Ely Runners

 CLUB HISTORY

In 1984 RAF medic Barry Garfoot was posted from Cyprus to the RAF Hospital at Ely where he met Martin Hadnett, another RAF medic and keen runner who eventually ran 2:30 in the London Marathon. Both trained at lunchtime with the RAF Hospital cross-country team and thought they should start a running club based at the Paradise Centre in Ely. In 1985, they contacted Maurice Reed (who was then Manager of the Paradise Centre) to arrange a meeting at the The King’s Arms pub in St Mary’s Street where Maurice said they could use the Paradise Centre as a base to meet and change. Thus in August 1985 was born Ely Runners.

The formation was presumably given publicity including public notices (see photo archive 1986-88) and the first 6-8 members included Barry Garfoot, Martin Hadnett, Tony Hall, Maurice Reed, Colin Bent, and Rodney Atkinson. They started entering races (and claiming the -50p affiliated fee) and trained on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Another benefit was an increased chance of getting place in the London Marathon. Barry was posted to the RN in Portsmouth in 1988 but continued to live in Ely and commute on a weekly basis until moving to Halton in 1989-90. Martin Hadnett moved to Chippenham in 1996.

John Turner moved to Ely on 20th August 1986 and on 25^th August 1986 ran in the Ely Half Marathon, then organised by current member Maurice Reed when he was manager of the Paradise Centre. At this time John made contact with the club and joined for a sub of £1. Whilst moving to Ely, John Turner was amused to see a sign to Grunty Fen and thought it would make a good name for a half marathon race.

Tony Hall recalls that the first race as an Ely Runners team (Carole Hatfield, Rodney Atkinson, Tony Hall, Peter Ford, Barry Garfoot) outside the city was the 50-mile Fenland Relay at March on 6^th September 1986. The next team race was a cross-country event at March on 30^th November 1986 in which Tony Hall, Rodney Atkinson, Colin Bent and John Turner took part.

The Ely Half Marathon originally used a rural route north of the city including Little Downham but after the bypass was completed in 1986, confined itself (from 1986 to the last event in 1990) to two twisting and hilly circuits around Ely. See photo archive 1986-88 for a map of the city course.

Following the demise of the Ely and Cambridge Half Marathons, the Grunty Fen Half Marathon became a reality and has since been held continuously from 1991 from Witchford Village College. It was the first open race organised by Ely Runners. This race has always attracted a substantial entry and incorporated many championships, including ARC, Road Runners Club, EVAC, Cambs AA, and Hash House Harriers. It has also been a Cambs Road Race League event for many years.

The club began to grow with other early ‘members’ such as Jon Peacock (who often trained with Martin Hadnett and had a London Marathon PB of 2:29 but never actually joined ER!), Rodney Atkinson, Peter Marchant, Carol Hatfield, Clive Hall, Barry Aldridge, Janet Clarke, David Buckingham, Maurice Reed, Peter Ford, Mick Burton, and Mike Willmott. Club Chairmen have been Tony Hall, Carol Taylor, John Allen and Peter Gipp. Club Treasurers have been Colin Bent, Lenja Sundgren, Tony Hall and Peter Harris. The first Club Secretary is still John Turner. The first recorded Annual General Meeting was held on 3rd January 1990. Tony Hall (Chairman), Colin Bent (Treasurer) and John Turner (Secretary) were all re-elected. Colin Bent was asked to open a club bank account and it was agreed that the club subscription should remain at £2.

John Turner produced the club's first circular and events list early in 1990 and this later developed into the club's first Newsletter edited by Peter Marchant (who designed the club’s cathedral logo) from 1991 to 1992. John Turner then took over as editor and produced the A5 Newsletter until June 2003 after which it was replaced by the club’s web site and regular email 'Races & Event' lists to members.

The club joined the Today's Runner Cross Country League and from 1989 held several successful 8k races on the tough (about 600’ of climb) four lap Cherry Hill and Dean’s Meadow course, and once on a course of 5.5 miles to a loop at Little Thetford and back to Ely. The King's School Hayward Theatre in the Gallery was used as HQ for these events.

Following the last Ely Half Marathon (two difficult laps around the city organised by the Paradise Centre) in 1990, the club decided in 1991 to organise it's own half marathon race on a new and faster course around Grunty Fen. Since then, the popular Grunty Fen Half Marathon has been held each year on the second Sunday in September from Witchford Village College. It has often incorporated other championships (CAAA, EVAC, HHH and RRC) and the CRRL. It was also a candidate for the 2005 AAA of England Championships.

