For the second of our members’ blogs we hear from our inspiring 2023 Man of of Steel, Mark Brown, with an honest account of his running journey over time.

Mark Brown, is known to many of us for his impressive running (across all distances), his regular jokes, for the support he gives to the club and its members (by leading runs, helping with Couch to 5km & general encouragement) and lastly for that infamous “do something surprising” Taskmaster challenge run… (if you know, you know..)

We want to thank Mark for the time, honesty and thought he has put into answering these questions. As with Virginie’s blog, we are sure this will inspire in many ways that go beyond running.

Tell us about your journey into running….

I haven’t always been into running, to be honest when I was at school PE was definitely at the bottom of my favourite lessons list. Most of my PE reports usually consisted of “PE is not Mark’s forté“, “PE and Mark do not mix” and my favourite “I shall be very surprised to see Mark’s name and sport in the same sentence“.

It wasn’t until I joined the Royal Air Force that I took an interest in running and even then it wasn’t straight away. At basic training I was told that I had to run 1.5 miles in under 10 and a half minutes, they might as well have told me to run a marathon because that’s what it felt like when I finished it! It wasn’t until I got to my first RAF base in Cornwall that I really started to enjoy running, mainly because I actually chose to do it rather than being told that I had to. One thing led to another and I was chosen to run for my base.

Fast forward to after I left the RAF, I moved back to Portland and joined Royal Manor of Portland Athletics Club, who I ran with for over 20 years! Mainly competing in road races, my first marathon being London, but not until 2009. Things were progressing nicely with early 2015 PBs in both marathon and half marathon distance, then it all went downhill. In July 2015 I went to work as usual as a prison officer, there was an incident, nothing out of the ordinary, but it caused me to have a complete mental breakdown. Twenty two years of the job had finally caught up with me and to cut a long story short I decided to leave the service and try to rescue my now frazzled head. 

Unfortunately the breakdown meant that I didn’t want to do anything, running included, so I didn’t run for around a year and a half! Eventually I decided it was time to get the trainers back on and entered the Portland Coastal Marathon (my first trail marathon). Friends of mine had other ideas and I ended up entering the Endurancelife Lulworth Coastal Marathon which was three months before Portland Coastal, a lot hillier and a lot muddier… that was where my love of trail running began!

In June 2019 I moved to Dorchester after my marriage broke up, my mental health being the main reason for this. I now feel comfortable talking about this although at the time I was in complete denial. Not long after moving to Dorchester I joined RIOT, I had seen a couple of runners sporting the RIOT colours at a previous race and had heard great things about them so thought I’d see what it was all about! I started out on a Thursday night, the first couple of weeks running with Stamina then was “advised” that maybe I would like to try Speed, well what can I say, that was it. and I suppose the rest is history. Although I still road run I have to say that my heart is all for the trail and thankfully I have found like minded people to share my passion (more about them later)!

What does running mean to you?

Running has been a life saver for me (literally)! Since having my breakdown and the PTSD that it “kindly” left me with, I have used my running as an escape, an escape from the voices in my head that tell me I’m not good enough and an escape from the sleepless nights and flashbacks (thankfully not as many now). The trail and hills are my happy place, be it whether it’s wet or dry, I absolutely love them! 

What are your biggest running highlights to date?

This is a tough one!  There have been so many, especially since joining RIOT! I suppose moving from running marathon distance to ultra distance and completing a 53 mile race and placing second. It’s also always a highlight seeing runners starting their journey on the C25k course, graduating then running with RIOT.

What are your running aspirations for the year ahead?

The big one I suppose is the Jurassic Extinction Ultra in June. This will be my longest run to date at 120 miles along the Jurassic coast (I might have mentioned it a couple of times over the last year).  I said “to date” as I have a funny feeling that this won’t be my last of my ultra adventures, especially if those “like minded people” that I spoke about have anything to do with it… you know who you are (one in particular)!

What do you enjoy most about running RIOT?

EVERYTHING!! It’s like an extended family!!

Quick-fire Questions!

Favourite running shoe: The one I’m wearing at the time.

Road or trail? Trail, all day!

