company of Mark Moir and Arthur Diaz. Well done on your excellent time Mark, a stunning performance. Time for a well earned rest now.

Becky reports: Manchester Marathon 2021:
Running a marathon has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and this year, for many reasons, the time was right to give it a go. So I signed up for Manchester, where my daughter is at Uni, thinking that I could also catch up with her and drag some of her housemates out to support me!
The training was tough for me. Any runs over 16 miles and I struggled, wondering how I would ever run further. I was with Jacob when I did my 20 mile run and if he had not been with me, I think I would have stopped at 18 miles, lay down on Wanstead flats and cried.
Fast forward to yesterday- I was petrified before the race, struggled to eat and felt highly emotional, but before I knew it we were at the start line ready to go. A couple of friendly runners chatted to me and gave me advice which calmed me. I also remembered all the things ELR runners had told me over many Monday/Wednesday evenings.
My plan was to try and run 8.55 minute miles. When it's your first marathon you have no idea how your body is going to react in the last few miles and everyone told me not to go off too fast or I would pay for it later. I was terrified of crashing near the end. My legs felt fresh & strong (thanks to your plan Grant Conway) and to be honest my legs were fine most of the way.
However- I have an ongoing difficulty with my second (too tall) toe on each foot and this was what caused my agony. The faster I ran, the more extreme pain my toes were in - I could feel them bashing the top of my trainer and I knew they were bruising/ swelling with each step. I took paracetamol halfway but it didn’t touch the pain. Thank goodness for the amazing support on the course- my family, bands, drummers, DJ’s etc - all helped me run through the pain.
It was only just after mile 23 that I could feel some discomfort/cramping in my legs, but nothing too bad, so I just pushed on knowing that I couldn't stop or I may never get going again. I had secretly hoped to get under 4 hours so I would not feel the need to do another one, so I was really pleased with 3:51:57.
As for my toes - both tops are purple blood blisters. Both so painful I have had to resort to surgical spirit and a needle to 'blood let' them and they are still throbbing (I spared you the photos )
I was thrilled to hear that I was 9 minutes under a GFA entry to London, but at the moment I am sticking to my plan which was to run one marathon in my lifetime.
I have to say that I am loving today - a valid reason to lounge around. Meeting Morag for a coffee later and then a Sports Massage - what a treat! See you all soon

Royal Parks Half Marathon - Sunday 10th October 2021

Eden Project Half Marathon - Sunday 10th October 2021

Alexandra : Gorgeous Half-Marathon in the Eden project under a beautiful sunshine!
Tough hilly course but as for any trail or XC, this relieves a lot of time pressure so I was in it to enjoy it more than anything and there was a lot of hill walking...
I'll take the 2:29 (435th out of 600) considering my current form!
Nice to see one of our new fastie runner doing the race with her family as well!

Tiptree 10m - Sunday 10th October 2021

Adidas City Run 1 Hour Islington - Sunday 10th October 2021

Run The River 10km - Sunday 10th October 2021

214 finishers.

Epping Forest 50km Ultra - Saturday 9th October 2021

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 9th October 2021

Chelmsford Half Marathon - Sunday 3rd October 2021

Virgin Money London Marathon 2021 - Sunday 3rd October 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Scott McMillan reports ; So it happened. 26.2 miles in 2:48:51. Sub 3, a PB by over 13 minutes, and a good for age time by over 20 minutes. Faster than the craziest pipe dream of a target I'd set for myself, and far beyond anything I thought was possible for me to achieve as a 46 year old runner.
That I did this is thanks mostly to my long suffering family, who've had to put up with all my training (and with me being impossible to live with the last few days, oh god, the stress, I'm sorry). It was amazing to see them at miles 14 and 21 - though the excitement did add about 10bpm to my heart rate, which I had to slow down to correct! Thanks also to my East London Runners club mates who have trained with me and raced with me, round Hainault Forest, down the River Roding, up Oak Hill, or wherever, and to those who turned up to run and cheer us on today (the roar at mile 20 was deafening!). Thanks are due to assorted physios for helping hold these legs together, though I guess I've thanked you enough in monetary terms. Thanks also to Bertie for the training sessions he has set and the advice he has given me over the last couple of years, seemingly simple things which seem to have absolutely transformed me as a runner. And finally, thanks to the City of London Corporation for tending to my beloved 0.79 mile loop on Wanstead Flats which I ran round over 300 times in training - my theory that if all you do is just run round and round a really boring loop it'll make the race itself zoom past was proven today!

