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{"ID":30,"SpaceID":6,"PageID":16,"HasCommentsThread":false,"SeoTags":{"OpenGraphTags":[{"ID":"og:title","Name":"Club History - The First 40+ Years"},{"ID":"og:type","Name":"website"},{"ID":"og:url","Name":"https://www.staffsmoorlands-ac.co.uk/Cms/Spaces/AU/Club+History++The+First+40%5C++Years"}],"NonOpenGraphTags":[]},"Path":"Club+History++The+First+40%5C++Years","Title":"Club History - The First 40+ Years","Author":{"ID":36,"Name":"Adrian Northcott","CompanyName":null,"HasEmail":true},"Version":1,"IsDraft":false,"IsOldVersion":false,"PublicationDate":"08/05/2023 14:56","VersionDescription":"v1 - Adrian Northcott","HideHeader":false,"IsFullWidth":false,"ThemeCode":null,"BackgroundColour":null,"JumpLinks":[],"Blocks":[{"Columns":[{"Width":8,"WidthClasses":"col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12","Elements":[{"ID":88,"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003cp\u003eSTAFFORDSHIRE MOORLANDS ATHLETICS \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCLUB – FORTY YEARS PLUS\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten, researched and edited by Pat Bentley, John Broadbent, Roy McCauley and Jill \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorman\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOctober 2017\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0022The people of this county have been particularly famous, and more than any other county \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein England, for good footman-ship, and there have been, and still are among them, some of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe fleetest runners in England; which I do not grant to be occasion\u0027d by any particular \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etemperature of the air or soil, so much as to the hardy breed of the inhabitants, especially in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe moorlands or northern part of the county, and to their exercising themselves to it from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etheir child-hood; for running foot-races seems to be the general sport or diversion of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecountry”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Daniel Defoe’s comment on Staffordshire in his book of letters entitled \u0022A Tour Through the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhole of Great Britain (1724-27)\u0022)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroductory comment\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book has been put together from the memories of club members, newspaper articles, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclub year books, and other miscellaneous sources. It is far from complete and apologies for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eany errors. The hope is that this book will grow as more information, stories and photos are \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eforthcoming. An archive of the material used is available on the club’s web site \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewww.staffsmoorlands-ac.co.uk . For any contributions or to offer corrections on the current \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eedition, please email jillandroy@btinternet.com\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its shortcomings we hope you find much to amuse and inspire you in this book.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote: In most cases running times are shown with hour, minute and seconds separated by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecolons as in 1:23:45 being 1 hour, 23 minutes and 45 seconds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCONTENTS\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 1 Roy Fowler Page 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 2 Building the club Page 7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 3 Putting on races Page 23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 4 Fell running Page 35\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 5 Twenty-first century club Page 46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAppendix 1 Best club times for men Page 53\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAppendix 2 Best club times for women Page 54\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 1 - Roy Fowler\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creation of Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club in 1976 was essentially sparked by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy Fowler, a former world cross country champion and European 10,000m bronze \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emedallist. His rivals gave Roy Fowler the nickname the Red Fox because of his sandy hair\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehaving pursued him in vain across Britain, Europe and beyond. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Longsdon in March 1934, Roy grew up in Leek where his early life was plagued by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eregular, and occasionally life-threatening, bouts of pneumonia. He took up running to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estrengthen his lungs and heart, having been encouraged to do so by his doctor, Dr Dyson, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Trevor Harvey, the Deputy Head at Secondary Modern School, now Leek High? His \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edetermination lead to him becoming a fine all-round sportsman at school, excelling at cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecountry running and winning his first school race, aged 14, in 1948.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe went on to represent England and Great Britain 38 times in track and cross-country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevents. But his career could have taken a different path. He had a trial with Manchester \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnited, only to be told by the legendary Matt Busby that he was too small to be a footballer. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, Roy left school at 15 to become an apprentice painter and decorator, but also \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edeveloped his running career when he joined the youth club at Milward Hall in Salisbury \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStreet, Leek. He won the Staffordshire six-mile cross country championship in 1954, an early \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estep in a career which advanced when he was called up for two years National Service in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1956. In the army he was given time to pursue his passion for sport and the army’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etestimonial described him as an outstanding athlete. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReturning from National Service to work as a painter and decorator in Leek with Job White \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026 Sons textiles, Compton Mill, he started to excel on the local athletics scene. He began to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eearn national success in 1960 before achieving a major breakthrough in early 1961 by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewinning the inter-county cross-country championship over a snow covered course in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBingley, Yorkshire. Roy had not been able to train properly because of a severe cold but \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprepared with a combination of medicine, whisky and sun-lamp treatment in an effort to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshake off the bug. Conditions were so bitterly cold on the day that he placed a layer of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebrown wrapping paper between his two vests while his father, Harold, rubbed goose grease \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einto his legs. Roy stormed to victory over the seven and a half mile course which, in parts, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas nine inches deep mud and snow. Among those trailing in his wake was Bruce Tulloh, the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBritish three mile record holder, who finished third. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy had to have ice scraped off his arms at the finish before asking The Sentinel not to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereport his victory in case his employers found out he had been running when he was off \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ework with a sick note. The Sentinel correspondent had to remind him his performance was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eso remarkable it would feature in every newspaper across the country. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA week after his victory, Roy Fowler ran for Britain in his first international race, at Lille in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorthern France. He lost by just one second to Belgian, Eugene Allonsius. He was also £10 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eout of pocket in lost time at work and other expenses. Happily, as he became more \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eestablished, Fowler was able to take time off to compete for his country on full pay. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis reputation as an exceptional runner was established beyond doubt in 1962 with victory \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the AAA six mile track championship at London\u0027s White City Stadium. He won in 27mins \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e49.8secs – a Commonwealth and UK record. Only the Hungarian Sandor Iharos, had ever run \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efaster. That won him selection to the European Championships in Belgrade for the 10,000m \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere again he struggled with a groin problem which threatened his participation right up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003euntil the very eve of the race. But sheer grit and determination carried him to third and a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebronze medal behind the winner, Soviet ace Pyotr Bolotnikov. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy\u0027s bad luck with injury got no better. Four days before the 1963 World Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships in San Sebastian, Spain, he injured his achilles tendon. However he was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edetermined to compete against the world class field in front of a crowd of more than 30,000 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand his resilience took him past the favourite, Belgian, Gaston Roelants, to win in searing \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eheat. Roelants asked for a re-match with a cheque for £3,000 – \u0027the price of a house\u0027 – as an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincentive. However Roy declined, partly because of his injury problems, but also because he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edid not want to risk his amateur status. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, Roy turned his attention to the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 as potentially one of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efavourites for the 10,000m gold medal taking on the likes of Ron Clarke. In the lead up shin \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esoreness and slight leg injuries turned out to be hairline fractures in both shins. There was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eno question about it, he was out of action for some 18 months which ruined his hopes of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompeting at the Olympics. Roy fought back from the bitter combination of injury and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edisappointment to win the inter-county cross country championship at the beginning of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1966. Later that year, he returned to White City for the six mile championship and, although \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe finished fourth on this occasion, his time was faster than his 1963 record.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy continued to run beyond the age of 40, winning a host of world titles in veterans\u0027 track \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand cross country races. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the end of the 1950s, through the 60’s to the mid-1970s, Roy was also competing for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe local athletics clubs North Staffordshire \u0026 Stone and then City of Stoke. He had 15 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econsecutive Birmingham Invitation Cross Country League wins from November 1965 to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFebruary 1969, which is all the more impressive when you find he was beating other, and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esome much younger internationals such as Basil Heatley, Bill Adcocks, Ian Stewart and Alan \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRushmer. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the mid 1970’s due to amalgamations of clubs, the majority of runners in North \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire wanting to run competitively for their local town, there was the City of Stoke \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA.C., Newcastle (Staffs) A.C., Burton A.C. and Stafford A.C.. Added to this there was a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehandful of works teams such as Michelin and ICL (Kidsgrove) and college or schools clubs \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuch as at Alsager Technical College and Keele University. Roy suspected that there was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esufficient local interest and talent for one more, in and around Leek. So in 1974 with team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emates mainly from City of Stoke A.C. he set up Leek A.C. It competed in the North \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Cross Country League in 1974 and 1975 but had insufficient members to score \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efull teams. The club was expanded in 1976 to become Staffordshire Moorlands A.C. to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eattracted wider support and membership. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll this was happening in the pre-1980’s ‘running boom’ days, when runners on the streets \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewere an unusual sight and the seniors men’s race in the North Staffordshire Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeague attracted a field of about 70 runners, compared to the average 275 that competed in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2016/17. Right from the start, Roy’s optimism was rewarded with ‘The Moorlands’ \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eperforming very well in the North Staffs League and the Birmingham Invitation Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry League against much bigger, well-established clubs as Birchfield Harriers, Tipton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarriers and Coventry Godiva. Roy was still running for the club in this ‘Premiership’ of UK \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecross country leagues, up until 1980 and doing remarkably well. Sadly he finally had to retire\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat 46 because of damaged leg muscles. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Roy once explained, The Moorlands’ clubs colours are of old gold because to his ‘pre\u0002running boom’ way of thinking you should ‘run to win’. The green band and trim represents \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe moorland countryside. Just to be more specific to the Staffordshire Moorlands, the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewallaby emblem is included to celebrate those reputedly roaming The Roaches moors, up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabove Leek. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt a local level Roy Fowler was Leek Sports Personality of the Year in 1976 for his running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eachievements and for setting up the Staffordshire Moorlands Athletic Club (SMAC). The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epavilion extension at Birchall playing fields off Cheddleton Road is named after him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring his career, Roy had also used his expertise to help others. He spent some on Stoke \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCity Football Club\u0027s staff, helping out England legend Gordon Banks and other Potters’ stars \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith fitness work. They ran from Stoke to Trentham and back every afternoon for weeks to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehelp Banks keep his place in the England side. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy was diagnosed with cancer of the lymphatic system in 2000, but continued to coach \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echildren at Birchall in Leek and had some health improvements over the following years \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebefore the disease took grip again. In the final few months of his life he would encourage \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe senior athletes in the club to keep up the great traditions of the club and was keen to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esee it continue to flourish. He died in 2009, at the age of 75, after finally losing his long \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebattle against cancer. As a mark of its respect the club added Roy’s advice “Feel for the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRhythm” on their running vests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy’s career inspired a biography: \u0027A Fighter Second To None,\u0027 by John Bale and Malcolm \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenson.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ten Commandments \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy Roy Fowler World Cross Country Champion and British and Commonwealth record \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eholder for 6 mile track.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. Athlete\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo be a successful athlete you must be dedicated, determined and committed\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. Coach\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeek out a coach who has had international experience, preferably with a successful \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eathletic career\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Question\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlways ask your coach why you are doing this session and how it will benefit you?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4. Balance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eQuality and endurance are the key factors in athletics. Finding the right balance \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebetween the two will produce the performance you require.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5. Programme\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForm a training and racing programme and set yourself some realistic goals.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6. Communication\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommunicate at all times with your coach, no matter how big or small the problem may \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebe - he is not a mind reader\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7. Vitamins\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll athletes who are training hard require the right course of vitamins\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8. Preparation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreparation for races is as important as training. Poor preparation means poor \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eperformance\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9. Think for Yourself\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAthletes need to be self-reliant\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10. Will to Win\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll athletes must have ambition and self-belief. If you do not believe you will be a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampion you never will.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 2 – Building the Club\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 28th January, 1976 at Milward Hall Youth Centre, Salisbury Street there was a meeting \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eled by Roy Fowler with the intention of setting up an athletics’ club in Leek. There had been \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ean earlier attempt to establish a Leek Running Club but it failed due to lack of support. This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etime Roy was confident of better support and renewed his efforts. He had been meeting on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumerous occasions with Ray Pearson, a former Newcastle AC secretary who lived in Leek, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Doug Combs to plan the launch of a new club. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSixty people attended the January 1976 meeting and showed great enthusiasm for the idea. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Moorlands Athletic Club (SMAC) was born. The new club decided immediately \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto join the key competitions and to apply to the relevant amateur athletics associations \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(AAAs). Fundraising was discussed. It was agreed that the club would be based at Westwood \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHigh School in Leek because, whilst the playing fields at Birchall with its running track would \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave been the obvious choice, the running track was in need of extensive work to bring it up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto the required standard and there were no facilities for certain field events. An executive \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecommittee of ten was formed under the chair of Mrs Josie Heath including Roy Fowler; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoug Combs (PE teacher at Westwood); Derek Chapman (the area Youth and Community \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOfficer); Ray Pearson; Mrs M Ogden; Alan Atkinson (fixture secretary); Gordon Hansell; Mrs \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eH McGill; John Bourne and Mr C. Dawson. Norman Cowburn from Britannia Building Society \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eagreed to accept the post of club president. The club colours were to be green and white.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were 17 runners to start with (seniors and juniors) - Alan Atkinson; Dave Ashe; Glyn \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvey; Martin and Mike Bishop; Anthony Fowler; Paul Fowler; Roy Fowler; Steve Fowler\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(not related); Peter Birks; Tony Birks (a sub 4 min miler); Chris Allen; Ray Ellerton; Adrian \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStubbs; Nicky Twiss; John Leonard and Andy Wilton. They were soon joined by Phil and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarry Bowler (who are not related); Peter Whiteman and Sam Tune.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto from Leek Post and Times 19th February 1976 of first training session \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first training session took place as snow was falling on a Sunday in February. Fifty \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epeople turned up for the two hour session. As the year continued average attendance at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunday training sessions was about 70. At the same time the club was looking for a more \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epermanent headquarters and had identified the Intex Sports and Social Club at Beggars Lane \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eas a possible venue. It offered accommodation for changing and had land suitable for a 300 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyard running track, right next to school playing fields. The club had already raised the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enecessary £3,000 but the proposal ran into difficulties. SMAC‘s offer was rejected, leading to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eheated debate in the letters’ pages of The Leek Post and Times.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn April 1976 SMAC members entered their first competitive race. At this meeting, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eorganised by Manchester and District Athletic Club at Stockport, Andy Wilton produced the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emost outstanding performance to come 3rd in the Boys U 15 x 3 mile while Christine \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeaman was ninth in Girls under 11 (1.5 miles) and Jane Clowes ninth in the Intermediate \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLadies 3 miles.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso In April, the City of Stoke Athletics Club was hit by a revolt of local athletes which had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eimplications for SMAC for some time to come. Five senior and nine junior athletes from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Moorlands withdrew their support for the City of Stoke Club following the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edismissal of Roy Fowler from the Club. He had been sacked by the club for his remarks on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRadio Stoke when he said: “We have got the athletes but we have not got the officials”. He \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas brought before the club’s management committee and told his services were no longer \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erequired on the coaching side but he could still run for them. Roy decided he would devote \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehis time fully to Staffordshire Moorlands and a lot of the local talent decided to join him. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was when Andy Wilton, Dave Ashe, Glyn Harvey, Peter Whiteman, Steve Fowler, Paul \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Anthony Fowler moved fully over to SMAC, severing all links with the Stoke Club. Under \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAAA rules all of these athletes could face a 9 month period of suspension before donning a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoorlands vest. This rule was to prevent people club swapping without reason but Roy did \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enot think it would apply in this case as, in his opinion, they did have a sound reason to move \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto their local club.