How else do you finish a year like this one? Awards, that’s how…

What a year it’s been for our club! There was no better way to celebrate everyone (and Christmas) than with prize giving, awards and huge thank you’s!

Last night was our annual Christmas party, hosted by our friends at Pedalling Squares, and we couldn’t let the opportunity to celebrate the best thing about our club go amiss – our athletes.

We began with a huge round of thanks and bottles of bubbly for our amazing committee and coaches – both groups are crucial to us being able to do what we do, and being able to call us the best running club in the world. You all know who you are – we love and appreciate each and every one of you!

Then we got into the awards; Spirit of DVRC, Unsung Hero, Most Improved Male and Female and the Grand Prix winners to crown… Each award was unique and chosen by different means and for different reasons.

First up we had the mass vote for the Spirit of DVRC award – this vote was open to all DVRC members and gave everyone a chance to nominate the member they felt best represented the club and all we stand for. Overall, there were 13 different nominations, which just shows how strong we are, but also how much we all appreciate each other for so many different reasons.

Before we go into our winner, here’s a summary of the people who were runners up, and the reason why we appreciate them all so much:

• Adele Sinclair
  • She’s basically our kingpin who comes up with all of the training plans, working tirelessly behind the scenes and often under pressure. It’s been hard thinking of locations, coping with coaches who leave or who can’t commit and the sessions still go on! She’s the backbone DVRC without her the club struggle to run
• Chris Hewitson
  • Really great at bringing the club together through the weekly roundups which always have a lot of wit.
• Chris Morris
  • He’s just a nice guy. Always in good spirits and always boosting morale – even if it’s bargaining a quick stop at the local pub. Chris is inclusive and encouraging. He organises social runs, volunteers at Parkrun , gives up his time to coach… oh and keeps us all entertained. Fits the description above, good member of the club and run leader. Always comes along, encouraging, likes a joke, inclusive to everyone , welcoming to new members.
• Claire Knox
  • It says a lot about this club that I feel I could nominate loads of people, it’s hard to choose just one! But Claire for me. A brill run leader, so canny and supportive, leads by example, but most importantly spends as much (if not more) time encouraging and inspiring others to achieve their goals as she does achieving her own. Proper legend. Honourable mention for Woody too, what a belter he is. Always a great supportive captain at the club… but also she inspires other runners wherever she goes. I think of Claire as our Siffa Hassan, her range of events is amazing. I think a couple of times this year she undertook a short race for the club shortly before undertaking an ultra. Claire is so supportive of individuals and the club. She is quite jovial too. No explanation needed for Claire’s input.
• John Kirby
  • John always makes an effort to make sure we have social runs on a Thursday and puts lots of work into the grand prix every year
• Kieran Ridley
• Lindsey Dover
  • Lindsay is friendly, always encourages others in their running and makes everyone feel so welcome at club. She’s also achieved so much in her own running this year…with lots of pbs and her first ultra planned next year. She’s the ultimate Derwent-vallian! She’s always friendly and chatty with everyone and will challenge herself with races inspiring others to do the same.
• Luke Kelly
  • Has blossomed from the friendliness of the Club.
• Natasha Powell
• Sally Ann Greenwell
  • Sally has been an amazing member to DVRC stepping up to coaching and is an inspiration
• Sue Urwin
  • Sue is not only a great runner, but an all round calm and positive person. I really enjoy running with her (when I can keep up!). She’s always at training and a key member of the XC team. She’s definitely my runspiration! The joy she gets from running is contagious (maybe not to me sometimes!) she embraces the company, craic and even the competitive bit. Almost always with a smile.
• Susan Chambers
  • Her enthusiasm for clarty runs is infectious!

This is the wholesome content you’re looking for…

However, it became apparent very, very quickly who was going to run away with this vote – there was only really ever one person for it – Mrs DVRC, coach, committee member, runner, wife and mother. Our very own, Kirsty Robson!

Here’s what you all had to say about our Spirit of DVRC 2023 winner (if last night was anything to go by, we hope Kirsty has the tissues nearby!)

“Kirsty is such a lovely person and always makes time for people always encouraging us and genuinely such a great person”

“For welcoming so many new members to the club this year.”

“She has always been encouraging, supportive and friendly to all”

“warm and friendly, always makes everyone welcome xxx”

“For all she does for us. Most of it behind the scenes.”

“A ray of sunshine who is so supportive of everyone!”

“Incredibly supportive member, truly embodies all of our core values. Exceptionally welcoming to everyone new and takes time to get to know individuals”

What a belta – who else could it be?!

Next up was a vote decided on by the committee – we wanted to recognise someone who shows up week-in, week-out – to training, to races and to social runs and events, and gets on with it all with minimal fuss but is always such an amazing example to all of us.

Once again, this was an easy choice and a unanimous decision – Sue Urwin! How can you not love Sue?!

For the next awards, we went to our coaching team – after all, they see us every week across the year and watch the progress we all make in sun, wind, rain and everything else (they’re all heroes in their own right!). Being the inclusive club we’ve always prided ourselves on, we love to see our athletes progressing and this year has been no different. Once more, two individuals stood out above all others, for another unanimous couple of picks.

Lindsey Dover – picked up running from nowhere and only got into it in recent years, has gone from the occasional 5k all the way up to long distance, and we’re told even has her first ultra planned for 2024 – you know you’ll hear about it here first!

When these first 3 awards were announced, there was barely a dry eye left in the building… must’ve been dusty in there?!

Luke Kelly – one of our youngest members, but has come on leaps and bounds across the course of this year – getting involved in weekly training sessions and making us all chase him on those loops, all the way up to relay races for the club, and representing us in the under 17 cross country races.

So many to choose from, there was plenty of deliberations and names floating around – but the choices in the end were perfect, we’re sure you’ll agree.

Our final award of the night was the crowning of the Grand Prix winners, with captain Kirby doing the announcing and as the reigning champion, it was his task to give the update and scores for the year. Former women’s winner, Kirsty also looked on…

Over 70 of our club had competed in GP events over the course of the year, with almost 2000 miles ticked off from events ranging from Park Run, to the Chevy Chase. And this year was a truly close run affair. The ladies at the top could only be separated by a single point – remember that Hexhamshire Hobble result and how it all hinged on that day – well, that’s where it was won. Bex Hewitson dragging herself (kicking and screaming) out of her comfort zone to take home the maximum points and beat captain Claire Knox into second place. This one has been an epic to watch across the entire year – hats off to both of them, as well as the other top placing females: Natasha Powell, Kirsty Robson and Eleanor Shotton.

For the men, skipper Kirby would have to hand over his crown, as Chris Hewitson took home the prize this year – beating John into second by a couple of points – those all important points from more events that Chris was also absolutely forced out of his comfort zone to finish – the Chevy Chase (never again, we hear) and the Hexhamshire Hobble. As Chris said last night, as newbies the Hewitson’s watched Kirsty and John win last year’s prizes and set their sights firmly on capturing the top spots! Huzzah!

It has to be said, that a whole load of work goes into arranging and setting up those events across the course of the year – and tallying up those points on a regular basis for an often over-eager webmaster – massive thanks must go to John and all that he does for this… We all go again next year – with 2 of next year’s events already slammed into the calendar!

We closed the awards by remembering our dearly departed former captain, Andrew Callcott – we all raised a glass and I’m sure he’ll have been smiling down on us as we did.

It really is the best running club in the world.