Got something to say about another member? Or feel you’ve been left out? This is your chance to tell a story about someone in the club. Use this form to tell us all.
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The D’Artagnan of the ‘Three Daves’ (ie the fourth one). Like Andy Cleves below, Dave has an enviable running style. Of course, that’s only in comparison to the rest of us. Dave told me that his wife, having watched us race, once remarked that how most us actually moved forwards at all would, like the flight of the bumble bee, forever remain a puzzle to science.
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Jules is a welcome addition to the club. Naturally he is a runner — road, country and fell — but most club members will be unaware that Julian is also a Cave rescue expert, keen mountain biker, BESAC dive master and mountaineer. Aside from being a consummate outdoors man, Julian is a hardened competitor whose results improve as course conditions degenerate. If it’s hard, long or hilly (and preferably all three) he will be in attendance battling it out at the pointier end of the field. For examples of this tendency, look no further than the Karrimor Mountain Marathon, Lowe Alpine mountain marathon and his impressive series win in the 2005 Questar Adventure race series.
Members should be on guard however for Jules’ catchphrase “it’s a laugh innit?” Chances are you’re likely to hear this phrase just as conditions get truly grotty and you’re about ready to collapse in a heap.
151 words submitted by Simon
Another club members cruelly deprived of the London trip by the vagaries of the 2001 ballot, Sandra had to watch the marathon unfold over coffee and Claire Johnson’s croissants. After all the build up, when Terry phoned home, he told her that he’d run three hours —— minus three minutes. Sandra is determined to get in in 2003. Well, you have to celebrate being 40 somehow, don’t you?
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Terry finally broke three hours in London in 2001. After 19 years of trying.
Rob Evans photographed him doing battle with a nun.
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Our woman in West Wales. Liz has been ever generous in throwing open her commodious house to parties up for Race the Train, or the Welsh cross-country champs. I’m told that no one present will ever forget Dave Williams playing charades chez Liz.
Every so oftern, you come across races, like the Craig yr Aderyn Half Marathon, which still have course records set by Liz.
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If you want to know how running should be done, Andy’s graceful and easy running style is the one to watch. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Andy has already run the Barry 40, the Sri Chinmoy 100k, and ran the Marathon des Sables in 2001 (although he had to rethink his weighted backpack training strategy). He finished a very creditable 67th (from 630 starters), and seems to have been one of the few at the front who hadn’t trained by square bashing. And he has the bloody feet to prove it.
In 2002, he was fourth in the Barry 40, and Welsh Ultradistance champion.
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Martin recently triumphed (there is no other word for it) and scored his first British vest (or whatever Triathletes wear) when he took part in the ITU Duathlon World Duathlons Championships (10K run/40K bike/5K run).
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It’s hard to believe that the boyish good looks of Mr Coles conceal a veteran runner and 6 handicap golfer. His long gangly figure can be seen storming along many a course, and he finished a well deserved 14th in the 2002 Cardiff Marathon. A three-time Comrades competitor,a Barry 40 competitor and twice Welsh Ultra distance champion, he’s now taking a well earned rest from long distance running and is taking up the much more challenging prospect of married life.
80 words submitted by Matt Townsend
Hyperactive sexagenarian. Ruth was one of our earlist lady club members, and an extremely encouraging one (via the Reebok Sisters Network).
Highly successful on both road and country, Ruth won the 1983 Cardiff Marathon in 3:03 (amongst many other triumphs). In recent years, she has enjoyed a renaissance, and along with Clare and Annie has three times won medals at the National Masters Road Relays at Sutton Park.
Recently she has again been selected for Wales for the Home Countries XC at Dublin - a just reward for continued success and commitment.
The photo shows a rare moment whilst she’s neither running nor nagging Reg.
105 words submitted by Mick McGeoch
Annie and Ceri Donovan (below) share a racing secretthey always race in “Go faster waterproof mascara.” This a new tactic and is really working for Anniein the last twelve months she has managed new personal bests over most distances. Pretty impressive for a veteran 55, who has represented Wales twice in The International Veteran Cross Country.
The celtic tattoo on Annie’s shoulder dates back to her youth and is most definitely not a further example of Ceri’s trendy influence.
87 words submitted by Ceri Donovan
Les Croups is lucky to have Phil. A class track athlete with British league pedigree and former Gwent League champ, Phil boasts an impressive list of PB’s that most runners would be chuffed to achieve. Though his career has been hampered by injury in recent seasons, Phil is still a club stalwart, putting himself on the line whenever duty calls.
These days he’s found a new outlet for his energies and is one of the leading lights behind “Les Croupiers Triathletes”. As a result he was rewarded for his efforts by election to the post of Triathlon Club Secretary for the club’s multi-sport wing.
If you want advice on running, fancy a trip to the Ballycotton 10 (Phil loves this event and organises an annual trip) or just want to pay your triathlon fee, then Phil’s your man.
