To celebrate Almondbury Striders 4th birthday, we enjoyed a post run birthday fuddle.  All runners brought a selection of homemade and 'hand' bought goodies to help mark the occasion.  After a mammoth speech by Kev, we all tucked into a feast.  Dan's chocolate brownies went down a storm; Dom used his plate to play a game of food jenga.....and still went back for seconds....and there was no soggy bottom on Adele's sponge! All in all, a great night with great company 

On a crisp Sunday morning, 70 brave souls of gathered for the annual Ambry 10k, a race known for its scenic views (at least on a clear day that is!) and challenging hills. The event kicked off at 9:30, with runners setting off from Almondbury Cricket Club, their spirits high and shoelaces double-knotted.

The course, a rollercoaster of Yorkshire’s finest terrain, took participants through the picturesque Almondbury Village and around the iconic Castle Hill. Spectators cheered, dogs barked, and All Hallows' church bells rang out as a sea of runners raced on by in the murk.

In the men’s category, Phil Mitchell crossed the finish line first with a time that left everyone wondering if he had secretly taken a shortcut in the Almondbury Tardis. Meanwhile, in the women’s category, Caroline Smith sprinted down Fernside Avenue like a caffeinated cheetah to add yet another piece of silverware to her mantelpiece.

As runners crossed the finish line, they were greeted with medals, water, and the true prize of the day: delicious bacon and sausage butties and prize raffle extraordinaire. 

The post-race atmosphere was filled with laughter, camaraderie, and the occasional groan from those who had underestimated the hills.

In the end, the Ambry 10k was not just a race but a celebration of community, perseverance, and the undeniable allure of post-run snacks, a bit of free bling and raffle prizes.

Thanks to all the volunteers, marshals and runners for making this years Ambry 10k a success.  See the Ambry 10k page for more details

To mark Yorkshire Day, Almondbury Striders hosted Lindley RC and our pals from the Thursday Running Club for an evening of fun and fitness.  The sun was shining, the skies were clear, and spirits were high as we kicked off with a meet and mingle, followed by a group photo.

We then split into four groups and hit the trails around Castle Hill.  The scenic routes were a treat in the evening sun, but the real adventure began when we returned back to base.  Awaiting the runners were hearty servings of meat pie and pies, and a curry to ensure that even the elite runners amongst us, who had taken the trails in their stride, broke out in a sweat too!  Nobody leaves the Striders box fresh!

The evening culminated in a prize raffle, where the prizes ranged from the practical ( a juicer) to the peculiar and the downright bizarre.   Steve took home the priceless art that has so far adorned many a wall and enhanced property values all over Almondbury.  Remember Steve, you're only the custodian until the next event so be sure to keep it safe!

Massive thanks to Lindley and the TRC for popping along and running with us.  BIg thanks also to the Cricket Club for sorting out the food, ably assisted by Kev and Simon in the kitchen on plating duty.  We're still counting the pennies and will update our MND Fundometer in due course

All in all, it was fantastic evening.  Lots of conversation, fun and laughs ..... and a few sore legs too.  

On the 4th July, the Almondbury Striders hosted a "Naked" Run and pizza evening with 22 brave souls taking part. They were asked to surrender all watches and phones before being given a running route. All runners were asked how long they thought it would take them to run it, with the runner completing the route closest to their predicted time winning. Harry was the overall winner followed by Richard and Daniel. Chef Tony then cooked up the most amazing pizzas to help the runners refuel. Tossing and throwing the dough like a High School Majorette, he cooked up a storm with his pizza oven to top off another fabulous evening.

Caroline may have been feeling a little deflated, however the rest of the Striders were all chomping at the bit ready to start this year's Chocolate Relay.

Although Caroline may have suspected foul play was at hand with her flat tyre on the way in, we all know that's not the Striders way and the fact that Nikki was found to have a stinger in her rucksack was purely coincidental! 

Teams decided, Twix bars were duly handed out and all routes committed to memory....well, almost, but we'll get to that later....

11 runners were soon on their way, gold wrappers shimmering in the evening....erm....drizzle that welcomed them onto Fernside Avenue. 

Left and right, up and down they ran. 

Phil,  Josh, Suzie, Dan, Kate, Chris E, Michael, Charlotte, Chris, Helena and Chris T were soon firing on all cylinders; Charlotte looking particularly strong, the promise of a post run chocolate binge proving just the motivation she needed.

Dodging flying eggs from the local scrotators, Phil whisked and Helena scrambled their way back to the club for the first Twix handover. 

Phil and Lucy's handover didn't go quite to plan however. Good job those caramel batons were well wrapped as Phil seemed determined to have a kick about with them first.

The second wave of Dom, Sofie, Steve, Oliver, Lucy, Nicola, Dwayne, Louisa, Rachel, Nikki and Rebecca (and the reinflated Caroline) were soon dispatched. Dwayne bolted out the gates and later came to regret his decision when met with the Fernside incline, it was a Boost he needed at that point, not a Twix!

