Club Reports 2010

New Year’s Eve 10k - Ely 31 December 2010

502 runners were at Ely for the New Years Eve 10k, with 2 Black Dogs competing. Chris Chorley came 102^nd in 42:32 with Bobbie Sauerzapf managing 50:35 (281^st).

The Groggy Doggy - Bungay 26 December 2010

27 Black Dogs took part and Junior Black Dog runner Kieran McMorran was 3^rd overall in the 1 lap race in a time of 14:09, being over 3 mins quicker than last year. Another Black Dog Junior, Marcus Sladden came in 6^th in 16:46. Also 10 year old Black Dog Junior Jessica Sparkes finished in a fantastic time of 18:53 (13^th) and was 1^st in the female under 13 age group. In all, 7 Juniors competed in the 1 lap race and easily beat every single one of the 6 Senior club members who were running. In the 2 lap race, new Black Dog, Matt Lawes finished 3^rd in 29:50. Lynn Emmett was the first Black Dog female finisher in 35:00 (29^th). The Bungay Black Dog Running Club held their annual Boxing Day Groggy Doggy Cross Country Run at Bungay Common in wonderful sunshine but below freezing temperatures. The cold weather did not deter people from taking part with 204 runners competing which is a race record. The race is enjoyed by both fun runners and competitive runners alike. Runners braved the icy course across snowy, frozen fields, cattle rutted mud, slippery bridges, and icy tracks through the common. Some even braved crossing the frozen dykes across the ice rather than using the bridges. Children, adults, dogs and their handlers and those in fancy dress all enjoyed the race.

Click here for the full results.

There was also a trophy for Best Fancy Dress the winner of this category was Marcus Sladden.

Unfortunately due to everything being frozen no one got muddy so this trophy will be held over to next years race. The Mayor of Bungay, Simon Woods started the race and prizes were presented at the end by the Town Reeve the Rev. Roger Allen

Bungay Black Dog Running Club would like congratulate and give their thanks to everyone who took part to make the event a success, all the voluntary helpers at the event who gave up their Boxing Day morning, the Bungay Common Owners for allowing the race to be staged on their land, Outney Meadow Camping and Caravan site for the use of their facilities, Waveney Trucks and Clays Printing works for the use of their parking.

Gorleston Parkrun  -  18 December 2010

Two ever present Bungay Black Dogs ran in the Saturday Gorleston Cliff Parkrun. Due to the ice and snow, this was run on the beach which, although flat, was still challenging in the biting cold conditions. Chris Chorley was 5^th in 22:00 and Bobby Sauerzapf was 20^th in 26:35. There were 29 finishers.

Bournemouth Luckyfox Track Marathon  -  18 December 2010

How did you spend the last Saturday before Christmas when temperatures were down to minus 3 deg C with snow on the ground? Were you tucked up warm indoors perhaps or out doing Christmas shopping in your winter woollies? Not so for Ian Taylor who spent the morning doing the Bournemouth Luckyfox Track Marathon thus ensuring that the official BBDRC record for the greatest number of marathons run by any one person in one year now stands at twenty. Bournemouth was totally snow-free up until 06:00 on Saturday morning and fortunately there was insufficient time for it to freeze before dawn. All the same, of the 70 who had entered the race in advance, only 20 were able to turn up. Ian was dressed in his usual skimpy attire of vest and shorts, and honestly did not notice the cold, whereas most of the others sported jogging bottoms and long sleeves! 105.5 x 400m laps is an endurance test at the best of times but with total white out it was surreal. The snow was soft and crunchy at first but by lap 90 it was a tad slippery especially on the curves. Ian finished 13th in a cautious time of 3:44:28 which was a good performance given the conditions. The competition was hard too, despite the very small field, as only the real die-hards had been prepared to "tough it out". Ian really enjoys track marathons in a perverse sense, as there is great camaraderie amongst the competitors also the entire field is within sight the whole time. For the umpteenth time this year it was remarked upon as to how happy Ian looks whilst he is running!

Portsmouth Coastal Waterside Marathon – 11 December 2010

Ian Taylor ran in the inaugural Portsmouth Coastal Waterside Marathon on Saturday which was his 39th overall. It was an out and back course starting at Southsea; the Eastney promenade making for a particularly fast start and finish. The course then used footpaths, cycle paths, pavements and even parts of the foreshore along the eastern side of Portsea Island; the densely populated island on which the city of Portsmouth stands. Similar mixed terrain was encountered en route to Langstone Bridge. South thereof Ian was in his element as the remaining three miles to the turning point were along the Hayling Billy Trail, a footpath using the tracked of the former Hayling Island railway line which closed on 2nd November 1963. The course was perfectly flat throughout without the slightest suggestion of a hill anywhere. However, the off road sections were quite muddy following the thawing of the recent heavy snow. Following a spirited dash along the final miles on the promenade Ian finished in 3:36:12, being 74th out of 275 finishers. This was Ian's 19th marathon this year, which is believed to be a BBDRC record in terms of quantity. He was robbed of the opportunity to make it twenty by the cancellation of the Luton Marathon a week earlier, but it means that he completed his entire "twenties AND thirties" in 2010 which he is really happy about. He hopes to at least equal this number in 2011.

Gorleston Park Run – 11 December 2010

Bobbie Sauerzapf ran on Gorleston cliffs in her 28th race and recorded a time of 25:15, finishing 32nd out of 54 runners. Neil Thomas beat her by 30 secs, finishing  31^st in 24:45.

Hove Parkrun 5k  - 4 December 2010

Just because the rest of Sussex had ground to a halt it was not deemed to be a sufficient reason for Ian Taylor not to participate in his usual Park Run 5k in Hove Park on Saturday 4th December. There was still plenty of snow on the pavements en route to the park so he ran mostly down the roads (brave in Brighton but little traffic around at 08.30am). The footpaths around Hove Park were rather slippery so Ian ran mostly on the grass, which was very soft and spongy, but he managed to stay upright. Running at reduced pace produced a Personal Worst of 23 :46 and 37th place out of 111 brave souls. of which Ian was deemed to be the hardiest for running in his usual shorts and vest whilst others were almost entirely covered up! It was very sad that the Luton Marathon scheduled for the following day was cancelled due to the weather.

Hereward Relay - Peterborough to Ely 28 November 2010

Four teams of Bungay Black Dog Runners competed in the multi-terrain Hereward Relay on Sunday. The race starts from Peterborough Cathedral and follows the Hereward Way for 38.30 miles to Ely, crossing over bridleways, fields, bridges and tracks. The freezing cold, and snowy conditions under foot, did not deter 105 teams from finishing. There are four stages (in miles); 6.10, 10.50, 10.30 and 10.40. The winning team. from Bury St Edmunds, completed the course in 3:45:42. Bungay "Stig" Team (Marcus Sladden, Matt Lawes, Michael Collins & Robbie James) finished 41st in 4:51:16. Bungay "Hamsters" Team (David Lines, Robin Farrar, Richard Dye & Sally Nicholls) finished 95th in 5:51:42. Bungay "Clarksons" Team (David Cook, Bruce Rayner, Karen Waters & David Waterman) finished 100th in 6:20:58, and Bungay "Maze" Team (Katy James, Philip Neave, Craig Anderson & Sue Potter) were 102nd in 6:27:30
Stage 1: 6.50 miles - Peterborough to Whittlesey - 47th Marcus Sladden 0:47:10; 94th David Lines 0:59:55; 103rd Katy James 1:09:41; 105th David Cook 1:26:12
Stage 2: 10.50 miles - Whittlesey to March - 11th Matt Lawes 1:09:57; 77th Bruce Rayner 1:30:18; 91st Philip Neave 1:37:47 ; 102nd Robin Farrar 1:52:31
Stage 3: 10:30 miles - March to Welney - 47th Richard Dye 1:24:25; 86th Craig Anderson 1:36:12; 88th Michael Collins 1:38:01; 101st Karen Waters 1:52:30
Stage 4: 10.40 miles - Welney to Ely - 35th Robbie James 1:16:08; 81st David Waterman 1:31:58; 90th Sally Nicholls 1:34:52; 103rd Sue Potter 2:03:50

Adnams Beer Run10k - Southwold 21 November 2010

The 2nd Adnams 10km race took place at Southwold on Sunday November 21st. The route was three circuits around the Common and Harbour. There was a large turn out of 560 finishers which included 14 Bungay Black Dog Runners. Robbie James led them in, coming 43rd in 41:39, beating Olympic Miler, 50 year old Steve Cram MBE, by 3 seconds. He was followed by Darrell Oldman 71st (43:48),  Andy Prime 169th (48:42), Neil Thomas 214th (50:56), Philip Neave 215th (51:01) and Bob Paul 234th (51:48).
Club Captain Karen Gedge was the first female Black Dog in 289th and finished with Hugh Roberts 290th in 54:13. Sally Nicholls 308th, pipped Bruce Rayner 287th by 4 seconds (55:04 and 55:08). Karen Waters was 394th (59:58) with Nicola Hunting 442nd (61:04), Katy James 508th (66:56) and Maggie Flatt 524th (68:31).

Most of the Race Marshals were Bungay Black Dogs.

Hadleigh 10m - 21 November 2010

Meanwhile, Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf were doing the Hadleigh Hares 10 miler. It was a lovely route through undulating South Suffolk with 5 miles up followed by 5 miles down. Chris was 44th in 1:09:26 mins and Bobbie was 133rd (1:21:59 ). There were 242 finishers.

Town Moor Marathon - Newcastle 21 November 2010

Newcastle upon Tyne is famous for the Great North Run; the world's largest Half Marathon. In contrast this marathon is still an infant, being in it's second year. The course consists of five laps of the Town Moor, a large area of parkland immediately north of the city centre. Ian Taylor lived in West Jesmond for a short time in the early 1990s and the Town Moor was less than one mile from his former residence, hence his desire to compete. Sunday was dull and damp with prolonged heavy showers - just the kind of weather that Ian enjoys to run. The course was remarkably varied and included gravel and tarmac footpaths around the moor. Fast, flat sections of pavement alongside the Great North Road contrasted with one kilometre on grass which became increasingly muddy and slippery with each lap! Ian enjoyed himself immensely and finished 31st out of 144 in a time of 3:31:22. A further 16 did not finish.

Scenic 7m - Stowmarket 14 November 2010

Three Black Dogs travelled to Stowmarket to run in the Scenic Seven. True to it's name, the race goes through lovely countryside enhanced by the autumn colours of the trees, and fortunately this was the dry part of the day. Chris Chorley was 61st out of 261 finishers in 47:46. Neil Thomas (in new shoes) was 147th in 55:30 and Bobbie Sauerzapf finished in 55:56 (157th).

Phoenix 5m - Brighton - 14 November 2010

In heavy rain, Ian Taylor took part in the Phoenix Races in Brighton. Famous local athlete Steve Ovett founded Phoenix AC in 1981 and a bronze statue of him stood in the park for many years until it was stolen in 2007 and no doubt melted down. Nowadays just Steve's foot remains on the concrete plinth and this could be duly admired by the 130 runners who took part in the 4 lap, 5 mile race. Ian was the 39th finisher in 32:49.

Gorleston Park Run - 13 November 2010

Bobbie Sauerzapf ran on Gorleston cliffs in her 25th race and recorded a time of 24:53, finishing 33rd out of 80, A.G. 69.79%, and second in her age group.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 13 November 2010

Ian Taylor finished 17th out of 288 in 19:37, A.G. 72.30%, and first in his VM45-49 age category.

