The Woo Winter Orienteering Challenge 2024:
During the quiet period between Christmas and New Year, the 7th running of the Winter Orienteering Challenge was run on 29th Dec. Despite a few cancellations due to illness or injury, 17 FRAC members and one guest running in 6 teams took on the 5 mile canal side event. Ten cryptic questions to be found and answered along the way slowed down some of the faster runners.
For once the weather was reasonable and the going was firm underfoot. The winners with a time total of 48 minutes and no incorrect answers were Darren Crew and Jody Stoakes, who just edged it from the “fast boys” Tristan Bruce, Bob Collier and Nick Steele.
Special note also to Folkestone Junior Nathaniel Weekes who completed the whole course with parents David and Zoe at the age of 8.
Entrants then enjoyed an “American supper” and chat in the Woo Sportshall. (Chris Woolgar reporting)
Penshurst 5 mile Cross Country and Canicross Race 5th January
On the first weekend of the New Year Jenny and Phil Heathfield ventured to Penshurst to race with their dog; Marley. Jen had this to report about the race. ” On Sunday 5th January Phil and myself took part in the Penshurst 5 mile cross country race. Whilst Phil completed the challenging course in 47:32 I entered the canicross edition with Marley finishing in 50:38 coming in 8th position. The course was absolutely brutal, it was like doing tough mudder with an excited Labrador attached! We even went through floods that came up to my thighs – Marley had to swim!” Congratulations to all three!
The Arc of Attrition Cornwall Saturday 25th January:
Saturday saw 2 intrepid runners from FRAC tackle the Arc of Attrition. Phill Maull reports ” The Arc of Attrition is a UTMB race around the South West coastal path. Sylwia and I took part in the inaugural 25 mile race from just before St Ives through Hayle, Godrevy Head, Portreath and down to Porthtowan then the highest climb of 400m to the finish line in Eco Park.
With stormy weather the day before we were nervous! Thankfully we only had one light shower and most of our run was in gorgeous sunshine. The going underfoot was tough with a lot of mud and changes if surface from sand, tarmac, rock and more mud!
I have never competed in a race where I was on the start line with the world’s best trail runners which was very humbling. They were so friendly! The race is definitely both the most brutal and beautiful I have completed. I loved the party atmosphere at the finish and the wonderful Arc Angels that we met as well as such friendly fellow competitors. I loved my first UTMB race!
Sylwia came home first in 5:26:40, 294th place, 8th in age group 55th out of 163 women. Phil was came home in 6:11:18 which was 427th overall, 16th in age group and 332th male. 603 runners took part in the race”.
Massive congratulations to both Sylwia and Phil !!
Canterbury 10 Mile Road Race 2025 Sunday 26th January:
The Annual Canterbury 10 race took place early on Sunday morning and luckily the bad weather stayed away. First home for FRAC was Daniel Radcliffe finishing 9th overall in 56:31 Nick Steele came in next in 31st place and 6th in his Vet 40 male age category. Simon Ramsay was 41st and 11th in his age category just behind Nick. Torben Jessen finished in 2nd place in the Vet 60 male category in a time of 1:05:29 whilst Paul Bartlett was 11th in the Vet 50 category.
In the Women’s race Manda Gurung finished in 13th female but stormed to first place in the Female Vet 35 category in a time of 1:07:47. Catherine O’Connor cam home in 3rd place in the Vet 55 Female category in a PB time 1:13:13 whilst Vicky Scott also gained a PB time in 1:12:27 finishing in 5th place in the Vet 35 Female group. Linnaea Stockall came home in 8th place in the Vet female 45 whilst Carrie Thomas achieved a pb and 10th place in the Female Vet 35 age group. Other Pb performances included Marie Brazier, Ian Vousden, Autumn Richardson, Luke Hicks, Layla Dmonte, Simon Ramsay. Well done everyone !!!!
