Wow, you have all certainly packed a lot into a shorter month. We hope to cover a range of the events RIOT runners have been involved with across the last few weeks. However, if you feel we have missed something or if you want to summarise an event for a future blog then please let us know, we would welcome contributions.

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.