Marriotts Way Ultra - Norwich 7 November 2010

Two Black Dogs completed their first 36 mile "ultra" run on Sunday 7th November. The route was along the Marriotts Way from Norwich to Reepham and back. Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauzerapf were equal 8th in 6:22:05.

Enigma Track Marathon - Milton Keynes 6 November 2010

Ian Taylor completed the Milton Keynes "Enigma" Track Marathon near Bletchley Park on Sunday November 6th. Track marathons are not to everyone's liking but there are many advantages. There are no hills, there is no fear of getting lost and one is never more than 400m from the next drink station, toilets and assistance. The only disadvantage is that runners feel that they are going "stir crazy" by the 80th lap! Ian was the 17th out of about 70 runners to complete the 105.5 x 400m laps in a time of 3 hours 30 mins.

Suffolk Cross Country Series (1) - Framlingham 31 October 2010

The Suffolk Winter League's first Cross Country event took place at Framlingham on Sunday. The Bungay Black Dog Runners turned up in force with 22 members taking part amongst the 218 competitors. John White was 17th (30:13) and 3rd in his age group, followed by Chris Chorley, 55th (33:55) and Robbie James, 58th (34:04).

Lynn Emmett was the first Black Dog lady home in 77th (35:24) also 3rd in her age group, ahead of Joe Hornsey, 81st (35:79), Darrell Oldman. 107th (37:38), Roly Shaw 133rd (39:09), Helen Hornsey 134th (39:13), Steve Oldman, 142nd (40:05), and David Gilbert, 148th (40:25). Bobbie Sauerzapf was 151st (40:42) and second in her age category leading in David Punt 156th (41:43), Bob Paul, 164th (42:34), Neil Thomas 166th (42:48), Bruce Rayner 168th (42:56) and Shona Bendix 177th (44:23).

Christine Muttitt was first in her age group, coming 183rd (45:26) and Judy Potter, second in her age group was 190th (46:21). Newer member Julie Myhill and Jemma Neesham were 201st (47:33) and 203rd (47:41) respectively followed in by Karen Waters 211th (50:14) and Dave Lines 212th (50:38). In the overall series rankings the Black Dog Senior Men are 9th and Senior Women 4th out of 14th teams., Overall, the club is 9th in the rankings.

In the Junior Race, Kieran McMorran was 2nd and first in his age group in 9:10 . Marcus Sladden was 12th (10:07), Ted Oldman 28th (10:44), Robin Bendix-Hickman 39th (11:19), Campbell McMorran 60th (12:26), Nicky Sparkes 68th (13:04), Ruby Oldman 73rd (13:50) and Bailey Bendix-Hickman 78th (14:40). 86 junior runners competed. The boys team was third overall of ten teams.

Hove Parkrun 5k  - 30 October 2010

Ian Taylor ran another Hove Park Run finishing in 11th place out of 256 in a time of 19:42  (2nd VM45-49).
The Hove Park Run competition for 2010 concluded on 30th October with Ian finishing in 13th place out of 1,249 males overall with a total of 2,004 points accumulated during 23 races. Points earned at Gorleston Cliffs and Eaton Park, cannot be transferred, unfortunately, as every event runs their own annual competition based on when the first race at each venue occurred. 

East Coast Run 10k - Great Yarmouth 24 October 2010

Despite an earlier downpour, the popular Great Yarmouth 10k took place under blue skies with 482 runners. The very flat route started and finished at St George's Park and was a long circuit down to and along the promenade. The Bungay Black Dog Running Club was well represented with 11 members. Adam Craske continued his excellent form, coming home in 53rd in 40:37, followed closely by Chris Chorley 59th (41:14) and Jonathan Wiles 62nd five seconds later in 41:19. Richard Dye was 105th (44:31). David Waterman 148th (46:53) and Nigel Gilham 161st (47:27).

Bobbie Sauerzapf was the first female Black Dog in 199th (48:56) and also the first in her age group (FV50). Colin Whale was 252nd (51:06), Club Captain Karen Gedge 315th (54:25), Robin Farrar 366th (57:38) and Bob Jack 463rd (69:15). In case you think you are too old to run, a 77 year old man did the race in 50:24!

Beachy Head Marathon - 23 October 2010

Bungay Black Dog Runner Ian Taylor concluded his "Straight Four" (four marathons in four weeks) with the multi terrain Beachy Head Marathon near Eastbourne, East Sussex. With 3,500 feet of ascents and descents there was hardly any flat land anywhere on the course. Unlike 2009, the weather was bright and sunny with no rain except for a short but very sharp shower to soak everyone 2-3 minutes prior to the start! However there was a very strong headwind from the South West which made the first half more demanding this year and produced a split time of 2 :05 at 13.1 miles. Competitors tackled various hills including Beachy Head (535ft) and a series of chalk hills known as the Seven Sisters all in the last six miles of the course. Earlier they had to climb three hills around 700ft high. As an indication of the effort involved, it took Ian 67 minutes to cover the first nine miles to Alfriston and 35 minutes to complete the last four from Birling Gap. This is one of the UK's toughest marathons and the equivalent of 30 flat miles. Runners are told to allow 40-50 minutes longer than for a "normal" road marathon and Ian finished in 4:12:33.

Gorleston Park Run - 23 October 2010

3rd Chris Chorley 20:51. 15th David Punt 23:14. 20th Bobbie Sauerzapf 24:07

The North Norfolk 7m - 17 October 2010

This was a lovely autumnal jaunt for three Bungay Black Dog Runners with a hill thrown in for good measure and a gorgeous view of the sea at Kelling. Chris Chorley was 23rd (47:49), Bobbie Sauerzapf 72nd (55:27), and Philip Neave 96th (57:55). There were 172 finishers.

Cardiff Half Marathon - 17 October 2010

Bungay Black Dog runner Robin Farrar ventured across the Welsh border to complete his third running of the popular Cardiff Half Marathon. The running conditions were perfect, being a beautiful sunny day with blue skies. The course is a sightseeing tour of Cardiff and also goes through pleasant parkland by the River Taff before moving on to Penarth. It then crosses the Cardiff Bay Barrage, giving stunning views towards the City and across the Bristol Channel to the Somerset hills. Robin finished in 6,937th place (16th in the MV65+ age group) in a field of 15,000 runners in a time of 2:04:00 exactly, being 10 minutes faster than his run at Felixstowe the previous Sunday.

Dartmoor Vale Marathon - 17 October 2010

Suffolk and Devon are Ian Taylor's favourite counties so he was really pleased to have the opportunity to compete in the Dartmoor Vale Marathon on Sunday 17th October, based at Newton Abbot.The course has a number of similarities with the Bungay Marathon. It has two laps, the opening five miles are along a fairly main road (B3193 towards Chudleigh) and there is a steep hill to climb (Coburg to Biddlecombe Cross) at 5 miles/18 miles. Like Bungay, the return leg of each lap is along some very narrow lanes passing through some peaceful villages en route (Gappah, Fosterville and Sandygate). There are also some estate roads to tour in Kingsteignton, a town the size of Beccles. The first lap was shared with 303 half marathon competitors but the second circuit was quite lonely in places with few spectators. Ian ran for a considerable distance with no one in sight ahead of him. Conditions on the day were ideal and he remained strong to the end passing a fair number of runners in the last two miles. He finished 22nd out of 128 in a respectable time of 3:25:55 which was a good effort for a demanding course.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 16 October 2010

Despite the impending 200 mile train journey scheduled to take nearly six hours, Ian Taylor still found time to complete his 25th 5km Park Run on Saturday morning in Hove Park prior to setting off for Devon! He was, by coincidence, 22nd out of 294 in a time of 19:34, A.G. 72.49%

Felixstowe Half Marathon - 10 October 2010

There was a Bungay Black Dog Running Club outing to this popular Half Marathon. A record pre-entry meant that 2010 saw a full race and even the sun making an appearance, but also the notorious seafront headwind, which had to be tackled three times on this two lap course. A large crowd enjoyed the conditions but the runners found it tough work battling the breeze and then, later, the heat around Gulpher Road. Robert James was the first Black Dog home in 52nd place (01:36:22). He was followed by seven other club members: Richard Dye 78th (01:40:19), David Waterman 117th (01:45:17), David Gilbert 179th (01:51:49), Bob Paul 264th (02:03:28), Club Captain Karen Gedge 296th (02:06:34), Sally Nicholls 301st (02:06:52) and Robin Farrar 356th (02:14:02). There were 431 finishers.

Marriotts Way 10k - 10 October 2010

161 runners completed the Marriott's Way 10km run along the popular footpath between Aylsham and Reepham. Black Dog, Adam Craske had a marvellous run, coming 10th in 41:21, followed by Philip Neave 70th (53:06) and Bob Jack 150th (68:21).

Peterborough Half Marathon - 10 October 2010

It was unseasonably warm for this event known as The Perkins Great Eastern Half Marathon with over 3100 finishers. It is not particularly scenic but
very well supported. Of the four Black Dogs competing, Chris Chorley was 217th in 1:29:24. Jon Wiles came home in 1:34:35 (380th). Followed by Tom Pullinger in 1:40:59 (624th) and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 899th in 1:46:31

Leicester Marathon - 10 October 2010

After the rigours of the Isle of Wight Marathon the previous Sunday, Ian Taylor headed for the East Midlands this weekend to run in the Leicester Marathon. Although nowhere near as hilly, this race contained 157m of ascents and descents and equated to 26.79 flat miles. The race toured the city centre, including the market, followed by a lengthy section along the Melton Road in order to visit some delightful Leicestershire villages to the north of the city. On the return, the race used footpaths through some of the city parks. The first seven, and the final six, miles were shared with a massive 2059 runners competing in the Leicester Half Marathon. Once again weather conditions were ideal, and Ian finished in a gun time of 3:29:30 which earned him a nice round 100th place out of 578. He felt he ran well, especially in light of the arduous nature of the previous weekend's marathon.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 9 October 2010

Ian Taylor ran another of his favourite Park Run events in Hove Park on Saturday 9th October before jetting off to Leicester to run their marathon. He finished in a time of 19:20 in 18th place out of 266 A.G. 73.36% 2nd VM45-49

Gorleston Park Run - 9 October 2010

Three Black Dogs participated in this regular Saturday morning race. In 9th place was Chris Chorley in 21.10. and in 24th was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 24.14, closely followed by David Punt (first timer!) in 24.20 (26th) There were 65 finishers. Why don't more folks take part? It's free. It's fun. You
certainly don't have to be fast.

Martlesham Heath 10k & Fun Run - 3 October 2010

Six Black Dogs competed in the Martlesham Heath 10k and Fun Run. Kieran McMorran won the 1.8 mile fun run in 10:29 beating the field of 85 runners. Campbell McMorran came 21st (4th in his category) in a very respectable 13:52 and Rebecca White was 37th in 15:27 winning the over 15 girls trophy. In the 10km event, John White was the first Black Dog home in 13th place (37:09). Jacques Groen was 184th in his first run since the Bungay Half coming home in 64:47 with April Groen finishing the race in 69:35, 191st of the 192 finishers.

