Last weekend, Jon Pierce from Newport & District Running Club took part in the Stourbridge Stagger, a tough 10-mile off-road race taking in some tricky terrain made up of tracks and fields just south of Stourbridge. Starting and finishing in Mary Stevens Park, the route winds its way through countryside near places such as Hagley, Stakenbridge and Churchill, before the runners return to the same park they started in to take the finish.
A storm on the morning of the race made the route very muddy for this year’s edition, so the going was tough throughout. As an experienced trail runner, Jon is no stranger to such conditions, and fought through the mud to take 97th place overall (out of 294 runners) in a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes. He was also 19th overall in his age category, and said afterwards: “The Stourbridge Stagger was 10 miles of hills and mud made a bit harder by the morning storm! Great turnout and atmosphere, and some fantastic support all the way round.”
9/2/22: Club Presentation Evening
Last Wednesday, Newport & District Running Club held their annual awards evening and AGM. After the formalities of the AGM had concluded, the club trophies were handed out to the various prize winners. Unusually, the prizes handed out this year were actually from 2019. The prize giving that was due to take place in March 2020 had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 lockdown, and no opportunities were forthcoming for almost 2 years to hold an in-person prize giving.
The prizes awarded were various, and encompassed categories from fastest race times at various distances to improvement and contribution to the club. The prizes for various distances are based on members’ race times, with the “age graded” times adjusted based on each runner’s age group, which acts as an equaliser across age categories. The other awards are decided by nominations and voted for by club members and the committee.
A list of prize winners is as follows:
Age Graded 5K:
Men: Phil Dolding
Women: Anne Strowger
Age Graded 10K:
Men: Darren Waters
Women: Anne Strowger
Age Graded Half Marathon:
Men: Gary Mountford
Women: Anne Strowger
Age Graded Marathon:
Men: Neil Jones
Women: Helen Edwards
Fastest 5k:
Men: Joe Phillips
Women: Amy Hughes
Fastest 10K:
Men: Joe Phillips
Women: Elizabeth Bennett
Fastest Half Marathon:
Men: Phil Dolding
Women: Elizabeth Bennett
Fastest Marathon:
Men: Joe Phillips
Women: Lindsay Browning
Ultra Marathon:
Men: Ben Roper
Women: Ellen Deighton
Most Improved Runner:
Men: Kevin Phelps
Women: Sheryl Stuart
Strowger Award (Effort and Participation in Races): Neil Fairbrother
MacDonald-Jones Award (Inspiring Others): Annabel Bolton
Contribution to the Club:
Men: Kevin Nicklin
Women: Helen Reid
Special Award given to Neil Fairbrother for keeping club members running during the Covid-19 lockdown
