Round Norfolk Relay
14th/15th September
2013

Richard's Report : Sarah's Report : Mark's Report : Chris's Report

Sarah's Photos : Alex's Photos : Chris's Photos : Mark's Photos :  Lynn's Photos
 

 

Official Results

  Stage Miles Time Accumulative Time
Bob Wells 1 16.81 2:24:33 2:24:33
Graham Short 2 14.06 2:02:40 4:27:13
Steve Crane 3 5.76 0:47:55 5:15:08
Tony Jones 4 11.14 1:44:04 6:59:12
Chris Capps 5 10.81 1:39:27 8:38:39
Stuart Bullard 6 7.90 1:02:16 9:40:55
Angela Kay 7 9.24 1:33:04 11:13:59
Chris Fadden 8 7.52 0:57:53 12:11:52
Sarah Wanden 9 11.30 1:36:29 13:48:21
Neil Lovesey 10 20.06 2:35:22 16:23:43
Juliet Smith 11 14.60 2:02:29 18:26:12
Ian Joyce 12 19.67 2:35:12 21:01:24
Mark Tinkler 13 13.25 1:40:07 22:41:31
Julian Winn 14 7.27 0:51:00 23:32:31
Ian Kingston 15 10.59 1:31:33 25:04:04
Richard Watson 16 5.49 0:43:33 25:47:37
Gary Finch 17 11.73 1:24:39 27:12:16

Home : Race Results : Runners Pages

Richard's Report

The race started in horrible conditions at 6:30 am on Saturday with Bob Wells having to run in driving rain and into a head wind along the Norfolk coast up to Hunstanton, but luckily the weather was kind to us after that and Chris Fadden even got to run in sunshine.

Another really great weekend and the Harriers’ team was supported very well thanks to the non-runners in our squad of Keith Lakin (as always), Linda Watson, Lynn Short, Alex Rothwell and Margaret Wells, although it would appear that a couple of our runners do need to take the cycling proficiency test before supporting next year.

Bedford Harriers finished in 27 hours 12 mins and 16 seconds, an average of 8 minutes 16 seconds per mile for the 197.2mile course.

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Sarah's Report:

Firstly - Huge Huge thanks to Richard for organising this again, what a brilliant and bonkers good time we had, also much thanks to Linda (behind every good man etc) 
And then there's everyone else - forgive me if I miss anyone brain is royally ruined re sleep deprivation right now :

Support crew
Jen 'rude muffin' Lovesey
Linda 'Holding it all together' Watson
Keith 'LEFT' Lakes
Lynn 'David Bailey' Short
Alex 'bruised ears' Rothwell

Not sure of our final scores yet but think I can tell you we didn't win!

The idea - for those not in the RNR 'know' is for runners to run the entire 197 mile Norfolk border in 24 hours, the run is split into 17 legs, the legs are all different lengths (something for everyone from 5 - 20 miles) aiming to all arrive around 9.30 am on Sunday morning. 

We all are given a leg and Richard works out - based on our rough average running times - what time we need to leave Kings Lynn in order to arrive at the allotted time.

Each runner has a car and bike support during his or her run (where possible)

We left at 06.30am on Saturday and here are my notes (I drove the entire course with Steve Crane and ran a leg)

1 - Kings Lynn - Bob 'Well ard' Wells a tough first leg in driving rain and wind

2 - Hunstanton - Graham 'Gazebo' Short - still bad weather but spirits are high as weather due to clear.

3 - Burnham Overy Steve 'No' Crane - a multi terrain shorter leg incorporating the nudist beach

4 - Wells - Tony 'Iceman' Jones - coming back from a recent injury Tony ran with vigour.

5 - Cley - Chris 'Nails' Capps took on this renowned beastly shingle/hilly leg - brave man.

6 - Cromer - Stuart 'Shreddies' Bullard tackled this run into Mundesley, weather looking brighter.

7 - Mundesley - Angie 'wheres the keys?' Kay, fresh from Vichy sorted this lap

8 - Lessingham - And Chris 'Wobbler' Fadden made his show stopping appearance here

9 - Horsey - I just about made the handover from here after a scorching run by Chris who came in to handover early surprising even himself! 

10- Gt Yarmouth - And here the baton went to Neil 'The Machine' Lovesey for a 20 mile stint

11- At Bungay Neil handed over to Juliet 'Smiler' Smith who was raring to go.

12 - Scole - and Juliet to Ian 'save the day' Joyce - a true hero!

13 - Thetford - the baton was handed to Mark 'Colworth' Tinkler who ran a freezing 20 miler.

14 - Feltwell - and then to Julian 'socks' Winn who enjoyed the dawn chorus.

15 - Wissington - Ian 'Owl' Kingstone enjoyed a sociable run here.

16 - Downham Mkt - Richard 'the Boss' Watson surpassed his own expectations.

17 - Stowbridge - Gary 'lycra king' Finch breezed in in his usual effortless style.

Highlights of the epic adventure were:

Huge cake opportunities! A few interesting car problems, Alex riding Steves bike with his knees up round his ears, Jens amazing muffins (yummy) Seeing Bill Khinda and his lovely wife at Horsey, my tent not leaking at all! Attempting a handover photo at every relay point, and all the lovely runners we met along the way.

This was true teamwork at its best and together with a great attitude and fab organising it went off without any major issues. A weekend I shall remember for a long time.