Autumn 10k - Coltishall - 3 October 2010

The Coltishall Jaguar's Autumn 10km race took place in good weather with 176 competitors. Black Dog Runner, Chris Chorley continued his consistent form with a 32nd position in 42:02. He was followed by Bobbie Sauerzapf in 94th (50:43), Phillip Neave, 109th (52:50) and Bob Jack, 165th (66:00)

Isle of Wight Marathon - 3 October 2010

Meanwhile Ian Taylor was working up a sweat at the 54th Isle Of Wight Marathon which has 1500 feet of ascent and descent. The single lap course covers over half of the island, starting and finishing at Ryde. He finished 26th out of 133 in a time of 3:33:23

The Wales Marathon - Tenby 26 September 2010

Neil Thomas returned to his native Wales to participate in first running of The Wales Marathon in Tenby, Pembrokeshire. Despite the hilly course, Neil was delighted to finish in 4:08:48 in 98th position being 13 minutes faster than his last marathon.

Berlin Marathon - 26 September 2010

For the second week running, Bob Jack managed to beat a cut off by 2½ minutes. This time it was the 37th Berlin Marathon in Germany. There was torrential rain for the whole race, but large crowds were still out in force. There is a 6:15 limit for this event. Bob finished in 6:12 coming 26,533th out of 40,945 official starters.

Dedham 10k - 26 September 2010

Two Black Dogs completed the Dedham 10km which is a lovely run in the Stour valley. Of the 303 finishers, Chris Chorley was 50th (42:04 ) and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 160th (50:54).

EAAA Runway Run  5k- Tibenham 25 September 2010

The highlight of the Bungay Black Dog Runners last weekend was the splendid performance of 15 year old Marcus Sladden who came 3rd overall with a time of 19:10 in a very wet and windy Runway 5km. Tibenham airfield is very bleak and there was no shelter from the gale force northerly winds anywhere. Marcus did very well against some competitive adult runners. Chris Chorley was very close behind in 19:26 (4th) . Bobbie Sauerzapf finished in 23:24 (25th), pursued by Philip Neave in 23:46 (28th). Marcus' brother Kieran Sladden came home in 25:23 (39th) and Chris Harbord was 84th in 34:31. There were 119 finishers.

Gorleston Park Run - 25 September 2010

Earlier that day in the weekly Gorleston Cliffs 5km Parkrun, Black Dog John White won the race in 17:44. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 28th out of the 66 runners in 25:03.

Eaton Parkrun 5k - 25 September 2010

Ian Taylor could not resist being the first Bungay Black Dog runner to try out the new Eaton ParkRun in Norwich, now in it's eighth week. The three lap course is completely flat and starts and finishes at the bandstand although he was sorry not to be able to hear a sousaphone being played upon his arrival! There may not have been any hills but, unlike Hove Park and Gorleston Cliffs, there were three or four right angle turns and very narrow footpaths to negotiate in places which were tricky on his third lap when he was lapping slower pace runners by the dozen. He finished 12th out of 198 in a time of 19:33 with an A.G. 72.55% and first in his VM45-49 category. The event was very well managed and is highly recommended particularly for those new to running or racing.

The Round Norfolk Relay 18/19 September 2010

The 24th Round Norfolk Relay took place over the weekend of September 18th/19th. As the longest multi-terrain relay in the UK, it is a 193 mile run around the perimeter of Norfolk in 17 stages. The logistics are complicated because some stages require some navigational skills, six stages are off road with sand and shingle to tackle and there are no water stations. On the road sections, the runners are accompanied by a cyclist and minibus support. There is also a 28 hour limit to the event. This was the third year that the Bungay Black Dog Running Club have entered and once again team chiefs Sue Potter and Karen Gedge did a great job of co-ordinating the seventeen runners to the right locations at the right times, along with accompanying cyclists, minibus drivers and getting timekeepers in place.
While some teams take the event very seriously, the Black Dogs prefer to promote team spirit by encouraging all ages and levels to take part. A prime example of this was when the oldest club member, David Cook, aged 74, handed over the baton to Marcus Sladden, 15, one of the youngest. The mixture of abilities meant that it would take a huge effort to beat the deadline, and this was achieved when Bob Jack crossed the finish line in 27 hours 57 mins and 27 seconds - just two and a half minutes ahead of the cut off. The Bungay Black Dogs were the last team to cross the line in time, coming 49th. Five teams behind them did not beat the 28 hours.
The Stage results were: Stage 1: (16.32 miles) Roland Shaw (2:11:46), Stage 2: (14.06 miles) Bobbie Sauerzapf (2:02:), Stage 3: (5.76 miles) Sarah Conellan (0:49:07), Stage 4: (11.14 miles) Robbie James (1:20:11), Stage 5: (10.81 miles) Sally Nicholls (1:56:26), Stage 6: (7.90 miles) Stephanie Whyte (1:10:14), Stage 7: (9.24 miles) Karen Waters (1:29:46), Stage 8: (7.52 miles) Nigel Gilham (0:56:22), Stage 9: (11.3 miles) Karen Gedge (1:45:37), Stage 10: (20.06 miles) Ian Taylor (2:26:44), Stage 11: (14.60 miles) Richard Dye (1:56:13), Stage 12: (19.67 miles) Chris Chorley (2:31:31), Stage 13: (13.25 miles) David Gilbert (1:53:06), Stage 14: (8.8 miles) Bruce Rayner (1:07:53), Stage 15: (7.2 miles) David Cook (1:28:34), Stage 16: (5.49 miles) Marcus Sladden (0:39:16), Stage 17: (11.73 miles) Bob Jack (2:12:29)
The Black Dog Running Club was also responsible for organising a Stage checkpoint (11) for the first time during this event. John Wharton and his team did an excellent job to ensure that the travelling circus of 54 teams passed though the Maltings Sports Ground in Bungay very smoothly on the Saturday evening.

Great North Run - Newcastle upon Tyne 19 September 2010

Two Black Dogs competed in the Great North Run on the same Sunday. This is the largest half marathon in the world. Colin Whale finished in 2:01:22 (12,512th) while Robin Farrar came home in 2:10:35 (17,948th). 40,523 runners finished out of an entry of 54,000

Lowestoft Scores Race - 12 September 2010

On September 12th, the traditional Scores Race took place in Lowestoft. The Black Dog team (in 4th position) comprised  David Waterman 62nd (37:44), Colin Whale 74th (39:36) and Stephen Oldman 88th (41:02). There were 140 finishers. Ted Oldman represented the Junior Black Dogs came 5th in a shorter race in 8:47.

Grunty Fen Half Marathon -  Ely 12 September 2010

Bob Jack finished the popular and fast Grunty Fen Half Marathon at Ely in 2:30:27  finishing 426th out of 434 runners.

Lee Valley Marathon - 11 September 2010

Ian Taylor returned to his old haunts in East Hertfordshire/North East London on Saturday in order to compete in the "Two2go" trail marathon. One of his favourite marathons, a mere six days after his last 26.2. The event seems to be growing in popularity with the field being treble that of previous years. Almost entirely off road, this marathon follows the towpath of the River Lee Navigation from St Margaret's to Hackney Marsh with a 10k loop around the former gravel workings at Cheshunt, which seems to be different each year. The strange name of this marathon refers to the number of years to go until the 2012 Olympics. After the Olympics this event will finish at the stadium but as this is still under construction runners had to perform a number of different circuits around Hackney Marsh. Throughout this time the finish was always in view but it seemed as if every marshal was directing runners away from it! Ian finished in 28th place out of about 300 runners in a time of 3:41:28.

Wissey Half Marathon - 5 September 2010

This race is usually hot and windy and presents a challenge because it is the Norfolk county and EVAC Championships and so it attracts a large, competitive field. All finishers receive a bottle of beer though and the route is quiet and scenic. Six Black Dogs made the journey to Oxburgh and the first home was Chris Chorley in 50th place in 1:34:40 followed by Richard Dye in 1:40:57 (78th). Bobbie Sauerzapf was 111th in 1:50:05. Phillip Neave was 158th in 2:06:44. Lou Sewell (raising a lot of money for charity) and Gary McMorran were 189th (2:39:56), completing their first half marathons. 190 runners took part.

Wolverhampton City Marathon - 5 September 2010

After a summer of off road marathons it made a change for Ian Taylor to compete in a good old fashioned two lap, fully marshaled, road 26.2. Having wandered to Wolverhampton for the privilege, the first lap was shared with 995 half marathon runners, 29 five stage relay teams and 435 cyclists who completed a 19.4km ride. The second lap was much quieter by comparison and the already ideal weather conditions were further enhanced for Ian when the rain started. He finished in 77th place out of 289 in a time of 3:32:20. Neil Thomas was another Black Dog in the Black Country that day and finished 192nd in a time of 4:20:58. The course is a totally urban mix of main roads, quieter estate roads and some footpaths. Whilst the area cannot be described as scenic, the natives of Wolverhampton (known as Wulfrunians) are a friendly lot and the event, now in its thirteenth year, was very well organised.

Framlingham 10k - 5 September 2010

Three Bungay Black Dogs took part in this years' Framlingham 10k. The race took place along the same route as in previous years which meant runners having to take on the rather nasty little hill up to the top of the village for no less than three times. It proved a good challenge as ever but the weather was warm and sunny, making pleasant running conditions for the 271 runners who successfully completed the course.
First of the Black Dogs to finish was Terry Garrity was 84th in 46:03. Nigel Gilham was 116th (48:59) and Club Captain Karen Gedge was 194th (55:59).

Waveney 2 Triathlon - Bungay 5 September 2010

This popular, local triathlon attracted 132 competitors including 5 Black Dogs to complete the 400m swim, 20km cycle ride and 3.2km run. Tom Pullinger was 25th overall gaining a pb of 57:01 with splits of 7:33, 35:08, 14:20. Darrel Oldman was 55th (8:34/39:07/15:05) also obtaining a pb of 1:02:46. Dave Lines was 86th in 1:07:10, (7:00/41:38/18:32). Bob Jack was 113th (9:28/45:35/20:03) in 1:15:06 and Paul Seary was 123rd (9:58/46:31/22:22) in 1:18:51.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 4 September 2010

Ian Taylor completed yet another 5km Hove Park Run finishing 17th out of 291 in 19:19 seconds (5th VM45-49) A.G. 73.43%

Ipswich Half Marathon - 29 August 2010

Robin Farrar was the lone Black Dog representative at the 2nd running of this event, which was revived last year by Ipswich Jaffa running club. It is a challenging & quite hilly course which goes into pleasant countryside north of Ipswich via some very badly potholed streets in the town. The wind was quite strong, but the rain held off until afterwards. Robin managed 2:12:26 (628th) out of approx, 800 finishers.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 28 August 2010

Ian Taylor ran his 20th 5km Park Run on Saturday, all but two of which have been in Hove Park, East Sussex. He finished 21st out of 265 in a time of 19:39 the second in his age category with A.G. 72.18%. Athletes earn points based upon their performance, and as an example, so far Ian has amassed 1,574 points which places him 18th out of the 1,071 males who have run in Hove Park so far this year.

A new Park Run started four weeks ago in Eaton Park, Norwich starting and finishing at the bandstand at 0900 every Saturday morning. Who will be the first Black Dog to try out this new event and join the field of 120-130 runners?

Gorleston Park Run - 28 August 2010

With fresher legs than the previous week, John White finished second behind Carl Prewer in a new PB of 17:35, becoming the 4th Black Dog to hold their age-group course record for the event. (Kieran McMorran, Sarah Connellan and Christine Muttitt being the others). Sharon White in her first ever run, finished in 72nd place (48:08).

