Les Croupiers Running Club Forum

Come on down everyone and don't forget to bring a camping chair or two to recreate the more intimate surroundings of Jenner Park. Having been lapped 56 times by Steve Way last year, I personally cannot wait to see him from a more sedentary position! Also fascinated to see how well Izzy Wykes runs - fabulous runner and all round top person!

We didn't do Race Profiles for the Race Programme, but now you can all be Barry 40 armchair experts:

# 1 Steve Way (Bournemouth - ENG)
Race winner last year in 3:54:52, which he made look like a stroll in the park. His story is amazing, 10 years ago a 16.5 stone junk food addict who discovered running. 2014 was his big year, 2:15:16 for 10th place in the Commonwealth Games Marathon in Glasgow (smashing Ron Hill’s 35 year old UK Masters record). Earlier 6:19:20 at Gravesend in the UK 100 km champs taking 5 minutes off Simon Pride’s UK record set 15 years previously, when he won the World title in France. Steve had to pull out of a XC race with hamstring trouble last weekend, hence he is coming for a “long training run” as the big picture is Comrades 87km at the end of May.

# 2 Isobel Wykes (Truro - ENG)
Izzy likes the “long stuff”. Winner here for the last two years, but 40 miles is pretty effortless for Izzy. 8th place in the World 24 hour champs in Turin in 2015 (227 km). Won the ladies section of Grand Union Canal Race (145 miles) in 2014. Izzy has 3 silver medals from UK 100 kms champs, at Cardiff in 2004, Redwick in 2012 and Perth in 2013. PB for 100km = 8:34:22, marathon=2:59:37 (London 2004).

# 4 Rachel Bowen (Lliswerry - WAL)
Newbie to ultras, Rachel has done 6 marathons in the past 4 years with a best time of 3:28:35 last November in Valencia. Definitely a contender for the Welsh title.

# 5 Ken Caulkett (Sarn Helen - WAL)
Another newbie to ultras, Sarn Helen have always supported the 40 in depth, and I’m sure Ken will bring supporters today. 5 marathons in 3 years, with a best of 2:49:16 last April in London, so a contender for the Welsh title.

# 7 Natasha Farid-Doyle (Les Croupiers - WAL)
Tash has twice done Barry 40 in 2013 and 2015, winning the Welsh title on each occasion. Like Izzy, she has unlimited stamina, finishing second lady in the Barcelona 24 hours track race in 2014 with 217.409 km, and also has done 2 x Grand Union Canal, finishing 6th lady in 2013, and third lady in 2014. She has done 2 x Anglo Celtic Plate 100km, third lady at Redwick in 2015, and 8th lady in Perth last year, PB 9:10:38. Best marathon 3:28:19 at Royal Berkshire event in 2011.

# 8 Nathan Flear (3Ms Gorseinon - WAL)
Young man in a big hurry, Nathan ran 8 marathons last year, with a best of 2:52:45 in Edinburgh. He also won the Robin Hood 100 mile MT race in South Wheatley in 16:34:37, and has already kicked off 2017 on 29 January by winning the Flitch Way 100km at Braintree in 7:50:56. Obvious contender for Welsh honours.

# 9 Grant Jeans (Unattached - SCO)
Grant has already achieved so much at ultradistance, it’s easy to forget he’s only 33. Twice winner here in 2012 and 2015, Grant was inspired by the exploits of Don Ritchie and Simon Pride. Grant’s Dad William used to work with Don, and always travels with Grant from the North of Scotland, and it’s always great to see them. Grant won the Scottish 100 km title in 2010, and 3 ultra races out of four starts in a 28 day period. Grant has represented both Scotland and Great Britain over 100km, with a best of 7:11:53 when placing 5th in Perth in 2011. A man of many talents, boxing promoter, pizza delivery rider, and most recently law student at Glasgow University.

#10 Steven James (Cirencester - ENG)
Newbie to ultradistance, Steven has completed 2 marathons with a best of 2:58:47 from Abingdon in 2009.

