Whippets
WHIPPET REPORTS
AUTUMN TERM 2024
Welcome to the first Whippet report of the year, as we build up to our 10th anniversary as a running club - 2025 promises to be a bumper year of special events and celebration. Better get thinking caps on after such a bold statement.
As per usual, lots of children have enlisted for our Friday running club. Whatever we do, some of which is torturous, doesn’t put them off. They turn up every week with big smiles and lots of energy – oh to be young! A big thanks to the staff who allow this to happen, by throwing on the old trainers and dragging themselves around Skelmersdale and district. We do have some very good young runners and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up.
The last weekend in October will go down in Whippet history as one of our proudest moments. At the 5k on Saturday we were represented by staff, children, parents, past-pupils, the parents of past-pupils and two members of the governing body. Then on Sunday, 26 out of the 32 participants in the 2k were Whippets, 5 parents volunteered as marshals, 4 staff members were out to support and our Chair of Governors was time keeper. If that does not reflect the value of what we do, nothing ever will. We are so grateful to all the members of our school community who get involved in these weekend runs. It would be so easy to lie in and ‘leave it to next week’. I hope everyone feels the benefit of the sacrifices they make and long may it continue.
As a footnote to the above, two of our past-pupils, who had not run for years, pitched up and ran sub 22 minutes. That is showing off, but it was lovely to see Ben Chane and Kurtis Cartmel back out there.
It wouldn’t be a Whippet report without mentioning the Finch-Spencers. We all know about Jacob, Matilda and Lotte and their fabulous achievements, but now Bella has become the youngest ever official Whippet - dad is no longer needed to carry her around. It gets better; now mum has taken on the challenge of the 5k runs on top of her volunteering. What do these lot have for breakfast?
You can look forward to perusing our 2024 statistics in the next report. Once again, thank you to all those who have contributed to another successful Whippet year. To finish, I must apologise for a false claim that Miss Beeley had retired from running – she has not, but is a lot slower these days!
Keep running
Mr T, Mrs T, Miss Beeley
SUMMER TERM 2024
WOODLAND WHIPPETS
5k Whippets – 102 runners 1,459 runs
2K Whippets – 212 runners 3,737 runs
It has been a bumper end of the year in Whippet World, with an increasing number getting stuck in as either a runner or as a volunteer. It is fabulous to see our families supporting the Junior 2k in particular. Three generations of the Barton family are turning up regularly, as do a SUV load of Finch-Spencers. We have had lots of first timers and one or two have returned to join in the fun. Some of our hardier parents have even had a go at the Saturday 5k. Well done Janis. I wish I could be like parent Ian Roberts and run the distance in a 2024 best of 19:25. That is showing off.
It has been a joy to see more and more younger children taking part on a Sunday. It seems that most of the children in Reception are turning up and, more importantly, not being put off. So, a big thank you to all the parents for making this possible. Some of the children in question are named below in our yearly highlights.
My best moment came last weekend when I congratulated a fellow Whippet at the finish of the 5K. Her response was, ‘I am only 4’. Robyn Grindal, inspired by older sister Phoebe, supported by mum, said this with a big smile on her face. Robyn had not finished too far behind me and a 57 year age difference suggests, that as a school community running group, we are doing something right!
Keep running
Mr T, Mrs T, Miss Beeley
WOODLAND WONDERFUL WHIPPETS WHOPPINGNESS!
Mr T – 250th Park Run on 29.6.24, joined by whippets past and present. Paul Cotterill, Tawd Valley Director summed up the occasion by posting -
“Of the whopping 111 of you who perambulated today, a whopping 24 were from the wonderful Woodland’s Whippet Club, which operates out of the sumptuous and educationally splendid Woodland CP School. Staff, parents, pupils and ex pupils all run under the same banner, and today we had three teachers, a site supervisor and one head teacher in action, including the indomitable Mr T, well known for a strange capacity to wear shorts in ludicrously cold weather, and today completing his 250th park run.
To mark this, but also generally because Woodland is just a great running school, we had a number of younger Whippets making a step up in the distance from 2k junior distance to the 5k one, and everyone did marvelously. We’re even getting reports that the grumpiest of our marshals, the one with the white hair who is very grumpy and is generally scared of children, was very impressed by the efforts and that’s saying something.”