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, there was controversy a few months later, in July 1976, when the SMAC senior \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emen’s team, (Roy Fowler, Tony Birks, Glyn Harvey, Peter Birks, Alan Atkinson and John \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStubbs) won the Winsford 7 mile road. Stoke Athletic Club objected because they had not \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eserved their 9 month suspension even though this was only a local race and not a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampionship. City of Stoke AC was eventually awarded the Winsford team prize. All this \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecreated comment again in the pages of the Leek Post and Times where the Midlands AAA \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas criticised for discouraging people simply wanting to race.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill the upset did not affect performances. In August, Roy Fowler raised himself from his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esick bed to win the World Veterans Championship 10,000 metre road race at Rugby. This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas his fourth World championship success at veteran level. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeter Kelly (then head teacher of Smallthorne RC primary school,) joined the club in October \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom City of Stoke Athletic Club. Peter wanted to join with Roy Fowler to encourage \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eparticipation in championship events and in developing a structure for children of 15 years \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eold and above. They were interested in putting teams into the National 6 and 12 man \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevents; the cross country 9 miler; and the four Birmingham Cross Country League fixtures. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween themselves they decided that Peter would do all the entries and organise the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etransport for the events. In so doing Peter became a key man in administering the club and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe and Roy were the key people in driving the club forward.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn October 1976 the club had gained an agreement from Staffordshire Moorlands District \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCouncil to have its headquarters at Birchall Playing Fields on Cheadle Road, Leek. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecommittee was looking for a suitable building which they could settle into before next \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseason. The use of Westwood/ St Edwards School had caused issues with Leek High School \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhere there was an abundance of promising talent. Leek High School students appeared \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereluctant to join club activities because of the club’s strong relationship with the town’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“rival” school. The other issue was that the club had been relying on a handful of local \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egames teachers to support its activities and they had become overburdened as club \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembership had grown. The committee was hoping to attract additional help from a few \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eretired athletes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccesses for the club continued. That autumn SMAC won the North Staffordshire Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry League annual relay by almost 2 minutes with Steve Fowler, Dave Ashe, Glyn \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvey and Roy Fowler. Then international athlete Mike Tagg joined the club. Mike had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompeted in the 10,000 metres in the summer Olympics of 1968 in Mexico City, coming \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13th. At the European Championships in Athens in 1969 he gained a silver medal in 28.43.02 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich ranked him fourth in the world in the event for that year. Two years later in Helskinki \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe produced his personal best of 28:14.65.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe club now had two inspirational people to look up to in Roy Fowler and Mike Tagg. This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einspired Glyn Harvey, Mike and Martin Bishop and Mark Roberts to train even harder to try \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand reach this high standard. In the younger group of club members, Roy’s sons, Paul and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthony and also Andy Wilton were striving to reach those above them. It was a period of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eintense rivalry between all of them but they would always turn up to the championship \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevents as a team. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn their first outing in the Third Division of the Birmingham League, the SMAC team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompletely dominated the opposition. The first race at Halesowen in November 1976 saw \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe first three places taken by Dave Ashe, Roy Fowler and Glyn Harvey. They were closely \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efollowed by Steve Fowler, Alan Atkinson, Mike Bishop and Steve Ashe. Less than 24 hours \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eafter this event the SMAC runners were being put through a 19 mile training session with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrendan Foster, the Olympic bronze medallist. Brendan was a guest of Mike Tagg at his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBosley home. Roy said the youngsters really enjoyed training with “Big Bren”.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC men also enjoyed success in the North Staffs Cross country championship that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eautumn, comfortably winning the senior and youth events. The team was led home by Mike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTagg followed by Glyn Harvey and Dave Ashe supported by Tony Birks, Peter Birks and Mike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBishop. Andy Wilton won the Youths followed by Chris Allen and Mike Pennington.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC youngsters probably achieved their best performance of the year when they won the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidland 7 mile race at Tipton in December 1976. They were again led home by Andy Wilton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith Chris Allen and Anthony Fowler close behind and supported by Adrian Stubbs. Roy was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003every impressed saying they seemed to get better as the race went on. In the senior event \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlyn stormed home in fourth place having just recovered from an illness. Following this, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlyn was selected to represent the Midlands Counties at an Inter-Regional Cross Country at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCrystal Palace where he finished in eighth place.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe momentous first year of the club ended with little evidence of Christmas spirit from its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elocal rivals as Tony and Peter Birks’s appeals against their 9 month suspension for joining\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC from Stoke AC was rejected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe competitive new year of 1977 started on 20th January with more success at a snowy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCobridge where Mike Tagg and Andy Wilton wrapped up the Senior and Youth sections of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe North Staffs Cross Country League. The never ageing Roy Fowler was just 10 seconds \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebehind Mike with Tony Birks third, followed by Dave Ashe. Steve Ashe and Peter Whiteman \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etidied up the loose ends. SMAC had accumulated only 43 points during the season, 112 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epoints less than their nearest rivals Stoke AC.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto from Leek Post and Times 10th March 1977\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom left to right\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTop row: Adrian Stubbs, Dave Ashe, Glynn Harvey, Alan Atkinson, Steve Ashe, Mike Bishop, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDougie Combs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBottom row: Sir Hubert Newton, Marilyn Fowler and Friend, Anthony Fowler, Norman \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCowburn, Chrissy Alan, Andy Wilton, Steve Fowler, Roy Fowler, Josie Heath, Peter Kelly\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn March 1977 the SMAC men took on their toughest test yet by competing in the English \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNational Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hills. The seniors won the Livingstone \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrophy, the prize for the best Midlands team after finishing ninth overall. The Moorlands \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseniors were led by Mike Tagg (35th), Roy Fowler (46), Glyn Harvey (48), Tony Birks (143), \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid Ashe (165) and Peter Birks (207). Behind them were Steve Ashe, Alan Atkinson and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Bishop in a field of 1,500 runners. In the Youths (under 17 years of age) the team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinished 26th overall. Andy Wilton was outstanding and finished third overall. Josie Heath, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe club chairman and Mayor of Leek, who was there to see him cross the line said “it was a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emarvellous performance and we were all thrilled to bits for him”. Further praise came from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeter Kelly who had spent many years in sports administration at Stoke AC and pointed out \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat Wilton was the only one of the first 72 competitors home young enough to qualify for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe race again next year. The other youths who ran with Andy Wilton were Mike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePennington, Anthony Fowler, Chris Allen and Adrian Stubbs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAndy’s first experience of running competitively had been in 1974 when he turned up in a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWest Bromwich Albion football club kit and had to borrow a pair of spikes to win the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Boys Cross Country Championship. Les Scott, the PE teacher at Warslow \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSchool, recognised his raw talent and passed him on to Roy Fowler.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLater in March 1977 a successful outing to Witton Park, Blackburn was ruined by a sneak \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethief. Whilst the athletes were picking up their prizes at this event, thieves were going \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethrough their pockets in the changing room. About £20 had been taken from the SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emen. Whoever did this must have had a field day as there were 67 teams from 25 clubs at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe race. However, on a happier note the Moorlands won £35 worth of prizes. Mike Tagg \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(third fastest lap) and Roy Fowler (fastest veteran) helped the A team come third with Glyn \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvey and Dave Ashe making up the rest of the A team foursome. The B team came eighth \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith Tony and Peter Birks, Steve Fowler and Steve Ashe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the start of 1977, hopes for new athletics facilities at Birchall had still not been met. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIronically, at this stage the club could not get access to facilities in the existing pavilion, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edespite it being named after their leader, Roy Fowler, due to the abundance of football and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erugby teams using the building. However, at the club AGM in April 1977 the chair, Josie \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeath, presented detailed plans of a new athletics pavilion at Birchall which had been \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esubmitted to the District Council for planning approval. Money for the building was being \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprovided by several generous sponsors. Peter Kelly talked about the dream of “sprinters, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehurdlers, throwers, jumpers and vaulters filling Birchall playing fields” but added that, “until \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewe are equipped, our forte lies in our distance runners men and hopefully women, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epounding their tartan track.” By July 1977 Staffordshire Moorlands District Council had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eagreed to lease SMAC some land at Birchall on a 28 year term for £5 per annum, so the club \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecould now apply for grants for the building project.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJuly 1977 was the first time that SMAC organised a major running event - a 4.5 mile road \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace at the Cheadle festival. The club won both the A and B team awards taking the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emagnificent trophy donated by Cheadle jeweller Gerald Byatt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn early 1977 there had been a campaign in Leek to raise money for Roy Fowler so that he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecould compete in the World Veterans Championships in Sweden. As an amateur of the time \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethere was no funding available towards his travel and other expenses. An appeal fund set up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby the town mayor, Mrs Josie Heath, raised over £400 and with £125 from Leek Town \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCouncil, along with the £100 Roy had been able to raise and save, Roy had sufficient to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emake the trip. Off he went to Gothenburg in August 1977 where, at the age of 44, he picked \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eup one gold and two silver medals at the Grand Masters Championships. To gain these \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emedals he had to face the most demanding test in his 30 year years as an athlete, running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eover 25 miles in three days with top competitors. Roy’s cruel programme started at 7.20 pm \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the Monday and finished at 9.30 pm on the Wednesday. During this time he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eunsuccessfully attempted to retain his 5,000 and 10,000 metres cross country titles but re\u0002established himself as a 10,000 metres track championships, which he won by almost 80 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyards. This was a little short of miraculous as it was achieved 16 hours after his 10,000 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emetres cross country. After the race he said he was so tired he went straight back to the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehotel and, apart from taking a half hour walk, he did not leave the hotel from the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWednesday night until the Saturday. Afterwards Roy reflected that he had enjoyed his stay \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein Sweden although he had some harsh words to say about the packed schedule and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexpressed amazement that a cup of coffee cost 30p (rather higher than Leek prices at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etime!). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClub success continued into the autumn of 1977. In September, SMAC men managed to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003equalify for the National Relays by coming fifth in the Midlands 6 man relay at Melton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMowbray (a top six finish was required). This was despite Steve Fowler suffering a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecurrence of a foot injury on the first leg and hobbling home in 35th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. There was a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emagnificent fight back by Dave Ashe who overtook no fewer than 12 people. His good work \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas followed up by Roy Fowler, Glyn Harvey, Tony Birks and then Andy Wilton on the final\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eleg. By December the SMAC men were walking away with the Division 2 Birmingham League \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etitle . After 2 events they had already opened up a 140 point lead with 4 runners in the first \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5 at the Telford race where Moorlands youngster, Andy Wilton also triumphed in the junior \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace. Andy Wilton also won the Midlands Counties AAA cross country in December 1977.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlyn Harvey was ecstatic to win his first England vest as a senior cross country runner at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eage of 22. He did not learn of his selection until the last minute – it was Thursday night \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhen Barry Warner, secretary of the English Cross country Union phoned his home and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003easked him if he could be a replacement for Mike Baxter, the experienced Leeds AC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einternational, for that weekend’s international race in Normandy. Needless to say the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eformer England junior 3,000 metres runner jumped at the chance, even though it meant \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eracing round to obtain a passport the next day to catch the midnight ferry. It was one of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emost exciting weekends in his career. He finished in twelfth place, helping the English Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry team to win. As a student Glyn Harvey won the British Polytechnic Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship for 2 years and the 1976 win in the 5,000 metres had been in a record time of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14 min 50.3 seconds.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the start of 1978 SMAC could look back on some success but this was with a small group \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof runners when compared with clubs like Tipton. Generally it was the top 9 runners that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecounted and SMAC only had about 15 who were committed to running in the big events. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was shown in January at the Staffordshire Cross Country Championship when although \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAndy Wilton and Ray Ellerton won the youths and boys events respectively, (gaining county \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eteam places,) and Nigel Twiss came second behind Ellerton in the boy’s race, SMAC would \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave been able to compete for the boys’ team prize if they had been able to field a third \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunner. Again, in February, at the Midland Counties Cross Country event at West Bromwich, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe senior SMAC men could not compete in the team event as one of their counters, Mike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTagg, dropped out because of a pulled muscle on the last lap. Nevertheless, the youths \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshone in the freezing conditions with Andy Wilton coming first. Unfortunately Andy could \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enot repeat his winning ways at the National Cross Country Championships in March in Leeds \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eas somebody stepped on his shoe and ripped it off. The incident left Andy losing a lot of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eground and he had no alternative but to drop out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was good news in March 1978 when the club received a £2,000 grant from the West \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidlands Sports Council towards the cost of a headquarters at Birchall. A suitable building \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehas already been purchased with the help of the anonymous £700 donation and money \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom the Sports Council. Later in the year Leek LV Skittles league also donated some money \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto SMAC during their annual presentation evening at the Southbank Hotel in Leek. It was in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNovember that the club moved the wooden building they had bought from Cruso Street to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirchall where it was erected on a concrete base by the 440 yard running track. It meant \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat during the winter months there was somewhere to keep their clothes dry whilst they \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewere training.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs spring moved into summer, the SMAC men continued to have success. Glyn Harvey had a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erun of first places in the Birmingham League, Keele 5 miles, Buxton 5 miles, the Midland \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCross Country Championship 9 miles, and in the Staffordshire Championship 5,000 metres \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich earned him selection for the inter-counties championships. Mike Tagg won the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCongleton 4 in March. At the Gateshead Games in July, televised by BBC TV, Glyn Harvey \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinished seventh in the 5,000 metres in 14:11 closely followed by Mike Tagg in 14:23. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eannual Cheadle Festival 4.5 mile road race in July was won by Mike Tagg in 20:19 with Glyn\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarvey in third; Roy Fowler in fourth and Dave Ashe in fifth to make sure they won the team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevent. The B team successfully retained their title with Andy Wilton, Pete Whiteman, John \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeonard and Phil Bowler. Andy Wilton added to the Moorlands prizes by winning the Under \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYoungster Ray Ellerton was making his mark in 1978. Two years earlier Roy Fowler had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003espotted his potential at the Uttoxeter Cross Country event, despite Ray walking some of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse! Roy soon had him signed up to the club. In July 1978 he won the Staffordshire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoorlands Schools Athletics Championship in 4:26, beating Glyn Harvey’s record time which \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehad stood for 8 years by 11 seconds. In September 1978 Ray came 10th in the Uttoxeter \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCross Country race, beating many senior rivals. (The men’s team prize was won by SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith Andy Wilton, Roy Fowler and Phil Bowler amassing just 16 points between them!) Ray \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas getting noticed with a feature on him in Leek Post and Times in September 1978 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereporting that, at the age of 15 he was eating 9 portions of Weetabix for breakfast. Roy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFowler commented in print that “if Ray maintains his present rate of progress he is sure to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewin an international vest. He is one of the most promising athletes I have seen.” At this time \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRay was travelling up to Stretford, Manchester to use the track facilities there, helping him \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto improve even more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe differences between SMAC and Stoke AC raised its head again in January 1979 at the\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire County Championship at Tipton. Roy Fowler and Glyn Harvey were still \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echanging out of their tracksuits when the men’s seniors and juniors were set off. Glyn was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efurious as the starters and officials, who were from Stoke AC, could see they were not quite \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eready but insisted the race should start, leaving half a dozen runners stranded. He insisted \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethere would be “no more favours from me and the rest of the lads.” It had been one of his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emajor ambitions to win this race, but he did make a magnificent recovery to come second. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThird was Barry Bowler, SMAC latest recruit from Stoke AC. The senior team was second \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebehind Tipton due to Glyn, Roy Fowler, (the first veteran), Phil Bowler, and Dave Ashe. Andy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilton was second in the junior section and the team second because of the help of John \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeonard, Anthony Fowler and Chris Allen. Ray Ellerton was sixth on a return after illness in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Youths with back up from Nick Twiss and Paul Fowler to give them overall team third.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 1978/ 1979 season SMAC came fourth in Division 1 of the Birmingham League. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elast of the four races was at West Bromwich in February 1979. Due to a mixture of illness, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einjury and unavailability, SMAC was struggling to field a squad. Six counters were required. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the day, 7 runners competed with Glyn Harvey leading the team home in 5th and Steve \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFowler in his best ever place of 7th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. Compared to many of the other clubs, particularly top \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidlands clubs like Tipton and Birchfield, SMAC had a small number of elite runners so it \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas a challenge to put full squads out for all four of the Birmingham League races. However, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethere were strong individual performances with Mike Tagg coming third at the second \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efixture in November and Roy Fowler coming 6th in the senior men’s race at the Perry Barr \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace. These achievements were capped by the youngsters with Ray Ellerton coming first \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoverall in the junior men and Paul Fowler being second overall. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC also put teams out in 1979 at the Midlands and National cross country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampionships. The best performances at the Midlands race in February at Condon Hall, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoventry was Mike Tagg who skated over the course to come in second and Glyn Harvey \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eninth. They were supported by Barry and Phil Bowler, Peter Birks and Mike Bishop. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately Dave Ashe limped out of the race after stumbling into a hole formerly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoccupied by a goal post! In March, a 2 mile traffic jam at Watford Gap delayed the team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereaching the English Cross Country Championships at Luton. However with 2 false starts Ray \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEllerton was just on time. With his adrenalin flowing he managed an eighth position which \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas the club’s best position of the day. In October, SMAC had to be content with eleventh \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eplace in the National Six Man Road Relays at a sunny Southport. Roy Fowler was not too \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edisappointed because they did not have much experience at this level. Of the Moorlands six \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eonly Glyn Harvey had appeared in a national relay championship before and was the third \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efastest of the 18 runners on the fifth stage. The other Moorlands runners were Barry \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliams, Steve Fowler, Martin and Mike Bishop and Phil Bowler.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoving into the 1980s, this was a decade that started very well for the club as its younger \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembers – Andy Wilton, Paul Fowler and the Bishop twins, Martin and Mike – became a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eforce to be reckoned with on the senior stage (Unfortunately this did not include Ray \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEllerton who was unable to continue running at the same level after being injured in a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emotorbike accident.) The record in the Birmingham League tells the story of the elite \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners in the club in that period. The club had moved into Division 1 of the League in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1978/79 season when it finished fourth. This was followed by second in 1979/80 and to the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edizzying heights of first in 1980/81 (when the top Moorlands finishers were Andy Wilton and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike and Martin Bishop), a feat repeated in 1982/83 with the same three top runners, Andy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilton finishing 7th overall. (SMAC came second in 1981/82 and third in 1983/84.) The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecord in the second part of the 1980s was more patchy with the SMAC team finishing 8th in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1984/85 (probably only avoiding a lower placed finish and relegation due to Andy Wilton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoming first in the penultimate race,) and then 9th in 1985/86 leading to relegation to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDivision 2 the following year. Part of the story of the changes in team performance was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprobably the move of both Andy Wilton and Paul Fowler from SMAC to join Tipton in Spring \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1985 and then Martin Bishop moving to France in 1987, thus reducing the capacity of an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealready small elite group of runners.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood performances and finishing 1st in Division 2 in 1986/87 (Martin Bishop finished 8th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoverall) brought SMAC back up to Division 1 in 1987/88 but the team finished 9th that year \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand got relegated again and in 1988/89 finished 9th in Division 2. No teams participated \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eduring the 1989/90 season in the Birmingham League and SMAC was out of the league \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealtogether from 1990 until 1997. As highlighted elsewhere, this track record shows that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC has punched well above its weight when it has been lucky enough to attract a group \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof talented runners of sufficient numbers to field teams but it has always been a small club \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand, despite an enviable history of successful individuals, does not have a deep pool to draw \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe club was riding high in 1982 with, in addition to its Birmingham League successes, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC’s senior men’s A team (Steve Fowler, Glyn Harvey, Andy Wilton, Paul Fowler, Mark \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoberts and Mike Bishop) came first in the Midlands Relays at Melton Mowbray with its B \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eteam (Phil Bowler, Anthony Fowler, Dave Ashe, Martin Bishop, Roy Fowler, John Leonard) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoming third! This capped the success of Paul Fowler at the National Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships at Leeds in February where he finished 8th and was selected to run for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEngland. The 5 mile race at the World Championships in Rome followed where Paul finished \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e38th. The first Potteries Marathon was held in 1982 and it was won by SMAC stalwart \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartin Bishop in 2:23:36.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccess continued into 1983. In fact, arguably the best team performance from a SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eteam ever was at the 1983 National Cross Country Championships at Newark, where a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoorlands senior men’s team finished third. The six counters were Mike Bishop, Andy \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilton, Martin Bishop, Mark Roberts, Phil Bowler and Steve Fowler. In April 1983 virtually \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe same team won silver in the Midland 12 man relays. The men went on to win third place \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the National 12 man relays at Sutton Park. This involves six men running 5.5 miles (long \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estage) and the other six men running a 3 mile route (short stage). One of the most \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eimportant aspects in this relay is the team manager getting the right runner in the best leg, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etaking into consideration the other teams , anticipating the positions of runners and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estrategically matching “like” runners. Mark Roberts, Martin Bishop, Dave Ashe and Antony \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFowler all sliced 20 seconds off the times they had done in the Midland a couple of weeks \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eearlier. The fastest six miles came from Mike Bishop on the 11th leg when he clocked 26:09. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike had taken over in fifth place but handed over to Mike Tagg with a 20 second lead. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike T then used all his experience to clinch third place with a spurt over the last hill. On an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eindividual note, Andy Wilton gained his first of nine England vests for cross country in 1983 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand went on to run races in Spain, Norway and the Isle of Man as well as in England.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring 1985 and the following few years the Leek Post and Times had regular stories about \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeek runners, celebrating individual performances more often than SMAC team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eachievements. In particular, Mike Bishop was rarely out of the news. In March 1985 he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinished 8th in the National Cross Country Championships at Milton Keynes and was picked \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor England but then opted to run for Wales. His achievements that year included winning a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20k road race in Alphen against a top class continental field; running in the World Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry Championships in Lisbon (he finished 169th); coming 7th in the Rank Xerox televised \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace at Battersea Park; getting gold in the Midlands Counties Cross Country and the Michelin\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10k; running the fastest accurate 10k by a Welshman to lift the Welsh title; and finishing 3rd\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning for Wales in a cross country race in Newport. Of greatest note for the club in 1985 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas holding the first Christmas Cracker race over The Roaches on Boxing Day. Appropriately, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eit[JN1] was won jointly by twins Mike and Martin Bishop who crossed the line together – 8 miles \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eover the hills in 53:36 nearly two minutes clear of third placed Dave Neill (a hint of what was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto come from Dave who was then running for the Potteries Marathon Athletics Club).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn early highlight in 1986 was a SMAC men’s team winning the Staffordshire County Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry Championship at Wolverhampton in January. This was the first time the SMAC men \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehad won the title since 1981. A particularly satisfying achievement as it knocked Tipton into \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esecond place. As Leek Post and Times reported, long serving club members Phil Bowler, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Bishop and Martin Bishop all came within the top six followed by Alan Adams in 11th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand up and coming club runners John Walker in 18th and Pete Martin in 19th to clinch the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etitle. “The freezing weather made for bad underfoot conditions and it never stopped \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esnowing throughout the whole of the 4 lap 5 ½ mile course. But the Moorlands made light \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof them and none more so than Mike Bishop who set the early pace with Tipton’s Tony \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMilosorov and 4 other runners, Carl Udell of Burton, Neil Appleby of Birchfield and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCannock’s Steve Martin and his brother Martin. Mike Bishop was second in a time of 29:34 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich provided the perfect warm up for his trip to San Sebastian in Spain where he was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning for Wales on Monday (where he came 3rd)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. Tipton’s John Wheway finished in 3rd\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eplace while a tremendous battle between Martin Bishop and Phil Bowler was taking place \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebehind him for 4th place. As they neared the end of the race Bishop got out of a ditch \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003equicker and made the most of that advantage to finish one place ahead of his team mate. In \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eaddition to the 6 counters there was also an impressive performance by 17 year old Karl \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWood who finished 21st overall and was the 4th junior to finish the race.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe county championship in 1986 was also significant for SMAC as it was the first time a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclub team had competed in the women’s race with Kelly Dawson finishing in 12th ahead of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eteam mates Margaret Bowden, Christine Finch and Sue Cullen and the team taking 4th place. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuilding on this success the women went on to strong performances in the Stoke Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry League winning the title in October with final race positions 3rd Madeleine Birch\u0002Machin; 4th Kelly Dawson; 8th Christine Finch; 9th Liz Smallbone and 14th Sue Cullen. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewomen also took part in the Midlands Cross Country League during 1986 and were the best \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eplaced North Staffordshire team at the National Cross Country Championships in Leicester, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinishing 45th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. During the year Madeleine Birch-Machin had individual success winning the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWetley Rocks 10k in 37:27 and the Crewe 10k in 36:55. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1986 SMAC women: Madeleine Birch-Machin, Christine Finch, Liz Smallbones (Clutton), Sue \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCullen and Kelly Dawson\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo SMAC runners who came to prominence in 1986 were father and son, Ron and Pete \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLucas from Cheadle. They had joined the club in May 1984, Ron being encouraged by his son \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto resume running after a 38 year gap. As he commented to the Leek Post and Times: “He \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ekept asking me to come for a jog and, after all that initial puffing and blowing and not \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emoving along very fast, I progressed to competitive running.” Somewhat unusually, 60 year \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eold Ron preferred to run barefoot in the style made famous by Zola Budd – “It’s much easier \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand lighter and does your feet good. It is just a question of watching out for glass.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, he was wearing shoes when he won the British Veterans Athletic Federation Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry over 60s championship in Sheffield in 1986. A year later (April 1987) Ron ran \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebarefoot at the British Indoor Veterans Championship at Cosford. Competing in the 1,500 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emetres race for over 60s, Ron wrote himself into the record books by breaking the five \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eminute barrier in a time of 4:59:03. Unfortunately, he was actually second in the race – both \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe and the winner became the first runners in the World to break over 5 minutes for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners over 60 years of age!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other notable event during 1986 for the club was gaining a sponsorship deal with Alton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTowers. As club secretary, Graham Halden explained to the Leek Post and Times: “It is one \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the few ways to attract runners back to the club and to make sure those athletes \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epondering which organisation to join chose Staffordshire Moorlands AC. It is also a chance \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto take a great step forward and to expand so that we can encompass every form of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eathletics.” The first outing for the new club vests with the sponsor’s name was the Midlands \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelays in Birmingham in September. SMAC was represented by 4 teams (i.e. 24 senior men \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners!) with the A team coming 5th and thus qualifying for the National Relays (the team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecomprising Phil Bowler, Karl Wood, Pete Lucas, Martin Bishop, Andy Heathcote and Pete \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartin). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring 1987 SMAC made a concerted effort to broaden its appeal, trying to attract runners \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof all abilities. Club Chairman, Barry Bowler explained in The Post and Times that: “We were \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eguilty some years ago of being an “elitist” club but this is not now the case. Many top class \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners have unfortunately left the club but this means that we have a lot of fresh people \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebreathing new life into the club. We are broadening our base considerably and welcome \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eanyone to come and have a go.” The club focused on the local schools, particularly the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esenior schools in Leek. The aim was to tap into the new enthusiasm for running stimulated \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby the “Run the World” initiative. However, the campaign had less success than hoped as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclub officials discovered that people were sometimes overawed by the prospect of joining \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ean “athletic” club. At the end of the year, in December, the club decided to use some of its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlton Towers sponsorship money for equipment such as javelins, shot and hammers, to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emove into track and field and broaden its appeal. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRon Lucas with son Peter Lucas\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarch 1986\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile attempts to attract people new to running might have stalled during 1987, Mike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBishop and his team mates continued to make their mark and Mike commented in the Leek \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePost and Times in January that “the team spirit in the club is as good as any time that I have \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeen a member”. In March, Mike Bishop won the Welsh Cross Country title in Cardiff – 39:4 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor 12k and Phil Bowler completed the Lake District Provincial 10k from Windermere to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKendal in blizzard conditions, coming 4th. In April, Martin Bishop won the Stafford Half \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarathon in a personal best of 65:50. By this time Mike Bishop was based in Paris but still \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoming back to the Moorlands to compete1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. The move gave him more opportunity to race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eagainst continental rivals and to boost his world ranking. In May, the third Leek Half \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarathon was dominated by SMAC with Martin Bishop and Madeleine Birch-Machin taking \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe men’s and women’s titles, and five SMAC men finishing in the top ten places (2nd, Phil \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBowler; 7th Dave Ashe; 8th Andy Heathcote; and 10th John Walker). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn July 1987 SMAC teamed up with Leek Amateur Swimming Club and Leek Cyclists Club to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eput on a triathlon. In this version there were teams of three, one from each club, each \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efocusing on their sport with a 1k swim; a 17k cycle; and an 8.5k run. Six teams took part with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe winning combination being Martin Austerberry, Anthony Mellor, and Richard Lymer. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were other highlights during 1987. The women’s team was strong and came first in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erelays in Leicester in September (Christine Finch, Sharleen Gibson and Madeleine Birch\u0002Machin). SMAC men just managed to qualify for the National Road Relays having scraped \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10th place at the Midlands race at Sutton Park in September. Whilst they finished 20th out of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26 teams in the Nationals at Crystal Palace in October (John Walker, Phil Bowler, Dave Ashe, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePete Lucas, Pete Martin and Andy Heathcote), they were the only North Staffordshire team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat had qualified to take part. The year ended with the senior men’s team plagued by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einjuries and struggling in the Birmingham League, although youngster Mark Dalkins was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning well and achieved 3rd place junior in the Coventry fixture of the Birmingham League \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein December. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn interesting running challenge in 1988 was the ultramarathon event at Alton Towers in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApril. Raising money for the ITV’s Telethon ’88, six runners covered 667 miles between them \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eover 27 hours. The only woman taking part was SMAC runner, Cathy Gunner who ran 111 ½ \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emiles from 8am on the Saturday through to 11am Sunday morning. Well over half of SMAC’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembers went along to offer their support with club secretary Graham Halden and his wife, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrenda, keeping the runners going through the night with up-to-date lap times and drinks. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a couple of weeks’ later, Cathy went on to win the Leek Half, pushing team mate and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprevious year’s winner, Madeleine Birch-Machin into second place. Cathy continued to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epursue the longer distances, completing the gruelling London to Brighton run in October in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8hrs 23min (club member Alan Adams also took part, finishing in 7hrs 3min), coming 3rd in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Potteries Marathon, and, as she was Scottish born, breaking the Scottish record over \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eboth 24 and 48 hours in the ultramarathon. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the other end of the scale, SMAC continued to try and encourage local people to start \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning and join the club. A regular jogging session was held on Wednesday evenings at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 Mike Bishop continued to live in France, settling on a farm in the Dordogne, where he died in a farm accident \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein 1999. A memorial service was held for him in Fulford, Staffordshire on 11th June 1999.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRudyard Lake (moving to Brough Park in the darker months) and the club organised a multi\u0002terrain race as part of the first ever Warslow Rural Sports Day in September 1988. Whilst \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethis showed an enthusiasm for supporting community events, at six miles in length, the race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas probably not one for beginners and it was the seasoned runners from SMAC who took \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe honours – 1\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003est Alan Adams, 2nd Barry Bowler, 3rd Martin Bishop with Ron Lucas as over \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e60s winner and Andrew Millward as under 20s champion. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo sum up the first ten years or so of Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club, from its birth \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein 1976 and through the 1980s, it can be described as a small club that frequently punched \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabove its weight. It had high aspirations which were sometimes achieved when it was lucky \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eenough to attract sufficient elite runners. It did benefit from the running boom of the 1980s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eas the greater national profile for jogging and running encouraged wider participation \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealthough not as much as the club officials had hoped. On reflection, what is apparent is that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC succeeded in establishing itself as a stable, recognised running club which was by no \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emeans an inevitable result as the earlier attempt at forming a local club showed. And SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econtinued to be fortunate in its enthusiastic and committed officers who were prepared to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etry different approaches and to organise local races and other opportunities for people to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etake part.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe SMAC Birmingham League Division 2 teams 2001 at Massey Ferguson, Coventry. Both \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe A and B teams won first place that year and were promoted to Division 1 – left to right –\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Fowler, Dave Owen, Billy Eaves, Rob Deakin, Anthony Fowler, Lee Reynolds, Terry \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeaver, Roy McCauley, Robin Britton, Vinnie Martin, Dave Neill, Dave Edge, Simeon Lloyd, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhil Carter, Pete Lucas, Luke Boulton, Pete Martin, Tom Bentley, Glenn Marriott, Steve \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarriott and Dave Brunt.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 3 – Putting on Races\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday (2017) SMAC has a good reputation for putting on interesting, challenging and well\u0002organised races with its ever-popular Summer Series one of the features of the local racing \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecalendar. Starting with a 4 mile race around Leek in the early 1980s the club’s track record \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ereached the dizzy heights of staging two National Cross Country Championships in 2008 and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2011 at Alton Towers. This chapter highlights some of these races, with their ups and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edowns!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSummer Series \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt seems that the first year SMAC held a Summer Series of races was in 1988. The idea seems \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto have come from Mike Bishop a few years earlier when his plan was to set off on a run and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elet everyone else follow him. He encouraged all abilities to take part. In those days, there no \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprizes and no times recorded because Mike wanted everyone just to take part in the run \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand enjoy it. What fun it must have been –running flat-out, not knowing where you were \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egoing and, at times, how long the course was. It worked so well that Mike’s next thought \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas: “Let’s make these regular events - it’ll promote the club and we could finish at a pub!” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first race in July 1988 was in Bagnall. Race organiser John Gilbert decided that it would \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebe too muddy to risk the planned off-road route on this dark, wet night so swopped for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning a 2.2 mile circuit twice with enough hills to make it challenging. John Pickering won \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe race in 23:53 just holding off Phil Bowler. Youngsters were included too with a single 2.2 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emile circuit won by 9 years old Luke Boulton. The following week the second race was held \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat Dimmingsdale – 6 miles of steep hills, fast descents and a long fast finish along the old \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erailway line, in the rain again. The race was organised by Phil Boulton who also managed to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erun in it, finishing 6th – a feat race directors of today have to forgo in lieu of other duties! \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhil went on to organise this Dimmingsdale / Oakamoor race as a fixture in the Summer \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeries calendar every year up to 2016 – a 28 years stint which is a record for the club.2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1988 must have been a wet summer as rain continued to affect the Summer Series. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethird race, in August, was reported in the Leek Post and Times as follows: “Just about the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eworst weather yet did not deter the enthusiasm of the competitors now that the Style \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSports Summer Series of races is in full swing. In cold heavy rain some fifty people turned up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto match themselves against the watch in a four mile time trial around Cheadle. With \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners being given random numbers and starting at 15 second intervals, each competitor \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehad to run their own three lap race, not knowing until all had finished what the outcome \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas, putting immense pressure on the timekeepers.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the rain continued for the day of the fourth event at Birchall Playing Fields in Leek. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was some doubt that the evening races would go ahead but by 7pm the rain had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estopped and the show would go on! Interestingly this event involved 5 different races on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrack – 3 for juniors who ran distances of 100m, 200m and 1500m followed by the seniors \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2 The record may not be continuous as mate Glenn Marriott may have stepped in on occasions if the race date \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclashed with Phil’s holidays. Confirmation awaited!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning 5000m and then the final seniors race at 100m which was described as “something \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eresembling a cavalry charge”! \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1988 Summer Series finished with the fifth race the following week, at the end of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAugust, being an 8 mile race over The Roaches won by Paul Fowler in 41:06 almost a minute \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclear of Martin Bishop in second. The run was followed by the presentation of awards for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe series by Gary and Diane Plant of Style Sports in the Olde Rock Inn. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe next few years showed the development of the Summer Series races from different \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eformats and numbers of races (e.g. there were three races in 1990, all off-road, attracting 24 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto 26 runners) until it settled into the pattern of a 10 race series of off-road running from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1993. Whilst in 1992, the 3 race series had an average of 39 runners per race and 118 in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etotal if turnout at each race is added together, the 10 race series in 1993 had 280 individuals \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etaking part. The 1993 races took place at Rudyard; Buxton; Longsdon canals; Oakamoor; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLangley; Tittesworth; Deep Hayes; Park Hall; Marshes Hill / Knypersley; and The Roaches. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe following year a fell race up to Shutlingsloe replaced the Langley fixture and this \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebecame a fairly steady list with a bit of variation over the next 24 years (including races at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirchall / Mollatts Wood / canal circuit; Leek Rugby Club at St. Edwards near Cheddleton; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDerbyshire Bridge / Goyt Valley; Biddulph Grange Country Park; Wetton / Ecton Hill; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIpstones / Froghall Wharf / Foxt and Leek Cricket Club / Gun Hill). Some years there were 9 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erather than 10 races (and in 2017 this went down to 8 races) due to availability of race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edirectors and/ or problems arising with the course. From the start a juniors race was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincluded of about 2.5 miles and in 1997 a fun run was added for smaller children, allowing \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epretty much all members of a family to take part!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSponsorship was an important part of the Summer Series and, following on from Style \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSports, a key sponsor for many years was Biltmore Garments. Alan Bourne and Doreen and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorman Catley from Biltmore Garments not only provided much needed cash towards the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevent but also got involved and, well after the company finished, continued to take an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eactive part in the Summer Series, giving invaluable help as timekeepers, marshals and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eanything else that needed doing! Volunteers are a crucial part of any successful race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emeeting and thousands have contributed to SMAC over the years. Parents have often been \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eroped in to help out and, before they knew it, they were active members of the committee!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe SMAC Summer Series has become an established feature of the local running calendar, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith its races regularly identified in different local club’s race championships. It is held in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egreat affection by many and there are numerous stories about memorable incidents, which \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoften grow in the repeated telling! There was the time that a violent thunderstorm \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprevented a race at Park Hall. Pete Bowler, the race director opting for safety as rain lashed \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edown and lightning split the skies. Or the thigh-deep muddy grooves made by forestry \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evehicles in Moseymoor Wood, on the Ipstones course in 2015 (bravely put on by the ever\u0002optimistic Dave Bethell). The freshly churned-up mud swallowed up a few of the intrepid \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emale runners, who had to be dragged out by their fellow competitors! Or the many varied \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eroutes runners have taken over the years at Oakamoor, due to missing marshals or washed\u0002away sawdust arrows. With runners following each other like sheep down the wrong paths, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enot wanting to own up “I think we’ve gone wrong but I was just following you”. In 2001, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eduring the ‘Foot and Mouth’ outbreak, a host of lead runners famously ended up in an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eunfortunate elderly lady’s garden, who was more than distraught to see a growing band of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esweaty men among her cabbages! A whole book could probably be dedicated to the funny \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etales from the Summer Series.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a more serious note, for SMAC the Summer Series has been its main annual income. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst other races the club has organised have mainly barely covered their costs, or indeed \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave made a loss, the Summer Series has always brought in funds. The Series’ expansion to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10 races coincided with the club wanting to put pressure on Staffordshire Moorlands District \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCouncil to upgrade facilities at the Birchall track, by being able to offer a financial \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econtribution. Meanwhile the income has kept the club in a healthy financial position, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eallowing it to pay members to train as coaches, recognise individual achievements at its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eannual presentation evening, and paying for travel to key competition venues, among other \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethings. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the record, the average number of runners in the seniors’ races over the 10 years \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebetween 2006 and 2016 were as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRace Race Directors since 2000\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e203 Tittesworth Madeleine Birch-Machin, Dave Edge, Roy McCauley\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e191 Roaches Roger Bailey, Roy McCauley, Rachel Massey\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e183 Rudyard Lake Steve Keeling, Dave Owen, Sam Lucking, Jason Burgess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e159 Buxton Hilly Arthur Gratton\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e158 Shutlingsloe Fell Race Dave Taylor, Pete Martin, Jim Cooke, Ian Ankers\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e157 Oakamoor Phil Boulton\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e151 Biddulph Grange Country Park Steve Massey\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e136 Wetton (Tour of Ecton Hill) Fell Race Mick Hall, Dave Owen, Jason Burgess\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e135 Ipstone / Froghall Dave Bethell\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e132 Leek Cricket Club (Ascent of Gun Hill) Glenn Marriott, Roy McCauley, Adrian Northcott, Sarah Beighton\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Summer Series senior race on The Roaches June 2017\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Christmas Cracker\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe annual December race over The Roaches was set up by SMAC in 1985. It continues to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethis day as a fun event with many competitors running in fancy dress and has always \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efocused on raising money for local charities. However, it is not for the faint hearted as the 8 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emile course is effectively a fell race and weather conditions at the end of the year can \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einclude bitingly cold winds across the top, not to mention ice underfoot and deep mud on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe lower fields. The Christmas Cracker has been organised every year since the first race in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1985 although severe weather has sometimes led to its cancellation on the day or an \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealternative route around Tittesworth Reservoir as the fall back plan. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first ever race was held by the club on Boxing Day 1985. Nearly 350 people took part in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe main run and a further 100 competed in the fun run which started and finished at The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOld Rock Inn at Upper Hulme. It raised about £400 for the Springfield Special School. Twins \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike and Martin Bishop ran in together to jointly take first prize. (They won together again \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe following year when the race was held before Christmas on 21st December, 1986.) The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeek Post and Times reported that the only hiccup in an otherwise smooth running day was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat at the most extreme point of the face, at Castle Rock, the thin rope marking out the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse had been stolen. Fortunately, the marshal arrived fractionally before the leading \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners and was able to point them in the right direction. (Echoes here of similar incidents \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eacross the years!)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Christmas Cracker race became closely associated with the Lucas family of Cheadle. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Rocket” Ron Lucas enjoyed the daftness of running in fancy dress and, when he died his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efamily donated two beautiful trophies with china figures as prizes for the best individual \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efancy dress and the best team fancy dress. Ron’s son Peter and daughter Liz for many years \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecame to the race to judge and present the awards.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecognising his contribution to the early days of the Christmas Cracker, and the spirit with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhich it was both organised and run, a tribute was made to Mike Bishop at the 1999 race, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efollowing his untimely death earlier that year. A prize was added for the first runner to the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrig point. The prize was an enormous silver cup that Mike had won on the continent many \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyears previously and, as commented by Dave Brunt in his press release, “poses an amusing \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eproblem of just what the winner should do with it for the next 12 months unless they \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecommission a trophy cabinet as big as a wardrobe to house it!” The ‘First-to-the-Trig Point \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTrophy’ was ‘lost’ in 2014 during the refurbishment of the Birchall Pavilion, where the club \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehas its store room.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1999 race was won by Dave Neill who powered his way to the summit, even beating the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emarshal who had been sent to judge “The King of the Mountains”. The press release \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econtinued: “Strung out across the Roaches ridge there were Santas, Fairies, Snowmen and a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSt Trinian’s School outing. A very bizarre Glenn Marriott dressed as a Millennium Bug, with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eno apparent means of seeing or breathing, his head totally covered inside a hood. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpectators were pinching themselves in disbelief as a slimmed down Elvis, (the real “king” of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe mountains, aka Dave Owen,) in full Vegas regalia, ran into sight. But no wallabies.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the years there have been changes to the race to reflect its popularity and reduce any \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epotential negative impact on local facilities. The race originally started at the bottom of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehill at Upper Hulme, from the field below Paddock Farm. In 2001 both the Start and Finish \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emoved to the visitor centre at Tittesworth Reservoir, courtesy of Severn Trent Water. At \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eleast the current venue does allow for an easy course alternative if Buxton Mountain \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRescue, who help out with marshalling and any injuries on the hills, advise the race director \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat the weather is too bad to risk running on top of The Roaches. That’s what happened \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econsecutively in 2009 and 2010. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2010 (25th anniversary) race was notable for Matt Clowes leading the charge in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewrong direction, not long after the start. It gave the slow runners at the back, dressed as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChristmas crackers, who did know where they were going, a bit of a shock. They found \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethemselves temporarily in the lead and being hunted down by the chasing pack! It called \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einto question just how hard it was to follow the simple instruction ‘keep the reservoir on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eright-hand side at all times’! Or was it a demonstration of the principle that those at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efront of a race are so focused on speed and other competitors that going in the right \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edirection is often a secondary consideration?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Cracker continues as a very popular race and has raised money for local charities. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetween 2013 and 2016 the race generated donations for Buxton Mountain Rescue (£650); \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidlands Air Ambulance (£500); 2nd Leek Scouts (£370); Staffordshire Wildlife Trust for the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoaches Footpath Restoration Fund (£400) and Water Aid (£130).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Leek Half Marathon\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the Leek firemen at the Springfield Road fire station of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eService who started the Leek Half Marathon in 1985 and continued to organise it for a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumber of years. SMAC took it on in 2000 and continued through to 2011 mainly under the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace direction of Club Secretary, Roy McCauley. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Leek Half was initially held in May and started from Springfield Road near the fire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estation. It circuited Haregate, headed out to Meerbrook, then up Leek Frith to Roache \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrange; back to Upper Hulme, along Buxton Road, then up to Thorncliffe and back to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpringfield Road (1,010 feet of climb). Crossing the busy Buxton road was a big problem. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 2000 it was held in August, often the Bank Holiday Sunday. It started and finished in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrough Park by the Leisure Centre. It headed out to Meerbrook via Abbey Green, crossed \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTittesworth; turned along the Buxton Road at the Three Horse Shoes; up the Roaches from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpper Hulme; down Roache Grange to Meerbrook. Then retraced the outward route to a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erather cruel finish up Park Road to the finish in Brough Park (1,035 feet of climb). This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse avoided the need to cross the Buxton Road, but it did require a well-drilled, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexperienced team (orchestrated by Glenn Marriott, Hugh Williams then Steve Massey) to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econe off and rope a 1 km runners’ lane along the Buxton Road. Then take in all 120 cones \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eimmediately, once the last runner had past. And all done while the holiday traffic is roaring \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in 2001 the race was attracting some 450 runners but by 2010 the headcount was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edown to 246. Loss of experienced organisers and helpers and increasing financial losses, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edespite generous support from Ball\u0026 Co Ltd, caused the race to ‘take a rest’ in 2012. By \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epopular demand and a rejuvenated burst of enthusiasm, Adrian Northcott, as race director; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enew helpers and better publicity, the club tried again in 2013. Entry fees were kept low at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e£12 (including a free T-shirt) but again the event only attracted 225 runners and only just \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabout broke even financially. The repeat attempt in 2014 only attracted 213 runners. This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eturnout was on par with some of the Summer Series races, which did not require anywhere \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enear the same amount of time, organisation, volunteers and expense to put them on. So \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith this in mind and an ominously poor number of pre-entries, the 2015 race was cancelled \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat the last moment. Mick Hall decided to take the race on for 2016 onwards with the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eblessing of the club. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Leek Half, despite having two challenging courses, has always been a popular race for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC runners to take part in. Paul Fowler, then a Tipton runner, won the first race in 1985 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut SMAC stalwart Mike Bishop took the honours the following year completing in 1:09:38 –\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e90 seconds quicker than Paul. The year after, 1987, SMAC members won both the men’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand women’s prizes – Martin Bishop won in 1:09:01, beating his brother’s record, and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMadeleine Birch-Machin triumphed in 1:29:35. Both had team mates just behind them in 2nd\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e– Phil Bowler in 1:10:48 and Cathy Gunner in 1:30:56 (Cathy reversing the result in 1988 and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinishing in 1:28:25). Although the course has varied over the years, so results are not \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estrictly comparable, the SMAC record for fastest times by its members for the Leek Half are \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eheld by Martin Bishop for that 1987 win on the Fire Station course. On the ‘new’ Brough \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePark course, the record was set in 2001 by club member Rob Deakin in a time of 1:10:13 and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby Kerry Marchant for winning in 1:27:13 in 2007.