100-mile run Chris Poole completed a non-stop 100-mile foot race along the entire length of the South down’s way on Saturday and Sunday. The event starts in Winchester and winds its way east to finish in Eastbourne. The chalk ridgeway trails boast over 13,000 foot of huge rolling hills to be traversed within a 30-hour cut-off time. The lead up to this race and had been 18 months of major injury for Chris who even now is nursing a tear to his hip cartilage and associated pelvis inflammation. Training was compacted into about 12 weeks of sometimes intense running aided by gym, pool and cycle workouts. With a rolling start Chris set of at 5am into what was already a warm morning. Having only been running a short time a stone distance marker on the side of the road read. Eastbourne 96miles, that a hard thing to deal with, an unfathomable to distance to cover on foot let along if you were driving that far. Twenty miles passed by in four hours at an easy pace. Chris at this point meet up with a fellow ultrarunner he had known from other events. Ultrarunning is quite a small affair with many runners meeting time and again. Lucy was feeling very nervous about the night section and navigation plus was already starting to feel nauseous. They travelled the next ten miles in easy flow and completely reworking their pre-planned finish times and schedule. Chris had by now felt he needed to help Lucy on as far as possible. It was agreed to slow things down and grab some rest in the sparce shade when possible. At 35 miles what they described as heaven came into view, a café in the middle of nowhere selling ice creams and cold drinks. Callepo and ice-cold apple juice was so welcome. Much to the amusement of patrons a steady trail of exhausted runners queued up like excited children to get their lolly’s. As predicted the completely exposed ridgeway had turned into what Chris described as a furnace. From 9am temperature steadily increase to a staggering 40 degrees as recorded on a runner’s gage. The heat was compounded by the chalk trail reflection. From 4pm to 6pm the heat really took its toll on runners with many having to pull out of the race, some requiring medical treatment including at least two rushes to hospital. Find toll of runners not finishing was a huge 33%. Onto into the night they continued, aided by food stations approximately every 10 miles where much needed resupply of water and snacks were available. Lucy had been feeling nauseous most of the day with Chris trying to get her to keep drinking and eating and at times simply sit down and rest to lower her heart rate. Darkness fell at about 11.30 and the heat simply changed from intense to what felt like a pressure cooker. At some point this finally got to Chris and intense vomiting followed for a while. The next 4-5 hours was simply getting your head down and grinding out the miles to an awesome sunrise at about 4.30. Moods lifted and thankfully a strange low cloud a period of cooler temperatures. Pushing on to 86 miles and again blasting sunshine Lucy and Chris parted ways. At some point runners need to run their own race and much as it had been fantastic to share 65 miles Chris was confident Lucy was able to make the last 14 miles on her own pace. With an emotional see you at the finish line Chris cranked up the pace, two aid stations were ignored apart from chucking water over his head. 97 miles done and at the apex of the last hill the town of Eastbourne came into sight. An un-runnable gully down of the ridge way finally joined tarmac where Chris ran his fastest miles of the race. Entering the sports complex and traveling around the 400m running track was hugely emotional with woops and cheers from the crowd. Chris crossed to line in a finish time of 28 hours and 44 minutes. Not the time planed but fast enough to win the converted 100 milers finishers buckle. Lucy finished a little while later and cheered in by Chris. Chris and Lucy enjoyed cold drinks, food and finally taking their shoes off as they watched the other finishers arrive. Trying to take in the journey they had been on.
It’s hard to put into words how anyone can find enjoyment in so much suffering but if was easy everyone would do it.
PRESS Reports #fitness
Faced with a second lock down once again Wellington running club set up daily fun challenges for the whole of November. November became “up your coronavirus”. Each morning a new challenge was set. Some were obvious like run 10k others had people take their own meaning on it. The main thing being our members still enjoyed the physical and mental benefits that exercise brings. As an added bonus and incentive we commissioned medals as runners love “bling”. We look forward to being able to run in bubble of six again and welcome runners of all abilities to join us. Day 1. Halloween. Day 2. Attend running club (virtual). Day 3. Run wearing a hat. Day 4. Last orders run to the Pub Day 5. Guy Fawkes day. Go out with a bang. Day 6. Gimme 60. Virtual run club so exercise for 60 minutes. Day 7. Park run Day 8. Remembrance Day, show us your poppy's Day 9. School run Day 10. 10minutes. 10km or 10 miles. Day 11. Remembrance Day. Two minutes silence. Day 12. Your choice. Day 13. Break a superstition Day 14. Park run. Day 15. Longrun day. Day 16. Moon day. Night run. Day 17. Magnificent 7. Day 18. Hump day. Run 5 hills Day 19. Muggle run. Day 20. Fish Friday. Run past 5 fish n chip shops Day 21. Park run. Day 22. St Cecilia day. Play it loud. Day 23. Five Christmas decorated houses. Day 24. Run with a friend. Day 25. 10k Day 26. Rest day (or not). Day 27. Visit sites that once stood a pub, 6 in total. Day 28. Park run. Day 29. Unlucky for some 13. Day 30. St Andrews day. Show us your Scottish side.
