Michael Joyeux was the first Quaker home at the Sedgefield Serpentine Trail Race, where he took 10th place with a time of 44:09.  Despite clashing with the annual club trip to the continent, Quakers made up a sizeable proportion of the 73-strong field.  Brian Martin (16th, 45:33) picked up good Championship points for the second consecutive weekend and could still feature in the race for the title.  Next was Peter Smith (21st, 48:05) followed by recent recruit, Andrew Lambe (32nd, 51:59) with Mark Colling (47th, 56:50), Wendy Colling (48th, 57:15), Julie Jefferies (51st, 58:26), Julie Whinn (58th, 61:42), Sally Singleton (63rd, 66:10) and John Whinn (64th, 67:59). 

Alasdair Tatham put on a superlative performance to win Sunday’s Great Langdale Marathon.  Clocking 3:04:21, he finished seven minutes ahead of the runner in second place.  Ninety-six runners completed the mountainous course.  Stuart Hardcastle, a regular in the Lakes, took part in the half marathon, finishing 137th in 1:49:26. 

Toni Chaplin-Armer ran at the considerably larger Berlin Marathon.  Her time of 3:41:51 gave her 572nd place in the ladies results and 77th place in the F45 category. 

Anthony Corbett ended a highly successful summer hill running season at the Castleton Show Run, battling his way around the arduous 6-miler in 56:59.  His reward was fourth place in the final standings of the M40 category, where Nick Wadd finished ninth.  Andrew Knox took fourth spot in the M45 age group, Stuart Hardcastle was the sixth M50 and Danny Gordon finished as fifth over-65. 

Saturday’s Albert Park Time Trail saw Peter Smith running a new course pb of 20:07 with Phil Penteney finishing the 5k circuit in 26:06.  

There was a large Quaker contingent on the congested roads of Tyneside at Sunday’s Great north Run.  The finishing times were Brian Martin (1:44:30), Peter Rowley (1:46:51), Diane Vaughan (1:47:00), Mark Robinson (1:53:08), Barry Mahaffey (1:54:03), Jon Foulds (1:54:32), Victoria Wilson (1:55:25), Andrew Wilson (1:57:43), Sandra Park (2:02:26), Julie Crocher (2:02:36), Paul Appleton (2:04:21), Leigh- Marie Ainsworth (2:07:59),  Carol Penney (2:11:04), Sally Singleton (2:11:05), Michelle Boshier (2:11:29), Keld O’Shea (2:16:46), Jeanette Maughan (2:16:55), Penny Lamont (2:18:39), Brenda Jackson (2:23:27), Paul Carling (2:28:52), Naomi Pearson (2:32:14), Rachel Maddison (2:45:29), Andrew Robinson (2:56:53), Alex Simpson (3:05:18), Linda Norminton (3:05:26) and Catherine Horan (3:08:23). 

The Paras’ 10 race gave the general public an opportunity to attempt the Parachute Regiments endurance course at Catterick.  Six Quakers ran the undulating ten miles over loosely surfaced tracks with cattle grids, steep tank hills and a stretch of knee-deep muddy water.  Runners had two options; either running with or without a 35lb rucksack.  Diane Adkins was the only member of the club to choose the tougher option.  Despite being dragged down by laryngitis, she was adamant that her many weeks of training around Darlington were not going to be wasted.  She made it round in 2:21:33 to come 1053rd from 1146 finishers.   A smaller field of 473 completed the course without the extra weight on their backs.  Andrew Todd (45th, 1:11:24) was the leading Quaker ahead of Phil Rutter (53rd, 1:13:13), Lee Coles (1:19:10), Ian Scott (134th, 1:20:11) and Michelle Boshier (303rd, 1:34:12).

Meanwhile, Quakers’ other Ian Scott was tackling a 10-miler near Selby.  At the first running of the Wistow 10 Mile Road Race, he took first prize in the M55 category, clocking 1:04:03.  Diane Vaughan was the first female over 40, with a new pb of 1:16:31.  Richard Hughes (1:11:54) and Kate Schweizer (1:33:23) also recorded new best times. 

Alastair Tatham ran 33:20 to take 13th place at Middlesbrough’s Tees Pride 10k, where over 2600 participants enjoyed good running conditions.   He was followed by Simon Paul (42:58), Diane Vaughan (45:06), who finished sixth in her age group to record a new personal best, and Dave Thompson (45:55).  Julie Jefferies (48:42) continued her fine season, taking fourth place in the F50 category and slashing the club record by over two minutes.  Next was Lee Coles (45:26) ahead of Claire Gargett (51:07), Jackie Nicholls (51:05), Adele Clark (49:57), Paul Appleton (52:51), Paul Howell (51:05), Julie Crocher (51:56), Juliette Lee (51:44), Sam Edwardson (54:14), Angela Clement (55:50), Jackie Taylor (57:06), Kate Schweizer (56:29), Sally Singleton (55:51), Nigel Walker (58:30) and Rachel Maddison (1:07:04).