May 2007 People in Nottinghamshire are urged to take part in the Maid Marian Team Relay, a fun, mass participation running/walking event that will help improve fitness. Taking place on Thursday 21st June in Nottingham this year, the 4x1mile relay challenge is one of Nottingham's most lively sporting events. Now in its second year, the Maid Marian Mile has a social atmosphere ideal for groups of friends, families or colleagues. Many of those who took part last year had never run a mile before. Anne Rippon, Interim Regional Director for Sport England East Midlands commented; "We entered two teams last year that thoroughly enjoyed taking part. Many of our staff were just getting into running, but both of our teams finished in the top 20 and we have set up a lunch time running club to make sure we are even more competitive this year!" Sport England see the Maid Marian Mile Relays as an ideal way to get people active, encourage team building within businesses and promote healthier lifestyles. Anne continued, "At Sport England our ambition is to get two million people more active by 2012. Activity in the workplace is a key area in helping us achieve this ambition. Active work forces are much more productive and we would urge all businesses to enter a team and encourage their staff to take part." The event is also being backed by the Shape Up Notts! campaign. Sport Nottinghamshire,  who run the campaign, are aiming to see more people in Nottinghamshire take part in three 30 minute blocks of physical activity every week in order to stay fit and healthy. Director of Sport Nottinghamshire, Simon Starr said, "The Maid Marian Mile is an accessible sporting event that will help ease people into exercise. Running or walking a mile is something almost everyone can do, and as soon as you start training you will feel so much better and want to do it all the time." Teams can enter into men's, women's, mixed or workplace categories. There are prizes for the top three teams in each category and the fastest male and female runners from all race categories will win a Polar Heart Rate Monitor watch. Chris Simon of Perfect Motion commented; "We are expecting 100 - 150 teams; that's 400 - 600 runners, as well as race marshals and hundreds of spectators this year. The atmosphere last year was excellent, and everyone enjoyed the celebrations afterwards. "Don't worry if you can find a full team, give us a call if you want to enter and we will try to find you some more members. So dig out your trainers, get together with friends or colleagues and do The Maid Marian Mile." Perfect Motion News, 23rd May 2007 
Goldie Sayers broke the British javelin record at the Loughborough International meeting on Sunday 20th May. The Loughborough International is a traditional curtain raiser to the British athletics season and occasionally produces an unexpected star. Sayers claimed that accolade this year, throwing 65.05 metres, a British record and the longest throw in the world this year. Sayers, 24, set a new British record, 18cm further than the previous distance which was set by Kelly Morgan five years ago. The Loughborough graduate, who now lives in Cambridge, now sits at the top of the early season world rankings and looks to be one of a small handful of good British prospects for the World Championships in Osaka in August. "Coming off the back of a great training camp in Portugal I was anticipating something around 63 to 64 metres, but I wasn't expecting the result I got! Things have been going well for me this year and I'm hopeful of a real break through season culminating at the World Championships this summer." Having graduated with first class honours from Loughborough, Sayers moved home to Cambridge last September and began coaching with Mark Roberson, a former Great Britain international.
Sayers continued, "I owe a lot of my success at this meeting to my coach, we have been training hard this winter and it has made all the difference. My previous best was 61.45 metres set in May 2005, so this throw shatters that." Sponsored by Adidas and Polar Heart Rate Monitors, Sayers is now looking to the future, "My next big event is the Grand Prix in Glasgow which will attract some of the best throwers in the world. I am hoping to equal my performance from last weekend." Perfect Motion News, 22nd May 2007 
The Shape Up Notts! campaign is giving away 17,500 pedometers in a bid to encourage more people in Nottinghamshire to increase the amount of physical activity they do. Pedometers are a fantastic fitness tool. They work by tracking the amount of steps you take each day. To operate them, clip them to a belt or waistband and they monitor the movement of your hip bone. Health and fitness experts recommend that we should be taking around 10,000 steps each day. This may seem like a lot, especially if you have a desk based job, but if you start slowly and build up, you'll soon get there. The Shape Up Notts! campaign, set up by Sport Nottinghamshire is designed to help people in Nottinghamshire build their activity levels up to doing 3 sessions of 30 minutes a week. Director of Sport Nottinghamshire, Simon Starr, said, "People who wear a pedometer take about 20% more steps than those who don't. Taking those extra steps is the difference between losing weight and getting fit or just staying where you are. Wearing one will motivate you to take the stairs instead of the lift, to walk down the hall instead of making that phone call, or to walk the dog instead of letting it out in the garden." Once you have collected your free pedometer, keep your motivation levels up by registering your details on the Shape Up Notts! website: www.sportnottinghamshire.co.uk. Here you will be able to access a range of free fitness and information services: Log your walking and other exercise to earn points Get motivated by climbing up the leaderboard  Set fitness targets Monitor weight loss Keep up to date with local sporting events Win prizes and gain discounts Compete with friends / colleagues Get training tips, information and advice
