News

Thursday 16^th July saw the 5km race around the NSC and the weekend following saw a number of athletes complete their final time trial as part of the Foxy 5km initiative. The schedules have lasted for 10 weeks and over that time 150 runners have taken part either in following the schedules, recording a time trial and sharing it or taking part in the race around the NSC last week.

No.	Name	Age Grp.	Age Grade	Time	PB	Race/TT
1	Rachael Franklin	SenF	94.06%	15.42	PB/Rec	Race
2	Ollie Lockley	SenM	91.65%	14.10	PB/Rec	Race
3	Alan Corlett	SenM	87.84%	14.48	PB	Race
4	Wil Draper	SenM	86.17%	15.04	PB	Race
5	Andy Fox	V60M	85.62%	18.39	Rec	Race
6	Caroline Mayers	V45F	84.98%	19.14		Race
7	Andy Nash	SenM	82.88%	15.42	PB	Race
8	Richard Shipway	V50M	82.77%	18.23	PB	Race
9	Macy Hillier	U15F	82.61%	19.07	PB/Rec	Race
10	Ieuan Owen	U20M	82.38%	15.53	PB	Race
11	Christian Varley	V35M	80.92%	16.29		Race
12	Paul Sykes	V45M	80.82%	17.35		Race
13	Ed Gumbley	V40M	80.00%	17.38		TT
14	Andy Watson	V50M	79.17%	18.38		Race
15	Corbyn Schade	U15M	78.17%	17.31	PB	Race
16	Elissa Morris	SenF	78.08%	18.55		Race
17	Alex Bell	SenM	77.05%	16.51	PB	Race
18	Luke Phair	U20M	76.60%	16.57	PB	Race
19	Ciara Hardisty	SenF	76.20%	19.23		Race
20	John Robertson	V65M	75.14%	22.33		Race
21	Peter Callin	V45M	74.89%	19.07	PB	Race
22	Dawn Atherton	V35F	74.35%	20.03	PB	Race
23	Ryan Corrin	U17M	74.04%	18.09		Race
24	Samantha Leahy	V45F	72.84%	21.46	PB	TT
25	Daniel Pownall	SenM	72.06%	18.14		Race
26	Laura Dickinson	SenF	71.97%	20.31		Race
27	Paul Rodgers	V40M	71.77%	19.06		Race
28	Frank Jones	SenM	70.69%	18.31	PB	TT
29	James Wright	V35M	69.43%	19.28	PB	Race
30	Jamie Hayes	V35M	68.84%	19.30	PB	Race
31	Jake Ashton	U17M	67.76%	19.50	PB	Race
32	Kathy Lane	V45F	67.68%	23.13	PB	Race
33	Greg Hoskisson	V40M	67.62%	20.25	PB	TT
34	Sophie Kaighan	U9F	67.10%	27.40	PB	TT
35	Mark Corrin	V45M	66.51%	21.51	PB	Race
36	Guy Wood	SenM	65.30%	19.53	PB	Race
37	Julie Snape	V55F	64.86%	28.14	PB	TT
38	Josh Wade	SenM	64.81%	20.02	PB	Race
39	Dudley Butt	V70M	63.30%	29.08	PB	TT
40	Keith Green	V60M	61.26%	26.04	PB	Race
41	Darren Gray	V35M	61.04%	22.19		TT
42	Fiona Bullough	V40F	60.88%	24.55		Race
43	Sharon Cain	V50F	60.49%	27.37	PB	TT
44	Anne-Marie Rivers	V45F	59.42%	27.13		Race
45	Carol Roy	V65F	59.03%	34.20		TT
46	Sarah Corkill	V45F	58.87%	26.56	PB	TT
47	Niall Killey	SenM	56.92%	23.11	PB	Race
48	Jan Fox	V60F	56.54%	32.47	PB	TT
49	Amanda Lawler	V35F	54.12%	27.53	PB	TT
50	Julie Stanfield	V35F	53.88%	27.40	PB	TT
51	Katie Lawrence	V35F	53.61%	28.09	PB	Race
52	Karen Gadsby	V40F	51.49%	30.02	PB	TT
	Totals	F 21			36 PBs	Race 37
	Totals	M31			4 Recs	TT 15

Approximately 110 runners have followed the schedules, even if all have not completed the time trials, and have challenged themselves with hill sessions, fartleks and repetition runs. In the schedules 16 sessions were attempted, 3 time trials and over 20 steady runs of differing lengths. This is in addition to other training activities the runners would have completed. This has all resulted in some fantastic running and 140 recorded performances in the two 5km challenges and one 3 km challenge attempted. Of these 57 PBs were recorded as far as we aware. The figure will actually be higher as not all PBs were recorded in the first 2 challenges. In addition 4 Manx Records were recorded, 2 by runners following Foxy Schedules. This is even more impressive when one considers the first 5km and 3km time trials were run over rather blustery weekends of poor weather.

Some excellent improvement has been seen throughout for all runners. However, in the time trials this is clearly evident with many runners taking a minute or more off their original performance. However, pride of place has to go to Sammy Leahy who took 6 minutes of her first 5km time compared to her final time of 21 mins 46 seconds with an age grading of 72.84%. Every improvement is to be applauded as is every attempt to challenge and move forward.

The results this time around are listed in age grading order. A guide as to how this works is as follows – we had an 8 year old female and 74 year old male take part in the recent time trials and races. It is difficult to gain an understanding of how runners performed and compare results with such an age range hence the age grading % gives an interesting way of doing this rather than relying purely on time. This gives the runners time as a percentage of the fastest time in the world recorded for anyone of their age. A rule of thumb used with age grading suggests 90%+ is world standard, 80%+ is national standard, 70%+ is regional standard, 60%+ is island standard and 40%+ is local standard.

Most performances this time round took place on the Isle of Man, however, Ed Gumbley continued his great work running his individual time trial in Hong Kong with over 30 degree heat and amazing humidity even very early in the morning!!!

It is hoped that all runners have found the experience fun, rewarding and also encouraging. The aim was to support runners with their activity over lockdown and beyond. Hopefully we will see many of the Foxy 5km guys training and maybe racing over many years to come.

To this end we have two initiatives under way to keep things going if you wish to. Firstly there is a new Facebook group called Foxy’s Flyers! Now you may well say you are not a flyer, but I believe you all are in comparison with those who have not got off the couch yet and of course many of you have improved over the 10 weeks so you perhaps are flying compared to where you started so do not hide your light under a bushel as the old saying goes!!! The idea we can share tips, training sessions, pics, maybe races coming up that are not too serious and a good place to try out competition if you would like to (although no pressure to do so) and just chat about training and racing and be a support group for each other.

If you would like to join I think there are two ways to do it – you could send me an email and I add you to the group or search for the group on Facebook and request entry and then I let you in that way. At the minute I am the one and only member of the group so feeling a little exposed and lonely so I am hoping many of you will join up!!!

Do not forget that there is now a Social Running Group meeting on Mondays at 6.30pm and heading out from Manx Harriers Clubhouse for a run and a cuppa and a chat afterwards. Anyone of any ability can go along – you do not need to be in a club and hopefully this initiative will help get you started or keep you going with your running.

Finally, I have enjoyed setting the plans and also working on the performances and age grading etc. I hope you have enjoyed taking part and challenging yourselves. Hopefully, over time I can meet you all in person and we can chat about this very unusual time and how we came through it.

All the best,

Andy