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe National Cross Country Championship\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2002 SMAC’s chairman Glenn Marriott responded to a request from the Midlands Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry Association to local clubs about hosting the Midlands Cross Country championships \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe following year. After liaising with Cliff Franks, secretary of the Midlands Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAssociation, visiting the 2002 race at Leamington, and exploring a number of possible sites, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincluding Brough Park in Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir, the best option was clearly Alton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTowers Theme Park. Glenn negotiated with Mark Kerrigan of Alton Towers to host the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevent and Mark was really supportive. Once checked out by the Midlands committee, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003earrangements were put in place and the race was held 25th January 2003. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sentinel reported on 22nd January 2003 that: “Over 1,500 runners from across the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidlands will be converging on Europe’s most popular theme park this weekend, hoping to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estake their claim for the 10 age group titles on offer. Alton Towers will become the first \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth Staffordshire venue to host the combined men’s and women’s cross country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampionships in 124 years. The age groups range from under 13s to seniors with the first \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners crossing the start line at 11.30am. Athletes from 10 counties will be participating, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith runners from Gloucester, Shropshire and Leicestershire among those registered. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCounty champions will be hoping to stake their claims for international status. Local clubs, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Moorlands who are hosting the event, City of Stoke, Newcastle and Trentham, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealong with Cannock and Stafford, will all be sending strong representation.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe article continued: “Meanwhile, Staffs men’s and women’s champions, Mark Dalkins and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaire Newton are clear about their goals. Dalkins said: “There is no bigger stage apart from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe national cross country and the inter-counties. If you are going to test yourself out \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eagainst the best then you have to run in the Midlands Championships. It is a very strong \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompetition and has produced several runners who have gone on to take national crowns. I \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eam hoping to capitalise on my present form. If I can run to the best of my ability and even \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eget among the medals, it may be the ingredient I need to get an international vest.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNewton was equally positive. “I was pleased with my run in the Staffs and there will be \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esome of the best athletes in the Midlands and the UK competing at Alton Towers,” she said. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It is an ideal opportunity to see what progress I have made and what I need to do further.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the same article, Glenn Marriott commented that SMAC welcomed the opportunity to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehost the event. “It is a great honour for our club and the area. We have put together an\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eenjoyable and testing course.” On the day the Senior Men’s race was won by Nick Talbot of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotts AC; second Spencer Duval; and Mark Dalkins in third place. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the event, on 24th February 2003, Cliff Franks, Hon. Sec Midland Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAssociation, wrote to Glenn: “With the dust settling on yet another cross country season, it \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eis incumbent upon me to write and thank Staffordshire Moorlands for promoting such a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewonderful Midland Cross Country Championships. Without clubs like SMAC there would be \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eno MCCA promotions. Your Herculean effort, in bringing the Championships to fruition at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe magnificent venue of Alton Towers, is most appreciated by this Association. MCCA is \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewell aware of the burden that is placed upon a few willing heroes, in the organisation of its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epromotion. Indeed you have taken up this mantle splendidly in organising this year’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMidlands cross-country championships.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Midlands course at Alton Towers\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Midlands at Alton Towers\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was such a success that Glenn offered up the same venue for the National Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship as a midlands venue for 2008 (the race is held alternately in the north, the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esouth and the midlands). In 2007, Glenn started his preparations by going up to Sunderland \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith Phil Boulton for that year’s national cross country championships to see how it was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eorganised.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2008 English National Cross Country Championships were held at Alton Towers on 23rd\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFebruary. There had been weeks of preparation - organising first aid, the tents, the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erefreshments for the officials, a PA system and phalanxes of mobile toilets; and buying \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eadditional posts, markers and course signage – to name just part of it! Immediately before \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe race, Glenn spent a whole week off work, mostly based at Alton Towers, setting out the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourses and making all the other arrangements. Glenn had lots of help from club members, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enotably Dave Owen and Roy McCauley. Help was also sought from other clubs and jobs for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealmost 70 marshals were allocated in advance to SMAC members and others. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Saturday of the race dawned, frosty and dry. Marshals were in place as cars and\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoaches from all over England started rolling in. One of the sights of the day was the line-up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof senior men, stretching off into the distance almost as far as the eye could see! It was a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elogistical challenge to produce a wide enough funnel for such a long line up that could \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enarrow down very gradually to a standard width course. The whole event was a great \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuccess and the next day club members were in good spirits as gangs arrived back at Alton \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTowers to clear up the fields from drinks bottles and the numerous abandoned tents and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epieces of kit. There was so much left that the better items were cleaned up and taken to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elocal charity shops.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to the success of the 2008 Midlands event, Glenn Marriott had no hesitation in giving a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epositive response when he was approached to host the next midlands based national \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echamps in 2011 – despite a few incredulous remarks from other SMAC members (what all \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat again, are you mad!) Yet again Glenn pulled out all the stops and had able support from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclub members including the men’s team manager, Cindy Morrissette, in the weeks leading \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eup to the event. Again, members from SMAC and other local clubs were recruited for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emarshalling and the scene was set. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe night before the race there was a meal at the Dog and Partridge pub and motel at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwinscoe Bank where the key officials were staying. Key SMAC members Glenn with partner \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJulie and Dave and Maria Owen were invited to dine with the officials. Just as they started \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe meal the Nationals Secretary, Ian Byett pitched forward into his soup and then collapsed \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the floor. Glen grabbed him and tried to get him back onto the chair but he was clearly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003every ill. A paramedic on site came to treat Mr Byett but while he was doing that, another \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elady collapsed and more paramedics had to be called. The meal ended somewhat in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econfusion. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe day of the race was extremely wet and miserable. The ground conditions quickly turned \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einto a quagmire. St John Ambulance people were concerned about the number of early \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecasualties, mostly underdressed youngsters getting hypothermic. The First Aid tent could \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enot cope with all the people in there. Alton Towers was also concerned given its need to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efollow proper health and safety precautions. However, the English Cross Country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAssociation officials were very keen to continue (what’s a little mud and cold in the cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecountry world!) and the day’s events went ahead with a concession of shortening the ladies \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace. Lots of shoes were left on the field where they had been sucked into the mud or \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabandoned – many of them left by junior runners (who would surely have had an earful \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efrom their mums when returning home with half a pair of expensive spikes!) and the sight of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea youngster finishing his race just in socks was not uncommon. The photos of the day \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(available on the web site of the English Cross Country Association) tell the story. It was a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ememorable day with a lot of laughs (along with a few tears, mainly from striving juniors!). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly a few stalwarts came out the next day (miserable weather again!) to help clear up the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehuge mess that had been left behind. Added to the abandoned, sunken, tents and kit were \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumerous umbrellas – many broken but some which could be cleaned up and again taken to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elocal charity shops. But it took at least another 2 weeks before all of the main marquees \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecould be dismantled and the site completely cleared with Rebecca and Carl Higton being \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estars in this tidying up process. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis time most of the club (apart from Glenn!) said never again!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth Staffordshire Cross Country League Races\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe list above is not an inclusive list of all the races organised by SMAC over the years. A \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enotable event missing is the hosting of one of the North Staffordshire Cross Country League \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eraces, often the last one in the series of 4, and held at Westwood High School/ College. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse was the hardest of the four, with “Killer Hill” and “Deadman’s Gulley” hinting at its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseverity, compared to other venues. They featured prominently in the minds of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eparticipants, particularly those senior men who sometimes had to scale them four times \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eduring their race! Who could forget the ease and speed with which top fell runners like Dave \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeill and Simon Bailey threw themselves down Killer Hill and cruised up banks that most \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epeople were reduced to trudging up, hands on legs. What a shock that course must have \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeen to clubs used to running on gentler terrains and sports fields, such as South Cheshire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarriers. In 2006 SMAC tried out an alternative for the North Staffs Cross Country League \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efixture at Leek High School on Springfield Road. That morning, Glenn Marriott set out the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse almost single-handed, the last stake only just being put in as the first junior runner \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecame running by. However, due to the amount of mud traipsed through the school’s new \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecanteen and changing rooms, and lack of parking, it proved too much for the experiment to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebe repeated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSadly the Westwood course is also no longer used. The security fencing erected about 2002\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003earound the school playing field, effectively halved the amount of land available to set out \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elong enough laps for runners to avoid queuing and lapping each other. More recently the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egrowing numbers of those participating in the League effectively put too much strain on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elimited amount of parking at the school and on the surrounding residential roads. Early \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewarnings of this problem came in 2007 when Roy McCauley needed to go and see, Keith \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHollins, the head teacher, to apologise for the damage to the school pitches; people parking \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the school’s ornamental lawns and runners washing their shoes in the toilets. The last \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace organised there by the club was in November 2013. The combined efforts of the other \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth Staffs Cross Country League club members did manage to put one more race on there \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein December 2014. They found out for themselves just how much work was involved in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecutting back overgrowth; carrying some 200 stakes to the course, then marking it out with 1 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ekm of tape. After the races it all needed to be taken back in and carted up the hillside. From \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe start of the job, to finishing packing it back up in the storeroom, the whole job would \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etake 8 hours, normally in cold, windy, wintery weather – finishing in the dark. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds of SMAC members, member’s parents, and sometimes just spectators, have \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evolunteered or been roped in over the years to help out at the many races organised by the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclub and for that the club is exceedingly grateful. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoy Fowler Memorial Relay\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSadly, Roy Fowler died in June 2009. As a tribute to him the club wanted to stage a race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003earound Leek, similar to the Leek town 4-miler that was held in the early 1980s. Dave Owen \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eorchestrated the event for Sunday September 5th, 2010 but found that times had changed. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith increased road traffic, it was impossible to race around the town centre anymore. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealternative was to run a relay race comprising of four individual legs from Leek High School \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecar park on Springfield Road, on the pavements up Ashbourne Road, across The Mount and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eback to the High School changeover via the pavements on Buxton Road. The two mile circuit \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas far from ideal, with top club runner Sam Lucking volunteering to do an extensive piece \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof much needed, Berberis hedge cutting on the corner of Springfield Road. However, with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egenerous sponsorship from F. Ball \u0026 Co Ltd, it did attract teams from the likes of Birchfield \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarriers, Tipton Harriers, Telford Harriers, Stoke A.C., Leicester Coritanians, and Cannock \u0026 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffs. There were also a host of local clubs strongly represented across all age groups, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincluding a large number of Staffs Moorlands athletes keen to honour and remember the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efounder member of their club, and Staffordshire legend, that was, and still is, Roy Fowler.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinning team on the day was Birchfield Harriers in a combined time of 38:00 min followed \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby a Staffs Moorlands quartet of Matt Clowes – Marc Hartley – Matt Allott – Kyle Fowler in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esecond place (38:52) and Cannock \u0026 Staffs finishing third (39:22) helped in no small part by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTom Humphries, who had just turned senior, who ran the 2-mile circuit in an impressive \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9:05 to record the fastest leg of the day. This accolade for the ladies went to Stacey Johnson \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning for Telford A.C. ‘B Team’ recording 10:33. The overall results for the ladies were 1st\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTelford AC ‘A Team’ (46:25) - 2\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003end Trentham Ladies (47:45) - 3\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erd Cheadle RC (48:26).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis very memorable event to honour a British athletics icon, will always be as fondly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eremembered as the great man himself and, although the challenging logistics involved sadly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprevented the race taking place in successive years, Race Director Dave Owen has not ruled \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eout a return of the event in 2019, as a ten-year memorial tribute to Roy and his wealth of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eachievements at local, national and World level. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 4 - Fell Running\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is probably no surprise given Leek’s proximity to The Roaches, Gun Hill and Morridge that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners from SMAC often train on these challenging hills and can be inspired to take up fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning as their main pursuit. Whilst SMAC does not specialise in fell running as some clubs \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edo, the Moorlands club has produced some prize winning fell runners as well as encouraged \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eothers to simply take part and enjoy this rather extreme sport. In this chapter we celebrate \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eboth the successful champions and those who just challenge themselves out on the hills. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1970 the very first handbook of the Fell Runners Association listed just 40 events. By 2000 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethere were 438 fell races included. Early SMAC fell stars include Andy Wilton and Martin and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Bishop who still held some course records. But probably the most successful period in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efell running for the club was in 1999 and 2000 through the exploits of club members Dave \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeill, Simon Bailey and Kate Bailey. In 1999 and 2000 all three were English National Fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampions for their age groups – Dave as male vet 40 and Simon as under 20 men’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampion in both years, Kate as under 18 women’s winner in 1999 and under 20 woman’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echampion in 2000. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne highlight of the period was the Knockdhu international fell championship reported by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave Brunt in a press release of 9th May 1999: “SMAC athletes ... Simon and Kate Bailey and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave Neill all came first to help England to victory in the Junior Men, Senior Ladies and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVeteran Men categories of this Home International at Knockdhu over 4.7 miles with 1,470 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efeet of ascent. Simon even beat the senior men by winning the race outright in a time of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35:20 relegating his hero, Dave Neill, into 6th place (1st Vet) in a time of 36:03. Kate was mid\u0002field in the same race in a time of 43:13 (1st Lady) having been promoted from the junior \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eranks. From the start of the race Simon settled into a second group slightly off the pace. At \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe half way stage Simon made his move and bridged the gap to vie for the lead with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIrishman Robin Bryston. Simon took stock of the situation and caught a glimpse of the crack \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the Irishman’s armour. At the top of the final summit Simon was confident that his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuperior descending speed would carry him to victory and, dropping like a stone, he swept \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto victory by 9 seconds. Simon then dashed off to get his camera so as to catch sister Kate \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinish 36 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, Kate Hargreaves, in first place for England.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate Bailey\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate and Simon Bailey were brought up on a farm in Rushton Spencer and came to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprominence as runners in their teens. Kate began to be noticed when, as a 13 year old, she \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecame 7th in the Bosley Fete Fell Race on June 25th 1996 beating the then club secretary \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGraham Barks who came 8th. The following month she again came in before him at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwythamley Gala Fell Run (Gun Run) when she was the first lady to finish in 25:40. That year \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate finished runner up at the under 16 level in the 1996 English Fell Racing Championships. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe worked hard to improve her strength and fitness and the following year (1997) she took \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eboth the English and British Championship titles and, like her brother before her, took \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emaximum points to realise her ambition of an England Team vest. Her success continued \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith Kate taking the under 18 women’s title for both England and Britain in 1998 and, after \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewinning a national qualifier, Kate travelled to Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean to compete \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the World Mountain race where she finished 13th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate’s most successful year was probably 1999. She won all of the English Fell Running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship races in which she took part – The Wrekin, West Nab, Dodd Fells, Settle Hills \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Keswick - to again become Junior Ladies English Fell Running Champion (U18 Ladies) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand took gold as first senior lady in a home international fell race competing for England at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnockdhu in Northern Ireland. This led her to join her brother, Simon in representing \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEngland at the World championship in Kinabalu in Borneo. A press release from Dave Brunt \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein September 1999 tells the tale: \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Having qualified for their places in the English Under 20 men’s and women’s team at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLatrigg in the Lake District last month, Kate and Simon Bailey, who live in Rushton and are \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembers of SMAC, flew out of Manchester Airport on a 30 hour journey via Kuala Lumpar \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto Kinabalu in Borneo. On landing the intense equatorial heat and humidity underlined the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseverity of the task in hand. A 2½ hour coach journey through the customary afternoon \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emonsoon took them to their hotel. Exhausted they had 3 days to recover and acclimatise, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewithout the respite of air-conditioning and with a diet of rice. This was not going to be a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epicnic! The following day they were able to walk and train on the course which was very wet \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith steep climbs – ideal, just the sort of conditions Kate and Simon thrive on. The next two \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edays were spent doing some light training but mainly gathering their strength and keeping \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewell hydrated. They also took part in the opening ceremony and did a bit of flag waving and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehelped to promote England’s bid to stage the world championships in the future.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The day of the race dawned and it was dry for the first time since they had arrived. Kate \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas to run first at 8.15am avoiding the withering mid-day heat, with Simon to follow at 9.00 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea.m.. Kate started strongly and was in the leading group of three on the first short climb\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith an Austrian and a Slovenian as they hit a narrow track in single file. On the first descent \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate took the lead and pushed on along the 4.1k course with over 900 feet of ascent. On the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethird and last climb Kate was gradually overhauled by the Austrian who broke clear and the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlovenian, and she eventually finished in 3rd only 4 seconds behind the Slovenian in a time of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e24:21. Team mate Laura Hughes finished in 7th to gain Team Silver for England behind the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlovenian team whose next finisher in 6th was twin sister of the second placed girl. A \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efantastic performance as Kate is still young for this age group but one shouldn’t be surprised \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eas this girl trains with men and is as courageous as, and has more fight, than a lioness. She’ll \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebe back.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndeed she was! In October 1999 Kate won the Junior Home International in the Wicklow \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMountains of Ireland, leading England to team gold. She was selected to run for England in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Under 20 Cross Country Championship in Belgium where she came 4th on a flat, fast \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccess for Kate continued into 2000. In February she was selected to run for GB in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGermany in the 3000 metres indoor under 20s race even though she had never run this \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edistance nor ever run indoors. She came third in a time of 10:04. The same month Kate \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecame 5th in the National Cross Country Championships at Stowe, Buckinghamshire. Back on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe fells, in March she won the Wrekin fell race as senior lady. In May she won the English \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFell Running Championship race at West Nab, Huddersfield in 48:56 where she was never \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eout of the lead and finished ahead of many of the men. Later in May 2000 Kate won the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInternational Fell Race as part of the England team at Knockdhu, beating the next lady by 52 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseconds. The same month she won the English Fell Championship race at Hutton Roofs Crag, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompleting 7 miles in 54 minutes, over 7 minutes ahead of the next woman. In June 2000 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate won the International Trial for the European Championship to gain a place in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEngland squad to Poland. “But one should not underestimate her achievement or the level \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof competition that she subjects herself to every time she runs. We now, perhaps unfairly, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexpect her to always win, whatever the surface. Once again she came up with the goods \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeating Sally Newman into second place winning by 11 seconds, which is the closest race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshe has had for some time. In the two lap race of 4.35miles with 1,475 feet of ascent, she \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas second on the first climb before catching up on the descent and taking the lead on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esecond lap and, although pushed throughout, never felt unduly threatened.” (Dave Brunt’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epress release 11th June 2000). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the end of June Kate had secured the 2000 Junior Ladies English Fell Running Champion \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etitle, being undefeated in all her championship races. She went on again to represent \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEngland at European Fell Championships in Poland where she was the first English finisher in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e19th place and second British runner behind Scotland’s Angela Mudge. Kate was reasonably \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epleased with her race which went well until she fell on one of the descents which, besides \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeing painful, cost her four to five places. Despite this she was selected for the British team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning in Italy in a European Grand Prix in August 2000 where she came 9th helping GB to a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esilver medal. Also the same month Kate was 1st junior woman at the English trials at Keswick \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand selected for the World Championships in Germany, where Team GB won silver. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate’s achievements were recognised locally. Her first SMAC award was in 1995 when she \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas deemed the Most Improved Girl for the year, topped by the 2000 SMAC award for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSingle Most Outstanding Female. Kate was also seen as special in the wider local sports \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003escene when in 1997 she again followed in her brother’s footsteps by being presented with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Leek Sport Personality Under 18 Awards and gaining this for a second time in 1998.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon Bailey\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1996 was the year that Simon, like his sister, appeared on the national fell running stage, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewinning the under 16 English Fell Running Championship. Having won the first of the 6 race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseries at Wrekin, Simon went to win at the next two events at Belmont Winter Hill and Pen\u0002y-Ghent. Needing just one more victory in the remaining three races to take the title, he was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edisappointed to finish second at the next event at Thirlmere. However showing great \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edetermination he went to win the remaining fixtures at Burnsall and Little Langdale to take \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe title and the much deserved place in the England team. To put the icing on the cake, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon went on to win the Home International Race at Grasmere to become British \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampion, helping England to the team title. Simon also had considerable success in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elocal cross country races winning the under 17 Cheshire Cross Country League individual \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etitle; the under 17 North Staffordshire league individual title; and the under 17 Staffordshire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCross Country Championship. That year he gained the SMAC award for the Most \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutstanding Single Achievement and the 1996 Leek Sports Personality Award. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1997 saw Simon moving up the under 18 level. He took the under 18 English Fell Running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship title with maximum points and after winning the World trophy qualifier at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSedbergh went on to represent England at Upice in the Czech Republic. He also travelled to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGermany in July 1997 to represent England in the International Teenager Games. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efollowing year Simon was plagued by injuries and finished 11th in the English under 18 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship, well below his own very high standards. However he did qualify for the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorld Mountain Race and travelled to Reunion Island where he finished 30\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eth in a race that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas all uphill, not making the most of his speciality – a fearless, fast descent!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1999 Simon was back to his best. In March he embarked on the English Fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship races coming 1st at the Wrekin Fell Race of 5.5 miles in 33:54, over a minute \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand a half clear of former British Champion, Mark Roberts. He went on to set 3 course \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecords in the Junior English Championship Races at West Nabb; Dodd Fell (where he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etwisted his ankle on the steep descent but still managed to break the tape with a course \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecord of 27:50 which was 75 seconds inside his PB); and Settle Hills. As mentioned above, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eat the Knockdhu Home International he was first in his age category and at the world trial in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLatrigg (Keswick) he again took gold, thus qualifying to take part in the World \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships at Kinabalu in Borneo. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave Brunt’s press release describes more about Simon’s experiences in Borneo: “Simon like \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKate had come to win. He was by far the best of the English lads and has had a fantastic \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esummer back home where he’d only been beaten once on the fells and has won many \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esenior races, breaking numerous course records along the way. He lined up with 3 team \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emates with a total of 16 nations represented in the 60 strong field. The drier conditions \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewere not really to his advantage but he started the race with his customary aggression in a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efast start to the 4.8 mile course. With 5 climbs and over 1600 ft of climbing facing him, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon hit the front and set a cruel pace and led to the half way point. On the third climb he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas passed by an Italian who opened up a gap and was soon out of sight on the twisting \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrack through the dense steaming jungle where it was difficult to see more than 10 metres \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eahead. The chasing group of four, which included an Austrian and two New Zealanders, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebattled it out until the last big climb when Simon was passed first by the Austrian and then \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby one of the New Zealanders. With 500 metres to go he was passed by the other. Simon \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecrossed the line in 5th place in a time of 36:36, twenty one seconds off a medal and 3 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseconds behind 4th. The England team were fifth overall, the others finishing in 11th and 18th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon on reflection acknowledges that he may have done better if he’d not taken the lead \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eso early in the race and conserved his energies by letting someone else set the pace.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon continued to have success on the fells in 2000 wearing a SMAC vest. He won every \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJunior English Fell Running Championship race he took part in. The final race was at Settle \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHills where Simon clinched his English Championship title as he demolished the course \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecord by more than two minutes with a winning time of 45:05. In May, Simon again ran as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epart of the England team at the Home International Race at Knockdhu, Northern Ireland. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The race set off in heavy drizzle onto the Knockdhu slopes with the treacherous steep and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erocky climbs and descents. There are no easy races at international level and there must \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave been a lot of pressure on Simon following on from last year when he startled the fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eracing world when he won this race. This time the race between him and Brooks was very \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclose all the way. They crested the final climb together and plunged down the dizzying final \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edescent. Simon was just outgunned on the final sprint to the line but was pleased to claim\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe scalp of the current British and English champion, Gavin Bland, who trailed 33 seconds \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebehind in 3rd place.” (Press release by Dave Brunt.) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn June, Simon took part in the International Trial for the European Championship. As Dave \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrunt describes: “Simon was not at his best for the men’s race having had a nasty accident \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the farm where he lives. He was wrapping wool in the shearing shed when a sheep tried \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto escape. He reached out to stop it at the same time as one of the shearers and he was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estabbed by one of the clippers. The clipper stuck in to the bone in his arm. At the hospital he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas given a general anaesthetic while he was patched up. He was clearly not at his best but, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echaracteristically, gave it a go. Unfortunately he finished 5th in the 7.1 mile 2,869 ft race. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eselectors made no allowance for the trauma Simon had suffered and he was passed over for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eselection for the 4 man squad. No doubt Simon will be more determined than ever in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efuture.” Simon finished the year stepping up to the senior men age category. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimon’s achievements did not stop in 2000 but he was wearing the vest of fell running club \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMercia in his later national fell running achievements. He was the senior men’s English Fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning Champion in 2004 (also gaining the British title that year); in 2005 (jointly with Rob \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHope of Pudsey); 2007; 2009; 2012; 2013; 2014; 2015; and 2016. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave Neill\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe young Baileys had been encouraged by Dave Neill’s fell running exploits and Dave’s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecord as a veteran fell runner is truly inspirational. Whilst a long term member of SMAC, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave ran in the 1990s wearing the Mercia vest in national fell running competitions, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eappearing in his SMAC vest from 2000 onwards. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe senior English Fell Running Championship races are not for the faint-hearted. They \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econsist of 6 races spread geographically over Northern England between March and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeptember, split into three distances - 2 short, 2 medium and 2 long. The finishing positions \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eare calculated from up to four races which must include one at each distance plus the best \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eother race. Dave Neill’s national successes started in 1996 when he was first veteran (over \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40) to finish in each of the 4 races he entered, thus gaining a maximum of 88 points. His \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evictories came at Coniston, (9 miles, 3500 feet), Fairfield (9 miles, 3000 feet,) Holme Moss \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(16 miles, 4000 feet) and Thievely Pike (3.5 miles, 900 feet). His performance also gave him \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efifth place in the Senior Men’s Championship running against opposition many years his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ejunior.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1997 Dave successfully retained the Veteran over 40 English Fell Running Championship. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe emulated the previous year’s performance by being the first vet 40 in each of the 4 races \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe entered and thus gaining maximum points. (Black Combe (9 miles, 3800 feet), Winder \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrind (6.6 miles, 2970 feet), Shelf Moor (5.9 miles, 1500 feet) and Three Shires (13 miles, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4000 feet).) He bettered his performance in the Open Men’s Senior Championship by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinishing one place higher in fourth position, again against those many years younger. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing this Dave was selected to run for the English Vets Team in the Knockdhu Classic \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome International where he finished 13th overall and 1st veteran. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgain representing Mercia on the fells in 1998, Dave had another superb year, winning the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnglish Veteran Over 40 Championship for the third year running. As the SMAC Year Book \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elater noted: “He seems to improve with age and surprised himself by winning the Stafford \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf Marathon in a personal best time and thus becoming the first veteran to ever win the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eevent. He only entered the race to get in some miles for a forthcoming fell race! “ \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1999 Dave fulfilled his ambition of becoming the Vet 40 British Fell Running Champion as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewell as picking up his 4th consecutive National Title. This was despite falling on one of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edescents in a race in the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland in May (where he finished \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eth overall and 1st vet). In June he won the championship race at Holme Moss, West \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYorkshire, his third race from four. As Dave Brunt reported: “He produced a superb run over \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe 16 mile course with 4000 feet of ascent to finish 4th overall, 5 minutes behind Gavin \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBland in a time of 2:12:04. This was not an easy race for Dave who has still not fully \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecovered from a niggling ankle injury and confidence in his descending ability has been \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eaffected. This has meant his training has been largely limited to cycling.” The British vet title \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas clinched at Dave’s 4th championship race in July 1999 at Fort William in Scotland. “This \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas going to be a tough test for Dave’s troublesome ankle but with major rival Mervyn \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeyes out of action, the risk had to be taken. The weather leading up to the race was dismal \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith the mountains shrouded in low cloud and lashed with rain. However the cloud cover \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elifted just before the start of the race to reveal the awesome task in hand. (3.5 miles with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1500 ft of ascent). From the start the course immediately went steeply upwards and with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe slippery underfoot conditions progress to the summit was slow and the heart stopping \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edescent to the finish lethal, and all over in a record time of 27:48 for Gavin Bland. Dave was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eeasily first vet home in 17th place in 31:39 and relieved to have at last achieved his ambition. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave was quick to admit that he was, despite the euphoria, slightly disappointed not to have \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeen in the first ten as he is also hoping to achieve a top 6 place in the open category but, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith two races left, he is sure to improve.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs in previous years, Dave won numerous other fell races during 1999, setting course \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecords at Boundary Stone Blast and Wirksworth Incline. He also took part in cross country \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eraces winning silver in the British Veterans Cross Country Championships at Earlham Park, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorwich in March (a 10k race in 34:02) and running for SMAC in the Birmingham Cross \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCountry League, where he was the leading athlete in Division 4. As described above, Dave \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewon the vet category at the Home International at Knockdhu representing England. He \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecapped a fine season on the fells by helping his other club Mercia to a silver medal in the vet \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecategory of the British Fell Relays in October and leading England to a team silver in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBideford Over 40 Veterans Home International in November.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccess continued into 2000 where he again won the vet 40 English Fell Running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship and kept the British title, this time jointly with Colin Donnelly. Dave Brunt \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edescribes the last winning race of the English Championships in June at the Ennerdale \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHorseshoe:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“As the years drag by, a unique record is being extended. After last year’s unprecedented 4th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econsecutive title, one would expect the sands of time to finally run out on Dave as each year \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyet another crop of fell runners eagerly await their fortieth birthday so that they can try to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etopple Dave’s crown. But the Peter Pan of the Moorlands continues to dominate and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emaintain his iron grip on the trophy that has taken up permanent residence in his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWestwood home over the last five years. Last year it was Mervyn Keys of Rossendale who \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elooked to pose a threat briefly. This year Dave has been peerless although he will admit that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehe is vulnerable on the short races where there is quite often only one chance as the race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egenerally consists of one big climb and one big descent, and on the classic long races where \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enavigational skills and route planning make all the difference, and just finishing is the major \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epriority, never mind racing. This was Dave’s 4th championship race and, with wins in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshort, medium and long categories already under his belt, Dave knew that a win in the 33rd\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning of the Ennerdale Horseshoe race would clinch the title.