Registering on the website will also give you the chance to find more tips and advice on how to get the best from your pedometer and a full list of venues you can collect them from The pedometer giveaway is taking place in a variety of locations around the county from 9.30am until 3pm: Friday 18th May - Newark town centre - market square Saturday 19th May - Mansfield town centre - four seasons entrance on Westgate Saturday 26th May - Castle Boulevard Sainsbury's Sunday 27th May - Beeston Sainsbury's Saturday 2nd June - Worksop Sainsbury's Saturday 3rd June - Arnold Sainsbury's
The giveaway is being run in celebration of the Experian Robin Hood Festival of Running, organised by Sweatshop, the UK's largest running shoe specialist. In conjunction with the pedometers, Sweatshop is offering everyone who collects a pedometer or enters the Experian Robin Hood Festival of Running the chance to claim £10 off a pair of specially fitted trainers from its store at Virgin Active Gym in Nottingham city centre. To claim your free pedometer and trainer voucher visit one of the stalls with the attached slip filled in. Don't worry if you lose the slip, another one can be filled out at the stall. Local Authorities in the county have also contributed to the giveaway you can claim your free pedometer from any local authority leisure centre in Nottinghamshire. Our Clients, 14th May 2007 
A record number of people took part in the Derbyshire Building Society 10k and Fun Run, organised by Sporting Futures, on 29th April. Male winner, Alex Pilcher of Derby AC continued this theme by breaking the course record by 23 seconds in an impressive 31minutes flat. The 22 year-old came third last year, behind winner Andy Norman and Notts' Richard Kay. Pilcher maintained control this time and was well ahead when he crossed the finishing line: "I led from the front pretty much from the start," he said. "There was a guy with me most of the way until the 4-5k mark but I just tried to push myself on a bit more. I was sprinting at the end." Second place went to Martin Whitehouse of Notts AC in a time equal to the previous course record, 31:23. Richard Lee of Charnwood AC took third place almost one minute behind Pilcher. The women's final lap in Pride Park Stadium was equally exciting as the eventual winner, Andrea Woodvine of Aldershot Farnham & District, was neck and neck with Claire Woolis, from Sutton in Ashfield Harriers just metres before the finish line. The race became close in the final 2000m as Woodvine's lead was overhauled but she recovered for a sprint victory with a time of 35.23mins, just 17 seconds shy of the course record. She said, "I really didn't expect to win. Even when I was sprinting for the line at the end I expected her to come back and overtake me. It was only when I crossed the line that it hit home." The Lenton-based runner beat her previous PB by over a minute to claim the win in 35:23. Woolis came in just one second behind Woodvine and third place went to Juliet Potter of Charnwood AC in 35:43. The 10k race attracted over 2500 entries this year, which is up 700 from last year. Everyone running had a different goal and was there for a different reason but they were all united in their determination to complete the race. Runners from over 50 affiliated clubs took part in the 10k race including male winner, Pilcher who enabled Derby AC to regain the title after losing out to Notts AC for the past four years. Derby AC won the club title thanks to Pilcher and team mates who came in 10th and 13th. Notts picked up second place and Long Eaton claimed third. The serious runners whizzed round the city centre course, headstrong and focused on their time. Over 2000 fundraisers, t-shirts displaying their cause, ran from their hearts with passion and confidence. Others were there simply for the personal achievement of completing a 10k race, their bodies pushed to the limit, all their training and hard work culminating on the day. Runners were apprehensive of the soaring temperatures predicted on Sunday but the good old English weather came to their rescue with a rather cool, cloudy start to the day as the runners set off at 9.30am. The sun did begin to peak through as the last of the 10k runners entered the stadium, giving the fun runners a pleasant mid-morning to run in. The 2.2mile Fun Run, started by Derby County's official mascot, Rammie, attracted approximately 1000 children, families, fundraisers and wheelchair users who tackled the course head on, happy faces and fancy dress everywhere you looked. Sporting Futures patron and Burton Albion manager, Nigel Clough and his family were among the fun runners: He said: "There was a lovely atmosphere, it was great to see so many people taking part in an event like the fun run and the 10k. "A lot of people have also turned out to support and cheer people on. As soon as you come in to the stadium and see all the people it is fantastic and running in such a big group is a lot easier than running on your own." Local residents and friends and family of the runners also turned out in full force, lining the streets of Derby city centre and the stands of Pride Park Stadium. Over 100 volunteers were on hand to marshal the course and direct people to parking spaces during the event, which was executed by race organisers, Sporting Futures, with military precision. Speciality chemical firm, Lubrizol, whose team members were placed 9th, 59th and 98th past the finishing line, won the Protrade Corporate Team Challenge. Race organiser, Kay Smith, of Derby based charity Sporting Futures said, "The event was fantastic, the runners, spectators and volunteers all contributed to a wonderful day, enjoyed by all. "Organising the Derbyshire 10k and Fun Run enable us to raise money to help get young people involved in sport and away from crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour, making Derby a better place for all to live. "We would like to thank everyone who took part, especially those who raised sponsorship money for Sporting Futures. We hope to see you all next year!" Our Clients, 9th May 2007 | 
