Athlete of the Month
The athlete of the month award is presented monthly to one member of each sex who the club captains deem to have performed above and beyond themselves for the month in question, and who deserve recognition for their hard work and determination.
If you know any club member who you think deserves to be recognised for their training or racing, why not drop an email or speak to one of the club captains.
July 2011
Terry Welch
Terry keeps putting in fantastic times for his age and regularly comes in the top 3 in the MV60 category. He races regularly and this year he ran 3:25 at London Marathon and 1:31 at the Bath Half Marathon. Not only that, he's prepared to represent Bitton against much younger opposition and ran stage 19 of the Welsh Castle relays in driving rain to finish a creditable 34th place.
Michelle Kerfoot
Michelle is an outstanding runner who has had her fair share of injuries over the last year but has been patient in getting back to full fitness and has come back stronger than ever. In July she has set two new club records. 18:36 at the Bitton 5k and 38:36 at the Mob Match 10k.
June 2011
Paul Sperrin
Paul is a long standing member of Bitton Road Runners, who is a regular at the track. He has made a successful come back from injury and he is coming back in to the form that made him a Bitton Club Record Holder. In April he ran 39:49 at the Easter Bunny 10k, following this up with 40:55 at the Frenchay 10k. In May he ran 32:19 at the Cardiff Bay 5 miles and 24:47 at the Japan Day 4 miles race. However it was June where he showed he is truly coming back to form where he came 8th on the 10.7 mile Leg 6 of the Welsh Castles Relay in 1:07:25 and then running 18:18 in the Bridge Inn 5k.
Jess Webb
Jess has moved up from the juniors to the main club and made fantastic progress. When asked if she would like to take part in the castles relays she grabbed the chance even though a lot of hard work was needed to move up to being able to run 10 miles. Week after week she trained hard, gradually increasing the distance until she was more than capable of completing her leg. The weather at the time she ran her Castles leg was appalling, torrential rain and freezing cold, but she ran strongly with a smile on her face, and finished well up the field. Waiting to greet her at the finish with a warm blanket to wrap her in was a very proud mum. In a few years time I can see her matching her mum and winning a Yellow Jersey!
May 2011
Darren Way
Darren is a new member to Bitton Road Runners who has been participating in local races over the last couple of years. He has been a regular at training nights and has been enjoying the Kenyan Hills sessions. He has stepped up his racing programme and has been consistently breaking his PBs over various distances. In May he has run the Plymouth Half Marathon in 1:33:16, the tough Black Death Run in 1:44:21, the Keynsham 10k in 45:09 and the following night the Hogweed Trot 10k in 41:36. He has also found time to run the Bitton 5k in 20:12 and the Bristol 10k in 42:05! Further PBs are just around the corner.
Susan Nosko
Although Susan is relatively new to the club she has become a very valued member. She has been helping out with the beginners on a regular basis and has recently completed a Leadership in Running course. She is always ready to help others and willingly volunteers for club activities and coaching. On top of that she has been training hard to improve her own fitness by attending the track sessions and entering races and has recently achieved a PB in the Bristol 10k with a time of 56.02.
April 2011
Brian Robb
Brian is a regular at club training nights and it is clear his training has been going well. He started the year off running 59:40 at the Lliswerry 8 and 1:16:33 at the Hestercombe Humdinger. In March he ran the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in 1:36:27. In April he continued his racing with 45:52 at the Frenchay 10k and 35:12 at the Avon 4 by 5 mile relay. The coming months are sure to bring some further good results.
Jo Webb
Jo has run consistently well for many years and is still pulling out PB’s. This is down to how hard she works in training and real determination when she is racing. In the London Marathon this year she achieved what she thoroughly deserved, a PB of 3:17:24 and a placing of 5th Vet 50.
March 2011
Rob Maynard
When Rob first joined the club, managed to get injured straight away, but he has managed to come back to full fitness. He does not race that often, but when he does, he produces excellent results. He ran 1:24:52 at the Bath Half Marathon and followed this up with a 31:07 leg in the Avon 4 by 5 mile relay. Hopefully we will see him don the Bitton colours more often.
Jane Phillips
Despite having recurring back problems and time out to have an operation last year Jane continues to combat the setbacks and get back into her training with enthusiasm and to set herself goals. She has trained exceptionally hard over the past few months, which has paid off giving her a recent PB in the Bideford Half Marathon of 1.47.19 and a fantastic time of 2.53.14 in the San Dominico 20 miler. A lovely person to run alongside who is always cheerful and friendly.
February 2011
Chris Leonard
Chris is a long standing member of the club, who is also a regular at training nights and club events. His running seems to be going very well and he must be enjoying his running, as his name seems to be appearing on the result lists on a regular basis!! He ran 30:39 at the Clevedon Boxing Day Road Race, 1:23:25 at the Gloucester 10, 1:35:53 at the Riverbank Rollick and he dipped under the hour mark at the Lliswerry 8, running 59:39.
In February his continued his busy schedule with running the Tough Ten in challenging conditions in 1:25:44, the Blackmore Vale Half in 1:50:30, running 46:12 at the Castle Coombe 10k and running the Hestecomber Humdinger in 1:20:33. However to demonstrate his running is going well, at the Weston Prom he improved from 37:56 in January to 35:59 in February.
