Hyde Park Harriers AGM and Awards 2020/2021

This evening, Hyde Park Harriers got together (virtually) for our Annual General Meeting and Awards Do. Thank you to everyone that attended. You will be able to see the minutes on the website shortly. The slides from the evening are accessible here.

At the AGM, we covered a summary of all the various groups within Hyde Park Harriers. We also nominated and elected in a number of new committee members.

I want to thank the Hyde Park Harriers Committee members that are stepping down this year:

• Becki Gray, our treasurer, after 5 years on the committee
• Richard Edwards, previously membership secretary, having been on the committee since 2015
• Phil Hammond, after 2 years on the committee

This year, we welcome a number of new committee members:

• Katherine Kirkham as treasurer
• Danni Bryant as an ordinary committee member
• Curtis Ledger as an ordinary committee member

Xeni Perry, Clare Evans and Lorraine Beavis were all nominated for another term and we are really delighted to have them back on the committee for another 2 year term.

Here’s the summary of the awards nominees and winners from a really tough year, but a great year for Hyde Park Harriers, where we have grown together as a community.

Ain’t No Barriers Award

Awarded to an individual for pushing the barriers and overcoming challenges with outstanding performance or improvement during the year.

This award is not awarded every year, and is only given in years when a member has really achieved targets and above in the face of challenges.

Our winner this year is Grace Roberts!

Grace has won the amazing achievement of the Ain’t No Barriers award for 2020/2021 for a huge number of reasons this year. Not only has Grace faced into the actual physical barrier of being in Belfast away from her family and friends and HPH members. Grace didn’t let her this stop her. She’s played a massive part in the club this year by running quizzes, challenges, motivating us all, welcoming new members and, on her rare visits back to Leeds, making sure to check in with HPH members and run with a good group of us.

On a performance front Grace has (as you will see below) has an absolutely fantastic year during her training. She’s run her first marathon, and she’s PBed in many distances, some of them (her 5km) during longer runs. She’s fought a couple of injuries this year, so it’s really pleasing to see that she’s been able to take a really sensible approach to her training and rehab and achieve loads along the way.

Not only this but Grace has played a huge part in the country’s fight against COVID. She’s ensured that HPH had all the information and fact and figures about the virus by consulting as part of the COVID-19 task force. She’s reviewed all the documents and risk assessments that have played part of getting the club back to running but she’s also helped us to understand the benefits of the vaccine and really clarified some of the myths about the virus for our members to help keep us safe.

Grace, you’re an absolute inspiration and HPH couldn’t be what it is without you. Well done and thank you. We can’t wait to have you back in Leeds.

Chair’s Award

Awarded to an individual for outstanding performance or improvement during the year.

Winner: Toby Adkins

Toby received a number of nominations for his absolutely stonking marathon PB where he knocked over an hour off his previous marathon by achieving 2:42 at the Grim Up North Christmas Cracker marathon. Toby has trained so hard for this throughout 2020, and has put in so much work, so a well deserved PB and a fantastic achievement. Well done Toby! How does he fit it all in whilst also being the resident HPH Riddler and regular Tuesday night leader?

The shortlist for this award is below:

Grace Roberts

Despite living in Belfast away from family and friends over the past year, Grace has kept herself a firm member of Hyde Park Harriers, helping us keep active in our brains and bodies. Grace has received her nomination for for the Chair’s award for her fantastic running progress! Following a bit of an injury, Grace has come back to running with a renewed gusto and as part of her 21 minute run has earned herself a very shiny new 5km PB. She’s also achieved marathon and half marathon PBs this year, too, we understand. Well done Grace, all that hard work and fantastic attitude to your training has paid off.

Matt Armstrong

Matt was nominated for a number of reasons: primarily for the motivation he has for running, and for the way he has helped our very own committee member Phil with his own motivation this month. Phil and Matt have been seen out (via Strava!) running regularly together at 6am on long runs, covering great distances and with some fabulous views. Matt has covered quite the distance in January, and we all think he’s a fantastic inspiration. Well done Matt.

Curtis Parker Milnes

Curtis Parker-Milnes was nominated for his incredible (19:44!) 5km PB and training plan from which it resulted. Well done, CPM, you worked so hard for that!

Lizzie Coombes

Lizzie was nominated for her April and October VMLM attempts and all the great training that fitted in between it. It’s been and up and down year of injuries for Lizzie, but we are looking forward to seeing her come back with a vengeance in 2021.

