Reports of Races

Great Bentley 5m – 11 July 2008 

Friday evening and another 5 mile series race was held in Great Bentley, just over the Suffolk/Essex border. Amongst the large field of 413 finishers were 3 Black Dogs with Chris Chorley finishing in 33.18 in 94th place. Neil Thomas was next in 38.27 (232nd) with Bobbie Sauerzapf a few seconds behind in 38.48 in 241st place.

Mike Groves 5.85k - Coltishall 9 July 2008 

In torrential rain on Wednesday 9th July 125 hardy runners took part in the Coltishall Jaguars organised Mike Groves Run. The unique race distance of 5.85k took in muddy farm tracks and a steep hill at 5k, nevertheless, Chris Chorley had a excellent race to finish 28th in 24.13 with Bobbie Sauerzapf next for Bungay in 28.08 (70th). Philip Neave was next in 29.47 (80th) with Judy Potter, in her 1st race for a while due to illness, finishing well in 32.46(95th) with husband David Potter just behind in 100th place in 34.34.

The Lord Mayor’s 5k - Norwich 5 July 2008 

The City Centre Classic was run on Saturday evening. This is a very prestigious race and entries include international runners. The premise is that runners have to finish the first lap (2.5k) in under 10 minutes which limits the field. 3 Black Dogs competed in the 69 finishers and John White had an excellent run to gain a pb in a time of 18.01 in 39th overall (8th V40) with Ian Taylor (running his 3rd race in 4 days) finishing in 19.16 (59th, 14th V40) with fast improving Robin Sawyer well inside the cut off point in a time of 19.27 (64th)!

Downham Market 5M - 3 July 2008 

On Thursday evening, 5 Black Dogs competed in the Downham Market 5 mile race with Ian Taylor finishing in 25th place from 170 runners in 31.18, followed by Chris Chorley in 47th place in 33.56. Bobbie Sauerzapf had a good run to finish 12 seconds under the 40min mark in 96th place with Philip Neave in 121st place in 43.48 and David Potter finishing well in 139th place in 48.07

Broome 10k (2) - 2 July 2008  

Close to home on Wednesday 2nd July was the 2nd of the Bungay Black Dog summer series 10k races.
21 Black Dogs took part with John White finishing in 3rd place (2nd V40) in a time of 37.21 with Ian Taylor in 6th place (3rd V40) in 39.16. Steve Barrett was next in 7th place in 39.53 with Robin Sawyer having a very good run to finish in 10th place in a time of 40.36.
Other Black Dog results were Robbie James 12th (42.32), John Wharton 14th (3rd V50, 42.46), Tim Morton 15th (43.25), Gavin Cole 16th (44.13), David Punt 21st (45.27), Nigel Gilham 26th (47.51), Carol Maycock 28th (2nd F V45 48.51), Bob Paul 29th (48.56), Hazel Garrity 32nd (50.12), Robin Farrar 34th (51.50), Karen Gedge 35th(51.53), Lucy Fawbert 37th (52.15), Patricia Hagan 40th (53.36), Sally Nicholls 41st(53.57), Christine Muttitt 43rd (1st F V55, 55.17) Sue Potter 45th (56.22) and Bob Jack 49th(60.37).

The Reedham Humpty Dumpty 10k - 29 June 2008 

The inaugural Reedham "Humpty Dumpty" 10k race took place on Sunday. The very hot & humid conditions took its toll on the runners with 216 finishers. Fortunately, the race was sponsored by a local brewery so there was an opportunity to take part in a brewery tour and free tasting to replenish lost fluids!

Chris Chorley, fully recovered, was the 1st Bungay runner to finish in 42.52 in 35th place with Robbie James next in 40th in a time of 43.28 with Richard Dye breathing down his neck just behind in 43.30 (41st). A rare appearance by Andy Prime saw him finish in 47.06 (71st) with Bobbie Sauerzapf taking 1st FV45 award in 48.34 (87th). Karen Gedge, just recovering from a foot injury, had a good run to finish in 53.39 (137th) with Sally Nicholls a minute behind in 141st. New club member Gill Petts-Hannant chose a taxing course to compete in her 1st road race and was very pleased to finish in 66.55 in 205th place, a good bench mark for future races, well done Gill.

Stowmarket 5m Cross Country - 27 June 2008 

Friday evening was the date for the Stowmarket 5 mile cross country. 356 runners took part in a very scenic run through mature woodland. Robbie James was 1st Black Dog home in 71st place in a time of 34.35 with Neil Thomas next in 162nd in 38.48. Bobbie Sauerzapf & Chris Chorley finished together in 40.12 (198/199th) with Sally Nicholls, in her first race for a while, next in 43.43 (283rd) followed by David Potter in 48.07 (329th). Junior runners Matthew, Sammy & Charlotte James took part in the Junior fun run and all 3 finished well up the field but times/ places were not recorded.

Wroxham 5k (2) - 25 June 2008 

Race 2 of the evening 5k series saw 8 Black Dogs competing amongst the 229 finishers.