Jenny Wills
Jenny is a lady who is prepared to give her time to help the beginners at the club. Every week on a Thursday she takes out a group at the beginner’s session and encourages and advises those runners that have stepped up from the first group and are seeing their running improve. The session is always paced perfectly to give each runner confidence in their ability, and they quickly start to improve more and are encouraged to enter races. With this lady’s encouragement and help many have progressed to running at the main club.
January 2011
Robert Farley
Rob is a new member to the club, but his talent was quickly evident on training runs and it wasn't long before he was putting in some excellent performances in the Bitton colours. In his first race for the club he came eleventh in the third GCC cross country. He followed this up with series of top ten finishes in January, starting off with seventh at the Hangover 10k in 35:58, victory in the Gloucester 10 in 58:07, third in the Riverbank Rollick in 59:15, seventh at the Weston Prom in 27:25, ninth at the Bridge Inn 5k in 16:32 and finishing off a busy month with sixth in the Lliswerry 8 in 43:55. Congratulations Rob.
Lynette Porter
Lynette continues to achieve and improve, even though she has been running for some time. Through sheer effort and continuous dedication she has won many races. In January she ran the Romsey 5 in 31.57, Hangover 10k in 41.19 and was 1st Vet 45 and 2nd lady overall, Riverbank Rollick in 1.08 and 1st Vet 45. She also competed in all the 4 cross country races and was 1st Vet 45 in every race. Congratulations to Lynette who is an outstanding athlete and is an inspiration to us all.
December 2010
Barrie Dunn
Barrie is a long time member of the club, who has put in many very good performances over the years. Some of his performances are even more remarkable considering the amount of time he spends injured. Having battled his way back to fitness, he has put in strong performances at the Guy Fawkes 5 where he ran 33:09 and at the Xmas Cracker 10k where he ran 41:51. He has participated in all 3 of the Gloucestershire Cross Country races and also ran the Clevedon Boxing Day race in 24:41. Congratulations to Barrie.
Alyson James
Alyson has been running at Bitton for a few years, competes in many races including marathons. She supports team events and has taken part in the Castles & Cotswold relays. She has also been very helpful at the beginners group taking groups out and helping people to come up through to the senior club. Her recent races were the Guy Fawkes 5 and the Christmas cracker, with her attention now turning to marathon training once again. Hopefully marathon training will go well and she will stay injury and illness free and with some kinder weather after last year's heat wave at Edinburgh will achieve a good time at London. Well done Alyson.
November 2010
Wayne Durston
Wayne always has a smile on his face and is known for his sprint finishes - at the end of training runs! He has managed to maintain a consistent period of training and he has been trying different types of racing. This was shown by his time of 1:32:55 at the Bristol Half Marathon, getting around the Sodbury Slog in 1:14:38, flying around at the Guy Fawkes 5 in 32:31 and battling around the Xmas Cracker 10k in 42:11. He has even found time to compete in 2 of the Gloucestershire Cross Country races! Congratulations Wayne.
Pat Harley
Pat entered her first ever Sodbury Slog in 2009 and had an awful experience, where she fell over, breaking her collar bone in the last mile. Despite the pain she managed to complete the race. She entered the Slog again in 2010 and finished in a faster time, despite the muddier conditions. Although she only began running a few years ago, she now leads one of our beginner groups and passes on her knowledge and enthusiasm to others. Well done Paty
October 2010
Wayne Ellis
Wayne has had an excellent year, with many fine performances over all distances, notably at the City of Salisbury 10, the Rhayader Round the Lakes 20 and the London Marathon. These led to good runs at the Welsh Castles and the Bridge Inn 5k. July brought a good run at the tough Wellington 10 and a PB at the Avon Mob Match 10k.
August saw a rare off road adventure at the Standish Woodland Chase, but September showed that this runner was running well with 1:21:27 at the Bristol Half Marathon, then running, the North Somerset Relays the following week! October saw this runner be the first runner home for the club at the Oldbury 10 and at the Stroud Half Marathon, where he just missed his PB when running 1:20:45.
Kim Pope
Kim has worked extremely hard over the last year and has gradually chipped away at her racing times. Following a change in her training routine, which has included strength and conditioning and speed work, she is now performing on a different level. She recently got PB's in two half marathons by an astonishing amount. She is always a pleasure to train alongside and is always cheerful and chatty.
September 2010
Chris Brown
Chris is a runner who has had another good year with plenty of PBs rewarding his training and hard work and dedication. Although training for a marathon at the start of the year, he still found time to chase points for the Race of Eight!
A PB a the Lochaber Marathon was sign of good things to come with a good run at the Welsh Castles and then another PB at the Avon Mob Match 10k. The hard work in training continued to pay off in September with PBs at the Bridge Inn 5k (19:23) and the Chippenham Half Marathon (1:32:44). Congratulation Chris.
Catharine Jones
Catharine has been running with Bitton for a couple of years and is now running strongly. She works hard and is always willing to take part in team events for Bitton, competing at the Castles, Cotswolds and mob match, always putting in good performances and supporting other people. Over the past year she has run PBs in the Taunton marathon, Foxtrot 5 and did the Chippenham half in a time of 1:39:01. Well done Catharine.
August 2010
Julian McCracken
Julian has been regular face at training nights for a number of years. Although not a regular racer, he has doubled his mileage of late in preparation for the Abingdon Marathon and there are sure signs that his training is going well when he just missed his PB at the Avon Mob Match, however he was to achieve a PB at the Chippenham Half Marathon when running 1:46:52. Congratulations to Julian.
