Club announcements

• ***UPDATED FOR 2020*** Race Calendar & Events

  Click to see our coming up section for local races and club events.

• ***NEW*** Shared Calendar

  Shared Calendar now avalible to subscribe to.

• ***NEW*** Parkrun dates and locations 2020

  Norfolk Gazelles take part in many Park Runs across the county, being such a friendly club we also target Park Runs so that we can meet up and enjoy a post run coffee and cake. In some cases there is an option for a bike ride or an open water swim, all are welcome to join us. Whilst not an official race we do wear Norfolk Gazelle running tops.

  In 2019 Norfolk is expecting a few new Park Runs to open, reserved dates are for these to be included in the tour once we know they are officially open. We've also added some Park Runs not previously included in the tour.

  December 2019

  7th - Colney parkrun 2nd anniversary

  21st - Colney Mob Match revisted

  25th - Eaton

  January 2020

  1st - 8.30am Brundall followed by Catton at 10.30am

  18th - Colney Lane Gazelles marshal take over

  February

  15th - Brandon

  March

  14th - Great Yarmouth

  April

  11th - Watton

  25th - Holkham

  May

  16th - Sloughbottom

  June

  6th - Blickling

  20th - Thetford

  July

  11th - Sizewell

  25th - Lowestoft

  August 

  22nd - Lingwood

  September

  12th - Sheringham

  October

  10th - Swaffham

  November

  7th - Gorleston

  December 2019

  25th - Eaton

Race news

Race reports

• Beowulf 10K Run - 15th March

  Andy Walter

  Looking for a race to run in mid March I was faced with two choices. The Mad March Hare or Beowulf Run. Both were 10ks. One race consisted of two laps round a featureless, usually windswept, semi abandoned areadrome. The other, through a forest and country park and along The Beowulf and Grendel Trail. Not surprisingly,  I opted for the latter,  as did a few more Gazelles. 

  After the race briefing, the 5kers headed off in the first wave and 10kers followed shortly after. 

  The first K was along a good track; no mud, no squelch underfoot and no rabbit holes. Crossing a road we entered Kings Forest. The next couple of K was on a sandy firebreak path. Recent high winds meant there were numerous fir cones, branches and other foilage scattered along way, making the going hazardous underfoot. Entering the forest proper, we became upon a rider on a Pale Horse I hoped this was not a foreboding sign of things to come....The sun rays streamed through the Silver Birch and Pine Trees as made our away along a bridleway. I heard the bird song of a Woodlark carried by the breeze as we entered a heathland section. A toad hopped across my path and I spent the next couple of K pondering the significance of this event. Hurdling a fallen tree and crossing the road we entered West Stow Park again. 

  A Victorian Pumping Station was passed as we made away along the river bank of The Lark. The going was easy and a Red Kite was seen hovering overhead watching the spectacle of runners weaving their way around West Stow Lake. The last K was a short wooded section and then into a field and a gradual incline to the finish line. 

  This is a great low key cross country event. The setting was lovely and the course not too muddy or arduous.  I especially liked the lack of environmental impact; bring your own cup and no water bottles given out at the finish. The medal was a great design. 

  Of the six Gazelles who ran Beowulf James Frary had a great run finishing 3rd.  The other Gazelles who ran were Lou Hurr, Lou Isherwood, Bob Pearson and Chris Haystead. 

• Hameldown Hammer Half-Marathon, Dartmoor - 23rd February

  Ian Edwards

  A return to Dartmoor, for the toughest half-marathon I've done (so far), starting and finishing in the picturesque village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor.  Organised by Pure Trail Running, the race features 13 miles of gruelling climbs and descents, with the highest point at Hameldown Tor.  

  You know it's going to be a tough race when within 30 seconds of the start you're having to walk up 15-20% gradients. There were incredibly strong winds, up to 50 mph at times, and horizontal rain driving across the moorland (I was literally blown over at one point, into the mud, which was a bit scary). We have only a few bedraggled ponies and hardy marshal for company out there today.

  The first two and a half miles are all uphill, to get up to Hameldown, then a steep descent to Challacombe, an abandoned medieval settlement. The downhill stretches are tough, as the ground is saturated and solid footing is hard to find, especially with the wind swirling and pushing us wherever it chooses. We loop around Challacombe Down and Hookney Tor, before another sharp descent where I lose my footing several times and end up falling backwards on to my arse or forwards on to my hands and knees. 