Seaford Marathon  -   22 August 2010

Absent last year, this off road treat staged a come back somewhat appropriately as the South Downs were finally awarded National Park status on 31st March 2010. All events involving the Downs are tough and this one was no exception; the hills just kept on coming! Temperatures were a lot cooler with rain and drizzle during most of the event, which suited Black Dog Ian Taylor. It did however mean that much of the high ground was shrouded in mist with visibility down to only twenty yards in places. A number of runners went off route but Ian, who had done a recce solo over parts of the route some weeks earlier, did not get lost once. The rain, and a thunderstorm at 20 miles, made certain sections very slippery especially the steep descents.

Ian felt he performed well finishing 20th out of 115 in 4:15:02. Although the Seaford course was far, far tougher than the Fairlands Valley Challenge, he completed it a massive 24 minutes quicker. This proves yet again that Ian's greatest challenge is heat rather than terrain and steep hills.

Reepham 10k  -   22 August 2010

335 runners (including 6 Black Dogs) took part on this hot Sunday. Robbie James was the first Bungay Black Dog Runner home in 39^th position in 41:51, closely followed by Chris Chorley, 42^nd (42:15) and Adam Craske, returning from injury, right  behind (42:23) in 43^rd. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 172^nd (52:28), Neil Thomas, 182^nd (53:08) and Bob Jack, 298^th (63:26).

Hove Parkrun 5k  -  21 August 2010

Ian Taylor finished 20th out of 264 in his latest 5km Hove Park Run in 19:34. Despite not wanting to overdo things on the eve of such a demanding marathon, for the first time, he was the leader in his age category (A.G. 72.49%).

Gorleston Park Run  -  21 August 2010

John White recorded his first ever road race win in 17:59. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 4th female home in 25:54. Hannah White took nearly two minutes off her previous time to finish in 31:15 and Rebecca White unfortunately limped home in 39:42 after pulling a muscle with 3/4 of a mile to go.

Great Yarmouth Trackmeet  - 19 August 2010

8 Black Dogs competed in the 2nd Gt. Yarmouth Performance Meet on 19th August.

Luke Spear won the 100m in 14.5 seconds with Nicky Sparkes coming 5th in 16.8 seconds. Luke also won his heat of the 200m race in 30.4s and Nicky was 4th in the same heat recording 36 seconds. Luke jumped 3.98m to win the U13 Long Jump and Nicky jumped 2.92m to finish in 6th place.

U11 Girls:- 80m: Jessica Sparkes came 5th in the second heat in a time of 15.2s and Amy Spear was 2nd in the third heat in 13.6s. 600m: Jessica, 9th in 2:28.7 followed by Amy in 11th 2:45.0 Turbo Javelin: Jessica threw 7.00m to finish 7th while Amy managed 5.48m to finish 10th.

U11 Boys:- In the 80m Nathan Oldman was 5th in 13.9, just beating Thomas Cookson (6th) in 14.0 seconds.

The 600m saw Thomas coming 5th in 2:22.6 beating Nathan in 6th (2:29.1). Thomas was 5th again in the Turbo Javelin throwing 11.63m and Nathan 7th with a 9.03m throw.

Seniors: 1500m: John White was 9th (1st Senior) in 4:48.6 and Darrell Oldman was 14th (2nd Senior) in a very respectable 5:21.4

Great Yarmouth Half Marathon 15 August 2010

The Great Yarmouth Half Marathon took place on a mild Sunday morning with a good turn out of 280 runners. The Bungay Black Dog Running Club had 8 members competing. John White continued his excellent form coming 13^th in 1:23 and 2^nd in his age category. Chris Chorley was 48^th (1:31), Jonathan Wiles 73^rd (1:37) and Richard Dye 92^nd (1:40). Bobbie Sauerzapf was the first Black Dog lady home in 128^th (1:47) and was 2^nd in her age category. Colin Whale was 181^st (1:56), Karen Gedge 210^th (2:03) and Bob Jack 271^st (2:32).

Hove Parkrun 5k - 14 August 2010

Ian Taylor ran another 5km Park Run in Hove Park. He was 14th finisher out of 242 in 19:02, and 3rd VM45-49 A.G. 74.52%

Outlaw Triathlon - Nottingham 8 August 2010

Bungay Black Dog Runner Sue Potter took part in the inaugural Outlaw Triathlon on 8^th August at the National Water Sports Centre near Nottingham. 740 competitors started the iron man distance event which was a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile cycle ride and then a 26.2 mile run. Sue was delighted to finish in 684^th position in a time of 15:04: 48. She had spent six months of intense training to complete the event.

Sue said afterwards, “I had a fantastic time! It was an amazing journey. I loved every single mile and savoured the privilege that being iron-fit is. To be healthy enough to swim, bike and run 140.6 miles in one day is something really special. I really appreciate the help and support that I received from my family, friends and fellow members of the Bungay Black Dog Running Club and Tri Anglia Triathlon Club, not only through the race, but through a challenging training programme.” Sue has raised in the region of £1,450 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children through this venture. You can still sponsor Sue through her Just Giving page:  http://www.justgiving.com/Susan-Potter

Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1 Off Road Marathon - 8 August 2010

Ian Taylor competed in this demanding event. It was unmarshalled but with a fair number of checkpoints, some direction signs and printed instructions/maps to follow. The numbers in the title refer to the features of the course namely: 5 rivers, 4 steep hills, 3 country estates, 2 castles and 1 cathedral. This is another challenging marathon, with some quite rough terrain, made all the more demanding by temperatures of 23º C. The route also visited the Wiltshire villages of Laverstock, Alderbury, Nunton, Coombe Bissett, Wilton, Bemerton and Harnham. Ian was 67^th of 182 finishers and finished in 4:23:45

14th Wibbly Wobbly Log Jog - 6 August 2010

A crazy name but a great Friday evening event. Absolutely no facilities, The start is in a clearing in Thetford Forest. Run 5-ish miles along tracks and teeny weeny trails in the trees and hopefully end up in approximately the same forest clearing. The teeny trails are dark, narrow and have logs to jump and dips to fall into and tree roots to trip over! The organisers warn you that if you have to stop for any reason don't try to make your way back without assistance from a marshal. Only they know the secret of how to escape from the forest. You either love this or hate it and enough people love it that the event is full every year.
 In 32^nd place was Chris Chorley in 37:39. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 121^st in 45:03.
 Philip Neave  finished in 49:36 (174^th) and in  277^th was  Chris Harbord  in 72:08. There were 280 finishers.

Broome 10k (3) - 4 August 2010

The Third and final Bungay Black Dog Summer Series Black Dog 10km race took place with 105 runners. The race was won by Robert Chenery of Ipswich Jaffa Running Club in 34 mins 2 seconds who completed a hat-trick of victories in the event this year. John White was the first Black Dog Runner back in an excellent 3^rd position in 36:59 – the best result for the club in the series. He was followed by twenty one other Black Dogs. Chris Chorley was 25^th (41:01), Joe Hornsey 33^rd (42:22), Tom Pullinger 35^th (42:31), Terry Garrity 42^nd (43:34), Marcus Sladden 46^th (44:01), John Wharton 50^th (44:35), and David Spashett 59^th (45:49). Helen Hornsey was the first female Black Dog Runner in 60^th (45:55). Nigel Gilham was 64^th (46:49), Bobbie Sauerzapf 69^th (47:55), Neil Thomas 77^th (49:37), Hazel Garrity 81^st (51:39), Christine Muttitt 83^rd (53:37), Annette Manning 85^th (53:50) with Judy Potter right behind in 86^th (54:16). Karen Gedge, the new Club Captain was 92^nd (57:28), Robin Farrar 94^th (57:44), Bob Jack 100^th (63.16), Douglas Gladwin 102^nd (65:36), Katy James 103^rd (65:46) and Maggie Flatt 104^th (69:02)

Gorleston Parkrun   -  31 July 2010

Four Black Dogs competed in this Saturday morning 5k. Kieran McMorran was 2nd in a new course age record of 17:52. 3rd was John White in 18:07. Marcus Sladden was 10th in a new pb of 20:54 and Karen McMorran was 45th on 26:33 out of a field of 77 runners.

RNLI Summer Sprint - Snetterton 30 July 2010

On this Friday evening, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute held a Summer Sprint 10km race around Snetterton Race Circuit. Three Black Dogs competed but there were no official results. Chris Chorley finished in 40:26, Bobbie Sauerzapf 47:00 and Bob Jack in 63:45

Watford 1,500m  -  28 July 2010

Three Black Dogs ran the 1500m race at Watford on 28th July.

Kieran McMorran continued his good form to finish in a PB of 4:46 John White was close behind in 4:51 and Marcus Sladden returning from injury still managed a PB in 5:19.

The 30 Mile Ultra Downland Challenge  -  Clayton, Sussex 25 July 2010

Black Dog Runner Ian Taylor took part in the Downland 30 Mile Ultra Challenge on Sunday July 25^th. Runners had to make their own way using orienteering instructions. The tough route was along the South Downs Way from Clayton to Southease, between Lewes and Newhaven, before returning to Clayton. The course included over 2,500 feet of ascents and descents with some gradients as steep as 1 in 3 and on the Sussex downs. With the hot day adding to the conditions, Ian was pleased to finish in 5:13:18 in 38th place out of 108.

Littleport 10k - 25 July 2010

Two Black Dogs competed in a field of 118 runners in this multi-terrain event. Chris Chorley was 24^th (43:05 ), and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 61^st (50:02).

Gorleston Cliffs Parkrun 5k  -  24 July 2010

Chris Chorley was 8^th in 21:15 and Bobbie Sauerzapf 24th in 24:46. There were 63 finishers.

Hove Parkrun 5k - 24 July 2010

Ian Taylor ran another Park Run 5k in Hove Park finishing 12th out of 247 in 19:18 seconds (2nd MV45) AG 73.49%

Worstead Festival 5m - 23 July 2010

On a pleasant  Friday evening, five Black Dogs ran this race. First home was Chris Chorley in 32:42 (45th). Bobbie Sauerzapf was 137^th (39:27) and Philip Neave 180^th (43:11). Bruce Rayner and Karen Waters finished together in 217^th and 218^th (46:14). There were 251 finishers.

Gt. Yarmouth Performance Meet - 22 July 2010

14 Black Dogs attended this event. First up was the U11 Long Jump: 2nd Luke Spear 3.71m.  5th Archie Winter 3.28m.  6th Jake Sewell 3.13m. 8th Campbell McMorran 2.90m. 11th Nathan Oldman 2.59m.

 Amy Spear was 15th in the U11 Girls Long Jump (1.91m).

 In the 3,000m, Kieran McMorran ran extremely well to finish 4th in 10:00.6.  5th was John White, fading fast after pacing Kieran during the early part of the race and finishing in 10:33.5. Darrell Oldman was 9th in 11:23.8 closely followed by Ted Oldman (10th) in 11:25.1 and Lynn Emmett (11th) in 11:33.1. Stephen Oldman brought up the rear (16th) to finish in a time of 14:07.2

 In the U11 Boys 600m, Luke Spear won in a time of 1:53. Potential new member Archie Winter was 3rd in 2:07.5, Jake Sewell 5rd (2:16.4), Campbell McMorran 7th (2:30.3), and Nathan Oldman 9th (2:23.6).

