Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you all well and injury free?  Just a few lines (some of which are blatantly cut and pasted) about the next couple of months.  There are a few regular and some new events that are happening over the summer and that I hope that many of you will be able to come along and take part in, if not support.

THURSDAY 24TH JUNE – JOHN DEACON HANDICAP
This road race is held in place of Thursday evening training and is over a distance of about 11 km.  You will need to provide a recent race time from which your expected time for the event will be calculated.  Runners do not start together.  Instead they set off individually and if the calculations are perfect, they all finish in a dead-heat at the end.  This is a race that anyone might win!  Entry forms are available at Thursday training and you can find a map at www.mapometer.com/en/running/route_643192.html.  Please note that you can’t enter on the day.
This year the race is in its 20th year and is organised by David Seymour in memory of John Deacon, who was a member of the Doddlers.

SUNDAY 27TH JUNE – BLANDFORD BRIDGES 10K
This is June’s race in the Doddlers Club Championships.  It’s a deceptively undulating multi-terrain tour of Blandford and its bridges.  The race is jointly organised by Wimborne AC and the Doddlers, and you can find out all about it at www.blandfordbridgesrun.co.uk.  Joan Royal is the race secretary, and she would welcome offers of help with marshalling etc if you aren’t planning to race.

THURSDAY 1ST JULY – FORDE ABBEY 10K
Although there will be training in Stur as usual, you might like to run in the Forde Abbey 10K instead.  It’s a lovely undulating cross-country run with a river crossing.  The race starts at 7pm, with on-the-day entries closing at 6.30.  More details are available at http://www.acrossthedivide.com/index.php/products/events/-/pt-0010/psc-0047/-/0/9/index.html.  Please let Ian Pollard know if you plan to go, so he can look into the possibility of car-sharing etc.

SATURDAY 10TH JULY - DODDLER FAMILY DAY / PICNIC AND RUN
As mentioned earlier in the year, it would be nice to have a few social events over the course of the summer.  The first of these will be at Corton Denham on the 10th of July.  It will consist of a run (similar distances to a Tuesday Summer Run) and a walk for families.  Both will finish at the nearby beacon, where we shall picnic.  Post lunch entertainment will be provided by the Yeovilton Air Day displays and if very lucky the Red Arrows.  Details to follow.

THURSDAY 15TH JULY – DODDLER DUATHLON
Instead of training, we’ll be meeting at the leisure centre as usual, but doing some cycling as well as a bit of running.  Further details will follow, when I know what they are.  We’ll be going to the White Horse for refreshments afterwards, as cycling can be thirsty work.

SUNDAY 1ST AUGUST – THE STUR HALF
We have a lot of new Doddlers and maybe not all of you know what the Stur Half is? www.sturhalf.co.uk Well, it is the Doddlers’ very own Half Marathon, and this year it is the 20th anniversary of the race.

The event is growing and as you can image we need plenty of help to put the race on, so as usual we are looking for volunteers to help either before the event or on the day with setting up the course, marshalling and manning water stations. If you are available please contact Christine to offer your services, and if you want to run you could help out before the race or ask a friend or relative to help out while you run. This event is a fun day out for all the family, and we finish the day with a party!

AUGUST (DATE TO BE CONFIRMED) DODDLER 25K RUN
Another chance to take part in the 25k Doddler Anniversary Run / Walk that many of you did two years ago.  15k in the morning / lunch / downhill 10k in the afternoon.

OTHER ONGOING ACTIVITIES
There are currently two Beginners and Novices running groups on a Monday evening.  In Blandford 6.30pm at the Leisure centre and in Sturminster Newton from the Station car park also at 6.30pm.  There is also the ‘Diddlers’ who start from Station car park at 6pm.  If any of you have friends, family or partners who would like to get into running or have perhaps entered a Race For Life, please send / bring them along to any of the three groups.  The sessions are free and are tailored to suit all abilities.

Lastly, may I take this opportunity to pass on congratulations from all of us in the Doddlers, to John's brother Robert Cowley who received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.  Also to Suzanne Cunningham member of the North Dorset Tri Club and wife of former Doddler Hub Cunningham, who many of you will also know.  Suzanne was awarded an OBE for services to Midwifery.

Please try and support as many of the above events as you can.  Like most of the things we do................ THE MORE THE MERRIER!!

Cheers
Duncan