Filmstars needed – Laurie Boult Great news - we've been shortlisted for Club of the Year at the England Athletics London Regional Volunteer Awards!  We need to make a video clip of up to 75 seconds to demonstrate how fab we are as club and to help us get the award.   We'll aim to do this at Tuesday and Thursday sessions this week and next and hope that plenty of you will be happy to be featured in our clip.  This award recognises so many things that our brilliant about our club, so it would be great to get the recognition we deserve.   Questions or ideas, please contact Laurie.    Race Recap Congratulations to Nick, Pete, Patrick, Juliette and Andy for finishing the Yorkshire Marathon. It looked like a great day. Well done to all Chasers representing at the Cabbage Patch last weekend. You all turned Twickenham green, white and orange. Good luck to all Chasers venturing up north to Abingdon for the marathon this weekend. Big up John, Laurie, Marcos, Thomas, Robin, Alice and Matt!!! We are looking forward to smashing that Strava kudos on Sunday. St Neots Half Marathon The next race on the calendar is the St Neots Half Marathon on 20th November. There are still places but get in quick before it sells out. There is a coach leaving from Kentish Town, please sign up here if you want a place on the coach Fred Hughes 10 The first race in 2023 is the Fred Hughes 10 in St Albans on 22nd January. For details and sign up click here Cross Country   The season has well and truly started. There are races coming up in Greenford, Hog Hill and Kingsbury in the next few weeks. Details are on the calendar.   Regent’s Park 10k The next instalment of the Regent’s Park 10k takes place on 6th November for more information click here Christmas Party Tickets are out and are going quicker than tickets for Queen Tay Tay’s UK tour. Details are here, get involved! Race report – Ultra London 55k (34m) – Sat 8 October 2022 – Andrew Disley After a delay of two years last Saturday saw the Ultra London finally taking place. The run starts in Woolwich, near the Elizabeth line station, and follows the southern half of the capital ring footpath ending on Richmond Green. (See route on the website here if you fancy doing bits of it under your own steam.)  The weather was wonderful – beautiful clear autumn skies. I can’t recommend the event enough for anyone who fancies a local ultra bimble.  Being, frankly,  a bit of a north London snob I confess to being very impressed as to how good the route was passing through many of the green spaces of south London including: Charlton Park, Eltham Common, Oxleas Wood, Eltham Palace (where Henry VIII spent his childhood), Beckenham Place Park, Crystal Palace park (past the dinosaurs), Streatham Common, Totting Bec Common, Wandsworth Common finishing with a long section through Wimbledon Park, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park (taking care to avoid the deer). There is a bit of pavement plodding required in the middle of the course but nothing too offensive. There are a few hills - 740m of ascent in total - and I suspect all but the mighty do a bit of walking. The route is very well signed so no need for a GPX device.  The event has three well stocked aid stations and, most important for some of us, cut-offs are generous. When I first entered two years ago the event was planned as a longer two day event doing the North London capital ring on the Saturday and South London on the Sunday.  Hopefully this proposal will be resurrected sometime soon. Race Report – Yorkshire Marathon – Nick Johnson As with most things in life, the real race is actually getting to the start line and so it proved with my first Marathon! I am really good a controlling the controllable’s and not wasting energy on the peripheral. The trouble is there were just too many uncontrollable’s in the last few weeks leading into the race!! Fear not though, Chaser’s to the rescue! Loads of messages of support and encouragement get me to the start line. Thanks to all but especially, the Women Who Run A Lot. Your gentle persuasion was very powerful in those dark lemsip ridden days! You know how much respect I’ve got for the level and consistency of your training not to mention the way you leave it all out there on race day. To have all that in your corner is a powerful thing. The race really is just a play by play of the cumulative wisdom of the Chasers and my ability to positively recall my training! Of course, there are the odd bits of drama so let’s start there. Where? The pre-race toilet trips of course! Thankfully, I bump into an old work colleague who assures me there are more toilets close to the start where the queues are less. He is right and I’m glad. With the additional miles of the Marathon comes a number of safety wee’s and false wee’s I’ve never experienced before! Before I know it, I’m off and running! It’s busy, the streets are narrow. What