John White finished in 14th place in a time of 17.36, slightly slower than he had hoped, with Robbie James next in 20th in a time of 20.12 with Robin Wilson snapping at his heels 1 second behind. Junior runner & youngest in the race, Matthew James, had a really good run to finish in 21.47 in 95th, well done! David Punt, enjoying a period of injury free running, gained his gold award with a time of 21.47 in 99th place. Bobbie Sauerzapf was 1st in the FV45 age group and also gained a pb finishing in 23.17 in 135th with Chris Chorley, recovering from an operation, jogging around in 23.20 in 136th place. Carol Maycock warmed up by cycling 90 miles around Norfolk and then gained 2nd FV45 in a time of 24.06 in 149th place.

The Seaford 10k - 15 June 2008 

Ian Taylor competed in this almost entirely off road 10k which contained the hardest climb he has encountered in any race so far. All races involving the Sussex Downs are demanding but the negotiation of a hill known as "High and Over" involved runners ascending to a height of 100m within a distance of just 350m taking almost five minutes. The arduous nature of the course was reflected in Taylor's finishing time of 43:22 which earned him 15th place out of 143 finishers

Hethel Engineering 10 mile - Wymondham 15 June 2008 

The three Black Dogs who took part in this race would have preferred the day's weather to be reversed as the Sunday morning sultry conditions were found trying by many of the 140 finishers. The course around the scenic country lanes was well marshalled and for Bungay Richard Dye finished in 1.13.04 in 52nd position with Bobbie Sauerzapf taking the honours as 1st Female V45 runner to finish in a very good time of 1.21.54 in 95th place. Despite the heat, V65 runner, Robin Farrar finished strongly to record a time of 1.26.32 in 115th place.

Kirton 5m - 13 June 2008 

Five Black Dogs ran the third leg of the Friday 5 series at Kirton on Friday. The weather was perfect for an evening run and all 427 runners enjoyed the scenic rural course. First Bungay runner was Robbie James 33:57 in 97th place with Andy Prime next in 37:50(202nd) with Bobbie Sauerzapf just behind in 38:31(220th). Neil Thomas had a good run to break the 40 minute mark finishing in 39:07 (238th) with David Potter very pleased with knocking a full two minutes off his Ipswich time to finish in a time of 46.59 (385th) . The younger members of the James family ran the 2 mile Fun Run but times were not recorded officially.

“6 In the Park” (3) 5K – Hove 12 June 2008 

Cooler temperatures on this Thursday evening for the third race in the Hove Park Summer 5k Series produced another fine result for Ian Taylor when he finished third out of about 50 runners in 18:50. Worthy of diamond standard this represented a 17 second improvement over his May attempt. It also placed him one position higher in the results.

Fishbourne Flat Five - Chichester 8 June 2008  

Ian Taylor entered the first of his three races this week. He finished 7th out of 104 in this flat five mile cross country in a time of 34:02. There were numerous stiles, gates, bridges, muddy tracks and narrow footpaths to negotiate in temperatures of 20°C.

St Albans Half Marathon - 8 June 2008 

Chris & Bobbie then drove down to St Albans on Sunday to take part in the Half Marathon. On a very hot day nearly 2000 runners set off running a very hilly course through narrow country lanes with the finish in Verulamium Park with a distant view of St Albans Cathedral. Chris Chorley had another good race & finished in 111th overall in a time of 1.33.35 (39th in age category) with Bobbie Sauerzapf finishing in 1.52.23 in 664th position (17th in age category).

Bury Friday 5m - 6 June 2008 

Friday evening's race was the 2nd of the Suffolk 5 mile series. A very wet Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds was the venue and there were 393 runners running around the park & country lanes with John White again 1st Black Dog to finish in 29.34 in 27th place followed in by Chris Chorley in 61st place in a time of 32.56. Bobbie Sauerzapf had a good run to finish in 41.41mins in 271st and then the runners had a pint & burger!

Broome 10k(1) - 4 June 2008 

Wednesday evening was the date for the 1st of 3 10k races organised by Bungay Black Dog R.C and  Broome Village Hall is the HQ. Over 70 runners took part with Wayne Utting (Norwich Road Runners) & Richard Moore (Waveney Valley A.C) having a close battle to decide the winner with Wayne just pipping Richard by 15 seconds to win in a time of 35.15. Bungay runner, John White had another good run to finish in 4th place in 36.29 with Ian Taylor just passing Steve Barrett on the last 25 metres to finish in 8th/9th in 38.39 /38.44 respectively. Carol Maycock achieved a pb to finish in 39th overall in 48.48 & was awarded the ladies F45 trophy for her efforts. Other Black Dog results were Robin Sawyer 40.34 (17th), Chris Chorley 40.56 (19th), Robert James 42.04 (22nd), John Wharton (pb & platinum age related award) 42.40(25th), Terry Garrity 42.32(26th), Gavin Cole 43.55(27th), David Punt 47.36 (32nd), Bob Paul 48.41(36th), Nigel Gilham 48.56 (40th), Ali Morton 49.20 (41st), Hazel Garrity 50.48 (44th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 51.11 (45th), Robin Farrar 51.15(46th), Colin Whale 52.14 (48th), Lucy Fawbert 52.47 (50th), Christine Muttitt 52,53 (51st), Sally Nicholls 53.02 (52nd), Ivan Lees 62.14 (60th), Katy James 64.50 (63rd), David Cook 67.10 (65th) & Doreen Whittington 73.59 (67th).