In the girls U11 600m,  Amy Spear unfortunately slipped  and fell over on the start line.  Lucy Emmett stopped to help her and paced her back into the race. Lucy finally finishing in 9th (2:37.2) and Amy in 10th (2:40.7) Hollie Sewell also ran well to finish in 3:05.6 (13th).

In the 80m U11 Sprints: Holly Sewell 6th Heat 1: 16.3. Amy Spear 4th Heat 2: 14.6

Boys U11 80m: Luke Spear  1st Heat 1: 12.7  Archie Winter 4th Heat 1: 13.8

Nathan Oldman 5th Heat 1: 14.7 Jake Sewell 4th Heat 2: 14.4  Campbell McMorran 5th Heat 2: 14.4

The Fairland Valley Challenge 26.4 mile Trail Run  -  Stevenage 21 July 2010

This predominantly off-road event  involves tracks and field paths and negotiating stiles, kissing gates and fences. Unlike road runs there are no helpful marshals to direct runners at every junction. and they have to follow a route description.  In the case of FVC this comprises 4 pages of A4 and is quite detailed ("Turn left on bridleway. At barrier go through and turn immediately right on forest track. At road turn left". Except turn left will be TL etc). Route description reading and interpretation is quite an art, especially for those who travel at speed. Also unlike road races, runners carry a tally card which must be stamped at each of a number of checkpoints. Checkpoints also provide drinks (squash as well as water and, on some events, even cups of tea) and FOOD. FVC is famed for its homemade bread pudding (though after the fifth bit...). Other events supply sandwiches and rice pudding! Many runners also run with a small rucksack to carry essentials such as map and compass, waterproof top and water.
The route for this event starts and finishes in Stevenage. Stevenage is a classic new town-lots of small houses and nowhere to park you car. The countryside around is lovely and in July is quite Mediterranean. The run takes in some pretty villages and a pub and is well worth the trek. Three Black Dogs took part and all finished in a time of 4 :39 !
Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf started at 9:30 on the slow runners start while Ian Taylor started with the real runners at 10.00 so the three only met at the end of the event (at the burger and tea area. All for free too). Chris and Bobbie, having done the event several times in the past, could recall most of the route and didn't have to read the words too often! Ian had a lot of reading to do and that probably explains the times. A conservative estimate is that terrain, obstacles, checkpoints and route finding probably add a good hour and a half to a normal road race time.

Mikes Groves Run  -  Coltishall 14 July 2010

A lovely evening run through one of the prettiest parts of Norfolk. An odd distance because it was one of Mike Groves' training runs (3.63 miles). Mike was knocked down and killed while running some years ago. Subsequently his family set up Coltishall Jaguars running club. A very friendly race and excellent tea and cake afterwards. Proceeds all go to the Childrens' Hospice.
10th Chris Chorley 23.54. 24th Richard Dye 25.10. 41st Bobbie Saurzapf 28.18. There were 88 finishers.

RAF Marham 10 mile  -  11th July 2010

3 Black Dogs ran this hot & windy race which must be the and the only running event in this country, with armed guards! Chris Chorley was 22nd in 1:10:49 and Adam Craske managed an impressive 1:12:15 (25th). Bobbie Sauerzapf was 60th in 1:22:41. There was no cake afterwards, but RAF bacon butties are more than passable.

Lord Mayor's  5k City Centre Classic - Norwich 10 July 2010

Up and coming Junior Black Dog Runner Kieran McMorran competed in this prestige event around Norwich City Centre in front of an estimated  50,000 crowd. In  an elite field of 81 runners ( all much older than him), Kieran ran extremely well  to finish in 35th place beating his personal best by over 30 seconds to come home in 17:49.

Great Bentley Friday 5  -  9 July 2010

On a hot and humid evening 2 Black Dogs travelled to Essex to this enjoyable event on a flat & fast course. Chris Chorley was 71st in 33:34 and Bobbie Sauerzapf managed 39:48 (211th and 1st in her age group). There were 376 finishers.

Newmarket 10k  -  4 July 2010 

Chris Chorley finished in 23rd place in 43:45 and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 57th in 49:26. There were 105 finishers (and excellent cake)

Gorleston Cliffs Parkrun 5k - 3 July 2010

Bobbie Sauerzapf  finished in 23.59. Why don't more BBDRC do this one-it is free!

Birmingham Black Country Half Marathon - 3 July 2010

Two Black Dogs travelled to Birmingham to participate in the Birmingham Black Country Half Marathon which started at Wolverhampton and followed the old industrial canals for 13 miles to the centre of Birmingham. The 1000+ runners were sent off separately in waves along the narrow and scenic canal footpaths. It was another hot day of 25ºc which saw 40 runners drop out. Of the 997 finishers, Neil Thomas finished in 423^rd (2:00:01) and Bob Jack with a pulled muscle from the previous Broome 10km reached the end in 966^th (3:01:20).

Ryston Runners 5m - Downham Market 1 July 2010

There was a new route this year, taking in some excellent tracks and lanes. Much more peaceful for the nerves than the old route along the A10! Race is named after one of Ryston Runner's founders, the late Bob Hancock. Two of his brothers attended the race; one
won his age category, the other presented the prizes. All those finishing in under 30 minutes receive a special memento-a Hancock Hare.
Chris Chorley finished in 34:30 (23rd). Bobbie Sauerzapf was 61st in 40:51 and Philip Neave 72nd in 43:47
By curious happenstance our intrepid threesome had race numbers 7, 8 and 9.

Broome 10k (2) - 30 June 2010

The second Bungay Black Dog Summer Series 10km event took place in Broome on a pleasant Wednesday June 30th evening. Once again, Robert Chenery of the Ipswich Jaffa club was first home of the 101 finishers in an impressive time of 35:36. Ian Taylor was the first of 23 Black Dog Runner to finish in 8^th position (40:13). Robbie James was 20^th (41:51), Chris Chorley 25^th (42:17), Joe Hornsey 32^nd (43:15), and Terry Garrity 40^th (44:24).Helen Hornsey was the first Black Dog female home in 49^th (46:03) ahead of Nigel Gilham 56^th (48:53), David Punt 64^th (50:40), and Bobbie Sauerzapf 66^th (50:52) who led in a host of female runners: Hazel Garrity 72^nd (52:49), Sarah Connellan (In her very first 10k) 73^rd (53:42), Christine Muttitt 77^th (54:53) and Karen Gedge 79^th (56:36). Robin Farrar was 81^st (57:58), David Lines 83^rd (58:44), Karen McMorran 84^th (58:54), Stephanie Whyte 86^th (58:55), Sue Potter 90^th (61:29), Louise Sewell 94^th (65:22), Jacques Groen 96^th (65:30), Rob Donovan 97^th (65:42), Katy James 98^th (66:29) and Bob Jack 100^th (70:20).

Humpty Dumpty 10k - Reedham 27 June 2010

The hottest day of the year so far on Sunday June 27th, did not deter 366 runners from completing the Humpty Dumpty 10km in Reedham, Norfolk, though there were quite a few drop outs from the soaring heat. Ian Taylor of the Bungay Black Dog Runners excelled himself with a time of 41:38 and 33rd position. He led 9 other Black Dogs home including Chris Chorley, 49th (43:59), Richard Dye, 80th (46:06), Bobbie Sauerzapf, 179th (53:12) and David Punt 2 seconds behind in 53:14 (180th). Neil Thomas was 198th (54:42), Phillip Neave, 223rd (56:10), Karen Gedge, 238th (57:32), Robin Farrar 277th (61:01) and Bob Jack, 358th (74:14). Sponsored by the Humpty Dumpty Brewery, their post race beers were very welcome in the sun. Three Black Dogs travelled to the race by the scenic route. They parked at the ferry and walked the one mile to Race HQ. Afterwards they strolled back and experienced a calm crossing of the river. They were disappointed not to find any Duty Free shop.

Gorleston Cliffs Parkrun 5k - 26 June 2010

Bobbie Sauerzapf managed an excellent time of 25:14

Bury Friday 5m - 25 June 2010

Two Black Dogs took part in this Friday 5. Chris Chorley was 59th (33:29), followed by Bobbie Sauerzapf in 214th (41:39). There were 335 finishers.

Wroxham 5k (2) - 23 June 2010

Race 2 of the Wroxham 5km Summer series took place on a baking Wednesday evening. Of the 228 finishers, Chris Chorley was 52nd (20:23), Bobbie Sauerzapf 141st (24:52), Philip Neave 158th (25:56) and Bob Jack 211th (31:15).

Huntingdon 10k - 20 June 2010

An unplanned clash of dates meant that on 20th June, when the rest of the club were attempting the marathon duathlon record, Tom Pullinger and
Jon Wiles took part in the Huntingdon 10k. The route was undulating and largely off road, but Jon Wiles finished with a PB of 42:55 and Tom Pullinger, also a PB of 44:01 (32nd and 44th out of 345 respectively).

Club Duathlon/Marathon  -  20 June 2010

Bungay Black Dog Runners Club Captain John Wharton, who is standing down after 15 years, organised a unique event for its members – a marathon with a difference. The idea was that eight ‘Dualathlon’ teams of three had to complete 30 miles by running and cycling. Two runners would do a mile each followed by a cyclist doing 2.75 miles. This was repeated 6 times for each team member. Just to make it harder, five additional ‘Triathlon’ teams just had two members whereby they had to both run and cycle to make up the mileage. The event was held at the Maltings Sports Centre in Ditchingham with transition zones and rules in operation.
The three fastest teams were Triathlete teams. Robbie James/Bruce Rayner came home first in 2:30 mins, followed by Terry Garrity/Gavin Cole in 2:41 and Karen Gedge/Lynn Emmett in 2:48:30. The fastest Duathlon teams were Richard Dye/Nigel Edge/Sally Nicholls in 2:53, Ian Ash/Neil Thomas/Helen Hornsey in 2:58 and Joe Hornsey/David Lines/Katy James in 2:59:14.
Other team results in time order were: Roland Shaw/Sue Potter 2:48:41, Darrell Oldman/Stephanie Whyte  2:57, Chris Chorley/Karen Waters 2:57:40, Mark Lowther/Sue Lowther/Hazel Garrity 2:59:29, Christine Muttitt/Janice Wharton/Ian Taylor 3:01, Bobbie Sauerzapf/Carol Maycock/Judy Potter/Doug Gladwin 3:07, Bob Jack/Natalie Whyte/Colin Whale 3:11:02 and Paul Seary/John Wharton and Bob Paul in 3:11:22. The marshalls did a great job organising the competitors and ensuring their safety on the local roads.

Gorleston Cliffs Parkrun 5k  -    19 June 2010

Gale force head winds whipped sand into the faces of the 76 participants inthe latest of the weekly parkruns. The conditions meant that all finishing
times were slow but also meant that the post-race tea tasted nicer. Ian Taylor was 5th in 20:25 and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 34th in 26:01. In 75th place was Margaret Burton in 49:22 (YES! Margaret's first competitive outing in seven years...whooo hooo!!!), well in front of Roy Burton and Hugo 55:16 (76th) (Roy said they visited every lamp post andtalked to every dog on the way round).

