​Another fantastic turn out for KADS for the third DRL race of the year last Tuesday with 38 KADS coming out to run the tricky (mostly) trail course in Denby and 36 completing the run. Unfortunately, Nick was forced to retire after a nasty fall, his description of the incident was 'I was running along minding my own business when all of a sudden my face was introduced to the ground faster than I had intended.' Nick was back out running with us later in the week and is healing. Thanks to Alan as well for stopping and helping Nick get back round to the start/finish area and the medics. 

Now on to the results first home for KADS was Matt Hammond in 6th overall in a time of 26:39. Also scoring for the men's team we had Ryan Stocks (26th), Martin Lee (33rd), Rich Myers (36th), Luke Jones (39th), Robin Damion (95th) and Dom Devlin (109th). Also for the men we had Dave Hill, Dan Gooch, Steve Robinson Day, Darren Dodsley, Simon Tooth, Lloyd Andrews, Rob Gooch, Chris Laban, Sean Gilligan, Steve Sharpe, Kevin Wong, Chris Chandler, Paul Coe and Michael O'Brien. 

On the ladies side of things Helen Woods was first home for the club in 30:14, 4th lady on the night and 52nd overall. Also scoring on the ladies team we had Zoe Attenborough (Furley) (27th), Eve Taylor (28th) and Emma Meredith (Makin) (44th). As well as this we had Nicola Chamberlain, Sam Garside, Wendy Akers, Kirstie Dodsley, Emma Walker, Katie Newton, Alexis Hutchinson, Lisa Hilliard, Emily England, Karen Layton and Yvette Dean. 

After 3 rounds our men's team is currently in 7th, ladies in 5th and combined in 6th. Thanks also to those who came out to support us and to Micky for sorting names and tokens on the night. 

Next race in this series is 8th July at Carsington. 

Dom

Today, five of our amazing KADS runners—myself, Angela, Eve, Katie, and Yvette—took on the beautiful Woodhall Spa 10K. It was a day full of determination, smiles, and some well-earned personal bests!

First off, cleverly Katie and Yvette, to the opportunity to incorporate a lovely weekend away for a park run and the race. Meanwhile, Angela, Eve, and I had our own “ chauffeur Dom” adventure, with Chris the dog joining us on the road trip—always a fun way to travel!

Huge congratulations to Eve and Katie for smashing their PBs today! Katie’s comeback after a few weeks of rest is a testament to the hard work paying off behind the scenes—amazing effort, well done both of you!

Yvette, what a fantastic comeback post-injury! You said you were going to jeff it, but you ran the whole way, crossing the finish with the biggest and brightest smile. Truly inspiring—well done!

Angela, this wasn’t an easy day for you—you could have easily stayed home. But this superstar got up, showed up, and completed the race. We’re super proud of you, and hopefully, this run helps reignite that spark.

As for me, I wasn’t quite in the right frame of mind either. I went off too fast, I had a bit of a fallout with myself during the race which caused me to stop briefly. But I restarted, pushed through, and got the job done. Sometimes, that’s what matters most.

Now, about the race itself—the Woodhall Spa 10K is brilliantly organised (though there was a strange moment with a car suddenly behind us and touching Eve’s legs at the start—don’t ask!). The race village and finish line were nestled in a lovely holiday park, and the atmosphere was fantastic. The medal and cupcake at the end were a sweet reward!

The course itself took us out along wide, closed roads through stunning countryside. We even passed a place called Furze Farm/Cottage—naturally, I wondered if it belonged to Colin Furze, the YouTube inventor who’s famous for his underground bunker and tunnels!

And now, the results:

Eve: 31st lady, 4th in age category – 45:54 PB

Sam (me!): 87th lady, 10th in age category – 50:44

Katie: 152nd lady, 18th in age category – 54:05 PB (by 4minutes!)

Yvette: 445th lady, 42nd in age category – 1:06:38

Angela: 487th lady, 74th in age category – 1:08:59

So proud of all our ladies today! The sun shone, the wind calmed, and we gave it everything we had.

Here’s to more races, more PBs, and more KADS adventures!

Thanks

Sam

I decided to head along to the Trunce 4 on Monday evening to find out why Dom and Ryan rave about it so much—and to gather some feedback for our ladies, as a few have been curious about what to expect.

The start line was just like any other league race, with a great mix of abilities and ages, so there was no pressure or feeling out of place at all. When the boys said we’d warm up to the start, I should have guessed it would include a hill—and yep, it did! But it was a clever way to get the muscles waking up and ready for the challenge ahead.

Once the race kicked off, the speedy boys shot off ahead, and I settled into my own comfortable pace. I walked the hills when I needed to and didn’t feel silly or out of place for doing so. The scenery was fantastic—the views really make the effort worthwhile. The water crossings were fun, and the downhills even better. On the road sections, I even managed to overtake a few runners, which felt great!

I won’t pretend it was easy—it was a tough 4 miles—but I genuinely had a lot of fun and enjoyed a great evening out. After finishing, we did a cool-down jog—although I’m fairly sure that’s a regular part of the boys’ routine, not just because I was there! Then came the post-race treats: me with my trusty chocolate milk, and the boys with their Mars bars and pop. Honestly, after all that effort, I could have happily gone straight into the pub for a steak and ale pie—I was that hungry!

All in all, it was a fantastic Monday evening, and I’d highly encourage any lady to have a go. It’s truly open to everyone. If you want to know more or fancy joining me for the next race on Monday 23rd June, just ask!

Thanks

Sam Garside

Results:

Ryan got another PB, 27th male, 7th age category 31.02, Dom 53rd male, 26th in age category 34.17, Sam 27th lady, 6th in age category 43.39