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Gwent League Photos

I finally got round to taking some more photos of club members at the Gwent League today in Leckwith.

Posted by Dave at 05:44 PM

Rob Atkinson R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the death earlier today of Rob Atkinson, who passed away after a long illness in Llandough Hospital at the age of 58. Rob was one of the 12 founder members of Les Croupiers and was its first secretary, after the club formed in 1980.

He was a man who believed in enjoying life to the full, and he certainly achieved that. A Barry lad, he started athletics in school as a race walker, and graduated to road running in the early 1970s. Never one to do things in half measures, Rob was soon training 100+ miles per week, and it paid dividends. A member of Cardiff AAC at this time, a small group of talented road runners won many team titles. His best year was 1974, when he won the Welsh Marathon title in 2:22:53 (A time that is 3 minutes faster than any Welshman has run this year - does that make me sound like a grumpy old man?), the tough and prestigious Belgrave 20 mile road race in 1:46 on a steaming hot day, and helped Cardiff to the bronze medals in the 12 stage road relays.

He was also a man who liked a pint or two (or 3 or 4 or maybe more!) such was his gregarious nature. It was this shared love of road running and drinking that led to many hilarious escapades with Rob in the late 70s and early 80s both in the UK and overseas.

He pursued this helter-skelter lifestyle to the end. Even near the end, when he knew his days were numbered, Rob’s infectious optimism shone through. The glass of life was always half full, in Rob’s eyes, never half empty, and if a glass was half full you could be sure that Rob would drink it.

Posted by Mick at 10:51 PM

Beaujolais Run

On Thursday 18 November, we will resuscitate the too-long dormant Croups Beaujolais Run. We no longer run between the Casino and Newport alas, but we will meet at The Welsh Institute of Sport, Sophia Gardens for a civilised, social run toward Radyr/Tongwynlais (perhaps as far as Castell Coch) at 8:30 am (time corrected). Thence we shall repair to Crockertons (aka Lynn’s place) for breakfast and wine.

All welcome.

Posted by Dave at 05:15 PM

Triathlon and Marathon Training

There will be a bike ride on Saturday 30th October, 9.30 from Maindy, out around the Gwent Levels again. There is a Gwent League the following day but people can ride if they want to.

On Saturday 6th November there will be a session down at Merthyr Mawr for anyone interested - 9.30am in the Car Park at Merthyr Mawr. The actual session will depend on who is there. (This is open to anyone.)

Andy Cleves wants to know if there are any marathon training groups running regularly from the club on Sunday mornings. Is there a regular time to meet? (He has lost touch and wishes to get back into the habit of long, Sunday runs.) Replies in the comments, please.

Posted by Dave at 05:01 PM

When are the hill sessions?

This was a popular question last night, so here are the next three hill sessions (all are held around Lakeside)...

Tuesday the 12th October, at base of Cefn Coed Road - 6.15 warm-up, 6.30 start.
Tuesday the 19th October, Outside Cardiff High (for reps at Llandennis Road) - 6.15 warm-up, 6.30 start.
Tuesday the 26th October, at base of Highfield Road - 6.15 warm-up, 6.30 start.

I won’t be at the next hill session, but there are plenty of people familiar with the course and the format attending. I will be at the session on the 19th October. See you all on Sunday!

Posted by Simon at 12:20 PM

Cardiff Marathon Photos

I volunteered to help Mel James, so I watched the start of both races and went to the finish to manually timekeep on the marathon in case the chip system went down. (It didn’t.) I took very few decent pictures: these are all I’ve got which are in focus.

Posted by Dave at 11:31 AM

Mel James - Thanks and Congratulations!

It was a great day! Sure, the weather could have been a little kinder, but the wind wasn’t too significant a factor and the temperature was ideal. The drizzle was not too heavy, though it did get much worse later on.
To Mel, I simply want to say many, many congratulations. I don’t think any of us appreciate just how much pressure there is in organising a big city marathon, and everyone at the Croups is proud of you and the fantastic job you did. I thought the organisation and certainly the marshalling was significantly better than last year. I hope you and Jan had a few drinks to celebrate tonight! You certainly deserve it.
A great day too on the competitive front with decisive wins in the Marathons by Julian Baker (2:28) and Ruth Pickvance (2:53). It was quite a party in Wetherspoons afterwards. Wished I could have stayed longer but had to drive home. However, the first and last word should be about Mel James. Top Man!

Posted by Mick at 11:04 PM