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Also known as “Wing Commander” (because he was senior men’s captain, 19982001) and “The Laughing Skull” (for reasons which should be obvious from our picture). John is one of these ex-smoking types who took up running because he thought he could do it. And he can.
John struggled in the Dublin Marathon in 2000. Despite high winds and freezing conditions, he was determined not to be beaten by a woman. The woman in question was Sonia O’Sullivan, perhaps the Emerald Isle’s most accomplished athlete ever. (Result: …19. Cox, J…20. O’Sullivan, S…)
Then the four hour barrier at the Barry 40 beckons. It was home turf (or whatever tracks are made of), he had the background, done the training, and was advised by former international Dr Eryl Davies (now known as Mrs Cox). Well, we know now that he didn’t do it. And all because he wore the wrong socks.
Because I’m stupid, I really believed him when he told me that his baby daughter was going to be christened ‘Ophelia’. She’s called Megan.
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Fast-improving young runner, Stuart has made a huge impression since joining the Croups earlier in the year. A succession of PBs have followed, culminating with a superb 10th place finish on debut at the Cardiff Marathon on October 9th, thereby ensuring automatic qualification for London.
Stuart is also the envy of other athletes for his display of flexibility after Thursday night runs.
62 words submitted by Mick McGeoch
Andy Cleves likes to call John ‘Mad Jack’: Siegfried Sassoon’s nickname in the trenches. Sassoon wrote ‘Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man’, and while we don’t know John’s thoughts on foxes, he does earn his crust with horses - as a farrier and jockey.
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Arguably the most energetic member who, unlike most us, ultra runners included, can run around all day. Has a definite interest in Guinness. Her real surname is Cruikshank, after her father Peter, but everyone knows her mother as simply ‘Scholey,’ so she’s here under ‘S.’
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Originally from Ireland, but brought up in Montreal, Canada, Angie joined Les Croupiers in March. She had an impressive run for the Ladies team in the Castles Relay and went on to compete in a number of triathlons over the Summer, most notably finishing 8th in the Great Welsh Triathlon at Swansea.She ended her triathlon season by completing her first Half Ironman in 6 hrs 39 mins.
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Some may think that Keith acted as a double agent for us in the 1999 Castles Relay, when he pulled out of his leg while a member of the Bridgend team. His place was taken by Timmy Cummings, who’d been celebrating our defeat with some gusto the night before, and besides hadn’t run much for a while. Bridgend didn’t win.In his short time with us, Keith has remained an excellent team member, and hasn’t let us down once. (Maybe it’s us?) Besides, his partner Ruth is offering very reasonably priced sports massage to club members.
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Originally from Llanelli (he didn’t get a choice).
A new member; he joined in 2002.
Well known for his near-perfect splits (London Marathon of course).
He has a job we all dream of (printing bank notes), but is loath to give away free samples.
Top training tip for 5K: Pint of lager please.
Top training tip for 10K: Better make it two pints please.
Top training tip for Gwent League: Red wine, by the bottle, please.
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A relatively new member to Les Croupiers, Graeme describes his aptitude for running as well-motivated, but distinctly slow. In the results for the Gwent League cross country at Aberdare he was listed as A N Unknown, which he says summarizes his running career very well.
Graeme has a previous life as an outdoor pursuits instructor, and is keen to attempt any event (well almost!) before he gets too old, as he enters his 50th year in 2003, . He’s tried a tri, and will try more, and now wants to have a go at adventure racing.
Dave Coles adds:
As a relative newcomer to the Club, Graeme has come on tremendously and has achieved an enormous amount in the last 2 years. Despite recently reaching an age when he could take it a little easier, Graeme has become one of the hardest and most consistent trainers in the Club, regularly totting up to 60 miles or more a week, and seemingly never off form.
In 2003, he achieved the mighty feat of completing the Barry 40 in an excellent 5.31, and followed this with a respectable 3.24 in London only 6 weeks later. He has also been setting PBs for the half marathon and 10k this year, did a ‘starter’ triathlon, and many other races such as the tortuous Dursley Dozen, and to top it off is doing the Cardiff and New York Marathons.
Anyway, Graeme is a hero and inspiration and has shown what can be achieved with dedication week in week out, and I’m sure he would say he would not have done it without Les Croups!
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Nick used to be a member of Barry & Vale’s Track and Field team about 10-12 years ago. Problem was, the team was top heavy with middle distance talent, so he would pick up useful points in the Pole Vault, Steeplechase or jumps. Always a club man, Nick could be relied upon to fill in events for the team.
In 2003 he resumed his career, and has since been a regular at the Gwent League and road events. Marathon debut at Cardiff 2004, Nick ran 2:55, and shaved a minute off that time at London 2005. Never short of a word of two, Nick and the Goat enjoy continual banter, and there’s never more than a handful of seconds between them in most races.
124 words submitted by Mick
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© Dave Weeden 2000–10.
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