#11 Garfield Jones (Islwyn - WAL)
Age 60, he’s the oldest in the race. Garfield is a nurse who has worked in many different countries. He states that he refereed rugby at a decent level but got slower and slower so took up half marathons. He then got slower and slower, so he took up marathons. Over the past few years he has completed over 30 marathons and ultras, including six 24 hour races, which are his favourite. Garfield ran here in 2011 and 2012, completing 133 and 134 laps in 6 hours, before retiring.

#12 Jeremy Mower (Gloucester - WAL)
Now 51, this is Jeremy’s 11th Barry 40, during which time he has notched up 2 gold (2009 and 2013), 3 silver and 3 bronze medals in the Welsh Ultra champs. PB for this distance = 4:56:02 (2013). In between that time, he had a relatively quiet 2014 on the running front having got married to Sylvia in July and spent time doing up the new home. Big claim to fame is an amazing 12 consecutive appearances for Wales in the Anglo Celtic Plate 100 km (an all-time record), best time 8:18:34 (2011). Best marathon 2:51:30 (Chester 2012).

#14 Alex O'Shea (St Finbarrs - IRL)
Only our second ever visitor from Ireland, Alex has a remarkable tale to tell. He’s actually moving up distance to 24 hours this year, so this is really a long training run. Alex represented Ireland in the World 100 km champs last November in Spain, placing 53rd in 7:37:16. He also won the Kilkenny Marathon in September in 2:33:31. But he is perhaps best known for setting a world record for a marathon in a full fireman’s outfit (3:41:10 at Cork City in 2014). A father of 4 from Carrigaline, it’s a wonder how he has time to run at all.

#15 Chris Whistler (Unattached - ENG)
About 10 years ago Chris was a non-runner who decided to lose some weight. A client of Rory Coleman’s, he’s done MDS ?times, as well as 2 x round Rotherham, and M2M – Malin Head to Mizen Head (length of Ireland) in 2011.


Marathon

#21 Nick Allars (Unattached - ENG)
60 year old from Leicestershire, Nick loves the long stuff, loads of marathons on road and multi-terrain, fastest 5:01:43 (Stevenage 2014).

#22 Rory Coleman (Les Croupiers - WAL)
Age 55. I had the privilege of being best man at Rory and Jen’s wedding in 2014. It won’t surprise you to learn that the “stag do” involved running a marathon. He’s now close to 1000, having started in 1994. At age 31 he was an overweight, 40/day cigarette smoking alcoholic. 5th January 1994 was the start of the journey. In the last 23 years he has run over 980 marathons, (and has set himself a target of 1000), 220 ultramarathons, completed Marathon des Sables 13 times and has 9 Guinness world records for treadmill running. He is also a well-known performance coach and has personally guided several of today’s competitors.
Three previous starts in the Barry 40 – in 2011 and 2012 saw seen him record 3:44:25 and 3:55:21 for the marathon, and 2014 he ran the 40 in 6:19:38. In 2016 he suffered from Guillard-Barre syndrome, a debilitating illness which threatened to leave him wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. Hence, an inspiring story became even more so. He’s also written a book “A rebel and a runner”.

#23 Loretta Daley (Les Croupiers - WAL)
Now 51, Loretta has a quite remarkable record in the Barry 40. Her first attempt was in 2006, when she won the ladies event in 6:59:21. This was the first of a hat trick of Welsh titles, as she returned to clock 6:05:15 in 2007 and 7:16:13 in 2008.
In 2010 she improved her time to 5:55:15 to take the bronze medal behind Emily Gelder and Jen Salter, and eclipsed a further 5 minutes to 5:50:48 in 2011 to take silver.
Loretta is partially-sighted, earlier in her career won her category in the British Disability Championships at 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 metres in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Thereupon she switched to endurance, and 2006 proved to be her best at the marathon distance, with her run at Cardiff in October of that year saw her clip three minutes from her previous best with 3:35:49.

#24 Steve Howliston (Unattached - ENG)
Age 50, Steve went from the world of IT to being a Fitness Trainer. A regular parkrunner, fastest recent best 21:03 on 11 February, he ran Milton Keynes HM 2015 in 1:42:12, and Dunstable Downs HM in September 2016 in 1:55:59.