  On to the second checkpoint and then the toughest part of the course lies ahead: our second ascent of Hameldown, which is a two-mile slog against the wind. We pass a memorial to four crew members of an RAF bomber who were killed in a crash in 1941.  Then we head for home, downhill for two miles back to Widecombe, where hot drinks and delicious homemade cake awaits us.

  It was the most technically challenging course I've done, and has made me realise I still have a awful lot to learn about trail running, in particular how to tackle steep, slippery descents. Only 11 out of 209 finishers came home in under two hours, which gives you an idea of how tough it was!

  Delicious cake at the finish though, and that's what makes it all worth while. Sign me up for next year. There are lots of tempting Dartmoor races organised by PureTrail. 

• Arc of Attrition Race Report or I was glad when it rained because it washed the blood away! - 31st January

  Phil Whiting

  This is the biggest Ultra marathon in the South West. And for good reason, it’s superbly organised and a beautiful route. So having witnessed it last year crewing Jason Brunt I felt compelled to enter.

  The journey down completed without incident (last year we got snowed in on Bodmin Moor), we checked in Thursday night and got ourselves ready for the start midday Friday.

  The morning of the race, we got our trackers fitted and then attended one of the scariest race briefings I’ve been to: “pay attention or you might run off a cliff; don’t leave the trail, you might fall down a tin mine; don’t get caught on a beach by mistake, the tide might cut you off!”

  Briefing down we got on the busses to the start. The start is a great piece of theatre, starting up in the village of Coverack you run down to the quay..the start is counted down to the sound of Led Zepplins Kashmir and live drumming and as we were set off through the plumes of blue smoke I felt goosebumps. Soon we were on the trail, the ascents were fine, but tough, but the descents just illustrated how inept I am at trail running. I was working really hard to find foot placement amongst the rocks and mud and given any opportunity runners behind me would skip past. I kept pushing though, almost with tragic consequences, I slipped at about 5 miles and had the choice of grabbing a thorn bush or falling of the cliff. The thorns ripped at my hands and soon, as I ran on I had two hands covered in blood! In fact I was grateful when the rain came to wash the blood away.

  Before long we’d made it to Lizard Point, and it was great to see Amelia and get the damned Lizard Point fog horn behind us!

  On we plodded, dropping down into coves and then long hard climbs back out. Jason and I kept leap frogging each other (not literally!) as he sorted kit, changed socks etc, and I plodded on. Jason was moving better than me at this stage.

  About 4:30 we were crossing the beach at Loe Bar. It made a welcome change to the mud bath of the last 20 miles. We were pushing quite hard to reach the checkpoint without needing to extract our head torches from our back packs. As darkness fell with ran into the streets of Porthleven. An Arc Angel was there to run me into the checkpoint, taking my food order as we ran. The Marshall’s on this race were all fantastic, and a real credit to the SouthWest running community and mud crew.

  After shovelling some hot food down, and getting my flesh wounds dressed by the medic, we were off into the darkness. It was made mentally more challenging as we had to run past Rick Steins fish and chip restaurant , which looked very inviting! Anyway, more exhausting climbs, challenging descents, some boulder scrambling, a couple of river crossings, more mud. I was now running in a group and it was nice to chat to other runners; always worth a bit of banter as you run through a popular dogging site.

  We were now counting down the miles to Penzance. For a few miles Into Penzance, there is the opportunity to change into road shoes as the coast path follows the road. It was so nice to change into some dry, mud free, cushioned shoes...although I’m not sure Amelia was too pleased at having to help Jason and I change. Soon I was running again, it felt so good to knock out some quick miles.

  Then we were at the checkpoint. 38 miles done. Hot food consumed. Back out into the dark, no quick miles this time just some easy miles whilst our food digested. Soon we were meeting Amelia again, to change back into trail shoes.