10-10-2020
Denise Poole completed her first ultramarathon over the weekend. Run to the Sea race 50km (30miles) was held in Dorset and started in Ringwood. A point to point event that would end in Bournemouth. A covid registered event meant runners started in pens of 6 to allow social distancing. Denise was of and running at 7am on a bitterly cold morning. Two fast 10km sections along the Castleman Trail were done. The route then headed into Poole before following the coast path to Hengistbury Head. These 10 miles proved to be quite tough. Pancake flat and long straights are not a runners best friend. Some elevation allows other muscles to work. However at 26.2 Denise got a personal best over the marathon distance. Onto 30 miles and the finish....well that what was expected but the race had other ideas. 2 bonus miles finished over sand dunes and finally the finish line at 7hrs 17mins. Huge well done to Denise and all the other computers on the inaugural event.
Following the low R rate in Wellington and Somerset we decided the time was right to start meeting again. Also following https://www.uka.org.uk/ guidelines on meeting and running safely. First meet was 6th July 2020 at 6.30 pm with 29 members in attendance.
Main guide lines given to the group. .
1. Do no attend if you or any members of your contact group have any symptoms of covid-19
2. We MUST have you listed if you are going to attend so we can create a safe meeting place and control group numbers.
3. Be prepared to maintain social distancing at our meeting location and whist on a run. Priority MUST me given to other members of the public. STOP when required to give space to others.
4. Run in groups or bubbles of 6 people or less and try to remain in the bubbles each club run.
In addition to these points we have created a "track and trace" photo album update each time groups meet in case of track and trace being required. Members were spilt into the bubbles and thoroughly enjoyed their first club run in many months.
Run the equivalent height gain as Mount Everest at 29,000 feet
Some members took on a virtual Mount Everest climb. Twenty-four participants took part and achieved the matching elevation gain in just fourteen days.
Amazing achievement for some from the club who were not to keen on running up hills! This being the first time they have attempted for many club runners, some only recently having graduated our couch to five program. Favorite place to run up to was Wellington Monument obviously.
Just another way we are trying to keep our club motivated whist we continue solo self distancing rules.
Participants and height gained individually.
Alisha Carpenter 175
Chris Poole 6056
Claire Roger 414
Dean Perry 1767
Denise Poole 2377
Elizabeth Kirkpatrict 450
Graham Bowpitt 2002
Helen Perry 1527
Jan Olive 334
James Fuller 896
Jeremy Walter 2094
Jim Beatty 687
Julie Strange 419
Louise Froud 576
Louise Lowry 2596
Lucy Little 1656
Luke Merchant 436
Maggie MacKinnon on 1776
Matt Carpenter 175
Mel Ellis 555
Paul Booker 1312
Sara Hart Higby 667
Sarah Tydings 130
Sohie Acout-Wills 229
Wellington Running Club members took park in a Sports Relief challenge on the 14th of March. 26 runners donated money to run a marked 2 mile loop around Wellington. Starting and stopping on the high street the club proved water and snacks along with some cakes to fuel the fundraising legs. Some did it once and others as many times as possible in the four hour time limit. Many recorded personal best distances during the mixed bag of weather conditions. Further club members and family also donated swelling our just giving page to £700.00. An amazing some raised by such a small number of runners. Runners and the numbers of loops completed;
Alan Shorney 5, Angie Clarke 1, Charlie Booker 4, Chris Higby 5, Chris Poole 2,
Claire Roger 4, Emilie Louise Janaway 3, Dean Perry 8.PB. Denise Poole 4
Donna Butterflies 4.PB, Hazel Sims 3, Jan Olive 3, Jeremy Walters 8.PB, Jo McLellan 3
Julie Strange 5.PB, Lesley Watkins 3.PB, Lisa Brown 3, Louise Lowry 1, Lucy Ford 4
Mel Ellis 3, Nick Peresdee 1, Richard Edge 3, Rodney Lockyer 6, Paul Booker 10
Sam Walters 1, Sara Hart Higby 6, Sophie Ellen 1, Trevor Sims 1, Vince Reed 10.PB
Three members were out racing this weekend. Jan Olive took on her first trail run at the "brentford 5km" race. A tough course on Dartmoor made even harder by the strong winds that was even blowing away direction signs. Well done to Jan and not getting lost and taking on some steep hill climbs. Vince Reed and Chris Poole joined two and a half thousand other fancy dress runners at the annual Weston Christmas cracker 10k beach race. The lads loved the 40mph winds heading down the beach but the laughs stopped heading back up again into that
headwind..twice. Mince pies all round at the finish and great festive spirit all round.