Favourite running distance: Ultra distance

Favourite post run snack: One of Virginie’s lovely pastries (when available)!

Favourite place to run: Portland Coastal Path

Weirdest item you’ve run in: Just my heart rate monitor on its own (not that weird)!

Favourite event: Dorset Hillfort Ultra Marathon

Favourite RIOT challenge: Festive 24, I moan about this for weeks after saying it’s “done my legs in” but it’s still a great challenge.

Thank you again to Mark for being so open with us, we hope you all enjoyed learning more about our new Man of Steel. Though, I don’t know about you… running with just a heart-rate monitor is definitely bordering on “interesting” running attire….

We hope to have more members blogs and welcome ideas and suggestions. If you want to write up a blog on an event or your running journey please get in touch with us! From your journey to 5k to half marathon, marathon and more – all your achievements will inspire others!

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For the first of our members’ blogs we hear from our amazing 2023 Woman of Steel, Virginie Morris, with an honest and inspiring account of her running journey.

Virginie Morris, known to many for her podium positions, inspiring running achievements and the support and encouragement she gives to others, has allowed us all to get to know her that little bit better.

Thank you very much to Virginie for taking the time and thought in answering these questions so honestly and from the heart. We are sure this will inspire others reading this in many ways that go beyond running.

Tell us about your journey into running….

Although I came to running quite “late” in my life, I’ve always been active as a child, and regularly walked and hiked with my family in the southern French mountains. I was a dancer for over 20 years and this has been a huge part of my younger life. I sadly had to stop when going to university, however, I was lucky to study near the Alps and I spent many hours speed hiking in the mountains there. When I moved to London to carry on with scientific research… well…. the only exercise I seemed to be doing was walking to the pub! Luckily, regular trips back to France to see my family kept me sane and fit as my love of the hills never went away.

Over a decade ago, I moved to Dorchester and became a mother shortly after. Whilst my pregnancies were amazing, both births were traumatic, physically and mentally. Whilst my children are the greatest gift I could ever have hoped for, I suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of my son and, being left emotionally unsupported, my personal life started to fall apart. I took to running as a way to cope with the state of my homelife. At the time, there was only one running club in Dorchester: the Dorset Sole Sisters, a women only club, where I met Karen Mitchell and El Rollet. They were incredibly kind and supportive and, without knowing it, they saved my sanity!

A few years later, after the birth of my daughter, I started hearing about this new running club called RIOT. For months I often saw them whilst out and about, but they seemed so fast, so “professional”! I didn’t think I would fit in and be “good” enough, and was convinced I would be a laughing stock! But finally, one day in November 2019, I attended my very first Thursday run. On El’s advice, I chose Stamina, and it was lead by a lovely lady called Rachel Jones. I was very intimated, the size of the group seemed huge to me, but Rachel was incredibly welcoming and supportive, very friendly and smiling, and I had the most wonderful first run with RIOT! A few weeks later, I gave the Tuesday “specialised” run a go. This was a totally different experience, but again, a very positive and memorable one: a very small group, led by Paul Danbury, at night, going towards Maiden Castle. At that time, this was way out of my comfort zone. I probably had all the wrong kit and shoes on, not sure I even had a torch with me! But Paul was so kind, so inclusive and with such a heart-warming smile, my fears and doubts were immediately put at ease, and I came back home grinning from ear to ear and feeling rather chuffed to have achieved an off-road run in the dark!

These two runs have literally changed my life. They made me come back to the club, and over time, led to many new and unexpected friendships, and quite a few crazy challenges! RIOT has been a very big part of my life since then, it has transformed me not only as a runner but also as a person, and I will forever be grateful for that.

What does running mean to you?

Being free! I once read that “running is the movement of a free human being”. I don’t know if that’s always true, but it is certainly how I feel every time I’m on the trails. It always brings me peace and strength. It recharges and replenishes my mental and emotional batteries, it gives me space to think (or not think) whilst bringing me closer to nature.