The 10k Handicap and course was the idea of Chris Baker (currently working in the USA) who lived in Pymore and used the route for training. This lead to the first club 10k Handicap race on 29^th September 1996. It started and finished in Pymore near to Chris Baker’s house. The winner was Darren Murfitt who received the new trophy from John Turner’s mother on her 90^th birthday. Subsequently, the 10k Handicap started and finished in Little Downham. Following a financial loss in the 1999 Grunty Fen Half Marathon, it was decided to hold an open New Year's Eve 10k on the same course as the 10k Handicap. Fortunately, New Year’s Eve was on a Sunday in 1999 and the first event was inevitably successful. Since then, it has always been held on 31^st December, irrespective of the day, to become one of the most popular races in the region.

The club held it's first Christmas Dinner in the Old Boat House Restaurant on Friday 13th December 1991 and has held a Christmas event ever since. After a few Christmas dinners (preceded by drinks at Carol Taylor's ancient house on the Waterside), members realised the drinks were more fun than yet another pre-Christmas dinner, so the event moved to the Prince Albert pub in Silver Street (because of their excellent cask mild ale) to become and successfully remain 'Ely Runners’ Christmas Drinks at the Albert' on the second Wednesday in December.

Repetition, interval and hill training were gradually introduced by John Turner and courses and routes developed to accommodate the increased training activity. About 1997, Tim Elkington suggested training on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the club has since done so. Training was originally taken by Barry Garfoot but Tony Hall soon took over in the late 1980s and continued until he handed over to John Turner in about 1994. Membership remained at 20-25 for many years with sometimes very few members attending training. However, in the late 1990's membership began to expand due to the club’s achievements and the increase in Ely’s population. The club now has about 80 members with 15-25 regularly attending training. The annual subscription remains low (currently £32 to join and £10 to renew thereafter) and good value as it includes free race strip, free training, and free changing and showers at the Paradise Centre.

The club's now traditional 'Pre-Christmas Long Run' from Wooditton to Ely (about 18.5 miles/nearly 30 km) is usually held on the last Sunday before Christmas. The course (pioneered by John Turner when he 'escaped' from a misty January 1991 shopping trip to Newmarket) follows the Devil's Ditch to Reach and then along the Reach Lode bank to Upware to finish along the Cam and Ouse banks to Ely. Until 2005, it was almost entirely off road until Ely High Bridge and, depending on the weather, a real mid winter challenge. Sadly the east river bank path was made into a tarmac cycle route in the summer of 2005, thereby spoiling the bank for cross country walkers and runners.

During the 1990’s members began to travel to races outside the area to obtain experience of racing over different terrains and distances. These included fell runs in Derbyshire and Yorkshire, North Downs 30k, High Peak 40m, South Downs Way 80m, Mendip 40m Trail, Punchbowl 30m Trail, Morpeth to Newcastle 14.1m, Corfe 14m 'Beast', Exmoor 14m Stagger, Nottingham to Grantham Canal 33m Towpath Run, Compton 40m Downland, Isle of White Fell Championships, Three Peaks, and the London, New York, Boston, Copenhagen, Lyon, Manchester, Rotterdam, Beachy Head and Stonehenge Marathons. In the early 1990's a group of members with families and friends travelled by motor coach for the chaotic Paris 20k. The club’s much travelled member Alfredo Verna has raced in club colours many times in Italy and also South Africa.

In the late 1990s, Eric Drury thought the club should have some permanent awards and purchased/obtained coveted trophies for the Most Improved Runner (continuous improvement for at least a year), Best Marathon (not necessarily the fastest), and Best Half Marathon. Trophies (plus any Special Achievement Awards) are awarded annually at the AGM.

From 2004, the Most Improved Runner shield became the Most Improved New Member shield and two new elegant silver plate cups were purchased for the Most Improved Male Runner and the Most Improved Female Runner.

In March 2005, newly appointed Membership and Trophies Committee Member Charlie Barker finished making and installed a polished wood and glass trophy cabinet above the club’s notice board in the foyer of the Paradise Centre.

In 1999/00, there was not enough club support to join the Frostbite Friendly League of 6 winter races that required 10 scoring members including 2 ladies. However, membership gradually increased and Ely Runners joined the league for the 2001-02 season to finish 9^th. Then, in 2002/03 the club improved to 2nd team, and in 2003/04 was 1st team by a narrow margin over Riverside Runners. Reduced turnouts in the 2004/05 series resulted in 4^th place overall. In the 2005/06 series, the club was 7^th in the 1^st race but gradually overhauled Cambridge & Coleridge AC to win the last 3 races and the league by 1 point. Since then, the club has always been within the first four teams – see www.elyrunners.co.uk > RESULTS > Achievements.

In 2002, Ian Blatchford initiated and designed the club's first web site (www.elyrunners.co.uk). Next, in 2003/4, Rod Baron created the Grunty Fen Half Marathon (www.gruntyfen.co.uk) web site and the Ely New Year's Eve 10k Road Race (www.newyearseve10k.co.uk) web site. Rod Baron then went on to become the club's Web Master to develop and maintain the club's web sites and electronic administration including handling the entries and results for the club’s open and private races.