  Next was the section that was impossibly tough, picking our way through boulders, up incredibly steep steps, down horrible technical descents. We were struggling to move a 2mph. I later checked out one of the leaders Strava feed and they were ‘running’ at just under 20 minute mile pace! By the time we reached Minack Theatre we were both broken. Jason retired at this point, his poles having failed, not to mention the toll of 50 miles of tough trail. Amelia didn’t give me the option of stopping. Soon she kicked me out the car and sent me on my way to Lands End. The running mercifully got easier and I felt I was making good progress and soon the Lands End hotel appeared. However I still had a couple of coves to descend into and climb back out of. By the time I made it to the checkpoint I only had 15 minutes to spare, to avoid getting timed out. I wolfed down a bowl of chilli and got myself out the door, before I changed my mind. The first few miles onto Sennen was decent running and I made good time. However out of Sennen, it was a different story. The trail was hard to follow, sometimes dropping down onto the beach, heading in land or taking me onto the cliff edge for some heart stopping boulder scrambling. This section was to be my undoing, I lost the trail and without it realising I soon found myself heading in land. I had already been tight for time to make the cutoffs, but this made it certain: I wasn’t going to make it.

  I made the phone call to retire and Amelia found her way to me as I sat shivering in my survival bag.

  It had been a good adventure, for me a really tough race, and I can fully understand why well over half the starters never finish.

• Reepham XC 2020 - 19th January

  Imogen Lees

  Reepham XC, 19 January 2020
  
  The absolute best fun you can have waist-deep in a stinking ditch, this year's Reepham XC was the usual mix of laughs, mud and, er... mud. Brilliant sunny winter weather, happy marshals and a no-pressure vibe make this one of the best fixtures of the local race calendar.
  
  William Robb flew the Gazelle flag, coming home in a magnificent sixth, likening his first leap into the freezing river to an ice-bath, which... er... "cured" his knee pain.
  
  Imogen Lees and Gail Barnard ran with Gazelle-legend-turned-Harrier Sam Barwick and former Gazelle Ruth [she's lovely... if only I knew her surname] and laughed their way through the filthy water, the ditches and the farmers' fields. The course
  has its ups and downs -- basically, it's "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" -- and you can really feel your hamstrings during the second lap!

• Robert Pearson, Chris Haystead, Imogen Lees and Andy Walter Run Ragged Round Repps - 24th November

  Andy Walter

  Signing up for a cross-country in the summer is very different from actual undertaking of it in late autumn. The blue skies have long since faded to a dull, overcast grey. This one, 'Rag It Round Repps', was billed as the "most scenic and beautiful Trail Running event in the entirety of Norfolk". An ominous sky and chill wind blew across the village playing field as we parked up at Repps with Bastwick village hall . We bumped into Imogen Lees, a veteran of this event (she had run it the previous year), who said "It's tough, muddy and hard work but you'll love it". Tough, muddy and hard work was not what we wanted to hear.

  Registration completed, we had the opportunity to watch the mayhem of the start of the canicross event.  Hounds of all shapes, sizes and breeds howled, barked and snarled, straining on their leashes as their owners tried to control them. One ferocious looking Doberman, possibly rabid, looked at Bob with "hungry eyes". 

  As the howling faded into the distance it was our turn. I wished my shivering fellow Gazelles well and we were off. We skirted the edge of a stubble field, the going firm to soft, but pleasantly easy going. I guessed there would be more challenging sections to come. Across a road, then on to a single file path. Each step churning up the ground more for the runners behind.  

  Next up, a "beet" field. Mercifully there was a track through the middle, otherwise I fear there might have been a few turned or broken ankles. A short section of quiet country road was next, before we turned towards the river segment. We ran cautiously alongside the Thurne - a slip or a trip over a mooring rope here would end in disaster. A stumble into the brown, murky, uninviting and cold water of the Thurne would be unpleasant, to put it mildly. Two swans startled by the runners took to the sky and circled majestically above us . Onwards we ran, slithering and cursing as we went. 

  A stile at 4km allowed us to take a breather and an opportunity to survey our surroundings. In the distance, the white paint of Thurne Windmill shone like a beacon in the dull, grey and lifeless landscape. "Reach that and we are still less than half way round", Chris exclaimed, clearly needing to work on his motivational techniques. 

  Suddenly, a hail of goose poo fell from the sky as a honking flock of Canada? Egyptian? or Norfolk geese flew overhead.  The runner in front of me got hit twice, once on the shoulder then on her head.  "That's considered lucky!" I chortled. The disgusted look on her face strongly suggested she felt otherwise. 