Wymondham 10m  -  13 June 2010

Only 3 Black Dogs took part in this annual race which has been moved to a town centre start. In previous years the race has been held at nearby Hethel, close to Lotus engineering.  The new location, starting from Wymondham town centre, seemed to have been off-putting to runners as the field was only 110 strong.  However, most regional running clubs had sent representatives and there was a strong field with seven runners finishing the ten miles within the hour.  Although the weather was a bit brisk waiting on the start line they were ideal for running. The route takes runners into little villages such as Deopham which are reminiscent for those who tried the 20 miler earlier in the spring. First home was Chris Chorley in 1:09:52 (22nd). Next was David Gilbert  in 1:19:46 (51st) and finally Bobbie Sauerzapf in 1:22:47 (62nd). There were 110 finishers.

Stowmarket 5m (Off Road)  -  11 June 2010

Race 3 in the 5 mile series was two laps of beautiful Haughley Park. Chris Chorley was 71th (35:24) just beating teammate, Joe Hornsey who was 84th (35:59). Helen Hornsey was 160th (40:10) and Bobbie Sauerzapf was 215th (42:59). There were 309 finishers.</p>

Woodhall Spa 10k - 6 June 2010

Bungay Black Dog Running Club organised a minibus with 18 members travelling to Lincolnshire for the day. 13 Black Dogs competed in this popular 10k in a finishing field of 995 runners. It was a damp & humid day and the slight drizzle in the second half of the race was of little effect. John White pipped Ian Taylor at the finish by one second, with a time of 38:47 (38th) being 4th in his age group of M45. Ian was 39th in 38:48 and 5th in the same age group. Robbie James was disappointed with 42:19 (101st) due to a recurring hamstring strain. Adam Craske, one of our newer members, managed 42:46 (116th) followed a minute later by Richard Dye in 43:47 (140th). Club Captain John Wharton was close behind in 44:35 (165th). Nigel Gilham was next in 46:29 (240th) and 30 seconds later David Gilbert finished in 46:59 (261st). Junior runner Marcus Sladden, in only his second 10k race, managed 50:24 (414th). The sole Black Dog female Sally Nicholls had a good race in 55:06 (602nd) and Robin Farrar improved on his recent times with 57:21 (693rd). Jacques Groen & April Groen Ran the course together in April's first race, they finished in 67:38 (937th)
In the 3 mile fun run Kieran McMorran had a fantastic race, to finish second out of a large field in 16:30.

Kirton 5m - 4 June 2010

The Ipswich Friday 5 mile series has been taking place recently. Race 2 took place with 419 competitors at Kirton just outside Felixstowe on Friday 4th June. This is a lovely rural route, with burger and tea (or beer) at the finish and "exuberant" race commentators made for a memorable evening. Bungay Black Dog runner Chris Chorley was 78th in 33:35, while Bobbie Sauerzapf was 269th in 40:47.

Broome 10k(1) - 2 June 2010

The 1st Black Dog Summer Series 10k race took place at Broome on a balmy Wednesday June 2nd evening. Robert Chenery of the Ipswich Jaffa club was first home of the 96th finishers in an impressive time of 35:39. Ian Taylor was the first of 16 Black Dog Runner to finish in an excellent 6th position (38:51). Chris Chorley and Robbie James battled it out between themselves to finish in 23rd (42:07) and 24th (42:11) respectively. Joe Hornsey was a minute behind them in 29th position (43:13). Club Captain John Wharton was 41st (45:12) ahead of the first Black Dog female Helen Hornsey 49th (46:47) and 4th woman overall. Neil Thomas was 57th (49:29) leading in a brace of Black Dog Runners who were Colin Whale 61st (50:20), Bobbie Sauerzapf 62nd (51:04), Gavin Cole 65th (51:57), Christine Muttitt 67th and first in her age group FV55 (52:22), followed by Sue Lowther 70th (53:32). Robin Farrar just pipped the hour mark in 82nd (59:18), with Rob Donovan,returning after injury, 87th (65:31), Bob Jack 90th, (67:22) and Katy James 92nd (67:29).

Hove ParkRun 5k - 29 May 2010

Ian Taylor remains a big fan of the ParkRun 5k events and set a new P.B. on 29th May in Hove Park. He finished 12th out of 301 runners in 18:49. He was the second in his VM45-49 age category and achieved an Age Grading percentage of 75.38%.

Wroxham 5k (1) - 26 May 2010

The first of three Wroxham 5km summer races took place on Wednesday May 26th. The mild evening encouraged a large field of 281 competitors including six Bungay Black Dog Runners. The race was won by Nick Earl of City of Norwich AC in 15 minutes 16 seconds. Chris Chorley kept up his consistency as the first Black Dog Runner home in 75th (20:00). He was followed by, Junior member,Chris Rogers 173rd (24:21), Philip Neave 187th (25:07), Bobbie Sauerzapf 190th (25:12), Alison Rogers 263rd (31:41) and Bob Jack 266th (31:57).

Oxford Town & Gown 10k - 16 May 2010

After a lengthy lay off and not too much training Rob Donovan competed in this popular 10k charity event. He finished in 1:04:16 and was 2,246th out of a finishing field of 2,647 runners.

Dereham 10m - 16 May 2010

The Black Dogs fielded their Marathon team for the Dereham 10 mile race Unseasonably chilly weather helped many runners to achieve good times over the pretty rural course. Being the Norfolk county championships a large and competitive field was ensured. The positions were as follows: 41 Chris Chorley 68:05 (fresh from Halstead Marathon); 69 Richard Dye 72:31 (fresh from London Marathon); 142 Bobbie Sauerzapf 81:22 (Halstead Marathon); 159 Neil Thomas 83:24 (Belfast Marathon); 231 Philip Neave 98:18; 232 Jacques Groen 99:27. There were 246 finishers

Luxembourg Marathon - 15 May 2010

Ian Taylor ran the Luxembourg Marathon on Saturday 15th May which is dubbed "The Night Run" due to its 6pm race start. The suspension of the Eurotunnel service following a train breakdown and its subsequent resumption with half speed running, robbed Taylor's coach party of three hours for the 250 mile drive from Calais. Upon arrival in Luxembourg City, marathon road closures meant that the party had to be dropped 2km from the race start. Once they had run the remaining distance and had collected their race numbers and timing chips there was less than 5 minutes to get to the start. The time bands were all full, so the party had to start at the very back of the 5,500+ field behind, not only all of the marathoners, but also those competing in the half marathon and the marathon team relay, taking nearly five minutes to cross the start line. Making full use of grass verges, pavements and service roads Taylor weaved his way through hundreds of slower pace runners, not completing the first 10km until 47:22 and was halfway at 1:38:32. The second half was less congested and he managed to salvage a chip time of 3:26:14 (169th male, 173rd overall) out of a total of 1,057 finishers (919 males 138 females). The course itself was far more interesting than in 2009 with long sections of "out and back" through anonymous business districts replaced by a visit to part of Le Grund (the gorge which runs through Luxembourg City) and more sections through city parks. It is a pity the choatic journey robbed him of his rightful position on the start line as conditions were perfect. All the same it was a good performance given that it was his sixth marathon in eight weeks.

Great Yarmouth 5 mile Series (3) - 12 May 2010

The final race of the Gt. Yarmouth 5 mile series took place on a pleasant Wednesday evening, and with a stiff northerly breeze to assist the runners on the final 1½ miles down the seafront. 11 Black Dogs were amongst a good field of 210 finishers. Chris Chorley came home first in 33:28 (62nd), with Robbie James half a minute behind in 33:59 (68th). Both John Wharton and Nigel Gilham improved on their two previous race times finishing in 35:30 (81st).and 36:57 (111th) respectively. Colin Whale was next in 39:32 (142nd) followed by Bobbie Sauerzapf, the first Black Dog female, in 40:11 (149th). Karen Gedge managed 43:20 (170th) and Philip Neave was 186th in 44:51. Newcomer Steph Whyte had an improved time of 45:04 (188th) closely followed by her sister, Natalie Whyte in 45:58 (193rd), just beating Robin Farrar, knocking a further 1½ minutes off his time for the second race, in 46:28 (198th).
Full Series Results

Halstead Marathon - 9 May 2010

This race is really popular amongst hardened Marathon runners with plenty of 100 Marathon Club participants. It is both the Essex county championships and the championships for the Road Running Club so attracts a large and highly competitive field. It remains a friendly club event though and the less able runners are also welcome. The route takes runners through lovely green lanes in north Essex. In May the countryside looks particularly fine with every shade of green imaginable and vast swaths of brilliant yellow oil seed rape. First home was Paul Molyneux in 2:29:19 . BBDRC were represented by Chris Chorley who was 80th in 3:24:43 and Bobbie Sauerzapf, competing in yet another marathon, in 3:58:30 (269th). There were 508 finishers.

Blackpool 10k - 9 May 2010

Bob Jack participated in the popular Blackpool 10k dressed as a Middle Eastern gentleman complete with headwear and gown. Over 4000 runners took part, many in fancy dress. A rather hot Bob finished in 67 mins.

Suffolk County Championships - 9 May 2010

Junior Black Dog, Kieran McMorran competed in the 1,500m at the Suffolk County Championships. Kieran did well to hold back from the suicidal early pace and finished with a 10 second PB of 4:54 in 4th place.

Gorleston Park Cliff Run 5k - 8 May 2010

Black Dog Junior Sarah Connellan took part in the Gorleston Park Cliff Run 5k, slashing nearly one minute off her PB, finishing in 25:52 and 3rd female overall.

Belfast Marathon - 3 May 2010

After a scare with the ‘volcanic ash’ crisis in the previous month, Neil Thomas was relieved to fly on time. Belfast compared to his last marathon in Jersey was very different and is still a city ‘troubled’ by the past. The marathon course was well supported with plenty of water stations, although the 15,000 ‘Relay runners’ somewhat hampered the ‘full ones’. He reached halfway in 2:04 mins and felt strong up until 24 miles. The last 2 miles took 23 mins, but Neil was pleased to finish in 4:14:24 (1249th of 2583 finishers). After a few celebratory pints in the evening with a couple of old pals, he was stunned to receive a phonecall regarding new flight chaos, but since his flight was in the afternoon, he fared better than his friends who endured two more nights and then a 17 hour journey via trains and ferry to get back to Wales.

The Bespak Great East Anglia Run 10k - Kings Lynn 2 May 2010

Three Black Dogs ran in a field of 1,500 entrants. This totally flat course threaded its way through the town centre, along by the river and back, finishing in the town square. Jon Wiles was first to finish in a Personal Best of 43.04 (162nd), followed by Tom Pullinger in 44.50 (232nd ) and Philip Neave in 58.23 (994th ).

The Three Forts Challenge - Worthing 2 May 2010

This an event is known as "The Tough One". It is a race of 27.2 miles almost entirely off road and involving 3,450 feet of ascents and descents starting at Worthing, West Sussex and it visited the peaks in the Sussex Downs known as Cissbury Ring, Devils Dyke and Chanctonbury Ring, all ancient forts. Black Dog Runner Ian Taylor accepted the 2010 Challenge on May 2nd and was the 28th of 162 finishers in a time of 4:08:04. The winning time by comparison was 3:13:24. Despite the arduous nature of the course, he felt he performed well especially as it was his fifth marathon in six weeks.