I’m always very mindful of the fact that not so long ago, women were not “allowed” to run in events (or run at all in some places) and I never take that freedom for granted. Over the years, I have also learned to place enjoyment, happiness and gratefulness at the forefront of all my runs and races. This now surpasses any good or bad “stats” that I may get, and it is what keeps me coming back for more. As a mother, I have also come to understand the importance of being outdoors and being out of breath in young people. I am very humbled to be inspiring to my own children and to have been sharing many runs with them.

What are your biggest running highlights to date?

My very first Thursday and Tuesday RIOT runs, the Ooser marathon and Cafe50. They have all had a big emotional impact for a variety of reasons.

The Ooser was my very first marathon and it remains one of my most cherished and “landmark” runs (I must say here a huge thank you to Rebecca Bradley, who selflessly ran it with me to make sure I was okay as I had been in hospital the day before). To have won it, when I attempted it again a year later, was a moment of immense joy and pride. This race will always have a very special place in my heart.

Cafe50 was nothing like I’d ever done before, and I would never have contemplated doing anything like this if it hadn’t been for the friendships I made through RIOT. As I did it in memory of Claire Ridge, as I “felt” her running by my side, this will always be one of my most treasured running memories and achievement. I must thank Karen and Rebecca, as well as Malcolm and Louise Curtis, for their incredible and generous support and for getting me through one of the hardest part of the run.

What are your running aspirations for the year ahead?

To inspire, support and encourage more people, of all abilities, to take on running and challenge themselves, to learn and discover more about what they can do. On a personal level, I would like to be able to run the UTMB one day, not “the” major race but perhaps one of the shorter distance they offer. This is a “long term” aspiration but I hope to be able to do it before I’m too old! I would also like to do more races in France as it feels very special to run in my home country.

What do you enjoy most about running RIOT?

I think what sets RIOT apart from other running clubs is that it’s both a serious and fun running club. It’s “serious” in the sense that we are encouraged to take part in races, league races, and we have some specialised running sessions for our members (which are absolutely fantastic to improve your running and, over time, enable everyone to run better and faster). But it’s also a fun, inclusive and relaxed club and the support throughout is just phenomenal. The club challenges are also what makes RIOT unique. They bring members closer together, whilst encouraging them to push themselves beyond what they would normally do or think they can achieve. This is extremely rewarding and satisfying, and as it’s done in good spirit, there’s always a bit of fun and banter to have

What does it mean to you to be the new Woman of Steel for 2023?

I never would have thought myself worthy of deserving this magnificent title, and I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that the lovely comments voters said were indeed about me. I am immensely grateful for the kindness and support of all our club members. It is extremely humbling and gratifying if I have, in some small way, been able to inspire someone else. I think as whole, RIOT is brilliant at supporting us through the ups and downs of our training and running journey.

Quick-fire Questions!

Favourite running shoe: I’ve recently discovered Topo Athletics which are fantastic, but my Hoka Speedgoat have carried me to the end of many hilly trail runs.

Road or trail? Trail!! Hilly trails!!!

Favourite running distance: Half-marathon. It’s long enough to be challenging and rewarding, but not so long that it takes require months of training to do it.

Favourite post run snack: Depends on how long and hard the run has been. A pint of milk, something chocolatey or sweet… and/or something salty!

Favourite place to run: We are spoiled for choice in Dorset! Puddletown Forest, Maiden Castle … and the coastal path! The woods always bring me peace and happiness. As for our lovely coastline: the challenges and rewards of the hills on one side, the power, tranquility and immensity of the sea on the other…bliss!

Weirdest item you’ve run in: Hmmm…. Can’t really think of anything….maybe as I grow older I’ll be bolder!

Favourite event: Hardy Half, along with races from Badger Trail Events….and most of the Purbeck Trail Series runs.

Favourite RIOT challenge: EMC!! I love how the whole club comes together. There’s a real sense of companionship and camaraderie amongst us, lots of banter and support to get those miles done. The fact that it’s done for a very important charity makes it all the more satisfying.

Thank you again to Virginie, we hope you all enjoyed learning more about our new Woman of Steel!

We look forward to more blogs including one from our Man of Steel for 2023, Mark Brown (we promise, no nudity!!). We also have a blog coming from Malcolm Curtis documenting his Ultra Trail Snowdonia Adventure.

