Round Rotherham Trail Race - with electronic punching.

Full results for this year's Round Rotherham are now posted on our web site at http://www.hmarston.co.uk/rhac/trail/2000/res_sum.htm (as you will have seen!)

For those who missed it, the Round Rotherham is an ultra-distance cross country trail event following the approximate route of the ROTHERHAM boundary, for 50 miles / 80 km along footpaths, towpaths, tracks and roads, based on an idea from club secretary Ralph Rowbotham. There were 99 starters, walkers, slow and fast runners and an 8-stage relay with 10 teams.

From Don's write up in the Rotherham Advertiser (15 Dec 2000)

AFTER trying to win the Rotherham Harriers' annual 50-niile Rowbotham's Round Rotherham ultra-distance trail race for the past eight years, Kimberworth Strider Martyn Gaynor finally achieved his ambition last Saturday when he triumphed in the 21st staging of the gruelling event. In last year's race, Gaynor (40) led right up to the closing stages before being overcome by fatigue and had to settle for second. He was determined to put that disappointment behind him this time and he said: "I was much stronger this year and better prepared as 1 had my team mate Lee Marshall in support and he made sure 1 took on board plenty of food and liquid. "The heavy, clinging mud made it the toughest Round Rotherham 1 have done. 1 was happy to run with Brian Roberts right up to the last mile and had just enough left at the finish to pull away from him." Gaynor crossed the line at Brampton Leisure Centre in 7 hours 11 minutes 26 seconds with Mandale Harrier Roberts second in 7:11.34. Last year's winner, Andy Brooks (Shelton Striders) was third on 7:15.58 ahead of Ian Anderson (Road Runners Club) 7:38. First Rotherham Harrier in fifth place was the consistent Kerry Booth (7:54) who was followed in by Peter Gwilliam (High Peak) in 8:11.  Then came veteran Harrier Brian Harney (8:12), team mates William Watson (8:21) and Phil Roberts (8:54), Kimberworth Striders' Patrick Rooney (8:57) and Malcolm Senior (9:02). Rotherham Harriers reclaimed their team title thanks to Booth, Harney and Watson with Striders Gaynor, Senior and Rooney in second while Rotherham Harriers Roberts (Mick Cochrane (10:20) and Roy Varo (11:17) were third. In the women's race, Kendra Ann White (Quakers) improved on her second place last year to take the title with a time of 9:23. Shirley Hume (11:16) was second and walker Helen Killick (12:19) third. For the fourth year running Rotherham Harriers' men's team won the eight-stage relay race with their squad of Peter Mirrlees, Jeff Crofts, Peter Neal, Steve Gaines, Alan Chell, John Atkinson, Chris Parkes and Steve Elvidge completing the course in 5:36. Second was the Kimberworth Striders squad of Steve Ross, Shaun Hogton, John Tollerfield, Andy Pogson, Steve France, Keith Ward, Gary Willoughby and Alvin Hickling with Maltby RC third. Rotherham Harriers ladies successfully defended their title with the team of Gillian Bunker, Jenny Baker, Patricia Wells, Irene Reid, Patricia Muller, Sharon Burton, Anita Cavell and Janice Streets timed at 7:43. The first mixed team was Maltby RC's squad of Lindsay Rust, Caroline Boyd, Karen Osbourne, Mick Barber, Andy Thompson, Judith Rust, Wendy Roberts and Steve Durdy logging 7:25.

Rotherham Harriers held their annual Christmas party and awards night at Rotherham's Clifton Lane Cricket Club when president Ralph Rowbotham presented the Jack Phipps Memorial Trophy to secretary Bert Norburn and the Peter Elliott Trophy to Leanne Muscroft. Sharon Burton (trail running section secretary) and Mary Rhodes collected twenty-five year long service awards.

Don....

Grateful thanks to:

Michael Napier for providing expertise in the electronic timing system / printing certificates / all sorts of assistance.

East Midlands Orienteering Association for supplying the hardware

Checkpoint officials for keeping an eye on the check-in boxes in addition to other duties (notably feeding participants!)

and you the participants for making the effort of putting on the event worthwhile.

Date for the diary: 8th December 2001

Updated 25 July, 2020