Hi everyone!
With lots going on both at the club and behind the scenes we thought it might be a good idea to send out a bit of an update to all our members. Hopefully you find this useful and if there is anything you think we should mention and haven’t, please let us know.
New Members
There is no better way to start than to welcome all our new members. So, it’s a hello and welcome to the following who have all joined since the 1st April:
| Rochie Jones |
| Tom Humphries |
| Alice Briddock |
| Richard Eyre |
| Gemma Pears |
| Alison Shirtcliffe |
| Tarryn Guest |
| Becky Parkin- Palfreyman |
| James Hirchfield |
We always give new runners a few weeks to decide if they wish to join but if you are chatting to anyone who isn’t a member, please mention that is a great idea to sign up – not least so we have correct details and can contact people easily. More on membership a little later.
3 Lakes
What an amazing day we had in June where even the weather was kind to us for the annual 3 lakes classic. 165 people took part on the day and Tom Shaw was the 1st home in 1 hour 23 followed closely by our own Chris Mallinder in 1 hour 25.
In the ladies’ section, 1st home was Hannah Walker from Dronfield in 1 hour 35, whilst in the Vets category the ladies winner was Sue Atkinson also from Dronfield and Nick Sparks (no club) in 1 hour 38 and 1 hour 35 respectively.
A lot of hard work went into the event and planning for next year has already begun. Health and safety regulations and licencing require a lot of effort not to mention logistics, cakes and numbers. So, a huge thank you to everyone involved and to all our members for supporting.
The 3 lakes event is vital for our funding and helps keep membership costs low – this year we made a good profit which will go towards the Christmas activities, trophies and running of the club.
We do have a sizable amount of Kit that we need to store for 3 lakes – if anyone can spare some garage space that is dry and free from nibbly animals please let Chris B know.
London Marathon Club Places
TCS London Marathon are introducing a new ratio of places for affiliated running clubs. For 2024, club guaranteed entries are:
• Fewer than 10 members = 0 places
• 10-39 members = ballot where at least half of the clubs will get 1 entry.
• 40-189 members = 1 place
• 190+ members = 2 places
We currently have just 23 members who purchased a UKA membership so if you were not lucky enough to get an individual ballot place 😊 we will need to wait until the end of November when TCS London Marathon will email all affiliated clubs with the allocation.
As is usual we will hold a ballot internally at Christmas should we be lucky enough to be allocated a place.
Club Code of Conduct
This month we have introduced a club code of conduct. This is something every club should have and it is important that we conduct ourselves in a respectful and considerate manner to other members and to the public when out on our club runs or wearing our club colours.
The code of conduct is online at https://killamarshkestrels.wordpress.com/code-of-conduct/. Please make sure you have a read of this – membership of our club means you automatically are bound by the Code of Conduct.
Should you have any club related concerns or complaints there is also a complaints procedure online at https://killamarshkestrels.wordpress.com/complaints-and-disputes/ but we hope this won’t be needed.
Races
Over the Spring and summer, we have seen some absolutely incredible performances from the Kestrels at a number of events. A number of people completed the London, Manchester and Leeds marathons, we have seen some great performances in the KMR series and at Trunce and at a number of half marathons and 10k events not to mention countless Park runs and fell races.
The Rother Valley relay was a tremendous success and to see so many Kestrels was amazing – well done everyone!
It’s so good to see peoples’ results come in and we are all so proud of each other which makes us such a supportive club. We all get a little nervous before a race so It’s great when you arrive and see a fellow Kestrel who feels just the same and the pint afterwards to share stories is even better!
A great chance to race as a team is the Round Rotherham run (relay) which takes place on Saturday 7th October. We already have a provisional 3 teams but its not to late to sign up to see if we can make a 4th team – please let Chris B or Andy HR know if you are interested.
The KMR series will continue through summer and its not far from Grindleford Gallop on the 14th October. Its also the final Trunce of the series on the 4th September at Oxspring. The last race is traditionally fancy dress so if you fancy running the craziest 6k of your life dressed as Batman – this is your chance!
A number of Kestrels plan on running the Benidorm Half Marathon on the 25th November. Its not too late to sign up – please let us know if you are interested and we can let you know the plans.
If you are planning on entering a race, please let us know on our Facebook page or the WhatsApp group – its always better when there are Kestrels there!
Social events
We try to hold at least a winter and Summer social event each year. This year, the summer event will be a Curry Night at the Vine in Mosborough on August 19th – please contact Sam Wilson for details.
We will share more news regarding our traditional Christmas events in coming weeks:
Christmas Buffet at the Crown
The Christmas Cracker
The Famous fancy dress Pub Run
Cross Country Series
The Cross-Country series will begin in January. For anyone who has never taken part in this, its highly recommended and the camaraderie we have as a club is fantastic.
We will race against 4 other teams (Handsworth, Retford, Worksop and Clowne) competing every other Sunday at each one of the ‘Home’ venues. Normally there is also a bar and buffet afterwards, but of course this has to be confirmed pending government guidelines.
Races are around 9 – 10k and usually very wet and very muddy! but great fun with a trophy for the winning team overall and male and female team.
We also have a club presentation for stand out performers within our own group.
Watch this space for more details!
Summer Club Runs
This year we took the brave step of introducing 2 new summer runs and we think this worked well and meant we experienced a broader range of surfaces and elevation. Unfortunately, the weather has meant lots of mud and overgrown vegetation but hopefully you have enjoyed the new runs and we are going to have a think about tweaking the winter series.
Membership
We now have a good grasp of member status and UKA membership etc. Membership will run until March 2024, when you will receive an e mail asking you to renew.
We currently have 88 members made up as follows:
22 x Over 60’s
7 x 2nd Claim
23 x UKA members
51 Men, 37 Women
If you are unsure if you are a member or need more information, please contact Chris Brown.
If you are reading this newsletter on the website and have not had it e-mailed then either you are not on the member list or we have an incorrect e-mail address – either way, please get in touch.
….and Finally
Our aim is to move the club forward, enjoy our running and celebrate our achievements along the way. If you can think of any improvements we can make or if you are doing (or have done) something you’d like to share please get in touch with any of the Committee team or e-mail us at info@killamarshkestrels.co.uk.
Thanks
#teamkestrels
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