Great Yarmouth 5 mile Series (2) - 28 April 2010

Twelve Bungay Black Dogs took part in the 2nd of the Yarmouth 5 mile races on an evening that was beginning to cool,with a head wind on the finishing straight as usual. As this race was a Grand Prix event there was a good turnout of 210 runners and John White was first Black Dog in a time of 31:16 in 41st place. Chris Chorley was 56th in 33:10 and John Wharton had a good race to finish in 36:12 (98th). He was closely followed by Bruce Rayner in 36:41 (106th). Nigel Gilham was next home in 37:51 (119th). The first Black Dog female, as usual, was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 40:56 (151st), having run Bungay and London Marathons in the last two weeks. Karen Gedge who had also run in London 3 days ago was 172nd in 43:53. Steph Whyte, running her first Great Yarmouth 5 miler had an excellent time of 44:57 (181st). She was closely followed by Philip Neave and her sister Natalie Whyte who finished in 184th place & 190th in 45:17 and 45:47 respectively. Karen Waters was next in 46:58 (197th) and finally, Robin Farrar who despite completing a ½ Marathon and also a full Marathon, in the space of 5 days, the previous week, managed to knock a minute of his time, from the first race, finishing in 48:04 (199th).

Virgin London Marathon - 25 April 2010

Eight Bungay Black Dogs competed in the 30th London Marathon. Ian Taylor completing his fourth marathon in five weeks finished in 3:29:25 (4,378th) and Richard Dye came 6,188th in 3:40:25. First female Black Dog to finish was Bobbie Sauerzapf in an excellent time of 3:51:11 (8,435th) being 77th in her age group having ran Bungay Marathon back to back. Joe Hornsey came home in 4:14:56 (14,693rd) and Karen Gedge ran an excellent race in 4:41:32 (21,846th). Christine Muttitt running her second London Marathon managed 4:45:30 (22,825th) and was a creditable 63rd in her age group.Gill Petts-Hannant came home in 5:37:43 (32,149th) and Paul Seary in his first marathon was 32,593rd in 5:42:54.

Gorleston Parkrun - 17 April 2010

Parkrun is a free 5km time trial every Saturday morning.These are held throughout the country, and locally at Gorleston Cliffs. Folks run, jog or walk so it is truly something for everyone. 17th April was the first year anniversary run, so fancy dress, funny hats and cake were on offer. Five Black Dogs took part and 14 year old junior runner Kieran McMorran attained 2nd place overall in a time of 18:35 (an age category course record). In 23rd place was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 24:00. Up and coming Junior, Sarah Connellan finished 35th in 26:55 closely followed by Karen McMorran 38th in 27:10. Brenda Bennett, who only started running in January and is training hard for Race for Life was 80th in 38:27.

Great Yarmouth 5 mile Series (1) - 14 April 2010

On the Wednesday evening, Great Yarmouth Road Runners held the first of their annual mid week series 5 mile races with the next two races being held on 28th April & 12th May. 11 Black Dogs took part in a good field of 166 with John White first back for Bungay in 30:57 in 28th place. Chris Chorley followed in 32:46 (44th) with John Wharton taking 81st place in 35:49. Bruce Rayner was 92nd in 37:04. First Black Dog female was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 37:51 (99th) Next was Nigel Gilham who finished in 38:14 in 102nd position. Karen Gedge came home in 42:40 (128th) and Philip Neave in 43:53. Natalie Whyte in her first ever race at Great Yarmouth was 146th in 46:19 with Karen Waters hot on her heels in 46:22 (147th) Robin Farrar finished in 157th place in a time of 49:10.

Paris Marathon - 11 April 2010

Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor was amongst 30,815 finishers in the Paris Marathon on Sunday 11th April. The route took runners past many famous locations including Place de la Concorde, Musée du Louvre, Place de la Bastille, the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The course also included two wonderful long sections through Le Bois de Vincennes and Le Bois de Boulogne, two of the most famous city parks, and several miles alongside the River Seine. There were also two underpasses to run through, which are not usually available to pedestrians. Temperatures were significantly warmer than when he ran in 2009 hence he took a few minutes longer this time. All the same he felt he ran very well and finished in 1,567th place in a time of 3:05:55.
On 3rd April he knocked a further nine seconds off of his 5k race time in another ParkRun in Hove Park, Sussex. He finished 11th out of 187 in 18:51.

Roger Wing Memorial 10K – 2 April 2010

Organizers of the Roger Wing Good Friday Charity 10km and Fun Run had set themselves a tough task at this year’s event, which was to better the 2009 entry and total, donated to the chosen charity. For 2010 the charity was CANCER RESEARCH UK.
This year Norfolk & Suffolk 4X4 Emergency Response assisted in the organization. Without doubt the management of this event was greatly enhanced by their presence. Their knowledge, logistic skills, vehicles & radio communications certainly gave the event a far greater professional image. Fortunately they were not needed for any emergency procedures, but carrying out their duties to the high standard that they did, for certain aided the smooth running of the event. St John Ambulance were also in attendance in case of any medical needs. As in all events that they attend they did an excellent job, for which the club is very grateful.
The arranged road closure on the Fun Run Course and for the start & finish area of the 10k race added to the safety of the event as well as giving everything a more carnival feel. This would have caused some inconvenience to the villagers of Broome, but they all seemed happy with the arrangements. The organizers would like to extend their thanks to these people for being so tolerant on a morning when the village was taken over by more than 300 runners. The weather was much better than forecast and there were 71 finishers in the One Mile Fun Run (59 last year). The majority of the runners were young children & it was really inspiring to see so many young people enjoying the run. All competitors received a small cream egg at the finish.
The 10km race also had a record number of runners finish (228) and was started by the area manager of CANCER RESEARCH UK Paul Fleet. He thanked the runners for their efforts in raising research money. The runners were then off out towards Hales Green where they then turned and returned by the same way. The course which is traditionally a fast one was not at its easiest with a swelling wind making it difficult for the runners. The 10k event was of such a high standard that the times of the first six would at most years events have been a winning time. First home was Darren Fowle of Norwich Road Runners in 33:08. The race for second place was particularly hard fought with the sprint finish only being decided by one second with Paul Higham of Norwich Road Runners managing 33:48, and Mazeyar Firouzi of Cambridge Triathlon Club 33:49. The full results of the 10K race and the Fun Run can be found on the Results Page of this website.
An impressive field of 29 Black Dog Runners were involved. First home was Simon Blackburn in 27th place in an outstanding time of 40:51. Chris Chorley was only a minute behind in 42:00 (41st). Richard Dye was a further minute behind in 43:01 (47th ), closely followed by Roland Shaw in 43:11 (48th). Darrell Oldman was 54th in 44:17,and Tom Pullinger came home in 44:52 (60th),with David Spashett on his heels in 63rd place (45:03). Junior member Marcus Sladden, in his first race, was 76th in 46:50 and David Gilbert 83rd in 47:29. Helen Hornsey was the first Black Dog lady home in 47:47 (87th) alongside Joe Hornsey 88th (47:48). Robbie James was 112th in 49:14 having jogged the first half in 29mins and ran the second half some 9 mins faster. Neil Thomas was 114th (49:19), Bobbie Sauerzapf, 115th (49:26), Gavin Cole, 120th (50:20), Colin Whale, 132nd (51:37), Bob Paul, 142nd (53:00), Alison Morton, 148th (53:24), Patricia Hagan, 164th (55:01), Paul Seary, 173rd (55:24), Sue Lowther, 179th (56:08), Louise Jordan, 187th (57:08) and Steph Whyte, 188th (57:40). Three Black Dog Runners finished together. These were Karen Waters, Bruce Rayner and Steve Cant in 197th (59:05). Robin Farrar was 204th (59:37), Sue Potter, 207th (60:31), and Katy James, 223rd (67:04)
In the Fun Run, William Oldman was the first Junior Black Dog runner home in 5th (6:49), immediately followed by Marcus Sladden, 6th (6:51).Ellis Pullinger was 8th (6:57) and Sarah Connellan was the first female Black Dog Junior in 13th (7:16), just in front of Lucy Emmett, 14th (7:18). Campbell McMorran was 17th (7:34), Nathan Oldman 24th, (8:09), Dave Lines 28th, (8:25),Fredo Trudgill-Barra 52nd, (9:28), and Peter Lowther 61st (10:57). Sarah Golder and Rhiannon Gower finished together in 70th position (12:37).
The total raised from the event is not yet known but organizers are sure that it will exceed the 2009 total of nearly £3,000. The bakers and the tea ladies of the club did an excellent job in raising £326 which will be added to the final total.

Trowse 10k - 4 April 2010

The popular Trowse 10km race took place on Sunday April 4th with 424 finishers. The field included some very accomplished athletes, both local to East Anglia and from farther afield. Four Black Dogs tackled the challenging two lap course which, this year was enjoyed in almost perfect running weather. Adam Craske, a new Black Dog Runner was 93rd in 44:10, closely followed by Chris Chorley, 99th (44:16). Bobbie Sauerzapf achieved 189th position (49:48) and Philip Neave, 334th (57:31).

Coltishall Spring 10k - 28 March 2010

Three Bungay Black Dogs travelled up to Coltishall to run, in a field of 181 runners, in the Spring 10k . Neil Thomas was first home in 49:33 (101st) followed by David Punt in 53:46 (135th) and finally Philip Neave in 58:24 (158th)

Joe Cox Half Marathon Stowmarket - 28 March 2010

Three intrepid BBDRC ventured into the really pretty parts of Mid Suffolk for the Joe Cox Half Marathon. The race is well organised and fits in the pre London marathon schedule well so there was a highly competitive field of over 300. The route is gorgeous, passing some very desirable rural properties. Strangely for a circular course there was a head wind for almost the whole of the race. Good cakes at the finish and the chance to window-shop some splendid ride-on mowers rounded the day off. Chris Chorley attained an excellent time of 1:33:01 (39th) and Bobbie Sauerzapf was the first FV50 in 1:46:14 (133rd), and David Waterman was 177th in 1:52:14

Brighton Trail Marathon - 28 March 2010

Ian Taylor ran in the inaugural Brighton Trail Marathon on Sunday 28th March which was so tough it made the hills he encountered the previous weekend during the Hastings Half seem like mere pimples! All races involving the Sussex Downs are tough and this marathon was on a par with the Beachy Head Marathon. Having had experience of training and racing in the Downs, Taylor took great care not to expend too much energy in the opening miles and held fourth place for many miles. The route was 90% off road but also visited the villages of Telscombe, Falmer and Rottingdean before finishing on the seafront near Brighton Marina. Taylor remained strong throughout and was pleased to finish in 7th place out of about 200 runners in a time of 3:58:06. This was a good time for such a tough course containing many strenuous climbs, a number of perilous descents and mud which loosened the sole of of one of his trail shoes! Weather conditions were ideal with little wind, which was fortunate giving how exposed the Sussex Downs are. As a warm up he ran another 5k ParkRun in Hove Park the day before where he also finished in 7th place out of 172 runners in 19:00, a new PB for this event, and an age grading of 74.65%

Cotswold Marathon - Gloucestershire 21 March 2010

Based on the village of Temple Guiting, 6 miles from Stow-on-the Wold this is new on the race calendar. A very scenic 3 lap course takes the runners on an undulating (translates to hilly) route in the Cotswolds countryside with fantastic views followed by a 3 mile downhill section which after the third lap, begins to tell on the legs. Intrepid Black Dog runners Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf made light of the "undulations" and both recorded excellent times. Out of a finishing field of 85, Chris came 28th in 3:47:29 and Bobbie was only 10 minutes behind in 3:57:38 (36th).