If you want to write up a blog on an event or your running journey please get in touch with us! From your journey to 5k to half marathon, marathon and more – all your achievements will inspire others!

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RIOT R12

The first weekend of February started off with the RIOT R12, a running challenge and fundraising event for Pancreatic Cancer UK in memory of Claire Ridge. Members were challenged to run or walk a minimum of 1 mile on the hour, every hour, between 7am until 7pm.

39 runners completed almost 800 miles between them, most fueled by cake and finishing with a beer mile. Completing this kind of challenge is hard enough, especially getting out every hour on a winters day and there were numerous achievements, with people completing their furthest distances from 13 to 46 miles. Shout out to Simon Hill who took the mileage top spot with 46 miles, closely followed by Andy Mutter, Mark Brown and Paul Burrows who all ran over 40 miles, Penny Atkin, Emma Parker, Sam Trim and Wendy Britton who covered 30 miles and Mike Lamb, Reni and Alistar McPhail who completed the challenge solo on different days.

It wasn’t all about running either, it was about cake, good deeds and fancy dress with themed miles throughout the day. Well done to Nigel Atkin for winning Best Baker, Eden de Long and Andy Mutter for Best Fancy Dress and Dee Brooks for Best Good Deed. A huge thank you to Kerri Oliver who played a huge part in organising the event, the Dorchester Rugby Club for hosting us and all those involved in helping the event run smoothly. Importantly, we are pleased to say the R12 event and fundraising for the winter 10k raised over £1100 for charity.

If you need another RIOT challenge to help motivate you with your running and get you meeting other RIOTers, then keep your eyes peeled for a team challenge announcement coming soon!

RIOT Road Racing

A team of RIOT runners swapped blue for purple to pound the streets of London in the Winter 10km Run to raise further funds for charity. The group supported each other through the run and training, whatever their goal. Some used the 10k and fundraising as motivation for their return to running, whilst others wanted to test their pace after months of training. Meanwhile some members of the group even ran this on tired legs having completed the R12 the day before. A special mention to Frankie Daly, Emily Coplestone and Adele Elliot for their 10km PBs achieved on the day and to the group for their efforts in fundraising.

February saw the second Dorset Road Race League event of the year, the Lytchett 10 – 7 hilly miles finishing with 3 miles down hill to the cake. The RIOT male and female teams were out in force, representing the club and also coming away with personal achievements from furthest distances or breaking down personal barriers. Congratulations to Leighton Smith, Wendy Britton and Tim Rogers for their 10 mile PBs and to Karen Mitchell and Eleanor Rollett for their course PBs. The next DRRL event is the Marnhull 12km in April (http://drrl.co.uk/).

RIOT members were also busy with the half marathon distance this month with Louise Fox, Emily Stephens and Cendrina at the Exeter half and Karen Mitchell achieving a sub 1:41 half marathon PB at the hilly Blackmore Vale half. Lastly, congratulations to Leighton Smith for his sub 1:30 half PB and Sadie Laker for taking over 5 minutes off her half marathon PB at Brighton half marathon as part of their Manchester marathon training.

Taking on the trails

Trail running is highly popular amongst the club members, even in the winter when it means wading through mud and puddles, so it is no surprise RIOT members have been busy at different trail events.

Locally we have no shortage of hills, with the coastal path offering some of Dorset’s most challenging climbs. Anne Saunders and Karen Croad completed the technical and hilly Bustinskin Portland Coastal half marathon, enjoying the views along the way whilst earning their chunky medals. Whilst Andy Mutter took on two laps of Portland for the marathon for his 8th marathon in 52. Impressive enough, but he ran this on tired legs having done marathon number 7 to Lulworth and back the day before and on a full stomach having polished off a full English just before the race start. 

Elsewhere in Dorset, Malcolm and Louise Curtis ran the Jurassic Express half a one way half marathon from Swanage to Corfe with the novelty of a trip back on the train, with Malcolm placin 7th in his age category – showing that mountain training is paying off.  Well done also to Karen Lewis for running the Trail Events Lulworth 10k, especially in bitterly cold winds.

