QUAKERS WERE chasing points last week, with two club championships races on the calendar, one of which saw the black and white vest finishing first.

Midweek at Redcar had seen the Pie and Peas 5 miles, where runners completed five one-mile laps of Locke Park. Michael Joyeux won the race, crossing the line first in 26:31. He was followed in by Brian Martin (31:20 and first in his age category), Louise Trainor (34:00 and first in her age category), Brian Mclaren (34:34), Billy Harris (34:52), Rob Gillham (36:53), David Ledgerwood (40:56), Anna Hardy (40:56), Sandra Martin (41:34), Julie Whinn (41:57 and breaking the club record for her age category), Paul Dalton (42:03), Clare Stradling (42:03), Danny Gordon (42:33), Michelle Scruby (44:22), Tracey Plaskitt (45:07), Lisa Jenkins (47:17) and Sandra Cass (47:32).

The second of the championship races took place at the weekend, the Pier to Pier, a 7 mile race along the coastal path from the pier at South Shields to Roker Pier in Sunderland, which also saw two Quakers racing on their birthdays. Marc Ellis was first home for the club in 44:16 along with Brian Martin (45:34 and first in his age category), Rob Dent (47:15), Rob Gillham (55:58), Wendy Colling (1:00:35), Robert Kirby (1:01:24), Sandra Cass (1:01:31), David Ledgerwood (1:02:11), Anna Hardy (1:02:13), Mark Colling (1:02:51 on his birthday), Sandra Martin (1:03:09), Julie Whinn (1:03:51 on her birthday), Janet Bowlby (1:06:30), Darren Alderson (1:06:31), Andrew Dixon (1:07:37), Claire Norman (1:08:41), Nicola Herraghty (1:11:48), Michelle Dale (1:16:01), Alan Prest (1:22:01), Nicola Arkley (1:23:13), Sharon Carr (1:23:44), Lisa Alderson (1:23:48) and Adrian Dent (1:59:42).

Three travelled to Leeds for the half marathon event there. Jamie Pratt covered the 13.1 mile distance in 1:54:43 along with Gemma Eddy in 2:06:28 and Janette Croft in 2:19:59.

Down at the 10 mile race in Ripon, David Todd completed the multi-terrain route in 1:18:31, followed by Tom Chapman (1:28:07) and Tracey Plaskitt (1:49:59).

Half a dozen runners headed down to the southern Yorkshire Dales for the Malhamdale Trail Challenge. In the 22 mile race, which took in over 3000 feet of climb, Nicola Wells finished in 3:40:58 along with Dave Thompson (4:10:03 and third in his age category), Rebecca Bowes (4:27:32) and Paul Ryan (5:19:42). In the 9 mile event, Andrew Vernon completed the route in 1:32:52 with Sarah Watson in 2:18:01.

The previous week had also seen Alan Prest take part in the 10K race at Long Marton in Cumbria, finishing in 1:13:24.

In the Saturday morning parkruns, Dave Jones finished at South Park in 18:15 followed by Chris Minto (19:51), Luke Minall (20:13), Adrian Cottam (20:15), Phil Rutter (21:13), Dale Chapman (21:17), Michael Joyeux (21:51), Mark Robinson (21:56), David Whittle (22:08), Rob Gillham (22:12), Stuart Burkin (22:32), Iain Clyde (22:57), Dan Rowlands (23:19), Daniel Orton (23:31), Stuart Masterman (24:09), Shaune Eland (24:30), Lewis Boshier (25:07), Ian Hamond (25:16), Michelle Boshier (25:22), David Ptak (25:29), Juliette Mclaren (25:31), Jamie Pratt (25:35), Gavin Armstrong (26:21), Julie Bell (27:21), Steven Major (27:55), Gill Colling (28:30 in her 100th parkrun), Mark Colling (28:30), Wendy Colling (28:38), Helen Clarke (28:47), John Whinn (29:15), Alec Cinamon (30:05), Charlie Johnson (30:11), Jo Dickinson (30:25), Gemma Marshall (31:38), Grainne Duffy (31:49), Tracey Plaskitt (31:58), Isabelle Bell (32:50), Abigail Willson (34:20), Michael King (37:32) and Phill Johnston (49:49).

At Durham, David Ledgerwood finished in 25:04 along with Mark Trowles (25:48) and Lena Rusa (34:54), while at Sedgefield, Caroline Ridley-Marriott and Jeff Marriott finished in 36:03 and 36:04 respectively. Michelle Scruby did the run at Tees Barrage in 30:36, Sally Watson ran at Hackworth in 36:10 and Darryn Wood completed the run at Hartlepool in 38:51. At Stewart Park, Michelle Dale and Lisa Jenkins ran there in 34:00 and 34:01 respectively, Anthony Corbett did the run at Harrogate in 26:24, while Adrian Colbourne finished at Gibside in 23:06. Further afield, Mike Brown and Caroline Moses ran at Manchester in 21:26 and 28:02 respectively, and Peter Rowley did the run at Newby Bridge in 24:29.

Quakers Running Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30pm at Abbey Road Playing Fields. For more information visit our website: www.quakers.run

Submitted by Rob Dent (photo by Karen Newton)