| Report | I have been forgetting to add the Parkrun press reports to this page. Now I can not go back and add the old ones so they are all here,
3rd March, Also victim of the bad weather was the weekly Parkrun events held every Saturday all over the UK and in many other parts of the world. On a normal Saturday there is a choice of 508 events to choose from so wherever you are in the country you are not far from a Saturday run. With all the local events cancelled, Ipswich, Colchester and Clacton, the local organisers decided to do their utmost to put on the Harwich event. Course inspection on Friday afternoon revelled that with some work the paths could be cleared and the event could go ahead. Undeterred by more overnight snow, a group of volunteers turned up early Saturday morning with shovels and brooms to make it possible. By 9am a route had been cleared and the run went ahead, word had spread to runners who regularly attend runs at other local venues and rather than miss their weekly Parkrun they made the journey to Harwich. Sixty people ventured out and took part, this included visitors from Clacton, Great Bentley, Colchester, Stowmarket and Felixstowe. The results reflected this with runners from Colchester taking the top two finish positions. Paul Rodgers was first in 18.51 with Alex Sales in second place, (19.07). Third place went to Harwich Runners club member, Simon Day in 19.33. Harwich Runners ladies and juniors took most of the top places in their categories. Claudine Benstead was once again first lady in 23.00 and Claire Bransby was third in 26.42. Second lady was Great Bentley runner, Magdalena Komorowska in 25.14. All three top junior finishers were club members, Alexander McCreadie, Eddison Barker and Isabella McCreadie.
Harwich Parkrun organisers put on an event whilst most others cancelled and those who ran expressed their gratitude on social media to all who turned out to clear the route and marshal.
17th March; At the weekend once again most road races were cancelled due to the cold winds and snowy conditions. The Harwich Parkrun on Saturday was one on a few events to be put on. Despite a bitterly cold wind from the east and a snow storm 62 people completed the 5 kilometre course. The route had to be changed this week due to the waves crashing over the promenade at the west end. Competitors did two laps of the park and seafront which included climbing from the lower prom into the park twice. Members of Harwich Runners occupied most of the top positions. Finish times were quite irrelevant considering the conditions and no members achieved personal bests this week.
First three male finishers were club members Graeme Knott, (19.54), Mark Rutter, (21.27) and Ian Flook, (21.41). First two finishing ladies were also club members, Claire Bransby, (26.20), and Elspeth Knott, (26.53). Harwich Runners juniors also finished top two, Michael Knowles, fifth finisher overall in 22.35 and Eddison Barker, second junior, twelfth overall in 24.13.
Other members travelled away from Harwich to take part in a Parkrun; Gary Parker was third finisher at Ipswich in 18.56. Ian Bolton was in York where he recorded 26.12 and regular first lady at Harwich, Claudine Benstead was fourth finisher and first lady at the Minehead event in 22.32. Sarah and Will Roxby-Clarke tried out the Maldon Parkrun, Will was eleventh finisher in 22.13 and Sarah finished in 34.53.
24th March, At the local Parkrun on Saturday, club junior, Michael Knowles was once again first in his age category and fifth overall of the 113 who took part. It was also a new personal best time for him of 20m 51s.
31st March; Saturdays Harwich Parkrun was the largest attendance so far this year and the highest since 29th April last year. It was also the fourth largest attendance ever with 133 finishers. Although 34 members of Harwich Runners took part most of the top places went to runners from outside the local area. First finisher was Danny Rock from Felixstowe in 16.41, his second win at Harwich and a new personal best for him. Second was Harwich Runners chief coach, Steve Cooper, setting an example to those he trains, just one second off his best at Harwich in 17.52. Third was local teenager, Josh Newlyn, close to his best in 18.31. First female finisher was Caroline Horden, a runner from Basildon, in 20.41; it was her sixth visit to the Harwich run and the fourth time she has finished first. Second lady was Harwich Runner Claudine Benstead, a regular winner, this time in 21.20, just 35 seconds off her best. Third place went to another Harwich regular, Nicola Ranson, a member of Chelmsford club, Springfield Striders, in 23.21, she has run here 42 times and been first lady 16 times. Fourth lady finisher was local club member Karen Stapleton in 23.36, first in her age category (VW40-44). A numbers of fellow club members were also first in their various age categories including, Peter Fraser-Hopewell, Jeff Higgon, Amos Seddon, Helen Benham, Claire Bransby and Anne Herbert. First finishing club junior was once again Michael Knowles, just 4 seconds off his best in 20.55. The only club member to achieve a new best time this week was Jean Wier going just under the 30 minute mark to record 29.59.