John Pratt

JP was nominated for so many things: vEveresting, for leading the Couch to 5km, for achieving so much in his running, swimming and cycling since he joined Hyde Park Harriers and generally making time for everyone in the club. John has been absolutely instrumental to several club member’s motivation levels over lockdown, ensuring that we are Zwifting, running or attending quizzes – and always doing it with a smile and a great level of care. Thanks JP, for everything you continue to do for the club..

Jaz Bangerh

Jaz started back running after having an operation on her ankle just before lockdown. She started run walking but over the past few weeks has been running the whole 5k and knocking big chunks of time off each time. Jaz has also returned to run club after a long time away and seems to be back enjoying all her running which is just what we like to see. Welcome back Jaz!

Rob Heap

Rob Heap was nominated in July for running 105 miles in a week, in his entry to the Montane Lakeland 100 mile race, the virtual version of the race he physically ran a couple of years back. Not only did Rob have to work out a whole logistical plan for his week in order to ensure he got the 100 miles completed, he also managed to finish it in 185th position out of 682 finishers! Well done Rob and thanks to everyone who supported him throughout the week.

Naomi Kellett

For her amazing, consistent and dedicated approach to training over the past year (and more!) in the face of uncertainty. Naomi has had events cancelled which included her chance to represent GB on a world stage and she’s continued to train and to ensure her friends and other club members are engaged with their training.

Richard Garratt

For his 1000 day run streak, general brilliant running performance and support of the club throughout the year.

Honor Baldry

For her 5km PB at time trial but also for amazing improvements in her cycling this year when faced with a slight injury. Looks like the duathlon world had better look out for Honor!

Vicky Houghton

Vicky was nominated for her fantastic and consistent running over the past few months and for motivating others to run, too. Well done for such great consistent improvement in the absence of any competition!

Sam Dooley

Sam was nominated for a considerable and incredible improvement in performance over the last year, in spite of a few bumps in the road along the way. Sam has contributed significantly to a number of virtual races and competitions and has also really motivated others to run through his passion.

Chris Worfolk

Chris’s nomination was for his consistent and dedicated approach to training this year. Chris has committed to a really comprehensive training plan and has run some really brilliant times as a result (and cycled, too). Chris has a full race calendar in 2021 and I’m sure he will fly through these with his renewed fitness and skill and most recent achievement of raising over £750 for charity and doing 7 standard distance triathlons in 7 days.

President’s Award

Awarded for contribution to the club during the year from an individual or group.

Winner: Sam Dooley

Sam was nominated both this year and last year for his sheer dedication to the organisation of the Hyde Park Harriers Summer Mile. This year the Summer Mile race will be in to it’s 10th year, with Sam at the helm from the beginning. Through thick and thin the past few years, Sam has driven the event to be one of the most exciting in the Leeds race calendar – one which draws great crowds and really builds the community of run and race-walking clubs in the area. Sam has so many contacts and is so adept at running the event and is loved by the team as a result. Bring on the Summer Mile 2021 – and Happy 10th Birthday!

The Shortlist for this award is below:

Anne Akers

Anne Akers for all of her hard work and great thought put into this year’s virtual panto as well as all of the lockdown arty challenge she ran for us over the cold and wet winter months. I hope you’ll all agree that the panto worked seamlessly on zoom, and everything had been thought of. Anne has such a fantastic talent as a writer, so the panto was also absolutely hilarious, too! Well done Anne, and thank you to sideline hero Noel, for all your tech support! Maybe this year we can do a panto in person! Outside of HPH but still very much integral – Anne has been hosting 2 zoom Virtual Opposite sessions every week to check in on her parkrunning community. 

Lucy Rider

Lucy Rider was nominated for the Daylight Saving Minds initiative which got us all out getting all that all important COVID-fighting Vitamin D during lockdown as well as for all the coaching and plans that she helped produce whilst we couldn’t train together. Lucy has also looked after our #runandtalk group over the past year, running regular zoom sessions for those who wanted a chat. The photos and stories shared from the Daylight Saving Minds challenge brought us together as a group and also brought together a number of HPH to run or walk together. Thanks Lucy!

