With Storm Bert disrupting our TRC visit to Linford Wood, 37 of us braved the wind and rain to visit 10 different parkruns with 18 at Wendover and 8 at Dunstable. Our turnout was respectable given that nationally it was the lowest attendance since December 2022, due to the large number of cancellations.
This week must be one of the windiest parkruns ever and running along the ridge at Dunstable we were almost blown backwards. Linford Wood, our proposed destination had cancelled on the Friday night so its record of most TRC to visit on one occasion remains at 2! We will have to pencil that one in for 2025.
Well done to Mark Tikaram who knocked another 14 seconds off his all-time PB with a 20:40 at Rickmansworth (not bad given the conditions!).
Congratulations to Emma Adcock on reaching her 300th parkrun milestone (46% Single visit tourism, 11% Wendover Woods, 6% Tring) at Wendover and to Lynda Hembury her 200th (43% Tring, 29% Dunstable, 6% Wendover) at Church Mead.
Well done to our podiums this week – TRC had both fastests at Wendover Woods with Josh Frewin 1st for the males and Becky Raftery 1st for the females. Elsewhere Lynda Hembury was 1st female at Church Mead and Louise Bladen 3rdfemale at Dunstable.
Another mention for Lynda with her aesthetically pleasing time of 25:25 and to Anna Ashwell equally with 31:31 at Wendover.
Explorer of the week goes to Michael Reilly for visiting Tetbury Goods Shed – the first time anyone from the club has visited this one near Tetbury. Michael I’ll be asking you about this for next summer, as it’s the closest to daughter Sophie’s wedding venue (assuming I get permission to sneak away from the preparations!). Tetbury is the second largest town in the Cotswolds and is the home of King Charles III and Camilla.
I know many of you do your share of volunteering but a special mention this week given the awful weather: – Thanks to Alison and Chris Bill, Cathy Court, Liz Daniel, Trevor Lark, Tamsin and Dave Leybourne and Jules Wake.
Furthest travelled this week were Angelo Lucatello and Ros Cranston at Folkestone.
In our series of “most popular parkruns for TRC by letter of the alphabet the D’s were – understandably Dunstable Downs and then Dinton Pastures (thanks Chris Wilcock) and Delamere (again due to Ros and Angelo’s trips to the NW). This week we’re looking for those beginning with E’s which are a bit trickier (as a clue, one is quite local, one is very far south, and one is very far north).
Next week it’s your annual chance to run in your kilt, tartan pyjamas, or any item of tartan really. Yes, it’s the Tartan parkrun at Wendover Woods. Make sure you find some tartan for your run, and come along to meet Nessie, and bring some shortbread or Tunnock cakes or wee dram for after your run! There will also be a piper playing as you start and finish your run.
Andy Evans
