Videos of the start and finish
Race Photos
Last race report
Last results
Here is a five minute video of the 2015 start with thanks to Andy Creber of Chepstow Harriers.
And this video near the finish (also thanks to Chepstow Harriers) captures the spirit of the race and the free “shoe washing facility”.
Race Photosor back to the top.
2015 Race Photographs are available at Charles Whitton Photography. Here are some near the Start, along the River Severn and in the free shoe wash:-
Coming off Littleton Wart (courtesy of Nick Langridge):-
Passing Rusholme (courtesy of Keith Burrows):-
Back to the top.Or back to the main Rollick page.
The 2015 Riverbank Rollick was run on Sunday 18th January 2015. For results see the menu at the top: TRC Races > Riverbank Rollick > year. Here is the race report by Judy Mills.
No matter how well a race is planned and organised, no-one has control of the weather, and after a week of snow, rain and gales, we did hope the forecasters had it right for Sunday 18 January and Thornbury Running Club’s 11th Riverbank Rollick. The day started with fog and frost but by the 11am start time, the sun shone in a near-cloudless sky and although cold, the air was still.
The Rollick is not a race for the weak or fastidious. There will always be mud somewhere along the 9-mile course, and this year rain earlier in the week ensured only the few road sections were dry. The puddles could usually be avoided, but strength-sapping mud was the alternative, and the riverbank section although flat was tough and slippery; looking for the best places to run prevented many a runner from enjoying the views of both Severn Bridges in the sunshine, and the river at low tide.
The race was a sellout, and although not every entrant turned out, around 350 set off from the Pithay, behind Thornbury Church and Castle. First runner back at the Mundy Playing Fields finish was Stroud’s Lee Rankin in 58:44, followed by Sean Taylor of Pontypool & District Runners in 59:14 then Nicholas Smart (Westbury Harriers) in 1:00:39. The first lady was not far behind, Annabel Granger (Bristol & West AC) 11th overall in 1:05:20 with Westbury Harriers taking 2nd and 3rd places: Catherine Lee in 1:06:35 and Bridget White 1:08:19.
We don’t have course records, as the route has changed over the years, and the conditions can make a big difference with this kind of race. However, these were good results. Comparing with same route last year, both with wet, muddy conditions, Annabel Granger was 3 minutes 30 seconds faster and Lee Rankin was 6 seconds faster.
As both male and female winners were in the Vet40 age category, the prizes went to the next finishers: Darren Wilkinson (6th place; 1:02:36) and Catherine Tailby (Penarth & Dinas, 9th lady in 1:18:24). In the Vet45 category Westbury Harriers David Hobbs was 8th overall in 1:03:05 with Niki Morgan of Chepstow Harriers 5th lady in 1:10:57. Thornbury’s Ros Rowland won the ladies Vet50 category in 1:18:18 with 4th position Nick Hides of Clevedon AC in 1:01:11 tsking the men’s Vet50 prize. Other category winners were Dave Gapper & Alison Engledew (Vet55); Michael Murphy & Gillian Murphy (Vet60); Paul Snelling & Sue Nicholls (Vet65) and Ralph Davey (Vet70).
Bristol & West AC Ladies finished 1st, 4th and 7th to win the Ladies team event while Stroud Men finished 1st, 10th,11th and 21st. Prize for each team was as always a beautifully decorated home-made cake.
With Thornbury the host Club, most available members were helping, and those who did run had tasks to complete first. The first home for the Club was Rob Hopkins who forged through the mud with his usual strength to come 22nd in 1:07:18. With Paul Clark 27th in 1:08:34, Rob Cowlard 46th in 1:12:16 and Jo Firth 60th in 1:14:48, the men did well to finish in 4th team place. Also running for Thornbury were Daniel Harding (92nd in 1:18:46), Jim Turton (175th, 1:31:06) and Judy Mills (259th, 1:43:17).
Charles Whitton Photography had cameras at strategic points, in particular the final stream section, just yards from the finish where many runners tripped but most just-about stayed upright.