Woodhall Spa 10k  -  1 June 2008 

Sunday morning was an early start for 7 Black Dogs & families as they took a minibus to North Lincolnshire to compete in the Woodhall Spa 10k. Star of the run was John White who, in a very competitive field of nearly 1000 runners, finished in 35.51 (pb) in 13th place & won the prize for 1st Male V45. A just reward for all his hard training sessions! Next for Bungay runner was Ian Taylor in 38.02, another pb and in 38th place overall. Chris Chorley, running his 3rd race in 5 days, finished in 75th place in a time of 40.08mins with Richard Dye next in 118th in 42.18. Craig Anderson, in his 1st race since the Bungay Marathon, was very pleased with his time of 45.05 in 223rd place. Bobbie Sauerzapf, also running for the 3rd time in 5 days, recorded a time of 51.31 (455th) with Sally Nicholls finishing in 53.47 in 540th place.

Ipswich Jaffa 5m  -  30 May 2008 

On Friday evening, 3 of the Bungay runners from Wednesday night competed in the Ipswich Jaffa 5 mile race with Chris Chorley again 1st Black Dog finishing in 33.36 in 70th place with Bobbie Sauerzapf next in 41.30 in 224th place. David Potter finished in 49.57 in 329th with Andy Prime, running his first race in over a year, completing the course in 57.26 in 345th place.

Wroxham 5k (1)  -   28 May 2008 

On Wednesday evening, 9 Bungay runners had a more local run taking part in the 1st of the Wroxham 5k series. Amongst the 266 finishers Chris Chorley was 1st back for Bungay in a time of 19.57 in 53rd place with Robbie James & Robin Wilson in close contention in 20.26 (64th) and 20.30 (69th) respectively. Bruce Rayner ran well to finish in 21.10 (90th) with junior runner, Matthew James, running extremely well to finish just behind Robin in 21.55 (103rd). Next was Bobbie Sauerzapf in 24.12 (154th), then David Potter, improving with every race, in 27.36 (218th),with mother and daughter Karen & Hannah Waters both getting pbs and Hannah was also 2nd junior female. Their times were 30.45 (245th) & 31.02 (247th), well done

Brandon Half Marathon  -  26 May 2008 

Bank Holiday Monday saw Robbie James competing in the Brandon Half Marathon & despite the strong wind & rain Robbie finished in a very good time of 1hr 41 in 71st place from 229 runners. 

BUPA London 10K  -  26 May 2008 

Meanwhile Karen Gedge took part in the inaugural Bupa London 10k race. The course was around the city centre with Buckingham Palace the backdrop for the start and finish of the race. With over 6,000 runners battling through the atrocious wet and windy conditions Karen was very pleased to finish in 52.45 in 1916th position.

Myra Garrett 10K - Bexley Heath 25 May 2008 

In a field of 181 runners, Black Dog John White raced two laps around Danson Park. It rained heavily all morning, but cleared up just before race began. 90% of race was off-road, so it was quite slippery and more like a cross-country race. He competed in his road shoes against others wearing spikes. Taking the first mile easy, he moved from 15th at the start to about 10th. After 4k he had progressed to 6th and was 5th by the end of the 1st lap. It took the whole of the second lap to close down the 50m deficit to 4th but he achieved it just past the 9k point and came home comfortably ahead. John finished in a creditable time of 37.54, taking the MV40 prize, and only 3 minutes behind the race winner. John's time was slower than the 10k point last Sunday, but very respectable given the conditions.

Watford Harriers 1,500m - Watford 21 May 2008

On Wednesday evening, John White competed on the track. He won his heat comfortably in a time of 4.41.23. This was despite having run a fast 10 mile race on the previous Sunday.

Bognor Prom 10K - Bognor Regis 18 May 2008

On Sunday 18th May Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the Bognor Prom 10k Road Race in West Sussex. The entirely flat course has three very sharp bends within the first 500m and with a large field this makes for a congested start. Competitors had to cope with a keen head wind as they ran eastwards to Felpham, passing one of the few remaining Butlins Holiday Camps en route. Having rejoined the promenade at 6k, Taylor continued his fine performance passing a number of others who appeared to be flagging. The sun was out now and temperatures were rising. Strong until the end, Taylor was pleased to finish 42nd out of 1,302 in a chip time of 38:44.

Dereham 10m - 18 May 2008

4 Black Dogs took part in the Dereham 10 mile race. In near perfect conditions John White, in his 1st 10 mile race, stormed round to finish in 16th overall in a time of 60.30 & was 3rd V45. Richard Dye finished in 77th place in a very good time of 71.01, followed by David Punt in 145th in a time of 78.52, being 3½ mins faster than last year and just missing his target to obtain a gold standard award by a few seconds. Karen Gedge, one of Bungay's newer runners & improving with every race she competes in, had a very good run to finish 4 minutes faster over last years race in a time of 82.59, and was 2nd in the FV40 category.

