Tewkesbury Running Club
Member of the Month
2024
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January
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The first month of year has rolled by already and our first 2024 Member of the Month goes to the energetic Elaine Vincent. Historic data indicates that this is Elaine’s first outright MotM title (she did share it with Alec previously but that doesn’t really count). With a pleasing 2023 of sport behind her, she went straight to January racing in the Fladbury Festive Five – over a sticky course, she timed just 42 minutes to claim a runners-up spot in her age category. A regular attender of our club runs, Elaine featured in the new Boddington 10 mile event. Her finishing time of 1 hr 26 minutes fared well in a very competitive field. Now in her 9th year with TRC, Elaine has been/is a joy to run with. Congratulations.
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February
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In his 14th year with Tewkesbury Running Club, Noel Green is now settled as an assured club treasurer. The month of February is always important for Noel – once he has accounted for the previous 12 months, he has the grand task of delivering the club’s financial position to the members during the AGM. Of course, Noel presented a comprehensive summary that was well-received. In addition, he has been busy ordering and distributing our club kit to members. Noel is a regular at, coach Mike Younger’s first Wednesday of the month sessions, and we will probably be hearing more from Noel as the club membership renewals start – something that involves liaising with the ever-evolving England Athletics! Noel is our MotM for February, thus underlining how fortunate and grateful we our for his endless volunteering in the name of TRC.
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March
March becomes a busy month for races as spring emerges, and our Member of the Month surpassed most with her endeavours.
Jackie Layton recently joined our club and has literally hit the ground running. A regular on the club runs – and one who is downhearted when she can’t get to the Morrisons meet, Jackie is making remarkable progress.
The beginning of the month saw her joining the Saturday morning mob for 11 miles followed by the Newport Half marathon the next day!
Next for Jackie was the 23km Crickhowell Table Mountain challenge (Wales) as ‘preparation’ for the Lisbon Half Marathon (Portugal) in 26-degree heat.
Ending her March with a glorious reward after her run in the new Gloucester Half Marathon winning her age-group, thus rounding off quite a spectacular month.
Her March mileage shaped as a warm-up for April's double marathon challenge of Paris and London’s iconic events. Bordering bonkers behaviour in most people’s minds, Jackie blends nicely into our little running club.
Congratulations on winning the March MOTM award.
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April
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Our Member of the Month award for April goes to Andrew Gillett! Andrew joined Tewkesbury Running Club in January 2023 and was soon creating smooth ripples with some strong performances at the cross-country events. Great things were expected of Andrew with his efficient and effortless running style, but an achilles injury forced him to take a break from running.
With his rehab done, Andrew has had a fine start to 2024 culminating in an outstanding month of running in April: Taking his running kit with him (naturally) whilst visiting family in South Africa, meant a bit of Parkrun tourism in Johannesburg’s Homestead Lake Parkrun - some 5,500 feet above sea level! The sunshine agreed with him as a top 5 finish from 439 runners and a deserved 1st in his age group with 21:28 minutes.
Back home and putting his high altitude training to the test, he then ran his first marathon at the Newport Marathon Festival and finished in a speedy 3 hours 23 minutes - that’s under 8 minute/miles... his pace over the first 16 miles was even quicker but too frequent WC stops hampered his last 10 miles! A meritorious performance.
Congratulations on your first MotM award.
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May
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Our star for the month of May goes to, none other than Jude Rodrigues! Jude has been one of the club’s most unassuming and supportive runners over the last 15 years – always showing an interest in others and giving his subtle and effective sentiments. Based in Pershore, Jude supports the club training runs when he can, while leading a busy day job, that includes keeping our club chairman on his toes.
May has been a sparkling period for Jude with his attendance at x4 Parkruns over Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, a more competitive performance in the Dymock 5 mile race and going long in the Worcester half-marathon. Quite remarkably, he also managed to squeeze the “Great Birmingham” half-marathon in too! By anyone’s standards, a magnificent month of running. Congratulations Jude.
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June
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As the mercury rises in June, the Tewkesbury Running Club members are rising the heat in deciding who the stand-out person may be? Following a close decision by the panel, Tony Foy takes the title for the month.
Tony, aka Anthony, has been a joy to run with since arriving on the Tewkesbury seen in 2019 – quite remarkably, he finally receives his first MotM award.
Tony is a regular at our club runs and has had an excellent month of running: Kicking off the month with a sub 22-minute Park run at Evesham quickly followed by The Stroud Beer race (7.2 undulating miles) in a superb time of 55 minutes. Tony then headed to the Malvern hills for the Malvern 10k and continued his fine form, crossing the line as first home for the club in 51 minutes – thus strongly proving his versatility over both road and off-road terrains.