28/29 Sept 2019
Busy times at Wellington Running club. Over the last couple of weeks we have had runners taking part in varied distances and types of races. Such is the mixture of abilities we cater for.
On the 22nd Sept, Killerton trail 10k race took place. Very Hilly, muddy and extremely moist conditions down. Finish times were Jeremy Walters 01:06:38 and Sam Walters 01:23:09
28th Sept Chris Poole ran the Jurassic coast trail 50km. A new event that some described as brutal. Completed in 6:32:08 into a 40 mph headwind making it a tough day at the office.
29th Sept We had Taunton 10k road race with Eve Ford 1:12:51. Matt Carpenter 1:05:15, Ayshea Carpenter 1:05:51 and Graham Bowpitt 47:06. Fantastic efforts by all and first race by Matt and Ayshea.
Exmouth 10k again Jeremy and Sam Walters, they do like a 10k! Finish times were 54:06 and 1:08:04 respectively. Great running.
Whist the medal hunters were out at races we had our regular running groups meeting on Monday, Thursday, and Friday plus our current C25k are nearly half way through their program.
Wellington Running Club member Chris Poole competed in the UK Trail Running Championships last weekend.
Wellington Running Club member Chris Poole competed in the UK Trail Running Championships last weekend.
The Ridgeway Challenge 86 Miles (138km) is continuous running event that starts at Ivinghoe Beacon near Tring and ends at Avebury Stone Circle. The route is 86 miles along The Ridgeway National Trail, a 5000-year-old trackway through the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs with over ten thousand foot of elevation.
185 Runners started the event at Mid-day Saturday. The conditions during the day sore temperatures over 30c along the exposed ridgeway, combine that with the difficult terrain and an eight-hour night section over 40% of the competitors had pulled out of the race before the finish.
Chris certainly didn’t have an easy run, races of 63 miles and other 50 mile training runs had taken their toll on his feet and Chris is continuing with a running streak meant it was far from the ideal lead into such a big event.
Final position was 34th out of the 185 starters in a time of 22:25. This year out of all the finishers most were over two behind the standard finish times and the event organises needed to extend finish cut of times to allow for the toughest condition the race has ever seen.
Well done Chris and a fantastic achievement.
Wellington Running Club meet Mondays and Fridays at 6.30pm in the co-op car park. All abilities are welcome to run for free with us.
Volunteer of the Year Awards 2019
Denise Poole attended the Engage volunteer of the year awards run by Engage at Halsway Manor on the 7th June 2019.
Engage is a charity whose aim is to support the development of vibrant, effective and influential voluntary and community sectors in West Somerset and in Taunton Deane by providing a range of services:
Denise was nominated by club skipper of Taunton Running Club, Michael Sharpe in recognition of Denise's work with both clubs. Denise has been a keen group leader with Taunton and formed Wellington Running Club. More recently had 31 runners completed a couch to five K course (C25K).
Denise was presented with a certificate and , speechless as she was was presented with the overall volunteer of the year award of Taunton Deane as judge by the panel.
On line link. > Minehead town council
C25K runners graduation
WELLINGTON Running Club Couch to 5k runners have been awarded medals after completing an eight-week course.
The club says 31 runners, along with a number of others now running as well, have transformed their lives.
Club skipper Denise Poole presented the medals to the tired but happy runners as they crossed the finish line on Friday night.
A post-run meeting in The Iron Duke followed and the runners made a surprise presentation to Denise, which was later shared with the other group leaders.
Club leaders including Chris Poole, Claire Rodger, Jeremy Walters, Natalie Troake,
Sara Hart Higby, Vince Reed planned and organised the three-times-a-week running sessions.
Michael Sharpe of Taunton Running Club, sister group to Wellington, created the carefully planned course and he attended the graduation night. Between the two clubs, 150 runners have now progressed from Couch to 5k and beyond.
A spokesperson for the club said: “To say the club is proud of the new runners would be an understatement. The club’s ethos is ‘we run for fun, we run for free’. Unlike many running clubs Wellington Running Club believes everyone should be able to run free of charge in a group environment.”
For more information visit the club’s Facebook page.