Halstead & Essex Marathon - 11 May 2008

Not content with doing a 100 mile walk on the previous Sunday, then the Yarmouth 5m midweek race, Chris Chorley then ran the scenic & rural, Halstead & Essex Marathon. Although the weather was hot, Chris kept re hydrating at the water stops and then achieved a pb time of 3.30.08. 

“6 In the Park”(2) 5K – Hove 8 May 2008

Ian Taylor competed in the 2nd of the Hove Park 5k series in Brighton. Ian had a very good run to finish 4th overall (2nd V40) in a time of 19.07 from a field of 53 finishers. This was an improvement of 3 secs. & 1 position on the previous race.

Great Yarmouth 5 mile series (2) – 7 May 2008

There was another good turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners for the 2nd race in the Great Yarmouth 5 mile series. With this race being part of the Norfolk Grand Prix series the entries were high at over 200 and competition was fierce with Robert Chenery from Ipswich Jaffa just piping Carl Prewer from Lowestoft R.R by 7seconds in a time of 26.43 .The first of the 16 Black Dog runners was Jim Cooper in 17th place in 29.58 with John Wharton next in 57th place in 33.28 just ahead of Tim Morton who finished in 65th place in 33.53. Chris Chorley was next in 84th place in 34.57, a bit slower than normal, probably due to the 100 mile walk he undertook with Bobbie Sauerzapf over the Bank Holiday weekend which was a non-stop 39hrs 25mins! Other Black Dog runners were Neil Thomas 37.44 (115th), Carol Maycock 38.41 (123rd), Bob Paul 39.05 (130th), Karen Gedge 40.02 (147th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 40.59 (157th), Robin Farrar 41.22 (161st), Sally Nicholls 41.27 (162nd), Christine Muttitt 42.17 (168th), Philip Neave 44.47 (177th), David Potter 47.37 (181st) with Bruce Rayner & Karen Waters finishing together in 50.10 (190, 191st).

Edinburgh 10K – 5 May 2008

Eight Bungay Black Dog runners and families flew from Norwich to Edinburgh over the May bank holiday weekend to take part in the BUPA Great Run series. The Edinburgh 10k race started and finished in the Meadows Park with the runners running through the city centre & part of Holyrood Royal Park. The support from the spectators, encouraged the runners especially on the long climb between 7/8k. With over 8,000 runners taking part Ian Taylor was very satisfied to finish in 99th place in a time of 40.29. The 2 minutes difference to his normal 38 min 10k time emphasised how difficult the course was. Next in for Bungay was John Wharton in 459th place in a time of 45.25 with Robbie James just behind in 488th place in 45.34. Sally Nicholls had a very good run to finish in 2,239th in a time of 54.09 with Bob Paul next in 2,435th place in 55.05. Next was Nigel Gilham in 3,113th in a time of 58.06 with David Cook finishing just ahead of Katy James in 4,418th in 65.01 with Katy next in 4770th in 67.32mins.

Sheffield Half Marathon - 27 April 2008

Three black dogs ran this year's Sheffield Half Marathon. Robin Wilson and Bruce Rayner stayed in Sheffield on the Saturday night in the clubhouse of the Sheffield branch of the Black Dogs (brother Tobin Rayner's lounge) and all three set off the following day with various wives and friends.
  
It was quite a dramatic start to the day with Tobin nearly writing off the car followed by a dramatic car crash adjacent to the tramline which blocked it and led to a mad dash to the start by car and an almost Jim Cooperesque late start.
  
The run itself was great with Tobin sporting a GPS system which very accurately demonstrated a loo stop on 3 miles. Tobin ran with wife Julie on her inaugural half marathon and came in on a very impressive 2.11.40 3,707th out of a total finishing field of 4,540 although he has managed around 1 hr 32 recently. Robin came in on 1:35.40 PB(598th) and Bruce on 1:36.32 PB(655th)). Conditions were good and another highlight was being overtaken by the son of local runner Roger Mawer, who recognised the shirts and gave a hearty hi.

Bruce says that he would certainly recommend this run for all round atmosphere, with plenty of crowds to cheer you on and a really great location for start and finish (Don Valley Stadium). Tobin is taking bookings for next year.

Chase The Train - Aylsham 27 April 2008

Four Bungay Black Dog runners took part in the Chase The Train event which was run on footpaths alongside the Bure Valley narrow gauge steam railway between Aylsham and Wroxham. Perfect conditions on the day made for some very good performances over the flat 8.9 mile course with Ian Taylor achieving 7th place out of 131 finishers in 57:59. Neil Thomas finished 61st in 1.13.40, Karen Gedge in 79th place in 1.18.14 and Sally Nicholls just behind in 81st place in 1.18.34. The runners then had pleasure of travelling back to Aylsham on the little train.

Great Daffodil Run 15m - Kelmarsh, Northants 27 April 2008

Chris Chorley & Bobbie Sauerzapf  competed in the Daffodil 15 mile run at Kelmarsh Hall. This is a charity run organised on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer and over 250 runners took part running through undulating country lanes & taking in the site of one of the major battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Naseby. Chris had a very good race and finished 24th overall in 1.50 with Bobbie in 107th place in a time of 2.10.