| Pos | Name | Chip Time | Category | Cat Position | Gender | Gen Position |
| 9 | Daniel Radcliffe | 00:56:31 | MS | 8 | Male | 9 |
| 31 | Nicholas Steele | 01:00:49 | MV40 | 6 | Male | 29 |
| 41 | Simon Ramsay | 01:02:12pb | MV40 | 11 | Male | 39 |
| 87 | Torben Jessen | 01:05:29 | MV60 | 2 | Male | 80 |
| 93 | Andy Wright | 01:05:35 | MV40 | 28 | Male | 86 |
| 104 | Elliot Chapman-Jones | 01:06:07 | MS | 51 | Male | 94 |
| 107 | Paul Bartlett | 01:06:00 | MV50 | 11 | Male | 97 |
| 121 | James Barney | 01:07:14 | MS | 57 | Male | 110 |
| 133 | Manda Gurung | 01:07:47 | FV35 | 1 | Female | 13 |
| 220 | Vicky Scott | 01:12:27pb | FV35 | 5 | Female | 29 |
| 243 | Catherine O’connor | 01:13:13pb | FV55 | 3 | Female | 34 |
| 272 | Linnaea Stockall | 01:14:49 | FV45 | 8 | Female | 39 |
| 282 | Stuart Erskine | 01:15:16 | MV40 | 77 | Male | 240 |
| 284 | Ian Vousden | 01:15:05pb | MV40 | 78 | Male | 242 |
| 289 | Carrie Thomas | 01:15:14pb | FV35 | 10 | Female | 44 |
| 341 | Terry Clatworthy | 01:17:34 | MV40 | 96 | Male | 286 |
| 373 | Luke Hicks | 01:18:19pb | MS | 128 | Male | 310 |
| 379 | Jason King | 01:18:31 | MV40 | 104 | Male | 315 |
| 380 | Dan Mccarthy | 01:19:02 | MS | 131 | Male | 316 |
| 400 | Martin Salmon | 01:19:20 | MV50 | 61 | Male | 330 |
| 445 | Karla Larnder | 01:20:49 | FV45 | 18 | Female | 82 |
| 478 | Miles Gawthorp | 01:21:43 | MV50 | 73 | Male | 389 |
| 493 | Louisa Eede | 01:22:14 | FV45 | 23 | Female | 95 |
| 512 | Helen Webb | 01:22:44 | FV45 | 24 | Female | 100 |
| 532 | Matthew Harris | 01:23:44 | MV40 | 138 | Male | 427 |
| 540 | Layla Dmonte | 01:23:56pb | FV35 | 32 | Female | 107 |
| 589 | Kevin Whitby | 01:25:21 | MV30 | 90 | Male | 461 |
| 596 | Marie Brazier | 01:25:52pb | FV45 | 31 | Female | 131 |
| 640 | Jennifer Heathfield | 01:27:19 | FV35 | 45 | Female | 140 |
| 683 | Anthony Scott | 01:29:06 | MV50 | 114 | Male | 525 |
| 811 | John O’hara | 01:33:45 | MV60 | 64 | Male | 597 |
| 829 | Paul Hannay | 01:34:30 | MV40 | 189 | Male | 611 |
| 903 | Trudi Curd | 01:37:56 | FV55 | 39 | Female | 257 |
| 1077 | Autumn Richardson | 01:47:04 | FS | 87 | Female | 362 |
| 1222 | Helen Francis | 02:01:54 | FV45 | 125 | Female | 474 |
This week’s parkrun results are as follows:
FOLKESTONE: Guy SLINGSBY 00:18:03pb Kevin NEWMAN 00:18:07 Prakash GURUNG 00:18:41 Nicholas BRYANT 00:18:48 Trevor DEVOOGHT 00:19:23 Krzysztof KLIDZIA 00:19:36 Deborah JEFFERY 00:19:38 Ian MERRICK 00:19:39 Tristan BRUCE 00:19:43 Darren PHILIP 00:20:41 Stephen DEEMING 00:21:21 David WEEKES 00:21:29 Rob COLLIER 00:21:35 Manda GURUNG 00:22:21 Hazel MILLARD 00:22:27 Andrew GARDINER 00:23:04 Phil HAINES 00:23:06 Adam WARD 00:23:58 Simon COFFEY 00:24:21 Paul BARTLETT 00:24:31 Thomas ASPINALL 00:24:53 Ian VOUSDEN 00:24:54 Catherine O’CONNOR 00:24:55 David BOTTING 00:25:21 Richard PICKERING 00:26:04 Stuart ERSKINE 00:26:35 Ron BELL 00:27:11 John O’HARA 00:27:25 Kevin WHITBY 00:28:01 Brian AUSTIN 00:28:03 Simon BURVILL 00:28:29 Clive ALLON 00:29:03 Rebekah NEWTON 00:29:08 Deirdre COOMBS 00:29:10 Neil ADAMS 00:29:30
Marie BRAZIER 00:29:50 Diane PARSONS 00:29:51 Rachel YORKE 00:30:09 Miles GAWTHORP 00:31:13 Rachel SMITH 00:33:53 Helen MERRICK 00:35:47 Kate LANCEFIELD 00:44:25
ASHFORD: Andrew NOBLE 00:23:09 Karla LARNDER 00:23:26 Lesley CLANCY 00:24:19 Julia HENWOOD 00:33:16
Jacob HENWOOD 00:33:17
CANTERBURY: Kate EVANS 00:26:06
BURHAM ON CROUCH: Amy OWEN 00:26:55
BIRKENHEAD: Rosie SMISSEN 00:30:51
THE LEAS: Martin SALMON 00:22:37
GREAT YARMOUTH BEACH: Henry AXON 00:24:09
DOVER WATERFRONT: David TYLER 00:17:08 Stephen John MALE 00:18:16 Thomas MURRAY 00:25:06 Louisa EEDE 00:31:38