Further afield, if running across Dartmoors’ technical terrain, bogs and hills in the day was hard enough, try running it at night! A great result from Graham Smith who achieved 8th in his age category in the Dartmoor Wild Night Run. Slightly less boggy, but no less technical, Virginie Morris took on some huge climbs with ease in the La Petitie Sauta Roc in France.

Parkrun update

Well done to those that ran parkruns near and far in February with El Rollett, Rebecca Bradley, Clare Lane and Emily Coplestone achieving parkrun PBs at our local Great Field parkrun.

We must also mention Andy Mutter’s spectacular Great Field parkrun PB which he achieved in the last 3 miles of marathon 9/52 (when he had “just a parkrun to go”) with 23 miles and a 5am start in his legs (and that’s not mentioning marathons 7 and 8 which he did the weekend before). Well done also to Paul Burrows and Mark Brown who accompanied Andy, also completing the marathon distance. You can find a nice write-up of this achievement and fundraising in the parkrun blog; https://www.parkrun.org.uk/thegreatfield/news/2023/02/18/charity-begins-at-your-home-parkrun

Parkrun isn’t just about running, when you’re unable to run you can walk and it has been good to see David Howell out walking the course weekly, recently walking the course in under 40 minutes! Congratulations also to those that achieved significant attendance or volunteering milestones this month.

Other Mentions

• For club updates on the AGM and annual awards, adventure race, run leading and Hardy Half volunteering please see the Members Facebook group or the weekly e-mail.
• Congratulations to Eleanor Rollett who was awarded 3rd Lady in the Masters category for her Lytchett 10 run as part of the Dorset County 10 mile championships.
• Em and James Chutter represented the club at the Dorchester Beer Race, running to seven pub checkpoints. Thanks to the members who volunteered to help the event run smoothly.
• Bronwen Davison for her sub 60 minute 10km run on Weymouth seafront even in a chilly headwind.

It has been great to see regular personal achievements as members train and build their miles for spring events – things will be feeling tough now but the end goal is in sight! We look forward to writing about some of these events month, with Weymouth and Yeovil Half marathons, the Grizzly and Larmer Series amongst some of the upcoming events.

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Before we start rounding up January 2023 it only feels right to recognise how RIOTers saw out 2022 with the Festive 24 challenge.  In December, 60 members ran or walked 3 miles or 30 minutes a day from the 1st – 24th December, in pursuit of a coveted Festive 24 bauble medal. As part of this challenge RIOTers went out in the dark and bitterly cold, wet weather, which takes some determination. Well done to everyone that completed the challenge and also those that may not have completed it but gave it a go and set a benchmark to beat. Special mentions to Steve Stone breaking the Festive 24 catch-up record, with 8 x 3 mile catch-up runs in a day. There were also impressive catch-ups from Rob Scott, Gerald Carter and Kerri Oliver. Congratulations also to Dani Brooks who has all SIX Festive 24 baubles in her collection – running her way through every Festive 24 challenge since 2017. 

The Festive 24 was held in memory of Claire Ridge and what a worthy challenge to remember a determined and brave lady. Festive 24 kicked off RIOTs fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK, next is the R12 on 4th February (https://dorchester.runriot.uk/r12-sign-up/) and a group of runners who are on their own challenge that weekend; https://www.justgiving.com/team/dorchesterRIOT.

Start as you mean to go on

January may have been a quiet month for events, but we had a strong start! On New Year’s Day a group of RIOT runners took on the mile-long climbs of the Broadstone Quarter Marathon. Whatever their New Years Eve fueling strategy was, it seemed to work, with 10k PBs for Michael Paulley, Wendy Britton, a course PB for Mark Brown and Louise Fox coming in as 5th lady. Congratulations also to Eleanor Rollett, Paul Munford, Philip Reese, Jo Brooks and William Loates for their strong starts to 2023. 

The Broadstone Quarter wasn’t just about individual achievements but running for a team as part of the Dorset Road Race League. The ladies team, recently promoted to division one, came fourth in a competitive field. With the men’s team starting as they mean to go on, topping division two.  It would be great to see more members at DRRL races, it is not all about pace, but supporting the club, local events and pushing yourself on races you might not have tried before. For more information visit: http://drrl.co.uk/ or speak to the Club Captains (Eleanor Rollett and Steve Stone).