Toni Britton
Toni is a long standing member of the Club and having overcome serious illness and injury problems, she has battled back to fitness this year and is gradually chipping away at her times in races. Showing that she still has the consistency and determination to compete, this year her running in the following events underlines her unwillingness to give up: The Dundry Thunder (10k off road), 01:05:06; Thornbury Carnival 10k 52:38; Magor Marsh 10k 52:30. Well done Toni.
July 2010
Mike Collier
Mike is a long standing member of Bitton Road Runners and is a regular at club training nights. He has at last been able to put his injury problems behind him and as a result he has been going very well in training. Although he doesn't race very frequently, he stepped in as a late reserve for the Welsh Castles Relay Men's Team, running very well to come 27th on Stage 16, a mountain stage, although he did manage to hurt himself gardening the day before racing!!!!! This form continued in to July where he ran a massive PB at the Avon Mob Match 10k in 39:15. Congratulations Mike.
Michelle Kerfoot
Michelle can be described in many ways: resilient, hardworking and very quick, just to name a few. She is an extremely valued member of the club. She has broken 4 club records in the vet 40 category, the latest being the 1 mile in a time of 5.25. The latest achievement was unbelievable as she has suffered with various injuries over the last year and because of this has had to take a considerable time out from running, but has come back as strong as ever. Well done Michelle.
June 2010
Mike Blackmore
Mike had a very solid start to the year and showed that his marathon training was going well with excellent runs at the Lliswerry 8 and the Bridge Inn 5K series. He was also a participant in the Gloucestershire Cross Country League. April showed that he was coming back to his best with excellent times at the Reading half Marathon and the Easter Bunny 10k and finally at the London Marathon. However, an enforced break through illness followed, but he was soon back running at his best with a cracking third place on Stage 6 of the Welsh Castles Relay and first place on Stage 5 of the Cotswold Way Relay. Well done Mike.
Kaisha Thatcher
Kaisha is a young athlete who has made the progression from the junior section through to the seniors. As well as a Tuesday night run she takes part in the speed sessions on a Thursday where she is a pleasure to train with. All this hard work is paying off and she has already, in a couple of months lowered her 5k time from 24:28 to 24:03 and her 10k time from 52:15 to 50:51. It was also nice to see that she had the confidence to take part in a team event at the Mob Match. She is already starting to beat her mum at 5 & 10k, (it's ok Donna I know what that feels like) and give her a year or two and her dad will be looking over his shoulder! Congratulations Kaisha.
May 2010
Pat Slavin
Pat has been a member of the club for many years and he has long been admired for his remarkable times, which many club members have aspired to and are all the more to be admired when you consider his age. He has shown that age is no barrier and his appetite for running has not waned with first category places at the Stroud Beer Race (7.2 miles) in 54:41 and the Berkeley 10K in 44:40, third places in a more junior age category in the Keynsham 10K in 47:02 and the Wells 10K in 47:09, while still finding time to run the Bridge Inn 5K in 22:15. Indeed his 10K time ranks him third in the country for his age category. Well done Pat.
Jackie Zajac
Jackie is a long standing and valued club member. She has represented the club in numerous races and offered great support to other club members at many events. Following a period of absence whilst working abroad, she has returned to the club and has made steady progress to return to her former fitness. In May she competed in two off-road races, the Wrington Woodland Run in a time of 56.52 and the Cow Pat Canter in a time of 1.20.54 Well done Jackie.
April 2010
Jacob Hayes
Jacob first joined the club in the autumn of last year, after being bitten by the running bug when he ran the Keynsham 10k in 2009 in a time of 43:21. It was quickly apparent that he had potential with strong runs on training nights and his improvement was confirmed when he ran 64:44 at the undulating Elan Valley 10m. He embarked on his training for the London Marathon with great enthusiasm, which resulted in a PB at the challenging Vale of Blackmore Half Marathon of 1:22:59. This continued into March when he ran an excellent 2:08:40 at the Gloucester 20 and 1:23:41 at the Forest of Dean Half Marathon. His hard work was confirmed when he ran another great race with a time of 2:57:45 at the London Marathon.
Toni Walsh
Toni's running is improving rapidly, on training runs she runs quickly whilst chatting away non stop to her friend and training partner! She has been working hard and is beginning to get her reward. She ran a PB at the Forest of Dean in 1:52:10 and with not a huge amount of training just missed breaking the 4 hours at the Taunton marathon recording 4:00:07. She has since followed this up by being 1st lady home for the club in 50secs and ran the Bitton 5k in 24:34.
March 2010
Pete Clark
The Athlete of the Month for March is a runner who is regular at club nights and who has been putting in the miles in preparation for the Brighton Marathon. His training has obviously been going very well and he has been rewarded with PB's at the Reverse 10 miles with 69.32 and at the Bath Half Marathon with 1:32:12. Congratulations Pete.
Vanessa Hawkins
Vanessa is running better than ever at the moment. She regularly represents the club in races and is very often placed. She is also a pleasure to train and run with. In the Llanelli half marathon she was 1st V50 and set a new club record of 1:32:50. She has followed this up more recently by breaking the 10K club record twice in just over a week, recording 42:35 at the Hogweed Trot on 17th May. She now holds an amazing 4 FV50 records. Well done Vanessa.