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just consider how tough this race is – it is 23 miles long with 7,500 ft of ascent over harsh \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eterrain. The course record is 3 hours 20 minutes and, apart from the checkpoints, it’s choose \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyour own way round. Choose wrong and you’ve blown it. Don’t think you can follow \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esomeone else because they may be lost as well! Dave had spent a week in the Lake District \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the surrounding countryside, building up his mileage with daily four hour runs before the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace. The day of the race was fine but it had been raining in the days before which meant \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethere was water on the course so no dehydration problems. The winner was Simon Booth \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eone minute outside the course record. Dave finished 1st vet in 10th place overall in a time of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3:38:00 which he considers to be his best performance in a classic long race because he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eactually raced it rather than just being content to get around.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This race was also a British Championship race and Dave was able to maintain his challenge \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto retain that title as well by getting revenge and a first ever victory over Scotsman Colin \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDonnelly who, you will remember, narrowly beat Dave by 5 seconds in Wales a fortnight \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebefore. Donnelly finished in 17th place well behind Dave. With Donnelly’s 2 firsts and a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esecond to Dave’s one first and a second, Donnelly is in pole position, but he must now be \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehaving doubts as Dave continues to defy the beckoning of Old Father Time.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave’s form in 2000 was so good that he achieved a lifetime ambition in August by being \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eselected for the English Senior team at the age of 44 to run at International Fell race at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSnowden – a tough 10 miles with 3,250 ft of climbing. He finished in 9th (3rd English counter) \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein a time of 1:10:56 helping the English team to silver medal, just one point behind winners \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScotland. The same month Dave finished 1st vet and 10th overall at the second British \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionship race at Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDave is a quiet man and does not shout about his achievements. Whilst the club duly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erecognised his successes in the 2000s with the 2001 SMAC award for Best Male Vet and the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2002 SMAC award for Outstanding Achievement, not all club members may have been \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eaware that Dave continued to win on the fells, wearing the SMAC colours. He was vet 40 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnglish Fell Champion in 2002 (jointly with Mark Roberts of Borrowdale); 2004; and 2005; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evet 50 British Fell Running Champion in 2006; vet 50 English Fell Running Champion in 2011; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand vet 55 English Fell Running Champion in 2012 and again in 2013. His tenacity and desire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto win has rubbed off another generation as son Will Neill, who has also been a SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emember, joined him on the fells to win the British Fell Running Championships for under 23s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein both 2012 and 2014 running for Mercia and also the English Fell Running Championships \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor under 23s in 2014.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe exploits of Dave Neill and Kate and Simon Bailey have certainly set a high standard but \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealso inspired others to have a go. In October 2000 the club entered a fell running team in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe British Fell Running Relay Championships for the first time. This was held at Edale and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe team came 13th with leg 1 Terry Weaver; leg 2 Peter ‘Doc’ Martin; leg 3 Paul Light and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhil Carter; leg 4 Dave Neill and Nick Bassett. The club has entered teams in this event in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eother, subsequent years and individual members have taken part in a variety of races. In \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1996, spurred on by the success of the Baileys, Luke Boulton tried his hand at fell running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e42\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand shared the under 14 English Fell Running Championship title (with Joe Symonds from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKendal). This was an outstanding achievement as the competition was very strong. Nick \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBassett has run often on the fells for SMAC. 1999 was a good year for him including winning \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Wincle Fete Fell Race (also a triumph for the Owen family with Joe Owen aged 10 taking \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe under 15 junior prize and Leah second in under 15 girls while dad Dave Owen came 10th\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein the senior race.) Club member Robin Britton was also a keen fell runner and tried his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehand in the English National Fell Running Championships finishing 10th placed vet 50 in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2000. Special mention also needs to be made of Jack Ross who won the under 18 English \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFell Running Championship in the green and gold in 2011.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo why do people run on the fells? Perhaps some of the answer comes from a personal note \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emade by long time SMAC member Jonathan Whilock: \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Since 2007 I have been running ultra-distance fell races and challenges. It all started with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emy friend Simon Somerville and myself completing the Bob Graham Round which involves \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning 42 Lakeland Peaks in under 24 hours. With the help of a team of fell runners and a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eroad crew we both managed this during a perfect weather window in June 2007. Having \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrained really well, I seemed to breeze round without any problems. Simon, who fractured \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehis ribs 8 weeks before, was unable to train properly but also went really well until Wasdale, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabout two thirds of the way round. From there he proved that if you really want something \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand believe you can do it then it’s surprising what your body will do. He completely fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eapart but never gave up and finished with a sprint.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This got me hooked in the ultra-fell running world. I ran the Paddy Buckley Round (47 peaks \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein Snowdonia) in 2010 and the Charlie Ramsay Round (24 Munroes in Scotland) in 2011. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the Bob Graham Round I always knew I could complete these rounds - they hurt and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyou can be sick and feel awful for long periods but I cope well and always finish strong. For \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eme one of the reasons to do these challenges was to see how I would cope and to push my \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elimits.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In 2014 I decided to have a go at the Rigby Round (all the Munroes in the Cairngorms \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewithout support). This 75 mile journey into the wilderness really was pushing every limit. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot only do you have to carry all you own food and kit but you have to keep your head in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egear and navigate the whole route. I went for it with 2 friends, Tracy Dean and Jon Gay in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJune 2014 and we made it round in 23 ½ hours. As I said I’m curious to see how far I can \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epush myself so went back 2 weeks later and did the whole round again, this time solo going \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclockwise instead of anti-clockwise. I ran okay for the first half but started throwing up and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas unable to eat for the last 10 hours. My stomach seems to be the part of my body that \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003egives up first but, even with this and with my legs feeling dead, I could still run on. I finished \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein 23 ¼ hrs this time. The whole experience was interesting: I wouldn’t have believed you \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecould carry on in such a bad state for so long until I did it myself!”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Dragons Back is one of the most famous and difficult mountain races in the world. It is \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea 300km wild trackless route following the line of mountains from North to South Wales \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eover 5 days with 16000m of ascent and descent. It is an iconic race in the fell running world \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand I was desperate to do it. 2015 would be only the 3rd time it has been ran so I lined up in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConway Castle in June with 140 other mad skinny fell runners to have a go. I expected it to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebe tough and it certainly was. For me my stomach was again my weak link and I was unable \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto eat much for most of the race. This is quite debilitating. Luckily I was able to keep gels \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand coke cola down which helped. I finished 18th out of 65 finishers.” \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Challenges and races like this may not be for everyone, an obsessive nature and curiosity \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eabout yourself, along with being massively competitive really help, but they do give you \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eback more than anything else. The more difficult the challenge the more you get out of it. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso you find out how your body reacts when pushed to the limit. My weak link is my \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estomach, for others it can be mental or physical. Everyone will suffer doing long distance \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eraces but not in the same way. It is interesting to really find out your own strengths and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eweaknesses.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJon Whilock is not the only club member who has pushed himself to extreme challenges in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efell running. The most successful in the club (to date!) has been Steve Pyke who in 2007 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edecided to challenge the record for running between Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst modern communications have replaced the need for human messengers to relay \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enews from Everest, the route from Base Camp to Kathmandu remains of historic \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eimportance. In 1987 a record time for this run was set by two women from the UK and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eofficially recognised by Guinness World Records. Helene Diamantides and Alison Wright \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecovered the route in 3 days 10 hours and 8 minutes. In 2000, thirteen years later, Kumar \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLimbu, a Nepalese runner, set a new time of 3 days 7 hours and 10 minutes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn October 2007 Steve (“Spyke”) took on this challenge with Lizzy Hawker and Mark Hartell. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSetting off under a beautiful, clear blue sky from Everest Base Camp, they made good \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprogress over the first thirty-six hours and were, more or less, up with their planned \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eschedule. But, as the second night loomed and with all three of them increasingly tired after \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e36 hours on the go, they took the \u0022safe\u0022 night time option of travelling via Jiri and along the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eroad rather than the shorter route along the trails that they had checked out. However, they \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elost the trail and added an extra couple of hours as they struggled to find a way off the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehillside and down into Jiri. By now it was late in the evening and they were utterly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexhausted and dispirited and all set to pack in. Mark decided he was unable to continue at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethis point as the brutal ascents and descents of the previous 40 hours, as well as an ascent \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof 6800m peak Ama Dablam a few days earlier, had taken too much of a toll.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn uncomfortable four hours’ sleep in a hayloft followed but was enough to revive their \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003espirits and the next morning Lizzy and Spyke set off determined the record was still \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eachievable. Despite further navigational challenges as they descended a steep wooded \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evalley to discover they had come to the wrong bridge and had to about turn to climb the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e500 m back up, they reached the final road section at Muldi (also marked as Mudhe on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esome maps) at 7 pm on Saturday knowing that they now had some 19 hours to cover the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elast 63 miles. Buoyed by a magnificent send off from the villagers of Muldi, and then \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eencouraged all the way by their British and Nepali support runners, they ground out the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emiles. The last few miles into Kathmandu seemed interminable, with rising temperatures, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003echoking traffic fumes and the very real danger of being taken out by one of the myriad \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evehicles jostling for position on the highway. But eventually they arrived at the sports \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estadium and completed a 400m lap of honour to a reception of 30-40 journalists and the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePresident of the Nepal Olympic Committee. It was Sunday October 28th at 9:52 and it had \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etaken 3 days 2 hours 36 minutes – a new record! The whole episode was a triumph for co-\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoperation of English and Nepalese and hopefully for the poorer hill people of Nepal who \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebenefitted from the funds raised.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Steve was not content with this achievement. A few years later, at the age of 45, he \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edecided to have a go at climbing all the Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet) in Scotland in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe fastest time. Spyke started on 25th April 2010 at Ben More on Mull and went on to be \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emet on the Isle of Skye by Hamish Brown, who was the first man to conquer every Munro in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1974. The fell runner completed his challenge on Scotland\u0027s most northerly Munro, Ben \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHope less than forty days later, becoming the fastest man to climb all 283 Munros in just 39 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edays and nine hours. He smashed the previous record set in 2000 by Glasgow postman \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCharlie Campbell by nine days and two hours. Incredibly, he trekked between hills by bike \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand kayak although he did have a back-up team in a motor home. Spyke\u0027s journey involved \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe equivalent of a marathon and a 10,000ft climb every day for more than five weeks. He \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esaid: \u0022This seemed like a good excuse to spend 40 days in the mountains. I\u0027ve enjoyed every \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eday of the journey. \u0022I\u0027m sure someone could shave another four or five days off but you \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewould have to work hard at the logistics.\u0022 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt time of writing Steve is still competing on the hills in the English Fell Running \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships for his current club, Dark Peak.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, no record of fell running in SMAC would be complete without a tribute to Brian \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelfield. Brian\u0027s first sport was football. He was well known in Leek throughout the 70s, 80s \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand 90s as a keen player and manager, notably with Ball Haye Green and Churnetside. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC member, Dave Edge introduced him to running, taking him out on the hills in the late \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1990s and Brian quickly got the bug! He was not keen on road running which he felt caused \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehim injuries. Instead he kept to the fells, starting off with local races and then going further \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eafield. An early race in May 1999 was the Mount Famine Fell Race which he did with his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emates Dave Edge and John Tomkinson, finishing 84th in 54:56. But Brian got hooked on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLakeland Classics. On one occasion he ran the course of the Passing Cloud fell race every day \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor 10 days as preparation for a Lake District race! He managed to do most of the Lakeland \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClassics although he never realised his ambition of completing the Ennerdale race.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 29th April 2012 Brian Belfield registered as a competitor in the Buttermere Sailbeck Fell \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRace. By this time he was a seasoned fell runner and had run the race before. As the race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprogressed, conditions worsened with cold temperatures, high winds, driving rain and poor \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evisibility. At some point between Sail and Crag Hill, Brian left the race route and descended \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe fell-side at a place called Scar Crag, probably seeking shelter from the weather, or even \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrying to make his way back to Buttermere to retire from the race. This was no easy way \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edown as there is no recognised track or path from here to the bottom of the valley. At some \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epoint on his descent Brian slipped on the wet moss and fell, suffering abrasions and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econcussion, and landing in a stream where he became unconscious and died as a result of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexposure and hypothermia. The coroner concluded that his death would have occurred \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eshortly after his fall. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrian’s death was notable, not just from the loss of a truly lovely man with a great spirit of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eadventure, but because it led to changes in fell running safety rules. On that April day in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLake District the race organisers did not realise Brian was missing. 129 runners crossed the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efinish line and they thought everyone was accounted for. They had miscalculated the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumber of runners taking part and those who had retired. Although runners had to go \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethrough checkpoints the radios used had not been working so no-one realised that Brian \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehad only completed part of the course. No-one knew Brian was missing until his wife raised \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe alarm when he had not returned to where they were staying. By then it was dark and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe weather was even worse. A mountain rescue team searched from 9pm until 3am \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewithout joy before starting out again the next morning with the aid of an RAF helicopter. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrian’s body was found at 9.30am. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrian Belfield was only 63 when he died and St Edward’s Church in Leek was packed with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efriends and family for his funeral the following month. Brian will be remembered for his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efriendly, sunny, nature with a smile, a story and a good word for everyone he met. His love \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the fells and a personal challenge reflect the same spirit shown by others mentioned in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethis chapter, regardless of ability to cross the line first or to be the fastest. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrian Belfield doing what he loved.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter 5 – Twenty-first century club\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis concluding chapter looks at some of the trends that have affected running since 2000 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand how these have impacted on the club. In responding to the challenges of the last 17 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyears, SMAC has tackled some of them and steered away from others. Some of the trends \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emay appear new but, when reflecting on the history of the club, it is clear that they may \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave been faced before under different names. Overall SMAC can look back with pride at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewhat it has achieved in more than 40 years. It has had to weather a few storms, and ups and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edowns, but it continues in 2017 with a healthy membership of over 150 and an active \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eprogramme of races.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat size club?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn example of the club’s outward looking, progressive approach to the running scene was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eillustrated back in 2005/2006. The implications of wider choice of clubs in the locality was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof particular concern to the club around 2005/ 2006. In common with other local clubs like \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCity of Stoke A.C. and Trentham Running Club, SMAC was going through a cyclical dip in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumber of runners available to make a viable squad to compete at the regional / national \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elevel. It was clear that for those with exceptional talent, wanting to compete regularly at a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehigher standard in teams on the road or cross country (such as the National Road Relays and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirmingham Cross Country League) the growing choice of clubs in North Staffordshire meant \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat those with exceptional talent were (and still are) spread between clubs. A new factor \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas also coming into play, whereby talented youngsters would get scholarships or sports \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etraining qualifications at universities, then jobs elsewhere and be lost to North Staffordshire.