Another bank holiday rolls around in May… and there’s still no let up in the activities of your favourite running club. ParkRuns, socials, marathons and ultras – this weekend had it all.

We’ll start at 8am on Saturday with Grant Ramsden heading out to complete his unfinished business at the Hardmoors 110, after a previous DNF, Grant was determined to get the job done… and get the job done he did! Finishing the 110 mile course in 30 hours and 37 minutes. Incredible effort after the first experience – and as he said on his Strava – “mission complete”

Meanwhile, Joanne Cutmore and Susan Chambers were lining up to tackle the relay version, and it only seemed right to hand over the reins to Susan to give us a blow-by-blow account…

A chat started about Hardmoors 110, a run from Filey to Helmsley covering approximately 112 miles of beautiful coastal trail turning in land at Saltburn to take on Roseberry Topping (not flat), Bloworth Crossing (always windy as) and skip and hop over the Three Sisters gently winding to Helmsley… what the brochure omits is it is a challenge, you have to dig deep and rely on a support crew and have from 8am Saturday until 7pm Sunday (always love the question so where do you sleep – answer you don’t!)

Jamie, Brian and myself have completed the race with fantastic support from Joanne, who if Carlsberg did crew Joanne was it! I had a sense Joanne was missing out (think Joanne was good with it) so a relay was agreed. Team Ninjas and Nuggets were born! (you can work out who is who I’m sure) We planned out sections and handover points, mainly discussions were about food, toilet stops and fish n chips / ice creams essential fuel for athletes. Joanne ran the first leg smashing it to Robin Hoods Bay in blistering hot sunshine (challenging for a ginger ninja) and battled against flies and many many steps then I took over and got a wiggle on to do battle with crowds in Whitby… “coming through a lady with poles” was my fishwife screech!

After navigating through Runswick Bay and dancing up and down past pride of the north sunny Skinningrove I met the team in Saltburn where my last section was Valley Gardens to hand over section 3 to nugget number 1 Jamie. Jamie kindly escorted me through this last bit as anyone who knows this patch it is usually littered with youths and their love of green-plants so section 3 and Jamie sped off into the night and the hills. The was the lumpy bit, and he did brilliantly, handing over to nugget number 2 at 5am. Brian brought it home gliding up to Square Corner (he may not describe it as such) and completing the team relay triumphantly arriving in Helmsley just after midday… tremendous!

All in all a fab experience, total example of team work in every sense and I had my Derwent Valley buff proudly on all weekend!

Hardmoors definitely delivered!

Saturday 9am means only one thing – ParkRun! We had a new PB for Natasha Powell at Chopwell Wood, whilst other members took on the courses of Prudhoe Riverside, Blackhill, Riverside, South Shields and Chopwell Wood. While Kirsty and Tony Robson took on volunteer duties, alongside Lesley Gregory at Chopwell.

Sunday morning took the Sunday Social group to take on the sights for the upcoming DVRC event – the Captain Callcott Canter. A nice chilled Sunday morning route, taking in some of the memories of the previous George Ogle race, to boot.

On the slightly less relaxed side of Sunday morning, four of the club headed north to tackle the annual Edinburgh Marathon. Starting in the centre of the Scottish capital, before heading out along the coast of the Firth of Forth, to eventually loop back into the finish at Musselburgh.

Leading us home, after battling off a chest infection, was Chris Hewitson in 3:16 with Bex Hewitson, Alex Fiddes and Deborah Swann all coming home in PB times – Bex in 3:33, Alex in 3:41 and Deborah in 4:53. Stunning work from all 3 ladies, in what was gruelling heat… something that hadn’t been forecast (the overcast, 13c temps would’ve been more ideal).

Next week sees us back to normal training sessions before another group attempt at a recce of the Chevy Chase… If hilarity ensues, you know we’ll be here to report it!