Finding time to support the club takeover at Tewkesbury Parkrun with some cheerful marshalling, in amongst training runs for the upcoming Cotswold Way Relay, in which he is partnered with a rather competitive lady!
With plenty of TLC given to his legs, Tony rounded the month off with an excellent run at the Gloucester 10k in 45 minutes earning him 2nd in his age group. Congratulations.
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July
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Our member of the month for July is Stuart Holyoak.
Stuart is fundraising for Tom Harrison House and is training for the Bala triathlon in North Wales.
A popular member of our running club, Stu has been working his way back to full fitness following an ankle injury. He eagerly volunteered to run Stage 6 of the Cotswold Way Relay for Tewkesbury when we were struggling to make a team – paired with Roy, Stu delivered a creditable result.
He completed his first ever triathlon this month at Upton-on-Severn. Swimming in the river, he was a great 16th out of the water from 147, including some elite triathletes. With 1500 meters swam in 21 minutes, he hopped on his bike for 25 miles in 1hr 28 minutes. Once dismounted, Stu had the notoriously demanding 10k run before finishing in 85th place overall in 2hr 49mins. We’re sure Bala will be easier (and he’ll have his daughter racing alongside him to keep him...on his toes!). As well as joining the club training, he’s been training in Devon and Portugal, both tuning his fitness and tan.
Certainly, one to watch this next couple of months. Congratulations.
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August
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August’s member of the month award goes to Keith Tinker – for delivering a month of first-class performances! The Tewkesbury based Postman is revelling in his first year of TRC membership and already receives his first MOTM award. He is a regular at our club runs and his August was truly remarkable; he started the month in the best possible way by proposing to fellow club member Mandy Jones... she said yes in the blink of an eye. Congratulations to both on their engagement.
Keith had been running well this year in preparation for his ‘A’ race on Saturday 24th August, The Pennine Trail Marathon – at the same time raising funds for The British Heart Foundation. The race covered nearly 28 miles with 4000 feet of ascent. He completed it in 6 hours, and considering this was Keith’s first marathon, he really did start with a tough one. Kudos to anyone who debuts at marathon running with a hilly trial event!
Keith then ended the month with another successful delivery in the form of an excellent (post-marathon) run at the August Handicap race. Keith was then awarded with overall victory in the Handicap series - he became the 2024 Handicap series champion – arguably, one of the most difficult titles to gain, thus getting a stamp of approval from all his fellow members.
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September
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With September signally the end of the summer, our latest member of the month has signalled her intentions with an exceptional four weeks of activity. Mandy Jones joined Tewkesbury Running Club just this year and justifiably receives her first MOTM award. She has had an eye-opening September - managing to clock nearly 100 miles of running!
Seeing her fiancé win last month's MOTM award has clearly motivated her, and bragging rights are now even in the Jones/Tinker household.
She started the month with a fine run at the Ross on Wye 10k. Then headed ‘up North’ for the Whitley Bay Parkrun. Following the Saturday morning 5km, she took on the gigantic Great North Run! Mandy has also put in some serious miles on her training runs, a 10k, a 1/2 marathon and then the big one, a marathon... completed one Wednesday morning whilst most of the town were still sleeping.
And there is more – she ran in the Kingsway Parkrun, and then ended an amazing month with the Robin Hood 1/2m marathon in Nottinghamshire.
A month of hard work that smashed her running goals. Fantastic to see.
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October
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Our Member of the month for October is Adam Jackson. Adam turned 17 this month and celebrated by running his first half marathon in Cardiff. Adam has found great form and displayed it in the capital city of Wales by running a very much desired negative-split 1 hour 29:39 minutes – a negative-split meaning the second half of the race at quicker pace! Adam is in his first year of membership with our club and is our youngest member. He just started driving lessons this month but has passed his running test with flying Tewkesbury colours. He followed up his outstanding performance in Cardiff with a crack at the Stroud Half marathon: running smoothly with fellow TRC athletes for first 10k, he managed to surpass his 10k PB in just over 40 minutes. With the toughest section complete, he was on target to take minutes off his Cardiff time but for a slip underfoot and a resulting muscle twinge. Bravely, he struggled on and crossed the finish line in 1 hour 39 minutes.
Currently injured, Adam has quickly become a popular member of the club, and his running future looks extremely bright. Congratulations Adam.