Reading Half Marathon - 21 March 2010

Jon Wiles and Tom Pullinger were just 2 of 18,000 entrants (12,300 finishers) in the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday 21st March. An unexpectedly warm day and a very crowded route made for a difficult race and Tom and Jon both crossed the line in 1:44:25 which was a PB for Tom. The very well supported course with water, lucozade and even beer and jelly baby stations finished inside Reading FC's Madjeski Stadium where Tom and Jon finished in 2842 and 2845 places respectively

Broadland Half Marathon - 21 March 2010

More locally, Karen Gedge and Bob Jack competed in the popular and scenic Broadland Half Marathon at South Walsham, Norfolk. The hot, hilly and undulating course had a turnout of 267 runners. Karen, continually improving, finished 214th in 2:03:39 and Bob was 263rd in 2:42:16

Hastings Half Marathon - 21 March 2010

Regarded by many as the best half marathon in the UK, Ian Taylor competed in the Hastings Half Marathon in East Sussex for the third consecutive year on Sunday 21st March. The course is quite demanding with two short hard climbs within the opening two miles followed by a long continous climb along Queensway which grinds on for two miles. In contrast, the last three miles are totally flat along the promenade between Hastings and St Leonards on Sea. Ideal weather, with no wind, made for a great race and Taylor ran very consistantly with split times at 5 miles of 34:30 and 10 miles of 67:19. With substantial prize money on offer, competition is always tough and Taylor's time of 1:27:54 earned him 131st place out of 3,992 finishers. As a further indicator of Taylor's consistancy in this race, his official times over the last three years have varied by a mere nine seconds! As a warm up, the day before he ran in the 5k Park Run in Hove Park where he finished 12th out of 240 in 19:21. The Gorleston Cliffs Park Run is flatter but very exposed and strong winds on 6th March led to a much extended time of 20:05 but he did finish 3rd out of 64 runners.

Rhayader 20m - 20 March 2010

On Saturday 20th March, Neil Thomas attended his 5th Rhayader 20 Miles ‘Round The Lakes’ Road Race in sunny Wales. He was pleased with a time of 3:07:34 (his second fastest) “which goes to show all those long hard slogs in the rain, snow and ice had paid off”. He reached half way in 1:37 which was really good considering the mountain hill rises endlessly between the 3rd and 6th miles and kept up 9 minutes miles for the second half of the race. He finished 266th out of a field of 395.

Cambridge Boundary Half Marathon - 7 March 2010

Bungay Black Dog Bob Jack returned to Cambridge to compete in the Boundary Half Marathon once again, This race is organised by Cambridge University Hare & Hounds, probably the oldest running club in the world, being founded before 1870. On a pleasant sunny day Bob finished in 2:47.

Wymondham 20 miles - 7 March 2010

It might have been March but the weather was still cold and windy for the 20 mile Wymondham race. This event attracts a very competitive field because it fits nicely in the training schedule for London and other marathons. The race takes runners on a two lap route through the villages of Deopham and Morley before returning to Wymondham via a testing little hill at mile 19.5.
Six Bungay Black Dog Runners braved the elements in a finishing field of 287 runners. Ian Taylor was the first Black Dog home in 2:20:28 (46th), followed by Chris Chorley , some 12½ minutes faster than last year, in 2:33:13 (95th) and Richard Dye, hot on his heels, finishing in 2:34:49 (101st). Bobbie Sauerzapf, 173rd, in a time of 2:50:18 (5 minutes faster this year) led the other two ladies home. Christine Muttitt finished in 3:24:04 (251st) and Karen Gedge, who should not have run with such a bad cough and cold, managed 3:37:57 (275th).

Reedham 10 - 28 February 2010

The weather Gods have not been kind to GYDAC this year. The original race was cancelled due to icy roads and the rescheduled date saw one of the wettest days of 2010. The car park and marquee were quagmires and a small army of burly blokes was required to push each car off the football field parking area after the race. Nevertheless, the race still attracted a large field and 194 managed to complete the scenic course. The route takes runners along the Yare at Reedham then off into the countryside along very minor roads. Unfortunately some of these were flooded for their whole width and most runners found that the rising damp met the falling damp as they battled with headwinds and heavy showers. Not a day for PB times but some excellent performances regardless. The race was won by Paul Higham of the Norwich Road Runners in just under an hour and the ladies winner Racheal Leathwood smashed the course record in 1:08:33. This the very same Racheal who took the Bungay Half Marathon record last year.
First home of the 12 Black Dogs who braved the elements, was Jon Wiles in an excellent 31st position 1:11:07. Chris Chorley came 36th in 1:12:06, closely followed by Richard Dye in 1:12:36 (39th). Tom Pullinger finished 49th in 1:14:53 and Nigel Gilham made 82nd in 1:19:37. First lady home was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 1:21:55 (90th) also coming first in her age group.David Waterman was close behind in 1:22:37 (93rd). Neil Thomas was 105th 1:24:07. Colin Whale managed 1:31:40 (140th) and Philip Neave 167th in 1:37:58. Jacques Groen was 168th in 1:38:12 and Gill Petts-Hannant was 172nd in 1:39:01 (Still drying out from her first GER 20k the previous week).

Valentine 10k - Swanton Abbott 14 February 2010

On Sunday February 14th, the Valentine’s 10km took place on the wet and muddy lanes around Swanton Abbott, Norfolk involving 218 competitors. Six Bungay Black Dog Runners took part. Chris Chorley was 38th (42:23), Bobbie Sauerzapf 105th (49:41) and Philip Neave 169th (57:49). Bruce Rayner and Karen Waters ran around together in 176th/177th (58:17) followed by Bob Jack (and Border Collie Rex the Dog) in 211th (65:37).

Suffolk Cross Country Series (5) – Stowmarket 7 February 2010

The last Cross Country race of the season took place in the scenic but taxing Haughley Park at Stowmarket on Sunday February 7th. The Bungay Black Dog Runners had a strong field of seventeen seniors and three junior runners. The star of the day was Kieran McMorran who finished second in the junior race, only 13 seconds behind the winner.
In the five races series prizes, Lynn Emmett won the FV40 and Christine Muttitt the FV60 age groups. Bobbie Sauerzapf was second in the FV50 and Kieran McMorran was joint second in the Boys U15. Roland Shaw was 6th in the MV50 category and Chris Chorley was 8th in the MV45 group. The BBDRC ladies team finished fourth of 11 teams in the ladies series competition. The men's team was 10th and the combined overall position was 9th of 12 teams.
The individual results of the Stowmarket Cross Country were of 169 runners: John White was 44th (38:39), Lynn Emmett 49th, (1st woman) (39:15), Robbie James 54th (38:44), Chris Chorley 65th (40:21), Darrell Oldman 84th (42:01), Roland Shaw 89th (42:38), Helen Hornsey 102th (3rd in her age group) (44:30), and David Gilbert 124th (47:00). David Waterman (47:32), Bobbie Sauerzapf (47:36) and Steve Oldman (48:10) were 131st, 132th and 133rd respectively. Bobbie was also 2nd in her age category. Bruce Rayner was 135th (48:28), Christine Muttitt 144th (first in her age group) (49:56), Colin Whale 155th (52:53), Ken Lawrence 158th (53:43), Sally Nicholls 161st (54:35) and Karen Waters 168th (58:01). In the Junior race of 60 runners, Kieran McMorran was 2nd in 12:20 and first in his age group. Ted Oldman was 29th (14:55) and Ruby Oldman 48th (17:27).

Suffolk Cross Country Series (3) – Bury St. Edmunds 24 January 2010 +1

The third Cross Country race of the season took place in cold conditions at Bury St Edmunds on Sunday January 24th. The Bungay Black Dog Runners had thirteen competitors of which Lynn Emmett was first back in 50th position (2nd woman) in 37:42.
Chris Chorley, Men’s Team Captain was 61st (38:35), Robbie James 63rd, just 9 seconds behind (38:44), Darrell Oldman 80th (40:20), Roland Shaw 84th (40:44), Bruce Rayner 13th (43:31), David Waterman 116th (43:53), David Gilbert 120th (44:24). Bobbie Sauerzapf Women’s Team Captain was 130th (45:36), Christine Muttitt 149th (first in age group) (49:30), Sue Lowther 156th (51:15), Sally Nicholls 159th (51:57) and Karen Waters 163rd (54:48). 167 runners took part.
In the Junior race of 58 runners, Kieran McMorran was 5th in 15:18, Ted Oldman 23rd (18:25), Ruby Oldman 44th (21:40) and William Oldman was 47th (22:33). The Senior Women’s team are now 4th out of the 12 teams, the Senior Men are 10th and overall the Black Dogs are still 9th. The Junior Boys team are 5th and the Junior Girls are 7th out of 11 teams.

Wymondham 10k - 24 January 2010

The rescheduled Wymondham New Year’s Day 10km eventually took place on Sunday January 24th. The thick ice of January 1st had been replaced by a cold day but with excellent running conditions. The winning time was 32:24 by Wayne Lincoln of the City of Norwich Athletic Club. Three Bungay Black Dog Runners took part with the other 257 Competitors. Nigel Gilham was first to finish in an excellent time of 46:40 (90th). Neil Thomas was 119th (49:02) and (over 60) Philip Neave 224th in 60:17.

Club 10k Handicap - Broome 17 January 2010

The Bungay Black Dog Running Club held its annual Club 10km Handicap event in Broome on Sunday 17th January. This had been rescheduled from the previous Sunday when the icy roads made conditions too hazardous to run. With quite a few members currently injured, only 15 runners took part along the sunny yet windy course.
Runners with an official PB time for 2009 and a few novices (with estimated times) were staggered by delayed starts. The idea is that everyone should finish together. The times are based on overall race times (the handicap time plus the actual run time). Katy James, the oldest runner started first and managed to beat her son, Robbie James by 4 seconds and finished first in an overall time of 1:16:41 (race time 1:06:51). Robbie with the fastest PB had started over 25 minutes after his mother (race time 41:45). Tom Pullinger was third in 1:17:00 (race time 45:33). Of the novices, Kieran McMorran, an outstanding Junior runner was first in 1:12:10 (race time 41:54), John White, back from injury, 2nd in 1:13:51 (race time 42:56) and John Wiles 3rd, in 1:16:33 (race time 44:34). Other runners' times were: Paul Seary - 1:17:32 (58:15), Nigel Gilham - 1:17:37 (48:07), Neil Thomas – 1:17:42 (49:50), David Gilbert (Novice) - 1:18:04 (50:05), John Wharton - 1:18:12 (46:46), Bob Paul – 1:19:25 (53:58), Karen Gedge - 1:19:43 (54:37), Roland Shaw - 1:20:10 (48:46) and Bob Jack - 1:30:50 (1:13).

The Les Witton Memorial 10 - Dartford 17 January 2010

Avoiding the Club 10km Handicap, Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf took part in the Les Witton memorial 10 mile race at Dartford on Sunday January 17th. This race is the Kent County Championships and so attracts a large and very competitive field. The erudite sayings of Sven and Paul Gascoigne adorn the walls of the Football club (signwritten, not graffiti) which acts as the start venue . Fortified by these wise words the 920 participants set off at a brisk walk since the start of the race is narrow and gets narrower. The race itself was surprisingly scenic and hilly after the inauspicious start in industrial estate Dartford. The route itself is well marshalled and traffic free in places and gives a good post-Christmas test, especially the hill at mile 9. Well organised and friendly, this is one to do again. Chris was 169th in 1:11:35 and Bobbie was 505th in 1:24:07.