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a result, most local clubs struggled to grow and retain a squad that could consistently \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etake on the bigger clubs around the country over long periods. It was also clear that to run \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith others at the higher level, some local talent regularly opted to run for bigger clubs\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eelsewhere in Midlands. When considering this in 2005/ 2006, the SMAC committee \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewondered whether it might be possible for those really talented runners to be members of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etheir preferred local club and compete for them at the local level but also opt to be a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emember of a higher-level club, set up specially to represent North Staffordshire at the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eregional and national team events. As then chairman, Glenn Marriott, found, there was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esome sympathy from other clubs in the area to that concept. However, the complications of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe UKA rulings on ‘first’ and ‘second claim’ membership frustrated things. By the following \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseason - 2006/2007 – SMAC started to benefit from some strong youngsters coming through \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand rebuilt the senior men’s team to earn promotion back to Division One of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirmingham League. So, the club decided to give up on pushing for the North Staffordshire \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehigher claim club concept. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYoung runners on coaching trip September 2008 – Myles Barrett, Marc Hartley, Matt Allott, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVinnie Martin, Dave Owen, Will Neill, Matt Clowes and Jonathon Turnock with Pete Martin in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efront. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday it is reassuring to find that Roy Fowler’s belief that there was indeed ‘sufficient local \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einterest and talent for one more club, in and around Leek’. By 2016 Staffordshire Moorlands \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA.C. membership was consistently around the 200 members mark. Those who live in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Moorlands District make up 67% of the membership, with 38% living in Leek. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdded to them are the 13% who have postal addresses in Stoke-on-Trent, but it is notable \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat half of these are from the suburbs of Stoke, close to the Staffordshire Moorlands \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eboundary (places like Meir, Milton, Norton, Weston Coyney and Stockton Brook). It is also \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eworth noting that the club has grown from one which initially had a predominantly male \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembership to one that now has 34% female membership. This is roughly in line with what \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe Department for Culture, Media and Sport reported in their report ‘Adult participation in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSport’ (2011)’ which recorded that of those participating in jogging, cross country and road \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning, 60.2% were men and 39.8% were women. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndeed, the club’s development reflects the growth of the running scene and what is now on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoffer to people who want to run with their mates for their own locality. These days there is \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emore choice and people do move between clubs regularly. There is not just Staffs \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMoorlands A.C. to join for those living in this corner of Staffordshire. City of Stoke A.C., \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNewcastle (Staffs) A.C., and Trentham Running Club, Cheadle A.C., Biddulph Running Club, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMow Cop Runners; Stoke FIT, Buxton A.C., Congleton Harriers, Macclesfield Harriers, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAshbourne Running Club and Stone Master Marathoners all offer a welcome to runners of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eall talents and motivations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClub Funding\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike all the other local clubs, people who join pay a membership fee as well as an athlete \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eregistration fee, if they are likely to run in races run under UK Athletics rules for competition \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(that includes most races). The SMAC membership fee goes to the club to help cover its \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexpenses including such things as the cost of affiliating to the race leagues and athletics \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eorganisations (£420 per year), keeping the club’s website going (£350 per year) and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eequipment for putting on at least 10 races a year, paying for awards and subsidising travel \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto events. In 1999 the senior membership fee was £12. In 2017 it is £16. If the SMAC 1999 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembership fee had kept up with inflation, the figure would be £19.40 by now. So, with \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einflation that is a very significant reduction in real terms.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe athletics registration fee goes directly to UK Athletics and England Athletics which uses \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eit mainly to promote grassroots and elite athletics - plus to invest for success in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOlympics. Back in 1999 this fee amounted to £3 per member. In 2017 it is £14. If the 1999 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efigure had kept up with inflation the athlete registration fee would be £4.85 by now. It \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eseems that due to government funding cut backs and the lack of a major sponsor England \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAthletics is looking to clubs and athletes to make up their funding shortfall.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStaffordshire Moorlands A.C. remains very conscious that since the start of the ‘2008 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecession’, people might be priced out of joining clubs. So, it keeps the cost of its SMAC \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembership as low as possible (at £8 for juniors and £16 for seniors in 2017/18). The UKA \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eathlete registration fee in 2017 costs £14 for both juniors and seniors. Between 2010 and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2016 SMAC members contributed £10,514 (averaging around £1,750 per year) to support \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUK Athletics / England Athletics. Over the past 6 years, the club’s cumulative membership \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efees amounted to £6,164 (averaging around £1,000 per year) to help support its own local \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eactivities. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApart from a handful of SMAC members being paid to go on UKA organised coaching \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecourses, the club has received no direct benefits from members’ athletics registration fees. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is, after all, not involved in track and field. So, in common with quite a few clubs around \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe country, SMAC is wondering whether the athletics registration fee is good value for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emoney or if it is contributing to potential members being put off because of the seemingly \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esteep cost of joining their local club. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2014, being mindful about keeping the costs to runners down and the bureaucratic \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eburden of organising races to a reasonable minimum, the club decided to join 320 other \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eclubs and organisations affiliating to the Association of Running Clubs (ARC) for race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einsurance purposes. Previously the club had to charge unaffiliated non-club runners an extra \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e£2 for entering the races it put on, then pay that all to UK Athletics. ARC believe that those \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eputting on the race should directly benefit from the contributions made by unaffiliated \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunners. Therefore since 2014, through using ARC insurance, each £2 received is retained by \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe club. SMAC Summer Series races on average attract 17% of runners registering as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eunaffiliated, paying their £2s. So put together, for the Summer Series, that means about \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e£540 goes directly to the club, instead of UK Athletics. After all, UKA plays no part in putting \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eon the races and simply increases the amount of work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMud running (Obstacle Course Running)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the new types of running that has developed in Britain since 2000 is mud running. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormer club member Jason Burgess has excelled in this sport and describes some of his \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexperiences:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In 2012 I started to compete in obstacle course racing (O.C.R), which are also known as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emud runs. I entered a local race in Derbyshire – X Runner. At the elite start I was surprised at \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe size of some of the other entrants, as they were all powerfully built men – not like the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emen I normally compete against in cross country and fell racing. Although the muscle can \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehelp you to get over the 8ft walls, through cargo nets and other obstacles there is still a lot \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof running to be done. All my life I have done some kind of sport, including boxing for 8 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyears, which prepared me well for the upper body work and strength that you need in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eobstacle course races. During my first race, I soon found myself in front and went on to win \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eby a big distance and got the prize money! And free entry into the next race. That year every \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eO.C.R I entered I won and got free entry for future races. “\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In 2013 I continued competing in the O.C.R but got injured early on in the year and had to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehave a knee operation. But just before I got injured I received a phone call asking me if I \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewould like to go to the USA for an O.C.R, all expenses paid for – to which of course I said \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyes! Soon after the operation I was training even harder to get myself fit for the race, which \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewas in Savannah, Georgia. At Manchester Airport I met the rest of the team and, at 36, I was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe oldest member of the team. Once we arrived at the hotel we were given the kit track \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuits, t-shirts and other promotional gifts. The first major different thing that I noticed was \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe weather. It was very hot and humid and we only had 2 days to get acclimatised. I think \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe hardest thing about these races is finishing without getting injured and this race went \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewell for me apart from me getting a 2-inch gash on my right shin. The best part of the race \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor me in Savannah was the swimming. In the UK, even in the summer, the water is very \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecold. It was a nice surprise when I went into the water for the swimming part of the race as \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe water was warm! However, one thing I did notice was that the marshals had guns. After \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe race, I found out that an alligator was shot and pulled out of the water 2 days before the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erace. With this race, you had to run it in pairs as the organisers thought that some of the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eobstacles were too difficult to get over / under / through on your own. Unfortunately, I lost \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emy partner with only 1 mile left and with so many in the race and most covered in mud from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehead to toe I finished the race without my partner. This then meant that me and my partner \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewere both disqualified. Later that day at the team area I found my race partner who had a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebadly sprained ankle after jumping off the cargo nets and had to hobble the last mile in. The \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoverall experience was brilliant. We had five days in total and we were all very well looked \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eafter. Throughout the year I carried on with my racing and was successful in winning a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enumber of races.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The following year I was selected again to go to the USA. The race was in the same area so I \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eknew what the weather conditions would be like. Also, I knew some of my team members \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand the one that I got partnered up with was a local guy called Mark Dalkins. It takes a lot of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehard work and admittedly a bit of luck to do well at these races and that is what me and\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMark had. We won the race with our other team members coming in third place. Yet again, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe overall experience was fantastic.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJason has continued to gain considerable success in mud running, despite some set- backs \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith various injuries in 2015. Today (2017) he is ranked as one of the best in Britain.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWomen Joggers\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith concerns about growing obesity in the population and fewer people taking regular \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexercise, British Governments of recent years have encouraged the national sports bodies \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elike England Athletics to set up programmes to increase participation in sport. SMAC has \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emade efforts on a regular basis throughout the years to widen its membership to include \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethose new to running. One such initiative was started in 2003 by club members Maria Owen \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Jill Norman who thought there might be interest in a regular evening session on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrack at Birchall during the winter months specifically for women, who might feel too \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enervous to run round the streets of Leek as the evenings closed in. Thus, Leek Women \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinter Joggers was born. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was a simple idea. As the summer of 2003 moved into autumn, Jill sent a letter to the Leek \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePost and Times inviting women of all ages to come down to the Birchall running track on \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonday evenings from 6pm to 7pm from October. A small charge of 50p per person each \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enight was made to cover the costs of the floodlights. For the next 7 years the Monday night \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning for women became a fixture with numbers varying each week from 4 to 40. One \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyear numbers were particularly high as a large group from Cheddleton came regularly to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eimprove their fitness in preparation for a charity fundraiser. There were no criteria for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efitness levels and women could simply come down and walk round the track if they so \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewished. Others, who wanted to start running, were given gentle encouragement by Maria \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand Jill. As the weeks went on, so the number of laps participants could do each session \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincreased. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 2011, the Monday club seemed to be running out of steam. Other clubs seemed to offer \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoached sessions for beginners so, when the autumn came around again, Maria and Jill \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edecided to get their Leadership in Running Fitness qualification and offer a 10-week course \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estarting after Christmas. This time women were split into two groups with Maria coaching \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethose who aspired to run a 10k and Jill encouraging those who, mainly from scratch, wanted \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto reach the level of running a 5k, perhaps to take part in a Race for Life event. These 10 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eweek courses were repeated each year until 2016. Illness and injury affected the coaching \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eteam over the years. Other SMAC members, Sarah Beighton and Lucinda Stone gained their \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecoaching qualifications and gave sterling support. Numbers participating varied each year \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand by 2016 it was clear that there were so many other options for women looking to start \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003erunning – such as the Stoke FIT group and the various Park Runs, including the newly set up \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrough Park Run - that there was really, very little demand for the Leek Women Winter \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJoggers. It was not revived in 2017. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTriathlon\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVarious club members over the years have taken part in triathlons which have become \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eincreasingly popular since 2012, probably due to the prominence of the Brownlee brothers, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eits Olympic credentials and better TV coverage. Of particular note have been the exploits of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Broadbent, the current club president. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2007 John was told by his doctor to give up sport, except possibly crown green bowls, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebecause of difficulty he was having with one of his knees. He said: \u0022What the doctor told me \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewound me up, but it also spurred me on as I was not going to let it stop me. I then decided \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eto start doing a lot of cycling to build up my knee muscles. This seemed to work and it then \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emade me more determined than ever that I was not going to let my knee stop me taking \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epart in sports.\u0022 In May 2012 John felt fit enough to enter the Triathlon British \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships where he did so well that, at the age of 65, he was selected for the World \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships in October 2012 in New Zealand. He travelled out to Auckland and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecompeted with teams from all around the world including Spain, South Africa, Canada and \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMexico. The retired Leek High School teacher came 4\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eth out of 25 at the Aquathon World \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChampionships, age group 65 to 69, and 7th in the main triathlon event.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause of these results, John achieved prequalification for the World Championships in the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon World Triathlon Sprint 2013. He completed the course in 1:29.31 finishing 30th out \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof 60 entrants. John commented: “I was quite pleased with my performance and time, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eespecially with all the top-quality athletes taking part in the event. It was an enjoyable \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eoccasion and brilliant experience. The crowd were fantastic and kept you going all the way”.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn continues to take part in triathlons, now in the 70+ age category. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVolunteering\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo account of SMAC would be complete without recognition of all the people who have \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evoluntarily given of their time over the last 40 years to share their passion for running or to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esimply help others enjoy the sport. A full roll call is impossible due to incomplete knowledge \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the authors. There have been hundreds if not thousands who have contributed from \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeing active committee members and race organisers to those who willingly marshal or \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etime-keep at the many races put on by SMAC. If you tried to put a monetary value on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003evolunteering you’d find that even the most straightforward Summer Series race requires a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eminimum of 30-man hours, which costed at the 2017 Minimum Wage of £7.50, is worth a \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eleast £225. For the Leek Half Marathon the figure is around £700.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoaching at the regular Tuesday evening sessions has been a particularly significant \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econtribution to the club and special mention must go to Dave Owen, a regular club coach for \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emany years, and, also to Kerry Marchant, particularly for her endeavours with junior \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembers. There have been many parents who got involved in SMAC when their children \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewere active runners. What is more amazing are those parents who have continued to \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esupport the club at races year after year, despite their off-spring being well into adult years. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable examples are Phil and Kay Boulton, Pat and Harold Bentley, and Heather and Hugh \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliams.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProbably the most frustrating job of all must be that of the team managers who pull \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etogether the runners to represent the club - sometimes having to knock up them up on the \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emorning of the race. As Robin Britton noted about the Birmingham League “SMAC scraped \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethrough some fixtures with barely a team, though often very fast!” Over the last 15 years \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethat strain has been borne by Pete Lucas, Dave Edge, Kay Boulton, Phil Boulton, Madeleine \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBirch-Machin, Paul Fowler, Hilary Wood, Phil Greer, Robin Britton, Steve Allott, Steve Pyke, \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCindy Morrissette, Dale Colclough, Kerry Marchant, Sam Lucking and Jason Burgess. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo keep the club running smoothly we’ve been fortunate over the past 15 years to have Bill \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMould and Tony Rogers as Membership Secretaries. Handling the money has been safely in \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe hands of Treasurers Dave Brunt, Robin Hope and Jill Norman. Madeleine Birch-Machin \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehas also been invaluable as Club Chairman twice. If there is a pinnacle to the mountain of \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMAC volunteers, close to the top must come the club secretaries, of note in the last 15 \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyears or so, Glenn Marriott and Roy McCauley. 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