Great Yarmouth 5 mile series (1) - 23 April 2008

The first of Great Yarmouth Road Runners organised evening 5 mile races was held on Wednesday 23rd April. 16 Bungay Black Dog runners were amongst the 174 finishers with John White being the first Black Dog to finish in 15th overall in 29.56. Jim Cooper and Ian Taylor had a hard fought battle with Jim just ahead in 30.54 in 25th & Ian 5 seconds behind in 26th place and the trio just missed out on 1st V40 overall by a matter of seconds. Amongst the 5 Bungay ladies competing Carol Maycock took the honours with a pb to finish in 38.53 in 116th overall and claimed the F45 2nd place. Other times were as follows:- Chris Chorley 32.34 (45th), John Wharton 33.24 (60th), Tim Morton 33.40 (61st), David Punt 36.31 (91st), Bob Paul 38.25 (106th), Bobbie Sauerzapf 39.40 (127th), Karen Gedge 40.05 (131st), Robin Farrar 41.32 (140th), Christine Muttitt 41.53 (144th) Sally NIcholls 42.02 (146th), Philip Neave 44.31 (157th) & David Potter 47.06 (166th).

Cambridge Duathlon - 20 April 2008

Bungay Black Dog runner Chris Chorley competed in his first duathlon in Cambridge. The course comprised of 7.5k run followed by a 35k bike ride and finished with another 7.5k run. Lining up with the 115 competitors in light rain and a blustery wind Chris completed the 1st running stage in 32.21. Setting off into the wind on the bike stage Chris maintained his form to finish in 1.15.24 and as he started the 3rd running stage the rain stopped and Chris crossed the finish line in 34.23 in an aggregate time of 2.22.28 being 54th overall & 5th in his age category. A very good result upon Chris's first attempt. On completion the runners received eco friendly goody bags and Chris's supporter Bobbie reported that (most importantly) excellent tea & cakes were provided by Heathlands Animal Sanctuary from Royston.

“6 In the Park” 5K – Hove 17 April 2008

Despite having run the London Marathon on Sunday 13th April Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor still found the energy to run in the first 5k race of the summer series in Hove Park in East Sussex on Thursday evening 17th April. This event forms part of "6 in the Park" which this year is being sponsored by Sense. The runners had to work quite hard against a chilly and blustery north wind on each of the 2.5 laps of the somewhat hilly park but Ian, not feeling any after effects from Sunday, finished in fifth place out of 50+ runners in 19.10. As a warm up and warm down from the main event he ran the 2.5 miles to/from the event from his Brighton home! .

Flora London Marathon – 13 April 2008

7 Bungay Black Dog runners managed to obtain entries to this year’s London Marathon and, even with the heavy rain and hail showers all 7 achieved their targets. The 1st Bungay runner to complete the course was Ian Taylor in a time of 3.00.10 finishing in 1,105th place from a field of 35,000 which puts Ian in the top 5%. Although Ian missed the 3hr mark by seconds, this time was still 5 minutes faster than his last marathon and he clocked pbs on the 10k, 10 mile, 13.1 & 20mile splits so he was very satisfied with his performance. Richard Dye was another Black Dog to record a pb on the day with an excellent 3.33.32 to finish in 4,737th place. Yet another pb was recorded by James Samkin who finished in 4.10.02 in 11,512 place. The conditions suited James better than last year’s warm temperatures, as he improved by 50 minutes! Because James set off from the red start this year he managed to get into his marathon pace straight away and he is now looking forward to running the Edinburgh Marathon on 25th May.

Just behind James was Andrew M Smith who completed the course in 4.18.54, coming in at 13,158. Andrew had a good race up to 22 miles but the conditions took their toll and he jogged the last few miles, although he was pleased with his overall performance. Another star on the day was Robin Farrar, who at 65¾, is enjoying his running and recorded another pb to add to his portfolio. Robin finished in 4.35.27, in his very first marathon, well in the top half of the finishers at 16,146, and 88th in his age group. Being a hardy Northerner, he enjoyed the challenging conditions!

Bob Paul, who, on limited training, hoped to finish in 5 hours, was very satisfied with his time of 4.37.05. with a placing of 16,387. After the stress of being Race Director at last weeks Bungay Marathon, Bob relished the opportunity just to run without the worry of organising everyone. The final Black Dog runner to finish was Colin Whale, who was running Bungay & London back to back in preparation for the Comrades race in South Africa, which is 56 miles in 12 hours. Having achieved his qualifying time for this race at Bungay, Colin could relax and sauntered around in 4.52.46. finishing at 18,166. Well done to all the Bungay runners for their individual achievements in what was described as, at times, the worst conditions in the race's history.

Lewes Easter Fun Run 10K - 24 March 2008

For most runners the final two weeks leading up to the London and Bungay Marathons mark a period of wind-down before the exertion of a 26.2 mile run. Not so for Black Dog Ian Taylor. Ian took part in the Lewes Easter Fun Run on Monday 24th March in the county town of East Sussex at the foot of the Sussex Downs. This Multi Terrain 10Km race was almost entirely off road but recent rain had made the chalk farm tracks very slippery in places and there were cattle grids and stiles to negotiate.