February 2010
Chris Malthouse
A regular at club training nights, Chris has supported the club by running 2 of the Cross Country League races. He is now midway through his marathon training programme, which he has supplemented by doing some challenging races, namely the Full Monty Cute, the Christmas Cracker, Slaughterford and more recently the Dursley Dozen and the Ironwood Challenge. In fact the challenge continues as he has regular battles with his wife to see who is first home in races. Congratulations Chris.
Donna Thatcher
Donna's running is improving rapidly. She has been at the club for a few years but with a young family to look after training wasn't always easy. Now her children are older and starting out on their own running careers she has more time and its starting to show. Training harder plus cycling to work has resulted in PBs at the Hogweed mini muggles at the end of last year, the Christmas cracker and with only a few days notice she ran the Llanelli half marathon in 2:01 and took 15 minutes off her PB, despite not running this far in training.
January 2010
Arwel Roberts
Arwel is a committed member who supports the team events such as the Midland Relays and the Gloucestershire Cross Country League. In fact in December he was the first Bitton runner home at the Tewkesbury cross country and the following day he donned his santa outfit at the Christmas Cracker and ran 39:42. He is a regular at the track sessions and he is now progressing well with his marathon training. Well done to Arwel.
Jackie Stott
Jackie hasn't been at Bitton very long but is competing with some good runners. She was 1st V45 at Lliswerry in a time of 54.26, and put in a very strong performance at the last cross country match at very short notice which enabled Bitton to have a team in all 4 races for the first time and finish 4th overall . Having taken up a London place I'm sure she will have a great run.
December 2009
Mike Duggan
The Athlete of the Month for December is regular face at training over the last few years, as well as running in many local races. However, over the last few months he has come in to a rich vein of form with PBs at the Oldbury 10 (66:58), the Guy Fawkes 5 (32:18) and the Wyvern Christmas Cracker 10k (40:20), as well as strong runs at the Stroud half marathon and the Mendip Muddle.
Jacqui Perriman
This lady has worked hard at her training all year and raced at every opportunity. Each month she has improved her times through extra training and with great determination. In April she achieved a PB in the Weston Prom 5 mile race in a time of 38.55, she was the 1st Vet 45 in the Bitton 5k series and won 3rd prize in the Vet 45 category of the race of 8. She was also mentioned at the awards night for having entered the most races in 2009. Well done to Jacqui.
November 2009
Steve Stacey
As Vice Chairman of the club Steve has undertaken various tasks for the benefit of the club, however he has still managed to find time to challenge himself and improve his own running. He has been training very hard over the summer months and his reward was to achieve big PBs at the Oldbury 10 (70:54) and the Cardiff Half Marathon (1:33:01). He even found time to run very strongly at the Stroud Half Marathon and the Guy Fawkes 5!
Anita Westlake
November's Athlete of the Month goes to a lady who made a lot of us envious this year, by travelling the world, and competing in 5 half marathons on 5 different continents. She put in an enormous amount of hard training, overcame injuries & put up with Phil along the way. She obviously trained harder than Phil as her better stamina helped her to beat him in their last race in Auckland. She also raised a lot of money for charity.
October 2009
Mark Searle
The Athlete of the Month for October is an athlete who has been improving over the last 18 months and is a regular participant in team events. Over the last 6 months he has become more focussed in his training and has adopted a more aggressive approach to races.
This paid dividends in his runs at the Bristol Half Marathon and the Bridge Inn 5k in September where he achieved PBs. He continued this form in to October where he was the first Bitton runner home at the Marshfield Mudlark, but it was at the Stroud Half Marathon where he showed how well he is running by smashing his PB by finishing in 1:22:45.
Rachael Malthouse
October's Athlete of the Month goes to a lady who has been at Bitton for a couple of years. She has trained really well and is now running strongly. Having got married this year and her husband also running for the club, there have been some real battles in races of late. She has produced some strong performances, namely the Oldbury 10m, Cirencester 10k, Guy Fawkes 5 and the Monty Cute 10. Well done Rachael.
September 2009
Nick Kane
Nick is a very popular member of the club, who always has a cheery smile on his face and is willing to offer advice on injury and training matters. He started the year in very impressive form with some great times at Gloucester 10, Lliswerry 8 and Bourton 10k, resulting in a PB at the Bath Half Marathon.
However the runners curse struck and after an enforced lay off, he worked his way back to fitness by training hard, part of which was to run a mountain leg at the Welsh Castles. Indeed not just content with running, he also provided hotel facilities in Anglesey. The hard training continued with another good time at the Frampton 10k, but in September he managed his long term aim of breaking the magical three hour mark for the marathon when he ran 2:58:21 at the Berlin Marathon.
Emma Hoare
AOM for September is to someone who has recently made a come back to running and racing. She had a visit from the stork and took some time out. This lady has been back to training regularly and gone from strength to strength to get back to her former fitness. She recently raced in the Cirencester 10k with a time of 49.15. You can tell she puts an awful lot of effort in by the way she hurls over the line!!!! Well done Emma.
August 2009
Rob Kingdon
Off the back of some great runs at the Welsh Castles and the Cotswold Way Relays, this athlete further demonstrated that he was coming back towards his best form at the Frampton 10K, but he showed at the Seaview 17 how well he was running by coming second and improving his position from last year. Well done Rob.
