On returning from the club coach trip to the James Herriot trail race and Leyburn last Sunday, it seemed rude not to call in on The Quaker House bar.

With a dozen Quakers turning up and the landlord remembering the good number that were there after last years 10K, he has offered to open the function room upstairs for our use after the race this year. He will also put on some light snacks/nibbles for us. Seems like a good offer so the invitation is there for all those wishing to partake in post race 'refreshments'.

Yet another example of the esteem and attraction with which our club is held in the town.

Following the popular Kilburn Feast and Croft Pitstop 10k races, the Club Championship table took a radical change with defending Champion Brian Martin and “up and comer” Noel McLay battling for 50 points with former champions Peter Smith, Steve Snook and Danny Gordon. Across the entire field in both races there was a massive range of competition. With 42 Quakers at Kilburn and 38 at Croft, it’s impossible to mention the entire Quaker field. Well done to all involved!

Click here to download the Quakers Running Club Championship Update Events 15 & 16: Kilburn Feast 7m and Croft Pitstop 10k

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A large contingent of Darlington Quakers runners revved up for this year’s Pitstop 10k Race at Croft Circuit and quite a few were not to be disappointed when it came to the post-race prize-giving.  Michael Joyeux and Brian Martin led the club home in sub 40 minute times, clocking up 39:30 and 39:48 respectively , with Brian taking 2nd  prize in the vet male 50-59 category.  Noel McLay’s 42:55 time bagged him 1st vet male 60 prize while Diane Vaughan finished as 4th female overall in 45:09. Ben Bourne took full advantage of the fast course to record a 10k personal best of 44:51 while Jackie Nicholls took 1st prize for vet female 35-39 with a time of48:26. It was good to see a return to form for Bev Snook who finished in a very respectable 50:54. Sue New also had lots to celebrate by recording her first sub 60 min 10k, finishing in 58:31. 

42 Quakers on the start line at Kilburn Feast are testimony to the event’s reputation for being one of the most popular 10k races of the season. The undulating course did not stop the Quakers from once again making their mark at the prize- giving, with Dawn Richardson finishing as 2nd female overall and best in age category. Lucy Jefferies also received a prize for finishing as 7th female overall and the pair completed their successful afternoon’s racing by taking the Ladies Team prize alongside Diane Vaughan and Jackie Nicholls. Match that, Quakers men!  7 Quakers were among the 3000 plus runners at BUPA’s Sunderland 10k, which is one of 15 events in the club’s 10k league. First home for the club was Ian Scott in 45:04 followed by Mark Robinson in 46:44 and Jeff Marriott in 47:09, his fastest 10k time for 3 years. Other finishers included Derek Clulow 53:58, Craig Watson 54:22, Ian Davison 55:07 and Fiona Dixon in 58:43. 

The hills once again beckoned for Quakers endurance trio, Charlie Blogg, Annette Clarke and Dave Thompson as they took on the 40 mile course of the Lyke Wake Walk. Despite the warm conditions, Dave finished in 7:51, 16 minutes faster than his best time for this event to date, while Annette and Charlie crossed the finish line in 7:58, quite a feat as Charlie sustained a thigh strain 18 miles into the race.  

Peter Rowley was the sole representative of the Quakers at the inaugural West Cumbrian Run. The 10 mile event, ran in memory of PC Bill Barker who died in the Cumbrian floods earlier this year, follows a very undulating course from Cockermouth to Workington. Peter put in an excellent performance by coming home in 1:17:23,  96th out of 460 finishers, which secured him first place in the male 55 age category.

Mr and Mrs David Curtis 

Mr and Mrs Ben Bourne 

Quaker Wedding Bells 

It is with great pleasure that the club is able to announce the marriages of members Mr David Curtis to Miss Susan Limbert and Mr Ben Bourne to Miss Julie Crocher. Both couples were married on Saturday 17th of July with David and Susan’s ceremony taking place at St Michael’s Church in Heighington and Ben and Julie exchanging their vows at the Croft Spa hotel in Croft. On behalf of Quakers RC and its members, we wish both couples every happiness in their futures together.

We woke up and set off up the A1 at 7.15am heading straight to Alnmouth (where the race finished) to park our cars at the local school and to get on one of the arranged buses to take us up to Beadnell – the start of the Coastal Run. On arriving at Beadnell we registered in a specially erected marquis in the car park where we received our number and our chip and also sheltered from the strong wind – even though one of the marshalls kept calling to everyone to ‘leave the tent once you’ve got your number and chip’.  A baggage bus was there to take our bags back to Alnmouth.

The weather was shall we say ‘brisk’ to begin with, many of us feeling the cold. There was a very strong head wind which was in our faces for the whole of the race with intermittent sunshine.  What a lot of us commented on was the distinct change of temperature at about 400m into the race along the beach. It was like someone had flicked a switch and the temperature went up about 5 degrees – very bizarre, I have never experienced anything like that before and that warm temperature remained for the rest of the race a little warm but bearable. On leaving Beadnell we ran round the edge of the beach (not across as the tide was in) and south towards Low Newton by the Sea by some road and some pathways. Across another beach and round Dunstanburgh Castle on a coastal pathway and into Craster village. We then followed the road and more of the coastal pathway to Howick and on to Boulmer, finally finishing on ‘a very long’ beach at Alnmouth.

This is probably one of the most picturesque runs I have done and even though it was windy which seemed  to make everyone say that they had found it ‘tough’ , the scenery made up for the toughness! It beats running round ‘the pitsop’ any day!
It was a well organised race with 4 water stations on route.  No goody bag at the end but a red and yellow technical t-shirt.

Most of us,  John, Wendy, Mark, Sandra, Michele, Carol, Penny, Gary and myself  called into one the pubs in Alnmouth to have a welcome beer and coffee.

My only disappointment – my husband beat me!!!

Contributed by Julie Whinn

A couple of weeks ago I attended the Croft Pit Stop 10km race, hosted by the Darlington Harriers. The race is held on the Croft Racing Circuit. Parking was plentiful with loads of spaces and there was a decent stock of refreshments being sold. The race started at 7:15 following the wheelchair race and fun run. With this being a local championship race, the Quakers were well represented with a massive range of runners! The race was quick and fast paced, three laps around the circuit, although the scenery wasn’t exactly beautiful, it was green and flowing – better than an industrial estate! Three laps around the track might seem to most as being boring, but those of us questing after 10km personal bests weren’t disappointed. This course is ideal for quick times; the challenge comes in running along the racing line; taking corners close and powering out following the trails of rubber on the track surface.

The race was well supported along the home stretch, with many supporters cheering the racers on. The race had one water stop which we passed twice. Definitely a boon on such a quick race.

There was no medal, t shirt or goodie bag at the end. There was a vile bottle of something orange looking which the majority of runners looked sick after drinking. Ugh!

Overall this was a quick and painless 10k race, ideal for PB times, but nothing much else. Recommended if you’re running for a quick time or bored on a Wednesday night.

Check out the photos on the Club Flickr Page