SPEN 20 IN THE 1980S

 THIS DAY 25 YEARS AGO:  THE 1987 SPEN 20
Several times, before, during and after  Sunday's SPEN 20 I was asked if I had ever run the event.  Each time I answered the same, 1977  1982, 1983 and 1987 and after each race I vowed NEVER to do it again!
 If my memory serves me well the course initially was perhaps even more testing than it is now as the first lap brought the field back from the heights to the track again:   only for us to have to climb back up again for another lap.
 My first crack at the race in 1977 was a cautious one as it came just a week after a  disasterous "recce" of the 3 Peaks  in which I'd been taken  off course and ended running for 4 hours.   The diary states that I was 31st at the end of the first lap but as is my way  fought hard  on the second lap to try to make the Bingley team count,   getting through  to 17th finishing  2:00.19.   
  I did make the count but you can imagine our  reaction when presented with a green onyx table cigarette lighter for the 1st team prize.   Hardly appropriate.  
                        The race was won by KEVIN BEST (Stretford) in 1:47.38.

  I think by 1982  I'd upped my game but so had many other  runners  in the area and despite running 1:58.37 it was only good enough for 14th place.  You will note from the pic left 
that this was the pre-polyester era.  Cotton socks, polycotton shorts,  cotton vest, cotton t-shirt.  Fortunately I don't sweat much!  Harrogate's ANDY ROBERTSON, running for the Army, won in 1:45.26 !!    
 Second placer a rapidly improving club mate JIMMY ASHWORTH  was to have his day the following year in 1983 winning in 1:47.06.  My fifth place in 1:54.17 was an excellent precursor to my  PB 2:25.36 London.   But  the middle of the year my first period with Bingley was coming to an end.
I  joined a fledging club in Leeds, VALLEY STRIDERS,  which had started up only the previous year with 4 members.   By this time 25 years ago,  as regular  readers will know,   in most Yorkshire races we frequently occupied half of the first 10 places.   The "work ethic" and team spirit of  the club  was amazing and as consequently as the weeks and months passed yet another member would come to the forefront and make his mark.

   In the  SPEN 20  of 1987 this day 25 years ago it was the turn of KEITH CLUDERAY.  In the October of 1986 he had closed to 2 seconds behind me over 10K,  32.42 to 32.44.   Here, just  5 months later, he ran 1:48.51 to win the 20 mile race beating me nearly 9 minutes as I ran 1:57.35 for 12th place.
  With TERRY BEAN 3RD and MIKE O'CALLAGHAN 8TH it was another good days for the men in white and black.
 Keith was a British Telecom engineer and put down his recent progress to being on strike! Obviously he had worked hard and fast throughout the winter but had "put in 400 miles over the last 4 weeks".  


   Keith (with cap) is pictured above at the 2004 Athens Olympics with Valley Strider TRACEY MORRIS and  STEVE O'CALLAGHAN, another member who can "boast" marathon victories.  
In the heat of Greece Tracey ran 2:41 finishing 29th of the 81 in the field.
   These years in the '80s were highly successful for the club but it centred largely around the marathon.  We did compete in the Northern 12 stage the year before but we couldn't match the shorter distance speed of teams  with younger runners  in and finished just 36th of 58.
 Sadly Keith, Steve, Terry Bean and others from that era are no longer racing it seems.  Perhaps  the high mileage took its toll  but no doubt most of them are still doing some running albeit it ast a more sedate pace.  After all it was 25 years ago!