Sue Hewitt
Athlete of the month for August, goes to a lady who could probably win club person of the year. year after year. Giving up masses of her time, to help those at the club who need it the most. On a Monday you will find her coaching Bitton's Juniors up at Yate. On a Thursday you will see her bright and early taking out the beginners, and on a Tuesday you will find her helping out whomever needs it to get round on a club run. She will always say well done and encourage you to come back, even if you have completely wrecked her run. She helps to make Bitton the club it continues to be, proving you don?t need to race every weekend to enjoy your running.
July 2009
Andy Thatcher
July 2009 Men's AOM goes to Andy Thatcher who is proving that he not only good at running but also on a bit of a speed merchant on two wheels. Two personal running bests in July of 41.24 at the Frampton 10K followed by 19.35 for the 5K at the Bridge along with a superb 28.03 miuntes in the 4 Mile at the Blaise Blazer saw Andy secure his Race of 8 position for 2009. Two duathon results, one in June and the other in August were Andy came 103rd in a time of 56 minutes on both occasions proves he a has got the speed on two wheels as well. Well done Andy and keep on running and biking!
Stephanie Evans
The award for the month of July goes to a very cheery person who is full of character and has such great enthusiasm for running. Having joined the club not too long ago her times are getting quicker as she gains confidence and experience through coaching and hard work. In July she ran in the Mob match and following an uproar of cheering from the Bitton Supporters, raced to the finish line overtaking a lady from another club. She also completed the Bitton 5k series and won 3rd Vet Lady. Well done Stephanie.
June 2009
Steve Bull
Most people would have given up and hung up their running shoes but not Steve Bull! Over two years ago Steve suffered a catastrophic injury in running terms when he fell off his bike and broke his ankle. All those who know Steve were very aware of the battle he had to first of all just walk, then start to jog and finally run again. All the effort, pain, hospital and physio visits have finally paid off. Steve completed the Bitton 5K in 23.45 and Towpath 10K in 49.58 in June, the times are immaterial as the main thing is Steve has made it back to the start line.
Nina Davies
This lady is now an established member of the club. She initially started coming on the odd occasion and can now be seen regularly each week. Having followed a couple of training plans, first for the Bath half marathon gaining an excellent time of 1.38:54, and more recently having followed the 5 and 10k schedule, she got a PB in the Towpath 10k of 44:46. She had a fab run in the Castles relay and was second lady on her leg of the Cotswold Way. She always has a smile on her face and is a pleasure to run alongside.
May 2009
Pete Hopes
Putting in the training is paying dividends for Pete Hopes, this month's Mens Athlete of the Month. Three pbs achieved, 19.16 at the Bitton 5K, 40.54 at the Bristol 10K and then 1.31.05 at the Wokingham Half Marathon tells us Pete has been putting in the homework at the track, gym and training runs. Further evidence of improved performances was on show with a 41.50 at Keynsham 10k and then the very next day with a 40.55 at the Hogweed Trot.
Christine Jenkins
Athlete of the Month for May goes to a lady who suffered the huge disappointment of having to pull out of the Berlin marathon, right at the last minute due to illness. Once recovered she started training all over again for the Edinburgh marathon in May, where all the hard work paid off and she produced an absolutely fantastic time of 3:11:19.
April 2009
Tony Walsh
A long standing member of Bitton Road Runners, Tony consistently achieves good race results, so much so that his last two times at the Bridge Inn where 18.48 and 18.49. Recent results have been a good run in the Bath Half Marathon at 1.26.28 and a 6th place in the Horton Bull Run. With Race of 8 results of Babcary 48.49, Lisweery 52.02 and the Christmas Cracker 39.28 Tony looks good for a MV45 category at the end of the competition.
Carol Williams
April AOM goes to a lady who has only recently discovered the joys of running and is now completely hooked. Since joining the Club she has gone from strength to strength and has put in a huge amount of effort to improve her times. Throughout the winter months she has trained at the track in all weathers. She ran in the Forest of Dean half in a time of 2hrs 7 mins and the Gloucester 20 in 3hrs 19 mins. The hard work paid off and she got a PB in London in a time of 4.50:52. Well done to Carol Williams you certainly deserve it.
March 2009
Gordon Lewis
March's Men's Athlete of the Month goes to Gordon Lewis for the exemplary way in which he has represented Bitton in 18 local races in the last 6 months. Even in a cold and wet January night Gordon was found competing at the Weston Prom, with full Bitton Tracksuit and a vest!
Not for Gordon the more exotic races around the world, his patch is the Bridge Inn on a Tuesday night, with the odd expedition to the Stroud Half Marathon, and a foray into multi terrain running at the Riverbank Rollick and the Hogweed Muggles. Well done Gordon, keep on up the great performances and see you at the next Bridge Inn and Weston Prom race series!
Shan Aguliar-Stone
The winner of the March Athlete of the Month has always been a good runner and club member, always willing to give advice and help people with their training. Since Christmas she has worked really hard on her London training and has produced some excellent results and broken club records. At the Gloucester 20 she was 1st Vet 50 and broke the club record and the following week was 2nd Vet 50 at The Forest of Dean half marathon again setting a new club record. Everyone who has trained with her these last few months knows she deserves a really good London time and hopefully another record will fall.