Legs 2 and 3 were completed without hitch and captured on film by Jo and Sean, who did an excellent job marshalling the event and keeping almost everyone on track.  How Steve managed to veer off course on lap 4 and get lost in a maze of cul de sacs and avenues is anyone's guess !  Still, he did clock up an extra mile, as well as an extra hill, to work up plenty of appetite for Simon's feast back at base.  Next year, bring a map, a compass .... and a whistle for blowing attention!

Back at the Club, Chris/Sofie were the first team home, followed by Richard/Louisa and Chris/Nikki. But, as we all know, first back at base counts for nothing unless both runners also unwrap and eat their Twix bars in record time too. A tense moment was had by all as Chris and Sofie, Richard and Louisa and Chris and Nikki all chomped their way to the finish. The challenge proved far too easy for Chris and Sofie however. Having trained all week at her Mum and Dad's biscuit tin, Sofie soon snaffled her way through the caramel layer, quicker than Chris E on a downward Strava segment, and the positions remained the same. 

Big thanks to all of our organisers and marshals for another successful chocolate relay.

HUGE shout out to Simon too for his delicious burritos.  They were awesome and proved just the job in getting everyone refuelled.

The Striders were out in full force for this year's 5Miler extravaganza, in aid of MNDA, and in memory of Brian (Sam) Hamilton.  

Setting off from Town End at 6:45pm, a sea of red was soon finding its way down Somerset Road.   Enjoying the descent, Steve took the initial lead before Chris came into his stride and sped off towards ‘Coffeeboy’ and beyond, with the rest of the pack in hot pursuit.  

Lydia and Grace were looking super strong at this point. Their dad, Lee, on the other hand, wondering what exactly he'd signed up to as he tried his best to keep up.  Girls, your Strider enrolment form is in the post!  

Thankfully, Craig was already in position at Tolson Museum with his water station for those, like Lee, wishing to quench their thirst. What passers-by made of Craig turning up beforehand with 48 bottles of water and laying them on the wall in front of the bus stop, however, I'm not entirely sure.... but the Striders were very thankful for his efforts nevertheless!   

Craig's water station gave the Striders training for the Manchester, London and Copenhagen marathons the chance to practice their refuelling technique. Phil, however, politely declined and raced on, preferring the camera lens and another poster opportunity over the chance to rehydrate.  Thanks again, Phil, for supporting us once again and setting the pace; we'll make sure you feature on our next event poster!

Spurred on by Darren at the Stag Pub, the race continued, with Darren wondering who would be joining him in the Striders Hall of Fame having previously won the race himself. 

“My My  

at Waterloo, Napolean did surrender...”  

..... but this Waterloo was no match for the Striders. 

Oh No!  

Lighting the way in his brand neon running shoes, Dom turned the corner to start the Fenay lane ascent.  The magic of Abba still ringing in his ears as he danced his way up to “Taste Fine Wines” - although, ironically, he normally prefers a pint of Cold River on a Thursday evening! 

Although a few participants were understandably running out of fuel by this point, appropriately enough at the Esso garage, the prospect of pie and peas gave everyone the determination to dig deep and plough on back to base....and in they soon came......Chris in a super impressive 29 minutes 41 seconds for his second win, followed by Phil and Dom. Sofie was the first female back in an amazing 35 minutes and 25 seconds.  

A huge shout out to Helena on achieving her 5K PB en route and all the other runners who lit up Strava afterwards with their own personal segment achievements and medals, especially our newbies who benefitted from Caroline’s sound advice as they ran.  For Nicola, in particular, it looked like it had been a walk in the park as she crossed the finish line, her running continuing to go from strength to strength as she smashes through the miles on a weekly basis.   

Altogether 39 runners safely returned to the club to start the fundraising activities.  

To beer, chatter and laughter, Kev acted as compere, Jo emptied unsuspecting pockets in exchange for raffle tickets and Rachel brought the pies up to temperature; ably assisted by Delly on Mushy Peas (having just smashed Fenay lane, those peas didn’t stand a chance!) and Kate B on gravy....and what a super supper we all enjoyed. Massive thanks again to all our chefs, bakers and helpers in the kitchen.   The brownies disappeared particularly quickly! 

Raffle prizes were duly collected; Charlie claiming the Strider’s very own answer to the Mona Lisa, a truly remarkable piece of artwork without peer or price. Let’s hope it finds its way back to the raffle prize table for a future event; art this rare needs to be more widely appreciated.   Richard, I also suspect your dad may be receiving a large order for trophies at the end of the year too; the stained-glass piece of Castle Hill and Emley Moor was amazing. 

Thanks to all the runners, marshalls, organisers, chefs and spectators for making the event a night to remember.... poor Harry was so overcome he literally had to be peeled away from the bar at the end of the night.  

Of course, the final word should go to thanking everyone for digging deep and raising money for MNDA.  We raised an impressive £303 towards our £500 target, with more fundraising events to follow.  It was also amazing to see so many of Sam’s friends and family in attendance. Not entirely sure what he would make of his granddaughter eagerly plucking a bottle of Amaretto from the prize winners table on the evening but I'm sure he’d be happy to raise a glass to Kev for organising such a brilliant event, raising so much money for MNDA....and for still being there at 2am, demonstrating the Strider spirit we all aim for.