Robin Hood Half & Full Marathon 13/9/09
Date: 2009-10-27
The Robin Hood events in Nottingham attracted in the region of 10,000 runners this year with approaching 7,000 in the half marathon and 1,400 in the Marathon. Running for Vegan Runners UK we had Mick Morgan from Doncaster, Anna Finn of North London and James Millington of East London. In the half we were represented by Clare Coombes a local and Peter Simpson of Milton Keynes with Vanessa Hudson our support crew and photographer. To view Vanessa's album clickhere. On the eve of the events some members of VRUK & the Vegetarian Cycling & Athletic Club met up at the Alley Cafe-bar for a meal and social.
Both events started at the same time and followed the same course until halfway through the marathon when the half marathon runners turned to the finish and the marathon runners went straight on for a different second half marathon loop. The first half was sheltered from the northerly wind but the exposed second half included running along both sides of a rowing lake.
In the half marathon, Peter Simpson achieved another best time for 2009, finishing in 1.33 and Clare Coombes 1.41, a person best by over 3 minutes. Mick Morgan ran the first half quickly, under 1.40 but despite slowing in the 2nd half due to the wind, Mick still finished in 3.30, a personal best by 2 minutes. Anna Finn had previously this year ran over 25 events of marathon distance or longer, the furthest being 86 miles only two weeks earlier followed by the Kent Coastal Marathon last week. The Robin Hood Marathon for Anna was just another training run with 1000s of other runners around her. Anna finished with energy to spare in 4.08. James Millington on the other hand was a novice, running his first marathon and despite losing a few weeks training in August, James took it in his stride, running within his capabilities to finish in 4.36.
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VRUK blog - latest news
http://veganrunnersuk.blogspot.com/
Vegan running shoe guide - as featured in "Vegan" Summer 2011
http://www.veganrunners.org.uk/articles/vegan_running_shoes_and_trainers_1398.html
Club Training and Meetups
The monthly London meet up and training run has a base at Regent's Park from The Hub sports facility & cafe in the north of the park. Members, supporters, or indeed anyone who would like to try out our sessions are more than welcome. Attendance at the January & March 2012 sessions were 8 & 7 runners respectively.
The next London meetup & training session is scheduled for Sunday 20 May 2012, meet 1030am at the Highgate Harriers track, Hampstead Heath for an off-road / trail session, more details to follow.
The next Birmingham meetup and training session held in Cannon Hill Park, south of the city centre has been scheduled for Sunday 13 May 2012. Meet 11am inside the park at the entrance to the mac building / cafe.
Other local or regional Vegan Runners groups include:
- South Wales VR - meet-up at open events including the Cardiff Parkrun on Saturdays at 9am
- Brighton VR - open events and the Hove Park 5K Parkrun on some Saturdays.
We are also trying to establish VR groups in
- Bristol
- Bath
- Leicester - meets at the Braunstone Park Run, 9am Saturdays
Check the VRUK diary to see if there are any dates for training sessions or event meet-ups. Alternatively, for a free 5K run, we suggest you visit Parkrun to check for a local venue. They are held weekly on Saturdays starting at 9am, you just need to register for a barcode at least a day before your first Parkrun and take a printout along.
For an idea of how recent London training sessions have turned out click here.
If you would like to arrange sessions in a different area of the UK we can publicise it through VRUK and this website. Please contact Peter Simpson on Protected email address.
Summary of 2010 Activities
Depending on the location of members, the club was represented in most regions of the UK sometime during the year. In the Winter season more members were taking part in off-road events or training for Spring marathons otherwise generally road & park races throughout the year. Here we focus on a sample of events where members met either through popularity or locality. Click title to open report.
London Marathon 2010
Eight members of Vegan Runners UK successfully completed the London Marathon, five wearing the club kit. In the photo from the left: Cedric David, Helen Watkinson, Maria Hamilton, Peter Simpson (support), Chloe Vincent & Keith Hammond (Vegetarian C&AC). In the 2009 event we had one of our strongest teams, the highlight being our 4 sub 3-hour runners, this year the focus was on our core members. Some of our runners set large personal bests, others their first marathon or first London event. Congratulations go to all our runners who achieved the following times:
- Colin Braybrook 3:02:41
- Cedric David 3:46:51
- Verna Burgess 3:49:36
- Chloe Vincent 4:04:56
- Helen Watkinson 4:10:36
- Maria Hamilton 4:11:40
- Laurence Klein 5:12:04
- Teressa Longhurst 5:27:05
Anna Finn Reaches 100 Marathons
33 Year old Anna Finn, a maths teacher and member of Vegan Runners UK, has run 100 Marathons. She seems to be the youngest woman to achieve the feat, and is awaiting news from Guinness about the World Record.
Vegan Runners Cross Country Season: Victors, Veterans and Virgins …
Winter is another busy period for several members who enjoy cross country. Vegan Runners of all abilities and ambitions have taken part in races large and small over the last few weeks. Peter Simpson reports on the South of England XC Champs held on the 30th January 2010. Beside his own well-paced race, Peter reports on Vannessa Hudson’s battle with road shoes and the mud, and a well-placed Colin Braybrook (a vegan runner competing under the St Albans Striders banner). Neil Ford marks his come-back with a victory in the Berwick Cross Country, which was ‘somewhere between four and five miles’. A winter-loving Clare Coombes has been mud-running through the cross country season, sporting her club vest, finally breaking the top 100 places.
Club Training Session Report
The London Club Training Session continues to attract a sizable core of members, at the December 2010 session in Kensington Gardens we missed the severe weather, attracting eight runners and was filmed. At the January 2011 session in Regents' Park another seven turned out. The new Birmingham session in January 2011 attracted four members as did the first London session.
Rainforest Foundation 10K, 1/11/09
The Rainforest 10K was chosen as our main event for World Vegan Day and with Vanessa in her new role as Press Secretary we had high hopes of good coverage for veganism and the club. With the experience behind her, Vanessa contacted the national press and the Vegan Society who were leading the media coverage. After last year's turnout of 8 members, the most members of clubs present, a similar number would have been good publicity.
Robin Hood Half & Full Marathon 13/9/09
The Robin Hood events in Nottingham attracted in the region of 10,000 runners this year with approaching 7,000 in the half marathon and 1,400 in the Marathon. Running for Vegan Runners UK we had Mick Morgan from Doncaster, Anna Finn of North London and James Millington of East London. In the half we were represented by Clare Coombes a local and Peter Simpson of Milton Keynes with Vanessa Hudson our support crew and photographer. To view Vanessa's album clickhere. On the eve of the events some members of VRUK & the Vegetarian Cycling & Athletic Club met up at the Alley Cafe-bar for a meal and social.
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