Saturday’s event was the 146th time it has taken place, club member, Ann Piercy has run 143 times at Harwich and Saturday was her 150th Parkrun. Fellow club member, Jo Higgon, marked her 50th Parkrun this week, she has also volunteered at Harwich on 39 occasions making it possible for the weekly event to go ahead.
Club members did not restrict their Park running to Harwich. Sally Gillam, ran the event in Paris, France in 25.23. Will Roxby-Clarke finished 39th in 21.57 at the Southend event and wife Sarah recorded 30.51. One of the local Parkrun organisers, Dennis Warner joined 266 other runners at Torbay and finished 40th in 22.05. Gary Parker made his regular visit to the Ipswich run where he finished 9th out of 386 competitors in 18.38.
7th April; Whilst most members were saving their legs for the Essex Championship 10k the next day some did do a Parkrun on Saturday. At Harwich first finisher was new recruit, Stuart Raffle in fourth place, (19m 57s). Michael Knowles set yet another PB, 20m 41s finishing seventh and first junior. Another promising junior, Eddison Barker also set a new best, 21m 57s. On the other side of the world, Graeme Knott, whilst working at the Commonwealth Games, ran the Kingscliff Parkrun in Australia, finishing first in 17m 33s. At Ipswich Gary Parker also finished first in 18m 25s. Claire Bransby, (26.17) and Ann Piercy, (27.07) took park in the very first Felixstowe Parkrun. Bill Haining ran at the Mersea Island event whilst Will and Sarah Roxby-Clarke competed at the Worcester Parkrun. Victoria McCrea went to the birth place of Parkruns, Bushy Park where she joined 1225 other runners to record 29m 03s.
14th April, Conditions were unusually favourable at Saturday’s Harwich Parkrun. Normally you can expect a strong wind along the seafront in one direction. A still day, not too warm or cold produced some good times for the runners. One hundred and forty seven people took park, the second largest attendance since the event started in 2015. People travelled from as far away as Preston, Huddersfield and Birmingham, plus the usual more local competitors from Great Bentley, Colchester and Chelmsford all came to town to take part. Despite all the visitors it was local club members who dominated most of the top finish positions. Harwich Runners men took all top three finish positions. Steve Cooper led from the start to continue his run of excellent recent performances with a win in a new course best of 17.28. Second over the line was Simon Day in 18.32 and third was Mark Rutter in 19.17. Fellow club member, Claudine Benstead, finished first lady for the 30th time, it was also her 50th Parkrun. Her time of 20.47 was just 2 second short of her best set in August last year.
Two club members returning from injury had good runs showing they are well on their way to getting back to their best, Richard Newman, 21.42 and Bill Haining, 21.23. New member Stuart Raffle achieved his second personal best, (PB), in two weeks, 19.55. Other members to record PBs this week were Valentina Burley, just six days after completing the Paris Marathon, (25.25). Neil Richardson, (26.30), and Jennifer Griffith, (31.00). Mike Ball continues to improve, 21.04 this week, his fifth PB of 2018, a big step up from the 26 minutes he was taking when he ran his first Parkrun in September 2016.
Club members also ran at Parkruns elsewhere, Gary Parker was at Ipswich, (20.55). At Colchester Hannah Jarvis ran 26.11 but was beaten by her mother Rachel Jarvis (23.39), running her second ever Parkrun. Vicky McCrea choose the Shrewsbury event where she recorded 27.20. Will, (21.16), and Sarah, (30.16), Roxby Clarke tried out the new Parkrun at Felixstowe.
Two club members took part in the Brighton Marathon at the weekend. Christopher Payne ran a well paced race to knock 13 minutes off his best time for the 26.2 miles, setting a new best of 3h 16m 57s. Tracey George completed the race for the ninth time in 6h 9m 56s.
Ultra distance club runner James Mann travelled to Kent to take part in the Fowlmead Endurance 50 mile race. A slight error on his part meant he actually ran 52.13 miles in 11h 2m 49s; his time for the race distance of 50 miles was 10h 33m.
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