SPRING TERM 2024
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
In Whippet world some of the things that had never changed have done. Miss T has beaten her mum’s 5K time. Mr Schofield (senior) appears to be on a drive for Olympic selection, having knocked a minute off his PB for 3 weeks running. Various Finch-Spencers continue to amaze and Miss Beeley has retired from running – it appears!
Let’s start with the termly Finch-Spencer report. Jacob has followed in Matilda’s footsteps and completed his 100 Junior Park Run. An incredible effort, considering he has had a problem with injury recently – runner’s curse. Equally as remarkable, is the achievement of younger sister Lotte, who has completed 50 Park Runs. She is still only 4 years of age, which by my Maths, probably means she has not missed a run in the last year.
Woodland recently competed in the Skelmersdale schools Park Run event. Individual success was enjoyed by Amber Macandlish -2nd and Gary Taylor-3rd in the Year 3/4 races. All of our runners did themselves proud. A real team effort. So well done to Marie, Lacey, Nylah, Matilda (not another Finch-Spencer), Darcie Davies, Lola, Ryan, Jacob, Isaac, Keelan, Max and Luca. The seniors run next!
It has been great to see a few new faces at Friday Running Club, obviously tempted out by improving weather. We have had to do a lot of training indoor, due to the endless rains and flooded subways. Getting back out into the great outdoors has come as a bit of relief – there is a limit to how many sit-ups and triceps dips you can do!
A big shout goes out to Claire Cooper – our Chair of Governors, who has now reached the milestone of 300 Park Runs as a volunteer – true commitment. The work of all the volunteers is greatly appreciated by The Whippets. Without these dedicated people none of this would happen.
And finally, we say good luck to Miss Riozzi who is about to run the London Marathon. She does it the hard way. Not dressed up as a rhino or as a scale model of Big Ben, but takes part following a brief training programme. Those of us who have attempted a marathon before, know how difficult this is.
Go Nicola.
Happy Running
Mr T, Miss B, Mrs T
WOODLAND WHIPPETS
AUTUMN TERM 2023 REPORT WOODLAND WHIPPETS
It has been a few thousand kilometres since our last Whippet report and so it is probably time for an update.
In Whippet world some things never change. Miss T has still not beaten her mum’s 5K time. Miss Beeley has maintained her record for most words per km over the Tawd Valley course. Every weekend we acknowledge the amazing efforts of Mya and Mohammad at the finish line. Nour’s remarkable record of most wins at both junior and senior level still stands. The other thing that never changes is the commitment and determination of our young athletes and the support of Woodland staff.
What does change are the faces of our new recruits. Running club is bursting at the seams. Some of our younger runners are showing lots of promise on our Friday trot. We are running short of staff who can keep up with them.
There have been many new and notable moments which are worthy of note.
Our link with Wigan Harriers remains active, with Nour, Kady and Layla lighting up the track (and field) up and down the North West. Our Kady was on the TV in the Summer, in the English Indoor Athletic Championships. The talent and dedication of this trio is a joy to behold – you are an inspiration to the rest of us!
Speaking of achievement…………… meet Matilda Finch-Spencer. A veteran of 100 Junior Park Runs at the ripe old age of 6. Yes, you heard right – 6. We believe she must be one of the youngest in the country to have reached this milestone. It gets better. Brother Jacob, who is a year older, is about to reach his 100 milestone. Surely, there can’t be anymore flying Finch-Spencers. You’d be wrong. Lotte is next with an amazing 35 Park Runs at the age of 4!! Finally, 2 year-old Bella is surveying the course, often from the top of dad’s shoulders.
And over the following weeks look out for the following milestones:
Adrijanas Cakans 100- 5k and 100 Junior
Amber McCandlish - 50 Junior
Ryan Shannon 50 - Junior
Bella Cakans – 25 events as a volunteer.
All this Park Run success would not be possible without people such as Claire Cooper – our Chair of Governors, who volunteers every Saturday and Sunday, along with a truly dedicated band, to ensure our times are accurately recorded.
To finish, our older members have continued to run events at different distances in far flung places. Darwin Park Run in Australia probably wins the furthest away prize. Most fun probably followed our 10k, Half-Marathon and Marathon runs in Edinburgh. Mrs Kervin even cycled to Edinburgh to join us!
Happy Running
Mr T, Miss B, Mrs T
If you wish to register for Parkrun please follow the link below.
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/form/