Shahib Ali comments: 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon 3:32:11 , what a magical experience, the crowd and the support was exceptional, the best I can recall, I feel immensely privileged to have done the 2019 London Marathon before the pandemic, the virtual London Marathon in 2020 and now this one. Thank you to all my many well wishers on the course (GC and CD included) , it helped a lot.

James Nichols: London Marathon DONE! Very happy with that, my 2nd best marathon time ever - not quite what I was aiming for (found the last 6-8 miles a real struggle to be honest) but proud that I kept running the whole way and the crowds as always were amazing, so I'm pleased enough. A course PB and a much more enjoyable experience than my debut in 2017. Had a great training block this summer, worth the long wait since April 2020

Jo Neville: What an amazing day 4 hours 19 minutes of joy, nerves, excitement and quite a bit of pain!!! What an amazing show of community spirit and human kindness. Just what we all needed The support today was absolutely incredible. Huge thanks to East London Runners for my place (which I will be forever grateful for) and for everyone that has supported me today and throughout the tiring training process. I feel so truly blessed and happy. (I may have also had wine after 5 weeks of not drinking )

Katherine Harris: Thank you to everyone for your kind words of encouragement and support for the marathon and a huge thank you to everyone who has donated. I am overwhelmed by people’s generosity and I managed to raise over £500 for Cats Protection Waltham Forest in just a few days so a massive thank you to you all, especially to those who made anonymous donations who I have not been able thank personally.
What an amazing final marathon, definitely going out with a bang. I had a blast and loved every second (apart from the bit where I had to run 26.2 miles). I knew my current fitness was nowhere near my PB level and so saw little point in aiming for a time. I decided instead to set my watch so I could only see the time of day and no running stats and run to enjoy it, soak up the atmosphere and finish. That was without a doubt the best way I could have possibly run it. What an incredible experience! London certainly didn't disappoint.
A huge congratulations to everyone else who took part, especially Alice Barrett, Anna Dingle and Morag. I loved our training team and am almost going to miss getting up at the crack of dawn to get to races.

Alexandra Wilkinson: Sorry a bit late...
Race report VLM.
Ouch. That Hurt. From 20 onwards it was painful, but what do you expect with not quite enough training!
Thanks to all at mile 20, hugs and cheers. It was great to see your faces. I didn't realise Poplar High Street was so long!

Virgin Money London Marathon 2021 Virtual - Sunday 3rd October 2021

Virgin Money London Marathon Volunteers - Sunday 3rd October 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Sarah Burns: Definitely the best place to be on marathon day is the ELR water station at mile 20. You see every side of the marathon from the fasties, the good for age, those going for a time and those just wanting to finish. Total respect to all my friends who ran and my big sis Paula Bedford it was a privilege too see you and support you. Rest well everyone and I look forward to hearing all about it. And big up Michael Bamford for fab organisation. The packed lunch was a treat. I think I've lost my voice and was deafened by Maya Goodwin .

Catriona comments: Brilliant day of London Marathon supporting. First Abbie in the mini marathon, then handing out water at the mile 20 water station and watching Nick Hoult flying past (as well as lots of other amazing friends and clubmates). Well done runners (my turn next weekend if I can shift this cough).

MBNA Chester Marathon - Sunday 3rd October 2021

Run Through Victoria Park half marathon - Saturday 2nd October 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery

Chingford League Event 2 - 5m XC Dagenham Central Park - Saturday 2nd October 2021

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188 finishers
Team results:
Men : A teams 5th Div 1, B team 5th of 16, Vets 3rd of 16.
Ladies : A teams 2nd Div 2, Vets 7th of 16.

parkrun - all venues - Saturday 2nd October 2021

Elvis 7: East London Runners Valentines Charity 5km Volunteers - Sunday 26th September 2021

Elvis 7: East London Runners Valentines Charity 5km - Sunday 26th September 2021

Pictures available in Photo Gallery