Beverley Athletics Club: 20th February 2023
Members have continued to prove their ongoing love of running during the past month and achieving some great results in a range of different events. The popular Ferriby 10, a local 10-mile race starting and finishing at Skidby Mill, organized by the City of Hull AC saw 56 members race the first of this year’s handicap races. James Johnson was the first Beverley AC runner home, finishing 4th in a time of 53:54. Other noticeable performances were from Mark Dalton, who was 1st in the M60-64 category in 1:07:39 and Sam Allen, who was 2nd in the F50-54 category in 1:17:58. Shawnie Lovatt (1:03:00), Demi Lidster (1:03:17 and Becky McDonald (1:06:48) also won the 1st Ladies team prize.
February saw the 5th race of the East Yorkshire Cross Country League take place on Beverley Westwood, co-hosted by Beverley AC, with Rob Sparkes leading the men’s team home and Jenny Rowe leading the ladies. Beverley’s men finished 1st with the ladies’ team finishing 4th. Overall, in the League after the 4th race, both men and ladies teams remain in 2nd place. The next race in the League takes place at Sewerby in March.
3 members took part in the London Winter Run, a 10kms route in central London, raising money for Cancer Research. Christine Whitehouse finished in 1:08:21, closely followed by Carol Cooke in 1:08:43 and Penny Booth in 1:11:45.
A few members have taken on some longer-distance events. Pete Watkinson continues to show exceptional form, taking part in the Knavesmire Edge Rewind 6-Hour Challenge in York, completing 8 laps, totalling 26.2 miles in 5:32:09 and the Bloodaxe Challenge, (completing as many 1km laps as possible in 2 hours), where he completed 29 laps (18 miles). Usha Chapman also completed the Challenge completing 15 laps (9.3 miles).
Further afield, and as part of her training for the Chester 50 mile Ultra in March, Linda Wright ran the Run for Cake Thetford Forest Ultra in Suffolk, completing 10 laps of the 5.3 km trail loop, a total of 32.5 miles, in 6.5 hours, coming in 3rd overall and 1st female. Linda is running to raise funds to help increase awareness and support to sufferers of Stroke in East Yorkshire.
So what is coming up in the Club’s busy diary? Beverley is delighted to be hosting the Yorkshire Veterans Athletics Association (YVAA) Cross-Country Championships in March, which takes place on Beverley Westwood. The YVAA promotes athletics events for over 35s in Track and Field, Road, Multi-terrain, Cross Country and Fell and this prestigious event will bring together athletes from across Yorkshire.
In addition, 40 members will be signing up and taking part in the Champagne League, a series of 10 local cross-country races taking place from March until July. The series is organized by the City of Hull AC with local clubs invited to take part.
And finally, some more important dates for your diaries. Beverley’s iconic 10kms race takes place Sunday 14th May 2023. Places sold out quickly on the first batch of places released and there are currently less than 200 places remaining so if you want to run, please head to the website to secure your place! Walkington 10 km will take place on Friday 14th July 2023.
New members, whatever your age and fitness level, are always welcome and further details about the membership and what the Club has to offer to its members can be found on the Club’s website: www.beverleyathleticclub.co.uk