do I do? I listen to the Marathon wisdom and don’t weave. Plenty of time to make up the time and Nick, no one wants to hear you moan again about having to run too far to finish the race (read on to hear how I’m alarmed I’m going to have to run more than 26.2 miles to finish this race!). It’s still busy! Why have the crowds not dissipated so I can get into my stride. This is my first Marathon! Never mind the round of applause for Harry Gration* I want one for me doing my first Marathon! Well, in the words of another Chaser “sometimes you’ve got to leave your ego at home”. I see someone running for the Altzeihmers Society with “for you Dad” on the back and I quickly pack up the ego. Don’t, be a dick I say to myself. Before I know it I’m 5K in, I’ve set off at the bottom end of my pace range so now it’s decision time. Upon the advice of a Chaser I decide to go for a time that I think will leave me feeling ok going through 16/17 miles. I also have the words of another Chaser ringing in my ears “run at the pace you know you can run rather than you think you can run”. I do. Right, let’s fast forward this. Life could have got tough but thankfully I run a couple of miles with Partick that gets me a few miles into the second half of the race. Patrick is doing a great job. He’s also enjoying himself which makes me feel way less guilty for potentially making him do this race! I get to mile 16. I feel my left hamstring. I’ve probably been protecting it from mile 10. I know I’ve never really recovered from the Big Half. Some moments of drama and the odd hissy fit ensue. Then rationale and my powers of positive recall pull me through. I’ve known I’ve had this twinge for a 6 weeks. I’ve compensated by taking my strength and conditioning to the next level. I’ve trained to make myself unbreakable…I will not be broken! There are a few grimaces, some wistful regrets and there is a little anger. It’s getting a bit dark but then boom, the light comes. I see Patrick on the double back, then Juliette whose cheering me on whilst looking incredibly strong. There’s a little tricky bit over the tops being buffeted by the wind but before I know it I’m at the next double back. Patrick (again) Andy, Juliette (again), Peter - I’ve seen all the Chasers in the space of 20 minutes. Then the next thing I know it’s 20 miles! I’ve never gone over 20 miles, they say the race starts at 20 miles, I check my watch and I’ve already run more than 20 efffing miles! Not again! I’m not going to be conned out of the time I want (sub 3.40).  by having to run an extra mile (well, 400 meters!) I am actually furious! I am contemplating writing a strongly worded letter to the organising committee but, at some point previously in this race, I’ve told myself not to be a dick! Also, I’ve told myself I’ve got a capacity to positively recall training. I’ve not done all that track to not be able to step up the pace 20 miles in. I do, and set myself the target of getting back on level par for the distance! Job done by 22 miles. Now I’m on countdown and expecting to start slowing down or hit the wall. It takes a while longer but I’m happy to go slower and soak up the last few miles. I might not actually want it to be over? I don’t hit the wall as such. However, the time on the course has left me a little confused. I think I’m finishing at 41ks not 42! Then, my spirit seems to go as I contemplate the final hill. Yet, somehow my body is just going. It’s going a bit slower but, despite the heavy hamstring, it’s just going. In my mind I’m curled up in the foetal position of that bottom of the hill. Thankfully my body would not stop! How is this happening? Well, I’ve checked my form, braced my core, got my arms moving and I’m running like a robot from 1984. Then, I’ve reached the top of the hill. I see Andy, I hear Andy and know what to do. It’s Fred Hughes all over again. 9 and a half months worth of running and emotion flashes through my mind as I sprint for the line. I’ve gone to a different place now. I can only sort of see the crowds which are so close but just a blur. I see people waiving and shouting but I cannot hear them as silence takes over. I’m so clam I feel like I’m floating to the finish. Then, in an instant I’m shocked out of this zen like state with the 200m to go marker. The announcer calls my name, my full name! He tells the watching public I’m representing the Mornington Chasers! The crowd cheers. I wave. I feel so proud and just like that I cross the line. *Harry Gration was stalwart of BBC Look North. I’ve grown up watching him every week night. He’s done loads for charity, especially Children in Need. He passed away last year and it’s the first Yorkshire Marathon without him. He deserves his applause Calendar Here's whats happening over the next few weeks other than our usual Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday runs. You can find our full calendar on the website. 