Having visited the picturesque downland village of Iford, runners returned to Lewes using footpaths acrossfields where the mud succeeded in pulling one or two runners shoes off. This fate did not befall Taylor, who ran a good race despite the conditions underfoot, finishing in 26th place out of 548 in a time of 41:39. Almost immediately he ran back to his house eight miles away in Central Brighton. Most of his route was on pavements alongside the busy A27 Dual Carriageway although the off road element, which he included to add to his enjoyment, included mud worse than that encountered during the race!

Joe Cox Half Marathon – Stowmarket 23 March 2008

The very first Joe Cox half Marathon took place on Easter Sunday in very interesting running conditions. The heavy snow that began falling at about 8.00am deterred all but the hardiest of runners, and so it took place with a much smaller field than expected. However, after consulting the race referees and local police the race was given the all clear and started on time at 11.00am.The snowfall persisted until well into the race. 3 Black Dogs braved the conditions and club captain John Wharton finished 28th out of 175 runners in a time of 1.34.45. John was close on the heels of Chris Chorley (23rd) in a time of 1.32.45. Bobbie Sauerzapf represented the ladies, finishing 69th in 1.46.19 to win the V45 category.

City of Norwich 10k - 23 March 2008

On Easter Sunday runners braved the blizzards to participate in the City of Norwich 10k race at Whitlingham. 8 Black Dogs completed the taxing course. For Karen Gedge, Tim Morton and Robert James this was their second 10k in three days. First Black Dog home was Steve Barrett (38th of 304) in a time of 40.30. First Black Dog lady was Ali Morton (184th) in 51.30 just in front of Karen Gedge (190th) in 51.47. Other finishers were Tim Morton (76th) 44.11 Robert James (139th) 48.11; Robin Wilson (91st) 45.11; Bruce Rayner (93rd) 45.26 and Andy Drinkall (183rd) 51.29.

Jog Shop 6k – Brighton 21 March 2008

In the south of England, Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor took part in a Good Friday event organised by the Jog Shop in Brighton. The race attracted a small, but high quality, field of 26 competitors who tackled a 6k off road race from Telscombe Cliffs to Brighton Marina. The course was surprisingly tough, as it contained many undulations and was run against a stiff headwind on very exposed cliff tops along the English Channel coast. The front runners jostled for position throughout the race with Taylor finishing in fifth place in 26:19, forty four seconds behind the winning time of 25:35. He also ran the three miles to and from the start of the race encountering a particularly heavy hail storm on his way home!

Roger Wing Memorial 10K – 21 March 2008

The third running of the Roger Wing Memorial 10Km road race, took place this Good Friday.

29 Black Dogs took part and the first one home was John White in tenth place. Returning from injury, John recorded a very respectable time of 38.14. Terry Mulcahy finished in 33rd place (42.57) to win the V60 category prize. For the ladies, novice runner Carol Maycock shone to finish 88th in a time of 50.54. Carol just pipped Karen Gedge 92nd (51.28) racing Hazel Garrity 93rd (51.30)

The course was an out and back one, which started outside the Artichoke PH in Broome Nr Bungay and went out just short of Hales Green where the runners turned and retraced their steps home. The out bound leg was into a very stiff northerly wind, but the return leg was a very fast one that encouraged several runners towards PBs. The race winner in fact managed to break the course record with a very swift time of 32min 54sec.

The charities that were supported by this event were East Suffolk Prostate Support Group and Breast Cancer Care. Bungay Black Dog Running Club recognised the huge amount of work done by Cancer UK with their Running For Life series of races and wanted to perpetuate the momentum they have built up. This was the main reason for selecting the two charities. Prostate Cancer has they felt been left behind in terms of men not being very proactive. It was felt that if they and Breast Cancer were brought together at one event, Prostate Cancer may be brought to the attention of men, who tend to just put it at the back of their minds.

The club tried to stimulate a certain amount of rivalry between the sexes by challenging them to compete as to who could raise the most money, the males or the females. The generosity of the runners was truly overwhelming, with a large amount of money being given by donation or sponsorship. Unless the donor stipulated otherwise the male entry fee and donation went to Prostate and the female to Breast Cancer Care. At this point we do not have a final total, or how it will be divided but an estimated total is about £1,200. As soon as the totals are accounted it will be publicly announced.

The amount going to the charities is one hundred percent as Bungay Black Dog Running Club are covering all the expenses involved in promoting the event. The presence of John Dent chairman of Prostate Care and his committee gave an added sense of reality to the event. His brief talk about Prostate Cancer after prize presentation was well received and thought provoking.

The entry was very pleasing with an all time club 10K race entry record being achieved. With 184 entries it beat the old record by over 50 runners.

Additionally the Fun Run was reintroduced after an absence of many years. On what was a very cold and windy day it was very satisfying to have 30 plus runners line up at the start, ranging in age from Peter Lowther not yet 3 years to adults of nearly 50.

All fun runners received a small Easter egg and category winners receiving larger ones.