Naomi Adkins

Naomi is a critical piece of the committee puzzle and does so much behind the scenes to help this awesome club running and our members safe and healthy. Naomi was also nominated for the President’s award in 2019/2020 and has received and been awarded many nominations for the same thing over her years at HPH, which speak volumes about her dedication and consistent commitment to the club. Naomi’s part of the team who send out the weekly bulletin, she manages the website, she cajoles our leaders into leading sessions and she has incredible decision making skills. She does this all in a really calm and collected manner.  Later this year, Naomi also rebuilt almost the entire HPH Website in the space of a week. Not only that, she’s a top runner and brilliant human being. Thank you Naomi, you’re a star.

John Pratt

JP as more commonly known was nominated for a number of reasons: for vEveresting, for leading the Couch to 5km, for achieving so much in his running, swimming and cycling since he joined Hyde Park Harriers and generally making time for everyone in the club. John has been absolutely instrumental to several club member’s motivation levels over lockdown, ensuring that we are Zwifting, running or attending quizzes – and always doing it with a smile and a great level of care. Thanks JP, for everything you continue to do for the club. If you want to get involved with the next cohort of Couch to 5km (Kay) please get in touch.

Lizzie Coombes

Lizzie has kept us running (or at least out and about) in many ways this year, but most notably by organising the ‘Beauty in the Ordinary’ photography challenge. We have loved seeing all of your entries and hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know your local more as a result of these challenges. Lizzie has also run 1.5 marathons this year: half where she visited loads of HPHs at home to take a brilliant socially distanced portrait and the other which was the virtual london marathon supported by her HPH crew. Lizzie’s 26.2 portraits and visits to the corresponding Harriers’s homes was a highlight of many of our lockdowns.

Xeni Perry

Xeni has kept many of us running (or at least out and about) by organising the 19km in 19 days challenge. Xeni was also nominated for her contribution to the committee and the weekly roundup: managing and writing the content and keeping a really valuable communication channel running. Xeni has also been a one woman welfare band in the past couple of years, messaging and getting out for walks and runs with many of our members and is also the brains behind the amazing CHristmas card this year – where she visited over 100 Harriers at their homes for a socially distanced catch up and check in. Xeni, HPH wouldn’t be what it is without you!

Steve Rhodes

Steve was nominated by a number of you for a series of engaging and informative navigation lessons, getting over his fear of technology by demonstrating all the different elements of orienteering compass-using and map-reading over the wonderful technology of zoom. Steve has also lead several sessions this year, often doubles, covering over 20kms regularly on Tuesday nights. Another way that Steve has got the HPH name out there were his many Fastest Known Times (FKTs) achieved out and about across the country. Well done Steve, and very well deserved!

Debbie Brown

Debbie, as I’m sure most of you know, has done an amazing job of coordinating several teams in the Yorkshire Inter-club COVID-19 relay, and then a VE Day version of the same. She seamlessly organised the teams and coordinated the results whilst running legs herself, too. I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to run for 19 minutes again for quite some time. Thank you Debbie, what a great job getting the HPH name and our eclectic baton choices out there in our droves.

Toby Adkins

The list of things that Toby has done for the club this year is endless. Toby was nominated on several occasions for all his riddles, quizzes, for supporting club members, for leading consistently and representing the club, performing in his own running, maintaining records of all training sessions. Toby has got involved in races and virtual challenges but also championing all of the other various things going on in the club, motivating us all to do the same. Toby’s genius brain has kept us all totally in check this year and his running and his enthusiasm has kept us running, too.

Tom Thomas

Tom’s always been a big part of HPH, but this year he’s taken it to the next level in organising a brilliant series of virtual running challenges in the local area. These LURGY (Leeds Underground Running Group, Yeah!) challenges have allowed Tom to build a great running community and to check in with individuals regularly and look after us all. Tom’s also a regular leader. Thanks for playing a big part in HPH, Tom.

The Sue Smith Silly Story Award

Awarded in memory of our friend and member Sue, who was notorious amongst friends and members for her incredible and hilarious stories. 

This award is given for a story that might be worthy of Sue. It might be silly, hilarious, muddy, mad, daring or embarrassing!

In the 2020/2021 year, it was agreed that this award would not be awarded this year due to the fact we haven’t been together as a club to share silly stories, and it’s not the same on your own. We look forward to many silly stories in 2021 and beyond.

The Rolf Neugebauer Photography Award

This award is given in memory of our friend and member Rolf for a photo that either best sums up Hyde Park Harriers or a great race photo. The winner of this award is judged by Rolf’s wife, Sharron, who asked me to let the club members know that she loved reviewing these images and to send her love and thanks to Hyde Park Harriers for their support this year.

Winner: Lizzie Coombes

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Here’s the Shortlist:

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