Dark Moors to end the month

The last weekend of January brought a group of RIOTers to the dark trails of Moors Valley Country Park for the White Star Running Dark Moors races. Running in the dark is hard anyway, but night trail-running in the woods adds an extra challenge. Well done to Karen Lewis, Shelley Carter, Anne Woodruff, Shannon McCabe and Steph Leyland for tackling the 5 mile race and to Virginie Morris for a speedy run after illness, placing 3rd lady in the 10 mile event. 

Trails, beer and training runs

What January lacked in events was made up for in social and training runs. The first social run was the coastal trail run known as the ‘Pasty Run’, across the six pasty runs, this one had the most challenging weather. Many of us questioned our sanity as we drove through black clouds and hail on the way to Worth Matravers. However, though we had plenty of challenges to contend with; side winds, mud, hills and steps, the threatened rain and hail held off – until the last mile at least! We definitely earned a pasty and pint by the fire in the Square and Compass pub. Well done to all the runners that took on the 10 and 7 mile routes, many tackling personal challenges be it distance or terrain. 

RIOT member, Andy Mutter, is no stranger to a crazy challenge and 2023 is no different as he sets out to run 52 marathons in 12 months, raising money for the MS Society. Though a personal challenge, many of his marathons have had opportunities for runners to join him along the way. The “beerathon” marathon, unsurprisingly, was a popular one, with many joining for miles and pints along the 26.2 mile route. Kerri Oliver and Penny Atkin got some training miles in on the first half of the Yeovil to Dorchester marathon, whilst others joined Andy to “Run the Rhino”. Lastly, lots of runners joined Andy for frosty and scenic loops of Maiden Castle (22 in total for a marathon) running distances from 3 miles to the full 26!

RIOT are also out training hard for their spring events, including 10k, half marathon and marathons. Some are doing these distances for the first time and others are training for a PB, giving RIOTs Training Tuesday sessions a go for the first time. The weather has made motivation tough, so we are impressed at the dedication of those training hard. A special mention to Sadie Laker who is building back her miles for Manchester marathon after breaking her foot in the summer, and to Claire Turner and Gaurika Kapoor who have both achieved their longest ever runs in their training for London. Also, a shout out to our steady runners who have been supporting each other through their training by coming together to get their long runs done on Sunday.

Other RIOT news

• Good luck to our 43 Couch to 5k runners who are busy training their way to the 5k distance, supported by lots of club members. We look forward to seeing them achieve the milestone at a graduation parkrun then welcoming them into the club!
• It is great to see RIOTers at parkrun regularly, well done to Emma Parker, Bill Britton, Rob Davison, Tim Rogers and Simon Phillips who got PBs at our local Great Field parkrun. Thanks also to those that have volunteered, if you can help volunteer one week you can find out more here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/thegreatfield/volunteer/ or here for the Junior parkrun on Sundays https://www.parkrun.org.uk/thegreatfield-juniors/volunteer/
• Set yourself a trail challenge by signing up the Hardy Half on the 14th May 2023 – you can expect some fun downhills, good views and perhaps something a little bit different for the inaugural event! https://www.hardyhalf.com/
• For those that took part in the Every Mile Counts challenge in November, we can update you that the £800 raised has now been spent on items for the food bank and homeless charities. The next charity event is the R12 raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK, you can sign up until midnight on 31st January (https://dorchester.runriot.uk/r12-sign-up/) and there are opportunities to be involved on the day.
• The next Dorset Road Race League event is the Lytchett 10, you can sign up here: https://www.lytchettmanorstriders.org/lytchett10.php
• Credit to the RIOT members we stole photographs off; George Peters, Dani Brooks, Malcolm Curtis and others.

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First things first – what a busy month!  March brought with it the return to virtual events, a brand new RIOT challenge and the start of lockdown restrictions being eased.  The efforts and achievements within the club over the last 31 days have been incredible. 

