On Saturday 24th January Clarence Runners celebrated their 4th birthday and around 50 ducks waddled their way to the Duck Club in Bury for an evening of singing, socialising and acknowledgement of some of the amazing members.
Nominations for our prestigious “Duck Awards” were made by our members, for our members, recognising the outstanding work that is carried out both behind the scenes and by our run leaders.
The first of the awards went to Debbie Pendlebury and her husband Si. Although Si doesn’t run (unless under threat of great peril) he has been instrumental in building a website for the group.
The nomination said that Debbie has been a breath of fresh air and with Si’s skills has been able to provide help in an area that really needed support!
Justin Bones received his award for endless enthusiasm and support as one of our fabulous run leaders. He was credited with helping many runners increase their mileage and improve their running, especially in the improvers 5–10k group that he organised last year. The nomination said that in addition to all the support he provided, “He is also just a really nice human!”
Next to be awarded was Amanda Peplow for her brilliant mix of encouragement and energy. Nominations said that Amanda’s runs are lots of fun, that she is flexible in terms of the runs she leads and has encouraged runners to sign up for their first races. The nomination also says “Amanda has a slightly terrifying whistle which she uses for hill repeats and pyramid training. However, she also has a sympathetic ear.”
Nick Whitley, our ringleader, chief cheerleader, organiser and the founder of Clarence Runners was nominated for his drive and commitment to the club over the past four years. He has raised the profile of the club, which has grown beyond all hopes. He championed Clarence Runners in the BID Bury 10K, providing pacers and marshals as well as encouraging people to run the course in Duck costumes! The nomination also states that “Nicks speeches are always entertaining and clear. He gets us motivated for a run and he is a fantastic leader of the club.”
Andrea Sidebottom was nominated for her commitment to the group and especially for the support of the newer members, in addition to organising the club’s rather successful ducks kit. Andrea supports new runners in the Jeffers group and has more recently introduced the successful 3k group. The nomination says that “Andrea has been responsible for getting so many of us up and running for the first time, which has been amazing. Thank you Andrea!”
Alan Blagburn was nominated as the glue that holds our Thursday runs together. As well as being a fabulous run leader, he is the club’s organiser. He messages out and coordinates run leaders and volunteers each week and keeps track of the numbers of runners that attend. Alan is well known amongst all the runners and I am sure each and every one of us have appeared in a selfie with him at some point. The nomination also says “Alan is a great advocate for Clarence Runners. He shows genuine interest in people and makes a real effort to notice and share everyone’s achievements.”
Guy Withington joined us a run leader last year. He was nominated for always smiling and being friendly, making an effort to get to know runners from across all distances (although he likes the longer runs) in addition to leading a really good warm-up. He brings new ideas and enthusiasm to the club. The nomination said “Guy is a fantastic run leader and you have to experience one of his amazing warm ups!”
Sacha Roy was nominated for being a very supportive member of the club. She is always there to support runners in achieving their goals and encourages everyone to take part in races and events, all in addition to being the clubs treasurer. Sacha is known for being something of a chatterbox. The nomination says “Sacha is always there, always ready with a word of encouragement and is more than happy to chat to you and provide support every step of a run, making the journey so much easier”
Brian Jackson is one of the founders of the club and one of our fabulous run leaders. He can be described as the clubs Mr Motivator (only without the lycra). Brian was nominated for being encouraging and supporting our runners. The nomination says “Brian is so patient and has motivated so many people to keep going and help them to find that energy and motivation to finish a run. Thank you Brian!
Jayne Jackson is another of our founding run leaders. Her nomination was for motivating and supporting lots of runners over the past four years, helping them to build distance. She is often found leading the very busy 5 and 7K runs. Jayne is also our club secretary. The nomination also says “Jayne’s warm-ups and runs are well structured, and she also has time to listen and encourage as we run.”
Ken Swarbrick has made such a difference to the club and is often found leading the Jeffers group. He was nominated for being supportive of new runners and making everyone feel welcome. The nomination says “Ken is a wonderful addition to Clarence run leaders. Thank you Ken!”
Jordan Eatock is a newly qualified run leader. His nomination said that he is well liked by members and always “shows up jolly” Jordan is happy to chat away and help people along the run and motivates people to take part. The nomination also said “Jordan is a fantastic addition to the run leaders, he always has a smile on his face and makes running fun”
Debbie Price has been a mainstay of our Tuesday early morning run. Her nominated stated that she is ALWAYS there and sometimes leads. She encourages others along and keeps Luke in check, as well as attempting to improve his photography skills (which is no mean feat). The nomination said “come rain or shine Debbie will be there on a Tuesday morning, as well as Thursday evening and maybe even on a Wednesday for the improvers run”. Thanks for keeping showing up Deb!
Anna Pretlove was nominated as our newest run leader. She has made fabulous progress in the last 12 months, in her own running and as a run leader. She Is encouraging and friendly. Her nomination said “Anna is a welcome addition to the run leader team. I am sure she will continue to be popular as a fantastic and supportive run leader”
Steve Hamer was nominated as a fairly new member of Clarence Runners and a very welcome addition. Has been described as the happiest runner and also one of the best dressed! He is also always happy to volunteer his support on a run and chat to other runners. His nomination said “Steve is an all-round good person and a welcome addition to Clarence Runners.”
The final nomination was for Luke Barnett. The nomination said that Luke can be seen leading the small but happy band of runners on a Tuesday morning at silly o clock! He also does a large amount of admin work for Clarence Runners and works tirelessly to obtain much needed funding for the group. He also supported Nick in organising the Ducks birthday celebration. Thank you Luke. Unfortunately, we don’t have a photo of Luke accepting his award, but seeing as he’s in pretty much every other picture, we can live with that. Here’s a photo of the medal instead.
To finish, here is an amazing fact showing the club’s growth.
In our last year of running 2264 participants, running between 3k and 10K have covered an astounding 14764km, or 9173 miles. Running in a straight line (if we could run on water) that would take us from our humble town of Bury, all the way to Perth, Australia, (which is 14500km or 9009 miles) and a little beyond!
Are you interested in joining this fabulous run club? Come and find us at the Lido, Clarence Park, Thursday evening at 17:50. All abilities welcome and no runner is ever left behind. After all, “You NEVER regret a run.”