01/11/2022 Chingford League- Hog Hill race Sign up to run - deadline 2022-10-23 12/11/2022 Met League XC - Fixture 2 - Wormwood Scrubs Sign-up to run 06/11/2022 Mornington Chasers Regents Park 10K 29/10/2022 North London XC Championships - Greenford SIgn up to run (deadline 12 October) 06/11/2022 Mornington Chasers Regent's Park 10k marshalling Volunteer (2 of 12 left) - deadline 2022-10-24 25/10/2022 Volunteer with beginners week 5 01/11/2022 Volunteer with beginners week 6 05/11/2022 North of the Thames XC Champs - Kingsbury Sign up to run - deadline 2022-10-26 30/10/2022 Sunday XC League - Fixture 2 - Trent Park SIgn up to run 01/11/2022 Spooky Run IX We are also currently taking names for the following events. 03/12/2022 Met League XC - Fixture 3 - Uxbridge Sign-up to run 11/02/2023 Met League XC - Fixture 5 - Trent Park Sign-up to run 18/12/2022 Sunday XC League - Fixture 3 - Fairlands Valley Park, Stevenage Sign up to run 15/01/2023 Sunday XC League - Fixture 4 - Royston or Cassiobury Park, Watford Sign up to run 19/02/2023 Sunday XC League - Fixture 5 - Royston or Cassiobury Park, Watford Sign up to run Results If you want to upload a photo or your results are missing, log in to our website and update your picture and Power of 10 ID. Chingford League (Dagenham), 01/10/2022 4.1MXC Daniel Berry 29:15, 73 (11)   Jennifer Moore 37:32, 202 (60, -)   Anthony Williams 37:33, 203 MBNA Chester Marathon (Chester), 02/10/2022 Mar Bethany Thompson 3:02:39 (3:02:34), 187 (15, 5) [77.55%]   Nitesh Thakrar 4:01:24 (3:58:18), 1109 (26) [63.65%] TCS London Marathon (London), 02/10/2022 Mar Donal Moran 2:37:25, 227 (27) [85.66%]   Daniele Biagi 2:42:36, 419 [76.22%]   Henry Woodward 2:54:12, 1148 [70.58%] NEW PB   Liam Moroney 2:55:19, 1259 [70.13%] NEW PB   Lauren Longhurst 3:00:35, 1923 (113, -) [75.34%]   William Watt 3:02:53, 2132 (186) [75.02%]   Sarah Funderburk 3:18:02, 3779 (459, 97) [70.50%]   Rebecca Taylor 3:18:36, 3864 (477, 82) [75.63%] NEW PB   Janine Makaronidis 3:22:22, 4382 (599, -) [67.09%]   Philip Barnes 3:23:23, 4513 [60.45%] NEW PB   Fiona Russell 3:24:57, 4781 (721, 52) [78.04%]   John Woodnutt 3:35:46, 6796 (4) [76.95%]   Christiana Akingbola 3:38:43, 7373 (1466, -) [63.13%]   Katie Beckingham 3:38:48, 7388 (1469, -) [61.89%] NEW PB   John Mehrzad 3:57:01, 11900 (1629) [54.57%]   Eleanor Childs 3:57:17, 11982 (2919, -) [57.07%] NEW PB   Rafaele Lamour 4:14:05, 16154 (4497, 496) [61.36%] NEW PB   Tina Sharkey 4:14:18, 16200 (4514, 722) [59.06%]   Elizabeth Aryeetey 4:15:42, 16543 (4640, 104) [69.81%] Bank of America Chicago Marathon (Chicago IL, USA), 09/10/2022 Mar Paul Simons 3:21:51, 5248 [73.04%] Richmond RUNFEST Half Marathon / Marathon (Kew Gardens), 09/10/2022 HM Johnny Chapman 98:39, 99 [59.18%] NEW PB Parkrun 15/10/2022 Bath Skyline Alina Williamson 31:38, 163 [47.31%] Dulwich John Armstrong 18:09, 11 [80.62%]   Alice Sullivan 24:01, 155 [67.31%] Finsbury Park Rebecca Taylor 26:07, 194 [61.90%]   SJ Batkin 35:28, 453 [47.09%] Fulham Palace Philip Barnes 27:32, 204 [47.15%] Gladstone Alex Renton 24:56, 60 [56.55%] Hampstead Heath Andrew Farrell 20:49, 20 [70.86%]   Rendy Prakoso 21:51, 33 [59.88%]   Johnny Chapman 24:24, 77 [53.35%]   Paul Dickens 26:36, 113 [50.44%]   Rachel Rosenthal 27:02, 124 [54.87%]   Sarah Funderburk 27:03, 125 [56.07%]   Philip Batchelor 00:27:52, 141 (3) [58.73%] NEW PB   Janet Kidd 32:27, 222 [54.49%] NEW PB Hereford Myles Preston BA (Hons), CIMA (Cert), GDL, LPC, PGCE, MA, MSc, A* A Level in Government and Politics 17:28, 1 (1) [76.34%] Highbury Fields Philip Rutnam 21:43, 45 [71.76%] NEW PB   David Renton 22:57, 71 [63.76%]   Adrian Cathersides 25:58, 161 [54.75%]   Lizzy Muggeridge 35:44, 279 [45.24%] Launceston, AUS Stephen Nash 19:55, 7 [71.88%] Milton Keynes Daisy Wooller 32:18, 295 [45.72%] Moors Valley Liam Moroney 22:15, 35 (1) [58.35%] Pymmes Christopher Leslie 17:26, 1 (1) [74.47%] NEW PB Southwark Mabel Ellerker 26:34, 178 [55.58%] Sunny Hill Daniele Biagi 18:33, 1 (1) [71.88%]   Meryl Walker 43:24, 42 (-, 1) [42.70%] Wormwood Scrubs John H Grigg 40:36, 98 (1) [63.01%] York Pete Calvert-Barr 26:19, 260 [50.16%]   Yan (Patrick) Li 26:35, 273 [56.36%]   Juliette Westbrook 42:36, 591 [34.66%]   Andy Davies 42:37, 592 [30.50%] Metropolitan Cross Country League (Claybury Park), 15/10/2022 Other Amin Adan 00:36:07 (00:36:07), 247 (38) Mizuno Half Marathon (Amsterdam, NED), 16/10/2022 HM Callum Gathercole 90:32 (89:32), 578 [65.21%] NEW PB TCS Amsterdam Marathon (Amsterdam, NED), 16/10/2022 Mar Jonathan Gorner 2:58:42 (2:56:11), 728 [69.79%] NEW PB Oxford Half Marathon (Oxford), 16/10/2022 HM Rebecca Howarth 02:10:08 (02:02:54), 2817 (-, 103) [53.05%] NEW PB Yorkshire Marathon (Yorkshire), 16/10/2022 Mar Yan (Patrick) Li 03:52:15 (03:49:52), 1005 (93) [60.74%] NEW PB Links Send your stories to newsletter@chaser.me.uk. 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