On 29th November 1998, the club (invited by organisers March AC) ran in the first experimental Hereward 4 Stage Relay from Peterborough to Ely Cathedral using the 38.4 miles of roads, tracks and droves of the Hereward Way. This trial event was a great success. Ely Runners were 2^nd but the 1^st complete club team to finish. Since then this challenging and increasingly popular relay has been held each year with110 teams starting in 2004. Ely Runners usually enter several teams and in 2003 were the 1^st Vets (5^th overall) team to finish. In 2004, Ely Runners Men’s ‘A’ team finished 4^th in 4:09:24, the club’s fastest ever time and nearly 14 minutes faster than the winning time in 1998! The club has always been responsible for the route from the Ely bypass and organising the finish area.

Following his 70^th birthday in 2004, founder and Honorary member Tony Hall became the first member to become a life member of Eastern Veterans AC.

On 18/19th September 2004, the club competed in the17 stage (189 miles) Round Norfolk Relay for the first time to finish 9^th of 36 teams and win the Newcomer’s trophy. In 2006, the club received a trophy for being 3^rd of 20 teams in the high standard Open Class.

During 2004/05, Max d’Alaya was appointed as the club’s first qualified coach supported by Alan Rutterford and Adam Etches who attended Level I/II coaching courses. The Committee decided to start a library of running books and Max recommended and purchased a wide range of technical publications for use by members. Many of the books were purchased using Advance Performance’s “Club Incentive” gift voucher scheme.

Club fleeces were introduced in spring 2005 and feature, for the first time on club kit, the bright yellow Ely Runners Cathedral logo embroidered onto the soft black fabric. The fleeces have been purchased by many members and provide the club with a strong identity at races and events.

In 2005, three regular members left to go aboard. Women’s Team Leader Karen Foreman went ‘walkabout’ in Australia, Chris Rayment re-emigrated to Australia, and Jaime Gallagher returned to New Jersey in the USA. Natalle Coles became Women’s Team leader.

A One Mile Handicap was introduced in 2004 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Roger Bannister breaking 4 minutes for the mile. It was run on The King’s School grass track and won by Karen Foreman, who also won the 10k Handicap in 2004! In 2005, a track could not be obtained so the race became the Straight Mile Handicap on Quaney Drove. Although difficult to judge pace, this hotly contested race had 26 members competing and will become an annual club event with perpetual trophies made by Charlie Barker for the M/F Handicap Winners, M/F Fastest Times, and M/F Age Graded Winners.

The 2005 Grunty Fen Half Marathon saw some ground breaking introductions by Web Master Rod Baron. These included all on-line entries and payments being made directly to the club, a free download photography service for competitors, and an electronic timekeeping system linked to Rod’s own results software. For the first time in any of the club’s open events there were no queries about the results!

Following discussions with the Committee, club members, and a proposal at the 2006 AGM, an Events Woking Group was established with its members responsible for specific roles in the club’s open races and Frostbite League management. At the 2008 AGM, the scope of the Events Working Group was extended to include management of the club’s teams in long distance relays such as the Turing Trail, Round Norfolk, and Hereward Relays. 

The club’s Cross-Country Championships were introduced for the 2006-07 season. The first race was incorporated into the Frostbite League race at Bourne Woods in February 2007. Four ‘Tudor’ shields were subsequently purchased to be awarded annually for the 1^st Man, Ist Woman, Ist Age Related Man, and 1^st Age Related Woman.

Early in 2007, John Turner and then Rod Baron joined (as Web Master) the Committee and became Directors of the newly formed Association of Running Clubs (ARC). Ely Runners were the first club to affiliate to ARC and the club’s Grunty Fen Half Marathon was the first club to have an ARC permit. It incorporated the first ARC National Championship.

Following his 2^nd MV40L place in the Ash Ranges (Aldershot) orienteering event in December 2007, Robert Campbell was selected to represent England in the MV40L team at the Interland international orienteering event in Holland in March 2008. He was the first Ely Runner to be selected for a national team.

At the 2008 AGM, members approved the Club’s new Constitution (see www.elyrunners.co.uk > CLUB INFO > Constitution) and agreed that the Club should apply for Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) registration. Additionally, a Club Coaches Working Group was approved.

Also, at the 2008 AGM, the club’s first and so far only Secretary, John Turner, was made an Honorary Member and presented with a framed collage of members and an album of ingenious and amusing photographic compositions of members running in the Ely area (both made by Rod Baron), plus a pewter mug in recognition of nearly 22 years in this role.

Confirmation of CASC status was received on 31^st March 2008 with effect from the 4^th February 2008, the date the new Constitution was approved at the AGM.

JT 13.06.2008