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Tales of great endurance



Kate with her Bronze trophy at the Welsh Ironman

Leigh Guilbert tackled his first Ironman in Tenby completing gruelling Welsh event in 13.54. With its sea swim and hilly cycle and run routes it is known as one of the hardest events in the world but on the day the sea was relatively calm and the jelly fish stayed away allowing both Leigh and Kate Sackett to achieve good swim times. Given the course, it was inevitable that both struggled with the run but Kate managed an age group 3rd place despite a long term injury forcing her to slow her usual formidable running speed for the second half of the marathon. In a week of major milestones Kate completed the Ironman in 15.40 and welcomed her first grandchild.

Ironman Wales

1 Arnaud Guillaux (52.56; 4.49; 2.57) 8.48

1042 Leigh Guilbert (Cirencester AC & Tri Club) (1.09; 7.21; 5.01) 13.54

1658 Kate Sackett (Cirencester AC) (1.31; 8.19; 5.31) 15.40 3rd FV60 1876 finished



Rupert Chesmore was also pushing the boundaries last weekend when he completed the 185 miles of Offa’s Dyke in 73 hours 26 minutes. He took a total of three hours sleep over the three days and nights having started on Friday evening to finish on Monday evening. The route requires total concentration as it winds its way up and down the Welsh hills and with every one of the 29,000 ft of climbing taking its toll, over 50% retired along the way. Rupert’s time gave him 9th place and 1st V60.



13-16 September 2019, Offa’s Dyke, Chepstow to Prestatyn, 182 miles trail

1 Jack Scott (unattached) 49.43.50 9 Rupert Chesmore (Cirencester AC) 73.26.55 29 finished.



Also still missing from last week are the results from the Hackpen Hill Trail Race where Keith Firkin was 18th.

Hackpen Hill Trail Race, Broad Hinton, Swindon, 10km trail

1 Courtenay Chessell (Swindon Harriers) 37.58 18 Keith Firkin (Cirencester AC) 49.33 x Barbara Thomas n/t (full results awaited, timing app crashed)


Steve Derrick was out in the week in triathlon mode to finish a strong 7th in a time of 41.51in an evening sprint event. Cotswold Evening Triathlon, 250m swim, 8km bike, 3km run

1 Bradley Witham (unattached) (4.36; 19.09; 12.12) 37.39 7 Steve Derrick (Cirencester AC) (5.09; 20.54; 13.39) 41.51 22 finished.


Corinne Clark used the Swindon Half Marathon for a final check of her running fitness before she departs to represent us and the nation at the World Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Her time of 1.31.57 (5th lady) was on the back of a 130 mile bike ride the day before so things are looking good for her despite concerns about a hip injury. Gordon Jones was also in good form achieving his best time (1.44.58) for many years on the back of a strong parkrun and Denise Ewbank also had a good run in a rare foray into competition.

Swindon ½ Marathon, 13.1 miles road

1 Christopher Wood (Wimborne AC) 1.13.45 (chip 1.13.44) 115 Corinne Clark (Cirencester AC) 1.31.57 (1.31.53) – 5th lady 398 Gordon Jones 1.44.58 (1.44.19) 1348 Denise Ewbank 2.15.10 (2.12.32) 1943 finished.

Finally, Martin Croucher went to Hull to run yet another marathon, this time in order to gain the necessary qualifying time for next year’s Comrades and his time of 3.32 was eight minutes inside that needed for the coveted starting Pen C – results to follow.

parkruns, 5km trail

Chris Miller came in 2nd achieving a course PB at Cirencester to be chased over the line by Mark Sysum and Luke Buck (JM15-17). Ruth Fulford chose Cirencester to complete her 100th parkrun thereby joining an elite group but has a long way to go to reach our leaders, Alan McAdam (359 parkruns) and including Rachel (354) and Barbara Thomas(353). A PB too for Tom Purnell at Swindon and a good win by Ollie Campbell (JM15-17) at Chippenham. Elsewhere the Tapleys ran in Shetland and the Timms were in Johanneseburg. Finally Isobel Watt ran a stormer in the Junior Parkrun at Cheltenham to be first in her age group, first girl and to set a new PB – we could not ask for more!

Cirencester AC finishers: Cirencester: 2 Chris Miller 18.56, 3 Mark Sysum 19.03, 5 Luke Buck (J) 20.27, 20 Steve Derrick 22.36, 30 Gordon Jones 23.42, 46 Andrew Woods (J) 24.57, 55 Brendan McCarthy 25.41, 70 Jocelyn Randall 26.34, 78 Richard Edwards 27.06, 86 Joe Cook (J) 27.45, 117 Thomas McNally 29.31, 134 Ruth Fulford 30.18, 139 Neil Broadley 30.37, 231 Helen Manners (sweeper) 51.22, 231 finished Tetbury: 18 Alan McAdam 24.04, 25 Rachel McAdam 25.45, 88 finished Swindon: 2 Tom Purnell 17.53, 133 Barbara Thomas 26.55, 191 David Moss 28.50, 154 finished Stroud: 30 Kate Sackett 25.29, 154 finished Cheltenham: 19 Ross Swain 19.34, 516 finished Chippenham: 1 Ollie Campbell (J) 17.32, 275 finished Bressay, Shetland: 5 Colin Tapley 21.08, 38 Clare Tapley 29.48, 51 finished Ruimsig, Johanneseburg, South Africa: 21 Paul Timms 23.35, 550 finished

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