In the 10K event goodie bags, small eggs and bottles of beer were awarded to finishers. The category winners were awarded larger Easter Eggs that were kindly sponsored by Tesco at Beccles. The standard of the runners was very good; all completed the event inside 70mins, which is very commendable.

Bungay Black Dog Running Club would also like to thank the residents of Broome Village for their patience and courtesy during the 2 hrs when they were somewhat out numbered by runners. Results of the 10K race and the fun run can be found on the Results Page of this website.

Broadland Half Marathon – 16 March 2008

The wet and blustery conditions did not deter seven Black Dogs from competing in the annual Broadland Half Marathon on Sunday 16th March. The cold conditions and undulating, but scenic, course were not favourable for fast times. However, two Black Dogs managed PBs. Novice runner Karen Gedge smashed the two hour mark in 1:57:05 and Bobbie Sauerzapf knocked a minute off her previous best to finish in 1:46:18. Chris Chorley maintained his good form to finish in 1:33:44 with Tim Morton close behind in 1:36:54. Sally Nichols and Ivan Lees strolled in at 2hrs 20, no mean feat for Ivan following six months with no running, followed by Bob Jack nursing an injury following a previous south coast half. Bobbie was also first in the V45-54 class.

Mondi 15m - Cambridgshire 9 March 2008

While most runners took the opportunity to enjoy a rest from the spring race build up, stalwarts Chris Chorley and Bobbie Sauerzapf ventured into the Fens to complete the Mondi Packaging 15 mile race at Whitemoor Prison. Despite the blustery conditions, Chris maintained his solid form of late by finishing 33rd of a field of 128 in a time of 1:47:22. Bobbie was 83rd in 2:04:03.

Hastings Half Marathon –16 March 2008

Bungay Black Dog runner Ian Taylor competed in the 24th Hastings Half Marathon in East Sussex. Drizzling rain throughout the race suited Taylor who had to climb some significant hills during the first five miles of the very interesting but demanding course through St Leonards on Sea. There were vast numbers of spectators lining the route especially along the flat section near Conquest Hospital, prior to a steep downhill section which took runners through Hastings Old Town where parts of the TV drama "Foyles War" was filmed.

The last 2.5 miles along Hastings promenade and Grand Parade made for a flat, fast finish. Taylor was 157th out of 3,704 finishers in a chip time of 1.27.57 which was a good performance given the demanding nature of the course. Regarded by many as the best half marathon in the country, and with substantial cash prizes up to £2,000, competition was very tough especially as the event formed part of the Sussex Road Racing Grand Prix. The Race Director who has organised the race for 24 years has been awarded the MBE for his services to the sport.

Wymondham 10 & 20 miles - 2 March 2008

Another very windy Sunday in Wymondham was the setting for the annual 10/20 mile road race. As last week at the Bury 20 mile a strong headwind was experienced up to the 6 mile mark for the 10 milers and again on the 2nd lap for the 20 mile runners. In the support race of 10 miles 8 Bungay Black Dogs took part with Chris Chorley finishing in 44th place in a time of 72.16. Neil Thomas who is improving with every race had a very good run to finish next in 98th place in 81.29 with Bobbie Sauerzapf just behind in 102nd place in 82.09. New lady runners Carol Maycock & Karen Gedge exceeding their expectations finishing in 113th (84.45) & 137th (89.35) respectively. Another lady runner, Sally Nicholls ran well to finish in 145th place in 90.20 with Sue Potter next in 97.45 (171st) & Ivan Lees, back after a layoff, finishing in 99.58 in 183rd place. There were 218 finishers in the 10mile race. The main race of 20 miles had 201 finishers with Ian Taylor running his 2nd 20 mile race in the last 8 days. Conditions were less favourable & Ian finished 3 mins slower than last week in 16th overall in a time of 2.18.53. As a guide the winner was 8 minutes slower than last week at Bury so well done to Ian. Just to prove a point Colin Whale improved his race time from last week by 10 minutes to finish in 3.11.34 in 157th place. Super vet, Robin Farrar, training hard for the London Marathon, put in a solid performance to finish in 3.17.36 in 170th place, no mean feat for a 65+ runner! .

Bury St. Edmunds 20 Mile - 24 February 2008

Not only 5 Bungay Black Dogs were competing but also Nigel, Karen & Darrell Edge & Margaret & Roy Burton manned two of the water stations in a reciprocal gesture for the help given at last weeks Great East Run by other Suffolk clubs. The star of the race for Bungay was Ian Taylor who scorched around the course in a personal best time of 2.15.45 to finish 27th overall in a very good class field of 398 finishers. The stiff headwind for the first 9 miles caused a few problems but nevertheless Chris Chorley had a good run to finish in 145th in a time of 2.40.40 with Richard Dye chasing him hard at the end to finish just behind in 2.41.28 in 150th place. Bobbie Sauerzapf maintained her good form to finish in 232nd place in 2.53.04 with Colin Whale, training for his ultra run in South Africa, finishing in 3.20.37 in 337th place.

