Reports on RRR 2007

  Round Rotherham page, RHAC page, Full Results Page

Rotherham Advertiser, by Nigel Brooks

MIDLANDER Matt Giles raced to victory in the ultra-tough Round Rotherham race - and was within a whisker of the course record despite the bad conditions.

An impressive field assembled for the 25th running of the 50-mile race, the brain child of Rotherham Harriers stalwart Ralph Rowbotham.

Entries were up and the start was eagerly awaited at the Dearne Valley Sports Centre. In a year of unprecedented flooding in the area it was fitting that this year's race was over a wet and muddy course, with overnight rain adding to the challenge awaiting the record 270 starters.

Early on the weather was kind to the runners---but three hours into the race conditions dramatically worsened.

Eventual winner Giles, from Stourbridge AC in Birmingham, had already gained a commanding lead and many wondered if it was too much too soon in the testing conditions.

But the maths teacher had certainly got his figures right, powered on to surprise everyone with a superb debut performance and also just missed out on Chris Parkes' long-standing course record by only four seconds.

Matt has previously run in the Grand Union Canal race over 145 miles and several other ultra distance events around the country. After Saturday's race, he is hopeful of defending his title and has set his sights on breaking the course record next year.

Result:
1. Matt Giles (Stourbridge RC) 6:17.54,
2. Paul Hart (Dumfries RC) 7:24.21,
3. Julian Brown (Macclesfield) 7:27.43.
First Rotherham runner was Bill Watson in 12th in 8:08.45 with Kerry Booth 23rd in 8:38.25 and Kimberworth Striders' Martin Gaynor 25th in 8:47.33.

In the women's race, Australian Sarah Ridgeway was the winner in 8: 22.20-knocking a massive one hour off the time she recorded three years ago when finishing third.

In the relay event, Rotherham Harriers made a clean sweep of the trophies. The (female) winners, recording 7:14.00, were Gill Taylor, Joanna Walker, Sue Bellamy, Sharon Burton, Diane Spencer, Chris Mullarkey, Carrie Smeaton and Paula Fisher.

The winning mixed team, captained by Peter Humphries, was John Spencer, Kellie Dempsey, Gary Ridgeway, Phillipa James, Sharon Merrills, Neil Shaw and Luke Brady. They timed 7:04.07

In the men's race, Dave Nuttall, Phil Hoole, Pete Mirrlees, Terry Eastwood, Nigel Brookes, Simon Mounsey, Paul Humphries and Pete Shaw were first home in 5:38.53

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Athletics Weekly

Did anyone see a report?

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Comment from some satisfied customers (omitting the bits after the "However, " - but will be considered):

Thanks for an unforgettable RRR

I just want to thank you & your large team that was involved with checkpointing & supporting yesterdays event. It was very well organised. I had not done it for several years so really appreciated the tape at the beginning sections where we were in the dark- but realise it must have taken a while to put up! The tape through Roche abbey was also crucial for me

I hope that not too many people retired due to the weather conditions. Those manning outdoors checkpoints deserve medals.

Please pass this on to your Team- and hope for better conditions next year!

Just a quick note to thank you very much and to congratulate you on the organisation of the race yesterday.  The hospitality was superb and I really enjoyed my longest race to date.  I would like you to pass on my best wishes and very deep gratitude to two guys who ran with me and put up with my non-stop chatter:

Phil Haigh - who was fantastic company over 4 stages, pointing out all the landmarks and relating various anecdotes Peter Simpson - who asked me if I was a journalist because I asked so many questions &

The friendliness of the organisers, marshals, fellow runners and locals generally will live with me.

First of all thanks to Rotherham Harriers for a fantastic day out yesterday. I've done a few races like this so know what to expect but this one will set the standards in future......

Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved with yesterday.

Thanks once more, and see you in 2008

I, and my fellow members of Dumfries Running Club who competed on Saturday, would like to thank all at RHAC for putting on another superb event. In particular please thank the hardy souls who were out in the cold and wet elements at the check points. This was my sixth RRR and the first time I have had rain and cold. It certainly made it a much tougher run but still enjoyable...
Our ladies in the relay event enjoyed themselves and for three of the five girls this was their first go at running for a relay team and found it to be different from anything they had done previously. 