February 2009
Ian Nash
Ian was a new comer to the club last year, but now represents the club at many races. December saw Ian compete in the Xmas Cracker and Boxing Day 4. He then had a busy month in January competing at Hangover 10K, Lliswerry 8 and going multi terrain at the the Rough and Tumble. February saw Ian in Bitton colours again at the Hestercombe Humdinger, the Salisbury 10 and then south again to the Babcary 7.5. Well done Ian, keep on running.
Helen Hinsley
February's AOM goes to someone who has been a member of the club for some time. She had an injury, which led to an operation on her Achilles and saw her out of action for some time. This person is extremely dedicated to training, which pays off every race. In the Bridge 5k she was 1st vet 35 in the race for February and also won 1st Vet 35 for the series. In the Bourton 10k she was 1st lady vet 40 in a time of 39.57. Age usually slows us down, but Helen Hinsley having aged 5 years in one month between two races, it has not affected her at all! Well done Helen.
January 2009
Matt Langdon
Matt Langdon has started 2009 on fire by producing a hat trick of excellent performances in January. Matt was also the first Bitton runner to finish in these races. He started the month with a 5th place in 36.59 Minutes at the Hangover 10K. Next at the Western Prom on a wet and windy night, Matt claimed 13th place in 29.11 Minutes. Matt finished the month by now showing he was also good at multi terrain by finishing 18th at the Slaugherford 9 in a time of 1.05.14. Well done Matt.
Alison Collier
January A-O-M goes to a lady who joined Bitton Road Runners about a year ago starting in the beginners group and progressing up to the main club. She quickly gained the confidence to run in races and now races on a regular basis, lowering her 10k time to under the hour. Well done Alison Collier.
December 2008
Martin Stalley
Martin has been consistently improving his 5k times in the Bridge Inn series for a number of months resulting in a PB time of 18:09 which proves he wasn't just turning up hoping to pick up the lucky dip prizes on offer. Martin also picked up 3rd MV40 at Burnham 5k and was first Bitton home in the 15.5 mile Hogweed Major Muggle. Although Martin can not race on many Sundays as he supports his son, he always tries to make himself available to represent Bitton and helped the team finish 48th in the 6 stage Midlands Relay and also ran well in the Gloucester Cross Country League races at Bourton and Gloucester. Thanks for your support Martin and well done.
Michelle Kerfoot
December AOM is given to someone who joined the Club 18 months ago, having heard about the Club from a friend. Straight away it was obvious that this female was an exceptional runner, especially in short distances, and would give the men a run for their money!
She has a weird fettish for speed running, which most of us shy away from! Having been persuaded that it wont hurt her to run greater distances, she has now increased her racing to 10 miles. After recently having an achiles injury, she trained hard as soon as she was able and came 1st lady, 1st FV40 and did a PB all in the same race at the Christmas Cracker. She has also managed to break the Club records in 5k and 10k distances. Well done to Michelle Kerfoot.
November 2008
Wayne Ellis
Wayne has, since rejoining the club in the Summer achieved Personnel Bests in both the Half Marathon and 10 Mile distances, twice. At the Oldbury 10 in late August, Wayne was first Bitton runner to finish in a time of 1.01.42, followed in September by a time of 1.22.47 at the Bristol Half Marathon, this time the 2nd Bitton runner to finish.
This was followed in October by a time of 1.22.20 at Stroud Half, 1st Bitton runner to finish, and then in November Wayne ran a time of 1.01.39 at the Wimbourne 10, again the first Bitton runner to finish. Added to this superb set of results he ran a time of 17.57 minutes as part of the Bitton A Men's Team at the Clevedon Relays. Well done Wayne.
Lisa Duggan
The award this month goes to a lady who, although is only able to make it to the club on the odd occasion is, however, regularly representing the club in races. She has during the year 2008 put in some hard training, which has paid off.
At every race her times are getting quicker and in the Wimbourne 10 mile in November she was three minutes quicker than her time at the Oldbury 10 in August. You can tell that when this lady has done well by the huge grin on her face at the end of a race. Well done to Lisa Duggan for the hard work and great results.
October 2008
David Waters
Since joining the club in the summer David has achieved some impressive results and has represented the club at the the Clevedon Relays (5k in 18.29 Minutes) and Gloucester X-Country league (51.50 minutes). He was the first Bitton runner home in the Cardiff Half Marathon in October in a time of 1.23.43 and ran an impressive 1.03 minutes at the Oldbury 10 in September. This was in spite of a injury received during one of the first events for the club, in which he had to retire in the Gloucester Half Marathon in August.
Lynette Porter
This woman needs to start coaching the rest of us or let us know what secrets she is hiding! Talk about Wonder Woman. You would think you would slow down with age but she certainly does not. Over the last few years she has achived PBs galore and gives the men a run for their money. When you think that she could get no faster along comes another PB and a Club Record. This award goes to Lynette Porter who this month ran in the Shepton Mallet 10k in 40.25 and was 1st lady, Mendip Muddle (13.1 miles) in 1.42.22 and was 1st FV40 and she then ran the Dublin Marathon in a time of 3.03.27, was 3rd FV40 and broke the Club F35 and F40 Records. Just wondering what Lynette will do next.