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Mark's Report:

Really enjoyed this years Harriers RNR squad  - you see so much spending the weekend camping (are 'onesees' legal on a camp site ??) .....and in various car parks and laybys in Norfolk - one minute you fall asleep in a car with Juliet ........and you then wake up Ian !!

Spent the entire weekend trying to catch up with the 'Legendary' Bob Wells our number 1 runner (well was running stage 1) as wanted to warn him about the navigation error potential just getting out of King Lynn ...so was a bit worried that he never showed up at the restaurant Friday night - getting lost despite having been there before !!

Sadly my tent flooded in the Friday rain (one of the problems when the nephew uses it at a festival and leaves rips in the fly sheet - at least this time it did had the poles unlike last time - how do you put up a tent with no poles ??) ...anyway had to retreat to the 'sleep' room in Lynn Sport Centre. Nice and warm but very dark in there - resulting in that  I couldn't find my stuff first thing in the morning and I missed Bob's send off at 6-30am ...also missed Bob handing over the baton to Graham.... but from the horrendous wind and weather first thing - staying in the warm was the more attractive option

Had a convoluted car lift from different people round the course, catching 10 minutes sleep here and there,  so did witness some of the more worrying aspects of the weekend. Like the bike support admitting to have not having ridden a bike for 15 years (and then only with stabilizers?) ....and then being unable to let go of the handle bars in order to stay on resulting in the runner having to rummage into his pocket to get water !! 

Note to Alison Cooper I think we have some good candidates for your cycling remedial classes.

Still no sign of Bob Wells marshaling in Great Yarmouth somewhere - alegendary 

Was enjoying a nice dream when was pushed out of the car at 3am by Juliet into the cold (4C) ..and dark ...and fog at my run leg at Thetford - so may of done extra 7 miles running up and down the road before my start in a desperate attempt to warm up while waiting for Ian.....but the actual leg distance was was 13.25 miles - not 20 as Sarah W (with Steve C) in the support car seemed to think - this maybe because I was going so slow that the time was dragging - Sorry Sarah (and Steve)

Eventually did catch up with Bob Wells back at Kings Lynn on the finish line Sunday morning and discovered he'd gone over a cliff on his leg (that's him personally - not a real cliff - he's not a spring chicken anymore. Oddly I'd of thought you'd be going a lot faster if you did go over a cliff - albeit briefly). The other startling revelation from Bob was he'd been sleeping next to me in the 'sleep' room all weekend ....... it all seems to be a bizarre dream now.

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Chris's Report

Great weekend with Bedford Harriers AC at RNR.

Arrived Friday at Lynn Sports Centre at about 5pm and got tent up before te rain came down, and did it rain!! Good walk into town with Graham Short and Lynn Short, with trusty Bedford Harriers Brolly. Apologies, I did think I new where I was going for Market Resturant. 

The rain was heavy and continuous all night with strong winds at one point. 

Up at 6am to see Bob Wells off before a McDonalds breakfast, with large coffee with Keith Lakin. Rain continues with grey skies and nor let up of rain.

Then 9.u30 on road with Keith, Mark and Tony Jones to Burnham Oveary, and Wells before arriving at Cley next to sea for my run.

Rather surreal as the whole area is taken over by RNR people and yet the twitchers stlll stand there with their telescopes as though its an ordinary Saturday.

Rain clearing though the wind is blustary. 

Too soon it's Tony coming in and the baton is in my hand and I'm off accross the shingle. First bit not too bad, then a longer bit then its 2 miles of shingle but sheltered by the sea defences.

A short bit of grass is followed by more shingle and no signs to give confidence I am going right. Go straight on and don't turn right, as instructed, more shingle then see Richard Watson, at first car park so am going right.

Further shingle and at Salthouse see Richard again and a sign so still right.

The shingle stops but path starts to climb as the path rises to the coast guard station at Sheringham, then drop down onto the front, help a Milton Keynes runner who has no idea where he is going. Path then leave Sheringham and I pass along steps up the coastal path and throught a series of caravan parks before turining right and joining the road.

Now only 1.5 miles on the road, but its all up hill and feels like 4 miles at least. The Milton Keynes runner passes me again as he did not turn right and got lost.

Finally get to Cromer, turn left into the field and up the final hill to the change over point. 10.81 miles done in 1 hour 37, some 9 minutes longer than predicted.

Then quick change of clothes and in Richard's car and off to Mundersley. Home made cake, coffee and sandwich before driving Angie Kay car to Lessingham as she runs the leg.

Lessingham to Horsey Mill by car then on to Gt Yarmouth for fish and chips before returning with Richard and family to Kings Lynn, arriving back at about 9.30pm for a well earned shower and sleep. New sleeping bag much better than old one, did not feel the cold at all.

Up early, packed and cooked breakfast before cheeering Gary Finch home our total time was 27 hours 12 minutes and 16 seconds, 25 minues and 58 seconds longer than predicted and we were 43rd out of 53 teams.

A great weekend again, thanks to Richard and Angie for orgainising and all those others who contributed to getting the baton round Norfolk. Tent drying, clothes getting washed and start to think which Stage to do next year, Stage 10 the 20miler is already ear marked for Keith so don't need think about that one.

Finally as I wore my trail shoes have a couple pf blisters, one big and painful and maybe as well I will lose a toe nail, the joys of running
.

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