We always try to include everything we spot, but if you feel like something has been missed off please do let us know.  We love hearing about what our members are up to so don’t be shy and share your achievements!  Whether it’s a new longest run, your first continuous 5k, you’ve starting venturing off road or you feel like your friend deserves a shout out, we want to hear about it.  Drop the club a message, tag us on Facebook or Instagram, or share within the group chat.

We all know how hard it can be to kick start your running routine after a break away, so the first blog kudos goes to Simon Fowler who has maintained regular running after a month off.  Well done Simon!

Many of you will have noticed that running duo Peter and Katie Smith are this year running the virtual distance from Lands End to John O’Groats.  March saw them hit the impressive milestone of 100 days of running at least 3 miles a day.  Well done Peter and Katie, you’ve made an impressive start to the challenge and we’re looking forward to watching you progress.

White Star Running are well known for putting on great events so many of us were disappointed that the Spring Larmer events would be postponed.  Not deterred however, several members took on the virtual option.  Not having the support and atmosphere of an event can be tough, so well done to the following members who earnt themselves a medal across the various distances:

Larmer 7:

• Peter Knight

Larmer half:

• Louise Curtis

Larmer 20:

• Reni McPhail
• Rebecca Bradley
• Gemma Shone
• Nikki Rich

Also missed off the running calendar at the moment are Park Run events.  Despite them not restarting until later this year, we’ve noticed regular #notaparkrun runs from Liz Elliott and Darren Grummitt.  This month also saw Darren take part in the Marie Curie Step into Spring Challenge, clocking up an amazing 50166 steps.  Well done Liz and Darren.

Two more half marathons went virtual this month; well done to Mark Brown, Laura White and Kerri Oliver for completing the Bath Half, and Anne Woodruff, Tara and Peter Knight, Gunny Archer and Sarah Dunford who completed the Weymouth Half.

The Phoenix events have become popular amongst our members (for unknown reasons!) and this month Wendy Britton went one step further.  Running 14.4 mile every day for 7 days, Wendy clocked up over 100 miles in just one week whilst raising £1900 for the Stroke Association!  Impressive its own, just 4 days later Wendy laced up once again and completed her first sub-4 hour marathon.  Incredible running Wendy!

44 RIOTers took part in our brand new challenge, RIOT Rumble.  In teams of 4, runners had to accrue points to ensure they weren’t at the bottom of the table and therefore eliminated from the challenge.  With alliances formed (and abused in some cases!) the final day saw 3 teams choose bonus runners to increase their chances of clinching the title.  After a very close final and incredible runs across the board, it was Team 6 who were victorious.  Well done to Andy Mutter, George Peters, Mike Lamb and Amy Mason, along with their bonus runners Steve Hall, Shelley Carter and Christina Guppy.  Keep reading to find out what helped them take the top spot…

Time for some PBs

First up, well done to the following RIOTers who this month completed a new longest distance:

Claire Lane – 7.5 miles

Ruth Lonie – 7.5 miles

Mike Lamb – 20 miles

Bronwen Davison – 20 miles

Gunnleyg Archer – 20 miles

Shelley Carter – marathon.

Woman of Steel Shelley was training for her first marathon in the Spring of 2020 before Covid interrupted her plans.  Deciding to go all out on the final day of the RIOT Rumble challenge, Shelley completely pulled it out the bag, simultaneously smashing her first marathon and helping Team 6 win the trophy.  Proving once again why she was a worthy winner of the Woman of Steel accolade at last year’s awards night.

We also saw a number of time PBs this month.  Well done to:

Malcolm Curtis and Richard Archer for their 10k PB,

Claire Carlin for her half marathon PB,

Scott Southgate for his marathon PB.

Don’t forget our AGM will be taking place on 16^th April at 7pm on Zoom.  As well as a chance to review the last year plus discuss the year ahead, we’ll also be asking you to vote in this year’s committee, including prospective new Membership Secretary Mark Stockman.

April sees the long-awaited return of club runs and group cycles, so check back next month to find out what else our members have managed to squeeze in!