Completed RR on Saturday along with two other members of Quakers RC,all of us first timers. Despite the appalling weather that turned your "field paths may be a bit sticky" into swamps what a fantastic, well organised event.  Would you please pass our thanks to all the people who made this possible especially the hardy soles who manned the outside checkpoints, that cannot have been fun stood out in those conditions for hours on end. No doubt we will be back next year for more torture. To satisfy the anorak within me do you have any idea what is the measured distance? Also what beer does the guy who won drink I need some of that?
Reply: My GPS says its your 81 km, and my Map Memory overprint says closer to 1000 m climb than I had expected from manual counting of contours.  I guess the winner must drink Marston's Pedigree (I'd have to say that, wouldn't I, but unfortunately no connection)

Firstly, congrats on putting on such a great event.  Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved for doing a super job on such a lousy day. Despite the weather, I really enjoyed my first RRR. ...  Look forward to RRR 2008

Many thanks for an epic day out.
It was particularly touching of you to arrange such a lot of weather, both during the event and in the preceding week!

I hurt all over. It's great.

Please pass on thanks to all who helped on the day, especially those on the later CPs who were there for us walkers long, long, after the race had been won. It was a great event and even the rain didn't put a dampener on it. Having the hall at CP3 was very, very welcome - more so for being unexpected - so thanks for that, especially.

Just wanted to say thank you for organising the event again this year
I guess some of us will be complaining about the weather or the trickier bits of the navigation but all in all it is a great event and I will be back next year.
Keep it up (and ignore anybody who complains as they will probably be back next year too!)

First RR for me on Saturday. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great organisation, maps, food etc..... Everything was great.

Thank you to all involved.

Just to say that I really enjoyed the RRR on Saturday - thanks for providing such a great event. My first ever outing over 50K, so the extra 60% was a "little" challenging. I thought perhaps that as a southerner I shouldn't mention the weather for fear of appearing soft, so it is good to see that the Rotherham Harriers website refers to "appalling conditions"!!

Fantastic effort from all, incl. the marshalls for coping with the weather.

My team (Jessop Wing) did the RRR for the first time this year.  We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who was involved in the organisation of this race.  It’s quite an event!  We were particularly impressed with the people manning the check points in the freezing cold rain all day!  We all had a great time, and we’ll definitely be back next year.

Just a quick email to say thanks to you and all the helpers for a great day out on Saturday - especially to the helpers at Woodsetts who made my Mum & Dad welcome at the CP!

Just wanted to say thank you for another great event, and fantastic support by the checkpoint staff who worked in very difficult conditions.
I timed myself on my stopwatch at 12hrs 09min, but the results show me as 12hrs 19min. Is there any error noticed in results, or is my stopwatch hopelessly incorrect?
I'll be there next year, hoping for better weather so that I can improve my time.

Just to say thanks for an excellent event on Saturday. Top-notch organisation and big appreciation to the marshals for standing out in the rain all that time. Despite the weather I had a great time and will be back again!

Yes I really did enjoy event, and have every intention of repeating exercise. (Have been amazed that despite ten hours of wet feet and clay-mud I had recovered completely within 24-hrs)

Many thanks, both for event and help

I just got back from some time away after the run and have now recovered almost completely! I just wanted to write briefly and express my thanks to you and all the other race organisers. It was a truly memorable day and I think i speak for all the runners when I say that we felt so well supported at all junctions of the race (especially considering conditions).

Many thanks for another brilliant event (as always!), and for your amazingly detailed and fast results - you work really hard on making this such a special event and we all do really appreciate both your work and that of all the regulars who make the RR possible.

I was delighted to be given my 10-completion shield, which is going in a prominent place in the house.

Visit the forums and a blog

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?ugn=1312&year=2007

There is also a forum discussion on the FRA website (even more posts, even less relevant!).

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?t=2415

Here's a link to Sarah's blog

http://sarzmountainrun.blogspot.com/2007/12/round-rotherham-50-miler.html

Take me to the Round Rotherham page, RHAC page, Full Results Page