September 2008
Ira Rainey
Ira has made a supreme effort in September. Being the club webmaster, Ira has been quick off the mark to update various aspects of the club website including the new championship rules. Ira has at the same time pushed himself to new running highs including two personal bests, 1:32:59 at Chippenham Half Marathon and 41:39 at Cardiff 10k. Many thanks and well done Ira.
Chris Jenkins
This lady made the decision to run an Autumn marathon but was very apprehensive about all the training involved. However she worked extremely hard, sticking to her schedule, and doing most of it all on her own. To those of you who have done marathon training, to run several twenty milers by yourself is no mean feat! Training completed she flew to Berlin, only to come down with a severe throat infection the day before, and was advised by a doctor not to run. The disappointment, (or relief) must have been huge. Both Claire and Janet know she would have run really well.
August 2008
Chris Brown
This athlete has made continuous improvement throughout this year and worn the bitton vest on many occasions. Over the last month he has gained pb's at the Club Invitation Towpath 10k in a time of 44.46 and the Oldbury 10 in a time of 1.13.13. His 5k time is now down to 21 mins and he has also beaten his mum 3 times! He gained his level 2 coaching badge earlier in the year and has put it to good use in taking much valued quality sessions on club nights. Athlete of the Month for August is Chris Brown.
Fiona Cramp
Athlete of the month for August is someone who consistently represents the club in races and constantly trains to produce fantastic results. Most races she wins prizes, which she sincerely deserves. She also encourages others to join in. This lady won Senior Female in the GWR Towpath Series this month, 3rd lady overall in the Conkwell Killer and 2 Senior Female in the Vale of Laharne Chase. The prize goes to Fiona Cramp.
July 2008
Kevin Mowat
"In the dock of Tiger Bay
On the road to Mandalay
From Bombay to Santa Fé
O'er the hills and far away"
Well some artistic licence going on there but defintiely via Miami, Vienna, San Diego, Samoa and Cherrington?!! in the last few months! Well done to Kevin Mowat for spreading the good name of Bitton Road Runners all across the globe and putting in some good performances along the way too!
Annette Whitchurch
The July winner of the Athlete of the Month is awarded to a lady who trains well and represents the club at many events, not many races go by when she doesn't run. In July she ran in the Frampton 10K, the Sundayshill 10K and the Kymin Dash. In June she was a valued member of the Welsh Castles Relay team and put in an excellent run. Well done to Annette Whitchurch.
June 2008
Ron Shannon
Ron Shannon for his Comrades marathon run. 54 miles in 8hrs 39minutes on the 'up run' at this year's South African classic.
"And to those who venture out, on this occasion for the very first time, whether fleet or heavy footed, are to discover that this, is not just a race or marathon, it is a journey. A journey of discovery, one in search of one's inner self, of ones self worth. A day, in your life that you can proudly say, that you have taken part in one of the most grueling challenges known to man.........The Ultimate Human Race." Well done Ron!
Maggie Bromley
Athlete of the month for June is someone who is a strong runner, determined, yet relaxed and always seems to run with a smile on her face. She is not seen at the club very often but regularly wears the club vest for many different races, including triathlons. She was given the most difficult leg of the Castles Relay, namely Drovers, and the Cotswold Relay leg 2 and achieved fantastic times for both. Well done to Maggie Bromley.
May 2008
Phil Westlake
For the past several months Phil has found a renewed enthusiasm in his training, working hard at both club and track sessions. His efforts were rewarded with a couple of exceptional races in May. 1st Vet 40 and 3rd overall at the Hogweed 10K in a time of 34:31, and 2nd MV45 at the testing Plymouth half-marathon in an eye-opening 1:18. Phil's presence on club nights and at the track has improved the overall quality of the sessions, and made it harder work to try and keep up! But hard work is what is required if we wish to improve and hopefully Phil will continue to lead the way with both personally rewarding race outings and in his overall contributions to the Bitton men's team.
Jan Issacs
This lady was an original member of Bitton Road Runners 25 years ago. She has run numerous races including the London Marathon and the Tough Guy. Whilst taking part in specialised training on a trampoline at Reading Festival last summer she fell and broke her leg. She has worked extremely hard to recover from this and is now back running regularly at the club, always encouraging her fellow runners with non-stop chat! Well Done Jan.
April 2008
Sean Lewton
Following on from a PB at the Gloucester 20 in March Sean got his marathon training just right by running a 3:41 PB at London. Clearly benefiting from a good training schedule through the winter and suffering from no post-marathon setbacks Sean went on to run a PB at the St Georges 10K just two weeks later. Well done Sean and hopefully you will continue to benefit from your marathon training and run strong through the summer.
Janet Brown
Janet joined the club about 3 and a half years ago, having only taken up running just prior to this. She has gone from strength to strength and worked really hard at speed and endurance to improve her fitness and over the last year has gained PB's in most distances. In March she did the Gloucester 20M in 2 hrs 37 mins and in April her well deserved achievement was the London Marathon in 3 hrs 28 mins. Well done Janet everyone is really pleased for you.
March 2008
Ian Hoare
Despite having the skinniest legs in the club and being a Derby County supporter, Ian has put in some excellent performances this year. He has stepped up the level of his quality runs and is up there with the fast group at track sessions. He produced outstanding runs at the Dursley Dozen (1st Bitton home in 1.28.07) and Gloucester 20 in 2.10.34. Never relinquishing his grip on his mobile phone in case he got the call while awaiting the birth of his first child Myeisha. Congratulations Ian & Emma.