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This month we’ve been talking to RIOT member Claire Ridge, who despite only starting on her Cough to 5k journey in September 2019, has now gone on to complete her first marathon distance. Claire’s determination has been a real inspiration within the club, and we’re pleased to share her story here.

My running journey started in September 2019 when I started the C25K with Dorchester RIOT. I was nervous, but I signed up with the hope of getting fitter and healthier.  I still remember our first minute of running around the rugby pitch and thinking “when is this going to end?!”.  Everyone was so encouraging and the minutes of running gradually increased.  I met a lovely running buddy, Nicky, and we did all the “homework” together for the course.  The support from all the RIOT members was amazing, especially Paula Fry at the Park Run Graduation.  I was introduced to Strava and then I was hooked!

Next, Nicky and I decided we would have a rest day after the graduation Park Run, and then go headfirst into our first RIOT challenge; the Festive 24, with the aim to establish a permanent running habit.  It was a hard challenge, and my legs were extremely tired by the end, but we both completed it.  I had a couple of days rest over Christmas and then got back to the routine of running with the aim of heading out three times a week.

The RIOT Munich to Budapest challenge soon became my second Club event.  Before this challenge I had not run more than 4 miles, yet it pushed me to run 5 miles each day and towards the end of the challenge I ended up completing a long run in the wind and rain with other RIOT members and thoroughly enjoying it!

Next, I signed up for the Race for Life. This was something that I really wanted to accomplish as I had recently recovered from breast cancer.  Unfortunately, COVID-19 happened and as with many events, the Race for Life was cancelled.  I had raised a lot of money whilst training so I decided to do the event virtually.  It was supposed to be a 10K but I felt that this distance was no longer such a challenge for me, and so I decided I would aim for a half marathon instead, swiftly downloading a new training plan.  I knew it would be hard going out running three times a week on my own, as the new lockdown restrictions prevented me from teaming up with a running buddy.  I did not want to stop running and lose all the progress that I had made, and so I followed my plan and kept running, just me and my tunes!  It was not easy juggling home schooling and caring for parents, but in June 2020 I completed my half marathon.  I was so pleased that I completed it, and hearing my dad had just received the all clear from his cancer a few days earlier made it all the more memorable.

By now I well and truly had the running bug!  I loved lacing up my trainers and going for a run for a little bit of me time, made all the better as I usually saw some friendly RIOT faces while out.  I discovered I much preferred the longer, slower runs rather than aiming for speed, and that suited me just fine!

When the RIOT club runs returned in small groups of 6, it was great to meet and chat to different RIOT members and I joined lots of lovely runs over the summer.  I volunteered to lead a Steady run on a Monday evening, and I have now led a steady Monday run most weeks (when it has been allowed!), finding I really enjoy helping and encouraging other runners.

Over the summer I completed longer trail runs with Anne Saunders, which I loved (apart from when she manages to find yet another hill!).  Inspired by other people running marathons I wondered, could I could achieve that?  I thought I would give it a go.  So, I signed up for a virtual marathon in October 2020 for Cancer Research.   Another training plan and off I went, coupled with much helpful advice from Anne.   In October 2020 the moment came, I completed my first marathon.  I was not fast, I just plodded around, but I did it! I could not really believe that I had completed a marathon.

Since then I have continued running, completing the RIOT Every Mile Counts challenge and the Festive 24 challenge for a second time. Thankfully, this was much easier than last year, and the mulled wine and mince pie were much appreciated at the end of the 24 days.

I am still running at least three times a week, usually with Tamsin; lots of lovely runs with lovely company.   Having someone to run with makes the miles go so quicker, and last weekend we completed a half marathon.

I was surprised and honoured to be asked to write this. I have met so many lovely people in RIOT.  There are lots of inspirational people within the club, from the super-fast, the long-distance runners and the people that just regularly keep running in these difficult times.

I really look forward to RIOT runs when it is safe for them to resume. Until then stay safe everyone and keep on running!

Claire Ridge 21^st January 2021

Thank you Claire for sharing your incredible journey.  Personally, I think Claire has done herself a disservice – her marathon was completed in a fantastic time and she has soon become an integral member of the club.  We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this new, but clearly natural, runner!

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