  We reached Thurne Mill, some weird country ritual meaning we ran through the backdoor and out the front. Disappointingly no sign of Windy Miller. Along by the river we squelched, a particularly bogging bit resulting in my left leg sinking into black gooey mud midway up to my calf. Following this, we overtook Archie, a brown Cocker Spaniel who wagged his tail and barked as we ran past. 

  At Thurne village, The Red Lion Public House beckoned but no time to do a "Lee Oxbury" and have a drink mid-race. The sky was beginning to look oppressive and our mud-caked trainers were feeling heavy. 

  Thankfully, back on the road again, and the cloying mud stuck to our trainers was shaken loose. Through a farm, past George, a Border Collie, clearly having a ball, whilst his owners tongue was lolling out as she was being dragged along behind.  

  Another footpath and another field. This one had "life". Green shoots of "crop" had pushed though the mud, only to be tramped and churned back into the soil. Forward and onwards, only another 3km to go. A narrow and sludgy path weaved its way through a small copse of Oak and Silver Birch, then into “Mirkwood” proper. A disgusting stench assaulted our nostrils. The fetid aroma of damp and rotting foliage plus the reek of stagnant water hung in the air. Oh the joy of countryside. Hurdling over fallen trees, branches grazing our arms we preserved whilst stumbling over the odd tree root. No sign of the family of red deer who allegedly  "often roam around there"

  Out of the wood and across more open and exposed farmland. A bi-plane buzzed above us. Had we transported back in time? We rounded Lucius, a mud caked and tiring Dalmatian. Leaping a ditch and crossing a road we stumbled into a stubble field. Head down and arms pumping we ploughed on towards the finish line. 

  No medal at this event, the organisers opting for a more practical ‘shoe scraper’ that had to be utilised before entering the village hall for a hard earned cup of tea.  Imogen appeared, beaming a smile and asking the question. "Did we enjoy it?" Yes, it was tough, it was hard work, it was muddy but we loved it!

• Frankfurt Marathon - 27th October

  Theresa Dooley

  A small but perfectly formed trio of Gazelles - Phil, Amelia and I - ran the Frankfurt marathon. I’d been egged on by Phil to enter on the promise of a flat, fast course, and easy cheap travel to get there. Frankfurt had the feel of London with a big expo in the lead up where you collect your number and hire a chip, and you can blow your trip budget on new running gear and fuel yourself up with protein bar samples. Maybe that’s just all big city marathons? 

  The day before the marathon the Whitings hired electric scooters and headed to Ninna park and Frankfurt parkrun where I’m pretty sure Tom Whiting got a PB. I did the official Pretzel run, a 5kish jog around the city and a pretzel in medal as well as edible form at the finish, oh and a Kombucher beer.  There was a pasta party the evening before at the Festival  Hall where Amelia and I admitted our lack of training but comforted ourselves with the thought we’d both done long legs of the Round Norfolk Relay which would surely be enough to get us around a few more miles....  

  The marathon strapline is ‘run the skyline’ alluding to the distinctive high rise landscape of the city, but there are also lovely older areas to explore and lots to do and see in the city. The course itself is a disorientating figure of 8 over the first 12k, loops out and back around the central start area. Then it’s a long stretch out along the river, crossing it twice, then back the other side. Other than a few empty stretches there was great support along the way, and regular drink stations - water, iso drinks, tea, bananas, gels. It really was pancake flat, just a few very gentle inclines and the odd bridge or underpass with more serious ups and downs. The finish is another one of those mess with your head ‘I can see the finish but they are sending me another 3k in the opposite direction again’. And a stretch of cobbles for a second time, which at mile 2 just felt uncomfortable but at mile 25 was plain cruel. But the finish, well that is spectacular, you run into the festival hall on a red carpet with bright lights, dry ice and deafening music. Glad Phil had warned me or by that time I would have definitely thought I was hallucinating. We were herded along to an area where we got our medal, and a welcome plastic poncho. By now the rain was settling in. For running the weather had been great but now it was cold and the hot tea was bliss, along with more pretzels, beer, bananas, protein bars and mountains of cinnamon cake.

   A great event, a fast flat course just like Phil promised. Free public transport to all runners on the day was a bonus and there was a sense of survivor solidarity as we hobbled around and waited on platforms in our blue ponchos with our medals. Next stop Berlin?

