Seasons Greetings from Beverley A.C.

Season’s Greetings from Beverley AC!

As the year draws to the close, we celebrate a year virtually, but one nonetheless that has seen members keep active, involved, motivated, and challenged in what has been a quite different year!

Despite the difficulties facing the Club, membership of the Club has flourished with several new members joining during the year. The Junior section has particularly flourished and now has a waiting list, since all Club activity has to adhere to Government and England Athletics Guidance, meaning that there is a limit to the number of athletes and coaching staff that can meet at any given session. 

The first virtual Club event launched back in March was the Pass the Baton relay. Members ran a leg covering whatever distance they wanted, and then submitted a photo of them handing over their “baton” to the next runner. Some members were particularly creative with their “batons”, ranging from wooden spoons and wine bottles to bananas and pet dogs! We look forward to the virtual Awards Night to see who has received the Most Creative Baton Award! To date, 121 members have passed the baton, running a total of 743 miles.

The Couch 2 5kms was launched in July and was successfully delivered virtually during the year, and participants will be graduating in the New Year. Following this, it is hoped to be able to deliver another programme and further information will be available in the New Year.

The Club is particularly grateful to those members who have organized virtual challenges. Routes have been mapped out, on both local tracks and roads, with members encouraged to run the routes and submit times. In a similar fashion, local handicap races have taken place, with staggered starts and handicap times recorded enabling virtual results to be compiled. The last races of the year were the virtual South Dalton 10 kms and the virtual Gilberdyke 10 mile. Our Strava Art challenge has continued throughout the year and has recently produced some suitably festive art!

Groups of up to 6 took on the challenge of the Beaver Trail on Sunday 20th December. This popular local running trail is popular with walkers and runners alike and is a Club favourite at this time of year. Groups started at 5 minutes intervals, covering the 3 different routes covering distances of  5, 10 or 13 miles.

Sadly, the sight of running Santas taking part in the Club’s annual fundraising Santa Run at the beginning of December was missed this year, but we hope that if you do spot a Santa running around the streets of Beverley alone or in a socially distanced group of 6, you will give a wave and a “Merry Christmas”!

All the Club’s activities have been overseen by its hard-working Committee. Virtual Committee meetings have enabled the Committee to keep the Club operating during the year, ensuring that the Club is following health and safety practices and Government and England Athletics guidelines.

With new guidelines ensuring compliance with current Tier 3 regulations, the Club can resume the following weekly training sessions: Club runs meet at North Bar Medical Centre on Wednesdays at 6:30pm; Speed training sessions meet at North Bar Medical Centre on Thursdays at 6:30pm; Introduction to Speed/Improve your Running sessions meet at the bottom of Woodmansey Mile on Fridays at 6:00pm.

New members, whatever your age and fitness level, are always welcome and further details about the membership and what the Club has to offer to its members can be found on the website: www.beverleyathleticclub.co.uk

On behalf of the Club’s Committee and its members, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!