Bury St. Edmunds Cross Country - 3 February 2008

The final race of the Suffolk Cross Country Winter series took place at Bury St Edmunds on Sunday 3rd February. In a field of 185 runners Bungay Black Dog Lynn Emmett took the honours by winning the series trophy for the Ladies V35 category and finished 51st (1st V35) on the day in 38.42. Just ahead of her was Jim Cooper in 34th overall in a time of 37.37 with Chris Chorley performing well in the mud and strong headwind to complete the course in 39.32 in 57th place. Robbie James finished next in 40.50 in 74th with Bruce Rayner a couple of minutes behind in 42.55 (92nd). Ladies Team Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, was next in 46.19 (122nd) with Carol Maycock in close contention clocking 46.25 (123rd). A few seconds behind was Neil Thomas in 46.41 (127th) with David Potter returning to form next in 54.24 (167th) with Christine Muttitt finishing well in 54.30 (168th) to take 3rd place in her age category in the overall series. Chris Harbord was next in 57.59 (177th) with new runner, Karen Waters, just behind in 59.43 (181st) Overall the Bungay team were 10th from 18 teams with the Ladies finishing 8th overall and the men were 11th.

The absence of cake at the end of the race was a calamitous disappointment to our runners, especially the team captain whose running is usually motivated by the thought of the post race grub.

This must be reported to the County officials and not allowed to happen again !

Worthing Lido 4m - 27 January 2008

Bungay Black Dog runner, Ian Taylor, competed in the Worthing Lido 4 mile race. Against a backdrop of thousands of tonnes of timber washed up on the beach as a result of a recent shipwreck (which almost lead to the race being cancelled) a high quality field of 444 runners including Team GB athletes set off along the promenade. The still conditions and a temperature of 9°C ensured for some very good times with the winner finishing in just over 20 mins. Ian had a good race and finished in a very credible 19th place overall (4th V40) in a time of 23.57mins (sub 6 minute mileing pace) Not content with that, Ian then ran the 12½ miles back to Brighton still wearing his race vest and number, obviously thinking about his carbon footprint!!

Stowmarket Cross Country – 20 January 2008

This was the penultimate race in the Suffolk Cross Country series. After heavy rain on Saturday the course at Stowmarket was very muddy, & coupled with a testing head wind in places, the runners found the course to be very challenging. Running through ancient woodland there were fallen trees to hurdle and muddy holes to try to avoid and most runners finished exhausted and very dirty! The race saw a good turnout of Bungay Black Dog runners with 12 male & 5 females hoping to maintain their overall positions in the series. With one race left the overall team is placed in 11th from 18 teams. Honours are still with the ladies team who are 8th overall with Lynn Emmett finishing as 1st F35 runner in all her races whilst the male team are in 13th position. On the day Jim Cooper again had a good run to finish in 44th overall in a time of 38.50 with Chris Chorley just behind in 40.10 in 57th place. Lynn Emmett was next in 41.35 in 77th place (1st V35), followed in by Robin Sawyer in 42.34(90th) with Robbie James next in 44.52(115th). Bruce Rayner, in a rare appearance, finished in 47.15(141st) with Ladies Captain, Bobbie Sauerzapf, running a good race in a time of 48.35(154th). Neil Thomas was next in 48.51(156th) followed in by Carol Maycock 49.14(161st), then Colin Whale 50.58(172nd), David Punt 51.36(180th), Tug Wilson 53.04(191st), Ian Ash 53.04(192nd), David Lines 54.14(199th), Christine Muttitt 55.59(204th), David Potter 58.46(214th) and new runner, Karen Waters, doing very well in extreme conditions to finish in 64.07 in 224th place. Team Captain, Bobbie, reported that the tea and cakes, supplied afterwards, were excellent and made the trip worthwhile.

Wymondham 10k - 1 January 2008

New Years Day saw over 350 runners converge on Wymondham to take part in the annual 10k race. Conditions were excellent with little wind & cool temperatures. Carl Goose from City of Norwich just held of the challenge from team mate Neil Davidson to win in 33.10mins. Bungay Black Dog, John White, just missed out on a p.b. to finish in 20th place in 37.48mins & took 2nd V45. Ian Taylor was just behind in 38.12mins in 26th overall & 2nd V40. Just breaking the 40 min barrier was Jim Cooper in 45th place in 39.48mins. Chris Chorley, running his 2nd 10k in 2 days, finished in 41.51 (72nd), being 1 second slower than his time at the Ely New Years Eve 10k! (88th). Tim Morton had a very good run to finish in 43.03(81st) with Robbie James recovering from the excesses of the night before, next in 43.53(94th).Just behind Robbie was Richard Dye in 44.09(100th) with Robin Wilson next in 45.49(118th). Nigel Gilham finished in 130th place in a time of 46.30mins with Colin Whale next in 49.03(220th). 1st Black Dog female was Ali Morton who was disappointed to finish just over the 50min mark in 50.02(190th), with next lady, Bobbie Sauerzapf, back in 51.52(220th),a minute slower than her time at Ely (50.33). Sally Nicholls finished in 53.41(245th) with Sue Potter next in 58.55(286th) & Philip Neave, another Ely 10k runner, finishing in 58.58 (288th) a couple of minutes slower than at Ely (56.45).

Click here for 2007 reports.