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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Mal only joined recently, but already he seems to have been around forever. He’s already raised some ludicrous sum with his 2000 London Marathon effort, which secured him a trip to New York. Yet to break three hours over the classic distance, which given his rate of improvement at shorter distances, is a barrier set to fall spectacularly. Mal now works on land full time (previously half his training was on ships), so the personal bests should keep on coming.
CORRECTION: Mal did work on land full time, for about two months. He hated it. He broke three hours (by half a minute) in London 2001, and is very pleased. And there’s still room for improvement.
116 words
On his application form for this year’s Barry 40, Alan wrote that one of his aspirations is "being different". He certainly is.
Most runners don’t have the temerity to enter the Reebok Cross Country at Cardiff Castle, let alone dress for the occasion. However, if the idea is to attract the wit of race P.A. Bud Baldaro, Alan’s a winner every time.
Yes, Alan may present himself as an easy target for detractors. But no one was laughing at the 2003 edition of the Barry 40, when Alan showed his supporters what he was really made of. Not laughing, just cheering.
And what about his catering activities on the way to last year’s London Marathon, in order to raise funds for the Masters’ Cross Country in Cardiff?
Different? Certainly.
An unsung hero? Definitely.
Mick
When I tried the “Croups profile” for a while on Ace, Alan was one of the first. Here he is.
155 words
When I was six years old, I went to watch Keith in his first Glamorgan Schools Cross Country Championships at Pencoedtre Fields, Barry. He was 11. I was very proud of him and I went round all the spectators on the course and said "Do you know Keith? He’s MY brother". He finished 48th.
In the interim, he ran 1:55.4 for 800 metres, 2:27:21 for a marathon (London 1985), and won a silver medal in the British Masters 1500 metres in 1997.
Now 55, he’s still quicker than me, and I’m still proud of him cos he’ll always be my big brother!
By the way, Dad’s 93 and quite nippy on the zimmer!
113 words submitted by Mick McGeoch
Founder of the Barry 40, editor of Ace, and a considerable runner in his own right. If we named all Mick’s victories, prizes, and vests, we’d need a whole new site. Funnily enough, someone has gone some way to starting one at the London Ever Present Site.
Although too modest to admit it, probably the rock the club is built on.
Mick’s profile.
65 words
Carol’s partner Dave ran his first race in the Cardiff 10k this year. (Not counting slogging round the Merthyr Mawr Mini Dipper run with Ruby and Rowan.) Knowing Carol as we do, it was only a matter of time before his conversion. Carol laid on a post Merthyr Mawr beano in 1999, and it went down so well (she is a trained cook) that we all went back in 2000. It went down so well in fact, that I ensured that I wasn’t driving home.
Carol had the honour to be photographed next to Alan Mann, above.
97 words
Our regular fountain of wisdom, John Plain, has confessed to being baffled how anyone ‘with their legs tied together’ can run as fast as Paul. (Actually, I think the observation was originally Woody’s, but it was John Plain who said it in my hearing.) While he lacks the long striding grace of, say, Steve Ovett, Paul can be rated ‘A’ for energy efficiency. Anyone who can run themselves into the elite start qualification time for London must be doing something right.
Paul has claimed doing a 30 mile training run before a marathon.
After a few years claiming injury, Paul is returning to something like form, getting round the 2005 Cardiff Marathon in 3:10, a time which surprised even Paul.
121 words
Denis may not be the best person to sit next to on a Thursday night if youre about to tuck into some much needed industrial strength clubhouse food. A Professor of all things fatty, hell point out the likely premature death that will result and dont even think of ketchup... Having put you off your food, hell then swiftly polish off your egg and chips himself.
A much travelled and published man of science, Denis is one of those club members who knows that erudite is not a type of glue.
Infectiously enthusiastic and always on the look-out for a new challenge, he is a veteran on numerous sporting fronts with an action packed CV that includes a string of sub 3 marathons, an iron man, XC skiing and downhill, cycling with numerous 100k and 200k races under his belt, rowing and mountaineering.
Indeed, having climbed Mount McKinley in Alaska and preferring bumpy events such as the High Peaks Marathon, Questars Adventure race series and the KIMM/OMM to the short/flat stuff that placates others, it could be said that Denis is a runner with something of an altitude problem.
189 words submitted by Tim O’Sullivan
Angela has been a member of Les Croups for about fifteen years. She is sister to Sue Neal our ladies team captain and general dogsbody to every team member as she orders, supplies, pays for and designs our team kit. A thankless job sometimes as the kit is never the right stlye, colour or size for some people!
Angela also drives mini buses for some of the team outings and helps out marshalling or supporting club races.
She has run the London Marathon 10 times, her best time being 3hrs 35mins (a long time ago!)
Not so fast now due to encroaching years, but a good stayer, especially in wet or muddy conditions, such as the Gwent League cross country races, which are her favourite types of racing. Her claim to fame is completing the 2004 Tough Guy race in which she nearly froze to death and appears in this years’ video being interviewed at the end of the race looking like a complete idiot.
Submited by Angela Neal.
169 words
One of the ‘Neal’ sisters. Sue is ladies team captain for Les Croupiers. She has worked tirelessly for the club, for about 20+ years. She has organised many trips and weekends to races for members. Sue is always present on a Thursday night, encouraging new members and bullying old ones into entering races and representing the club. She takes advantage of her sisters Angela and Carolyn however, getting them to fill in for the team when desperate and making them drive buses, sell kit, run errands etc. Sue has had an illustrious running career, running the London marathon about 15 times with some sub 3 hr times. She has represented Wales at all levels. She has an unbroken record for the Gwent League and is someone you can always rely on. A true club person!
135 words submitted by Carolyn Llewellyn
A new edition to the ‘N’ section, Jemma joined Les Croups in 2001 after training for the race for life 5km in Bute Park. This gentle introduction has subsequently taken her to the muddy heights of the Gwent league, the tarmac lengths of the Shakespeare Marathon and the cloudy climes of the Saunders and Karrimor Mountain Marathons. Jemma displays a predisposition for being cold, wet and muddy, which seems to have been passed through the genes from her Dad Phil Ward (her mountain marathon partner and a fine mountain leader).
Jemma recently got amongst the club gongs when she swopped her rucksack for a bike and clingy swimwear, becoming the first female Les Croupiers club triathlon champ.
Jemma is a very special person, tough, resilient, highly competitive and always beaming with her gorgeous smile. But then I am a bit biased. I just married her.
Submited by Simon Nurse.
149 words
Simon has two outstanding qualities, a distressing vulnerability to lower leg injuries and a determination not to let it stop him. He’s developing a unhealthy (he would say healthy) interest in punishing races. He’s competed in every KIMM since 2000 with Geran Hughes, Andy Cleves, and most recently, Julian Carter. He’s completed a Half Ironman in Pembroke, the Helvellyn Triathlon (one mile swim in Ullswater; 38 mile cycle; run up Helvellyn 8 miles and 3118 feet), and the Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross.
Make that three outstanding qualities: he’s also senior men’s club captain and a leading light of the Triathlon section. His captaincy is best known for the running battles with Dick Brewer over veteran (or as I suppose I now have to call them, “masters”) runners in the Castles Relays. He always seems open and willing to listen; he’s just never been known to make any concessions.
Make that four outstanding qualities. Somehow he combines captaincy with race organisation with a full-time with part-time study and finds time to go drinking.
Simon’s profile.
176 words
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© Dave Weeden 2000–10.
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