Kim Pope
Kim joined the beginners group two years ago and has gone from strength to strength. After quickly moving through to running with the main club Kim has worked hard at training and succeeded in taking 11 minutes off her PB fpr a half marathon in just one year! After securing a charity place for the London Marathon she has trained extremely hard and she deserves to achieve the time she would like. Good Luck in London Kim!!
February 2008
Paul Sperrin
Paul recently celebrated his 50th birthday with a trip to Malta and whilst there participated in a half-marathon where he finished in a category winning 11th position. His time of 1:16:46 is a new club V50 record. This time would put him comfortably inside the top twenty V50 rankings countrywide for last year. It was a bit cooler on the following Tuesday at the Bridge where he equalled Bill Graham's current V50 5k record of 17:26. Well done Paul, congratulations on turning 50, this milestone has made your new age category a whole lot tougher for local runners! I hope that you continue to run well and produce nationally competitive times for the future.
Vanessa Hawkins
This lady when woken up in a race is a force to be up against! She is an extremely good runner and very modest. She was 1st L45 in the Bridge Inn with a time of 21.26, 2nd FV45 in the Dursley Dozen with 1.43 and completed the Terrminator in 1.44. Well done to Vanessa.
January 2008
Mike Gibbs
Mike has trained consistently through January hardly missing a track, hill or Sunday session. He Started the month as first Bitton home at the Rough N Tumble 10 in 1.32.39 and followed that up by putting a good performace at the Mayhill Massacre in 1.15.01. Then came the Slaughterford 10 in 1.10.39 followed 2 days later by the Bridge Inn 5k in 19.29.
Jo Webb
Ladies AotM for January is Jo Webb. Jo trains consistently hard and always produces good results for Bitton. She ran the Gloucester New Year Ten miler in 1:08:39, and finished 1st V45 at Lliswerry helping the Ladies to win the team prize.
December 2007
Luke Quilliam
An outright race win in a competitive event is to be applauded and after a number of months of consistent training, especially at Thursdays hill sessions, Luke was first home in the Bromham 10K which was raced in difficult conditions and won a nice big shiny trophy to boot!
Pat Harley
Pat started running a couple of years ago with the club and joined the beginners group. After the first 9 months she had to have time out with back trouble. She then came back to running with tremendous enthusiasm. Her aim was to quicken her pace enough to enable her to come along to the club nights and feel that she would not get left behind. Pat has run in the Bridge Inn 5K and each time has got quicker. She has also been going to the track on a Tuesday night and has put so much effort into improving, which has now paid off. Well done Pat.
November 2007
Terry Welch
Terry has been running consistently well over the last few months which has produced several outstanding performances including a 19.30 at the Bridge Inn 5K, a 1.29.49 at the Bristol Half and a PB of 1.28.10 at the Cardiff Half. From a V55 who was a heavy smoker not so long ago these performances are even more remarkable.
Dawn White
Although Dawn is not able to get to the club very often, she represents the club and wears the club vest in the cross country races, the Bridge Inn 5K and other events and is an experienced runner. She has won prizes in her category and age group throughout the year. This month she was the first vet 40 in the GCC Cross Country League in a time of 34.28 and ran the Bridge Inn 5k in a time of 20.20. We hope she continues with her fantastic efforts.
October 2007
Reg Morris
Reg has reached a level of cosistency that is quite outstanding, and hardly ever misses a track session or a club night. 2nd MV55 in Burnham, Cardiff and Stroud Half Marathons, all around 1:25.
Dawn Drake
Dawn has trained hard throughout the summer which resulted in a PB of 1:38:01 at the Cardiff half marathon taking 3mins 30 off her previous best time.
September 2007
Simon Laraway
First home for Bitton at the Bristol Half Marathon and a 10k PB at Mortimer capped a superb month for Simon. His times at these events has elevated him to be one of the clubs top runners and were just reward after consistent and committed training through the summer.
Sarah Coultart
For all her efforts in the Clarendon Way Marathon 5.00.13, Bridge Inn 5k 24.08, Robin Hood Half Marathon 1.54.27, Grizzly 20m 4.35 and Overton 5 in 41.03. She deserves a well earned rest after all those miles and a new pair of trainers!
August 2007
Keith Sawyer
After a vet 50 class victory at the Wellington Ten in July Keith continued his strong form through the month of August with another vet 50 category win at the Standish Woodland Chase. Keith then followed that up by being first Bitton runner home at the Frampton 10K.
Fiona Cramp
Fiona won two prizes one for 2nd Senior Female in the Easy Runner 5K Series and 2nd Female in the Standish Woodland Chase in a time of 1.12.36. She also had a PB at the Wellington Ten in 1.10.51 in July.
July 2007
Bryan Stadden
Along with Andy Creber won the Bowfell Class in the Saunders Mountain marathon. Also, even though it was in June, the South Wales Traverse should be mentioned as it was a tremendous achivement. After his injury ravaged 2006 Bryan has returned to form and proved he is the number one mountain man in the club.
Sharon Andrews
Sharon was the first Vet 35 at Sundays Hill in 44.02, 2nd Female in the Self Transcendence 2m in 13.59 and in August did a PB at the Frampton 10k in 43.31 and was 1st Vet in the Easy Runner 5K series.