  Results ...

• Kyiv Half Marathon - Andy Walter, Chris Haystead and Robert Pearson Go East! - 6th October

  Andy Walter

  After deciding to run a half marathon (the first ever for two of the party) we had to decide on a destination which had to be a) a country none of us had visited b) easy to get to and c) had cheap beer. Travels in our youth, family holidays and a small matter of outstanding fines ruled out the EU nations.   Our eyes turned eastwards; Moldova, Romania, Belorussia and the Ukraine became contenders. Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine won the vote. A country which none of us has been to, a Ryanair destination which sold the cheapest beer in Europe (according to Google). The small matter that Ukraine was technically still at war with Russia did not phase us.

  Our accommodation was ideally situated ten minutes’ walk from the start line. With our numbers pinned to our vests, flying the flag for Norfolk Gazelles and Great Britain off we headed to a thronged Sophia Square. The start/finish line was flanked by the golden domes of Saint Michaels Monastery and Saint Sophia’s Cathedral which glimmered in the warm autumn sunshine. The countdown commenced, and whilst our Ukrainian language skills were sparse, suddenly “Urrahs” echoed round the St Sophia’s Square and we were off.

  The cobbled road was a surprise, but before long we were on the wide boulevard of Volodymyrsk St.  We ran past the historic Golden Gate; a Soviet construct of wood and brick.  The world famous Opera House was next, no time to take in a show as we turned left past Besarabski Market. On the corner stood a Ukrainian choir in full national dress. The women’s blonde hair, braided and shining in the sun, like the corn on the Ukrainian steppe. Their stirring patriotic songs spurred us onwards. 

  Up Khreshchatyk St, and on the right Independence Square. The scene of violent clashes which ended in the February 2014 revolution. It was sobering to see shrines and memorials to the ‘Heavenly hundred’ protesters who were killed by government forces. 

  We turned right, the running crowd thinning as we wound our way up Petrovska St past a teenage guitar band, spurring us on with Chuck Berry covers. This was our first hill.  A pitiful lack of research meant that we were blissfully unaware that other, more challenging ascents were to follow.  

  Motoring on with a naïve exuberance that we’d pay dearly for later a steep downhill section gave us the chance to open up a bit as we circled the ‘Motherland’ statue; her sword raised saluting us as we turned into a headwind. Next came the Holy Lavra monastery and cave complex, scene of a near death underground experience involving mummified monks and candles the day before.  No such fun this time round.

  The Dnieper River flanked our right side and the wind blew into our faces as we turned back toward the city. No shelter, no respite for 6km. Muscle bound, militaristic types running bare-chested powered past with grim determination.

  Through a tunnel then left onto Nyzhnii Val St. I looked up and saw a cobbled hill.  Bad news – this was more Ketts Hill than Elm Hill.  What followed was 4km of pain. The names Shekavytsa Ascent and Hlybochytska Hill will be forever etched in to our collective memories.  Fortunately, pavements were thronged with cheering crowds, children handing out cups of Pepsi and dancing girls with pom poms! High fives were given liberally and well received.  “Urrahs” once again were heard, as well profanities in Ukrainian, Russian and, mainly, English. 

  A kilometre of flat amidst Stalinist edifices was a relief as we re-entered the city centre proper, through the Square of the Intellectuals.  Then we were turning right back onto the cobbles for the golden confetti, big crowds and booming disco of the finish line. 

  A medal the size of small dinner plate was hung around our necks whilst we feasted on the hospitality: fruit, yoghurt drink and black tea.  Foil blankets whispered in the breeze as goody bags full of unidentifiable Ukrainian freebies were handed out.

  Possibly a little over-exuberant after going the distance, for cool-down we decided to take on the free walking tour of Communist Kyiv, followed with a slap-up meal for three pounds and a blurry night of beer and vodka in a 24 hour pub costing somewhat more.

  As hangovers subsided and, after a ‘wacky races’ style panic, we made it to the airport only just on time, we were able to reflect on a successful trip.  Out of the ten GBR male runners on the results page  (a number of whom had suspiciously Ukrainian sounding names) Norfolk Gazelles finished 2nd, 3rd and 7th.