#25 Alan Mann (Les Croupiers - WAL)
Age 59. Alan’s run in the Barry 40 14 years ago provided one of those heart-warming stories that make ultradistance so compelling. A dozen past and present members of Les Croupiers entered the race, and Alan was certainly not touted as being likely to be the first home. But a combination of sound pace judgment and steely determination saw him achieve just that! And a Welsh Championship silver medal to boot, in 5:16:04.
Twelve months later he returned to place 13th in 5:34:20, and in 2005 he was 11th in 5:30:10 (on both occasions placing 4th in the Welsh Champs). These solid performances earned Alan selection for Welsh ultra teams in each of the next three Anglo-Celtic Plate 100 Kms. Races. Alan placed 20th on home soil in 10:39:09 in hot weather in June 2004, and improved to 10:04:50 at Dublin in April 2005 where he finished 21st. Highlight of 2006 was perhaps his PB 4:06:12 at the Boddington 50 km on 13th August, after placing 9th at Barry in 5:48:58.
2007 saw Alan not finish for the first time at Barry, but undeterred, he returned twelve months later to clock 5:47:10 in 17th place (5th Welsh). In 2009 he ran 6:30:51, which he improved to 6:14:03 in 2010, followed by 6:21:37 in 2011, 6:28:08 in 2012 and 6:13:54 in 2013. After 10 Barry 40 finishes in twelve starts, Alan has entered today’s marathon.
On his race entry in 2003, Alan claimed to be able to solve a Rubik cube in under three minutes. He obviously thought I was sceptical about this, for at the post-race curry at the 2005 London Marathon he proceeded to show me in front of a restaurant packed with Les Croupiers team mates!! He also enjoys board games, card games, pool, skittles, and ten pin bowling.

#26 Paul McKay (100 Marathon Club - ENG)
This boy is pretty quick, 18:38 for a track 5000 last September, and a marathon PB of 3:08:54 (London 2013). Ran London last year in 3:12:50.

#27 Tracey Newman (Les Croupiers - WAL)
Marathon tourist with a best time of 4:29:46 from London 2007. Shooting for around 5 hours today.

#28 Phil Spiers-Holcroft (Unattached - ENG)
Don’t know anything about him athletically, but he and his wife Sarah saved the wife of a lorry driver who had had a heart attack whilst they were out running together just two days before their wedding (Worcester News).

#29 Phil Vibert (Unattached - ENG)
Described as a marathon-fanatic from Appleby Magna in Leicestershire, Phil ran MDS last year to raise money for the NSPCC (one of Rory’s clients).

#30 Stu Wilkie (Hogweed - ENG)
Late entry, Stu is a regular parkrunner with a best of 18:12 (Chipping Sodbury, 2015) and also has a marathon best of 2:59:51 (Paris 2012). Likes the multi-terrain stuff and entered on the back of Izzy’s recommendation.

#31 Gillian Cordner (100 Marathon Club Ireland –N. IRE)
Last minute switch to the marathon, due to the need to catch a flight home. Extensive marathon experience over the last 6 years, with a best of 3:18:33 (London 2014).

As is often the case, we have 3 last minute withdrawals, #2 Izzy Wykes, # 4 Rachel Bowen and #15 Chris Whistler.
I'd like to thank you all for your interest, wish you a speedy recovery and hope you will pencil in 11 March 2018 in your diary when we will be back at Jenner Park.

Tracey you're a legend. Well done

Nice story behind this one. Alex O'Shea, the winner of our race, was going to run the Ballycotton 10, which was on the same day. Ballycotton's Race Director, John Walshe, who has now not only directed all 40 editions but run them all as well, recommended that Alex come to Wales, as he is preparing for the World 24 hour championships in Belfast on 1st July. Phil Cook and I have raced Ballycotton many times, and it is a wonderful event, starting and finishing in Ballycotton on the southern tip of the country (20 more yards and you're in the sea!). Very small village, nearly as many pubs as houses - what more could you ask for!