We are now three weeks in and so far everything is going to plan on a Thursday. Based on the last three weeks experience we expect about 30 people to turn up on Thursday. The only problem we foresee is with people who turn up after 7pm. We have Groups of 6 ready to go at 7pm on the dot so if you want to run with your mates please be there in the top car park for 6.55. The top car park is marked out with the usual Group names (7 min, 8 min, 9 min, 11 min, 5k, & Walkers) Go direct to your Group area to meet your leaders and have your name taken for track & trace. Once you have six people and a Leader have your Group photo taken then off you go. There are 9 exits from around the Leisure Centre so no bunching.

Please remember that by attending you are confirming that within the last 14 days you have NOT:

• Experienced a new cough that you cannot attribute to another health condition?
• Experienced new shortness of breath that you cannot attribute to another health condition?
• Experienced a new sore throat, loss of taste or smell that you cannot attribute to another health condition?
• Had a temperature at or above 37.8C or the sense of having a fever?
• Had close contact with someone who is or was sick with suspected or confirmed COVID-19? (Note: Close contact is defined as within 2 metres for more than 10 consecutive minutes)
• Been isolating? (applies to you or a household member)

If you can answer YES to any of these questions you must NOT attend.

Please remember – this applies to you all
• Maintain social distancing at all times
• Follow hygiene procedures
• Follow public guidance for health
• Run in groups of no more than 6 people.
• Bring your own water (no tea or squash after)
• On return after your run please do not gather in groups
• Don’t wear Club colours.
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1. Tuesday Night sessions
Tuesday night sessions are under discussion by the Committee at the moment. Once we are happy that Thursday nights are working well we will aim bring back Tuesday night ‘efforts’ from the top car park at the Leisure Centre in September. In the meantime a few of us are doing efforts on a Tuesday in the Mundy PF start at 6pm.

2. Local Races
For those of you who have entered the Severn Bridge 10k please check the website – the Car Parking & Start/Finish area have been moved to this side of the Bridge. The event is still going ahead despite the last minute changes.
The DBMax Westonbirt Sprint Tri on Monday 31st August is also still going ahead.

3. Cotswold Way event – July 2020 Report by Judy Mills.
The Socially Distanced 2020 Cotswold Way Relay was completed throughout the month of July, with Clubs able to enter 10-person teams as usual, or select the 5 northern or 5 southern Stages. There was a lot of interest from Thornbury, which allowed us to enter 8 teams; two teams of Veteran Men (over 40) and six Mixed teams, each of which required a minimum of 2 female runners As on this occasion it wasn’t necessary to declare beforehand who would be running in each team, we were able to submit the fastest times in one Vet and one Mixed team. On the other hand, as usual a few people had to drop out, but we managed to find three quality replacements, though still had 3 No Runner Stages.

Rob Watkins’ team of Vets took 2nd place in their category, Garry Slater having run Stage 7 in under an hour to take his place in the Team which sadly meant Paul Clark and Rob Hopkins had to move aside. With Rob Watkins and Garry were Henry Orna, Martyn Green and Dave Beard, with a Team time of 6:29:48 behind Bath AC’s time of 6:23:10. Another latecomer to the party, Nick Langridge, who commented on his inability to nowadays sprint up the field at the start of Stage 6 (Stroud to Dursley) still ran fast enough to take a place in the second Vet’s team which, with Paul Clarke, Paul Saville, Jim Godden and Moray Sloan came 4th in a total time of 7:07:32, third place having gone to another Bath AC team in 6:58:18.

The best of the rest were slotted first into Laura Orna’s team, who with Ben Bohane, Mitch Ford, Ros Rowland and Dylan Roberts were the fastest Mixed Team in the event with a time of 7:07:10. They were closely followed by Natalie Bennett’s team with Paul Thomas, Ben Foss, Mel Wilson and Adrian Savery in 7:25:12. Hogweed Trotters and BADdocs sARC took 3rd and 4th places, then it was Thornbury again, with Ian Evans, Chris Foley, Emma Barnes, Clare Watt & Kevin Wood 5th in 8:03:53 & Rich Forman, Nancy Harding, Taryn Roberts & Alan Gatling 6th in 8:22:06.

The remaining two teams which, like our 6th placed team, carried a non-runner came in 10th (Kev Cundy, Rob Hopkins, Sarah Newnes & Rebekah Gatling) and 13th (Sonya Bryson, Mike Bennewitz, Kevin Arnold & Judy Mills, which was no disgrace as there were 16 teams in the Mixed category.

The full results, available on event website https://cotswoldwayrelay.co.uk/ show that although we had no Stage winners from Thornbury, we had several 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Out of all the Teams taking part Rob’s Vets were 3rd and Laura’s Mixed 6th. Besides getting Thornbury’s name up there amongst the winning teams, the event gave members a chance to get out and run together-yet-apart and allowed the competitive runners something to aim for. We’d like to think we can do it as usual next year – until then, thank you all from me, for being so enthusiastic and flexible, and stay safe, stay fit.

Judy Mills
19 August 2020

That’s all for this week. If you have anything to add or any suggestions or announcements please send by e-mail to trc@rensh.idps.co.uk

Let’s try and make the Thursday night run a safe and enjoyable experience and please observe the points above – groups of no more than 6 and social distancing wherever possible.

Arthur Renshaw