EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS TO COMPETE AT THE BUPA GREAT EDINBURGH CROSS COUNTRY

Recently crowned European champions Atelaw Bekele and Fionnuala Britton will head the European Select men and women's side at the Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry in the New Year.

The Belgian and Irishwoman after their solid victories at the Championships in Velenje will start favourites in the International Team Challenge  against the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad and Team USA in Holyrood Park on 7 January.

For the now naturalised Ethiopian-born  Bekele, his appearance in Scotland's capital will be his first outing as a professional runner having decided to pursue a full time career as from 1 January.

The 24-year-old - no relation to his much more famous and former countryman Kenenisa Bekele - after his dominant performance in Slovenia in mid-December and second position at the IAAF Cross Challenge Permit meeting  a week later in Brussels, will start favourite in the 8km contest.

Bekele is part of an extremely strong Euro men's contingent which also includes Ayad Lamdessem (second), Joe Sweeney (fifth) and Javier Garcia (sixth) at the Championships as well as Sergiy Lebid the former nine time gold medallist who will captain the team.

Their strength in depth suggests they can defend the title they won ahead of the Amercian's and host nation at the inaugural International Match last January in what will again be broadcast live by BBC television.

Britton was a revelation when breaking clear at the halfway point in her competition in Velenje when becoming the first from Ireland to capture the Euorpean gold medal since Catherine McKiernan won at the first Championships in 1994.

Now she will captain the continental side in the 6km race which also includes Spaniard Delores Checa who proved herself to be Europe's fastest 5000 metres performer this year in the women's race which has been added to the programme for the first time.

The Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry will also feature what will be a very fast 3km clash between all of the current Olympic distance running gold medallists Kenenisa Bekele, Asbel Kiprop and Brimin Kipruto.

Bekele at the 2008 Games in Beijing won both the 5000m and 10000m titles while the Kenyan pair of Kiprop and Kipruto triumphed in their 1500m and 3000m steeplechase races.
end

Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry/Winter Run Timetable

09:10 Senior Women Inter District including Celtic Nations

09:45 Senior Men Inter District including Celtic Nations

10:20 U15 Girls Inter District

10:30 Bupa Junior Great Winter Run

10:45 U15 Boys Inter District

11:00 Bupa Great Winter Run

11:05 U13 Girls Inter District

11:25 U13 Boys Inter District

12:00 Junior Men International (6km) including U17/U20 Inter-District

12:30 Junior Women International (4km) including U17/U20 Inter-District

13:00 Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Men (8km)

– Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Women (6km)

14:30 Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Men’s International (3km)

BEKELE AND FELLOW REIGNING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLISTS TO COMPETE IN STAR STUDDED BUPA GREAT EDINBURGH XCOUNTRY

Kenenisa Bekele will head a star studded field including all of the reigning Olympic distance running champions at the Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry in the New Year.

The Ethiopian, recognised as the world's greatest ever cross country performer, will once again return to the Holyrood Park venue on 7 January where he will be joined by Kenyan stars Asbel Kiprop and Brimin Kipruto.

While Bekele became the first athlete ever to complete an Olympic 5000metres  and 10000m double for 28 years at the 2008 Beijing Games, Kiprop and Kipruto won the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase titles in the Bird's Nest stadium.

The trio will feature in the Invitation 3k race at the BBC televised Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry, which will also host an International Team Challenge between the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team, the United States and a European Select side for all age groups.

"I think that it is fantastic the meeting will see all of the gold medallists who claimed every men's distance running title in Beijing facing one another and I'm sure a great race will be on the cards," said Brendan Foster, whose company Nova International organise the annual IAAF Permit meeting.

The former Olympic 10000m, added:  "Bekele's ran in the event before, securing fabulous victories on three occasions when the race was over the longer distance of 9k and memorably, he also scored the last of his record six World Cross Country title long course victories in Holyrood Park in 2008.

"Kenenisa also showed, after missing the entire 2010 track season through injury, he is back at his very best when producing the world's  fastest 10000m time this year at the end of the season in Brussels.

"He, Kiprop and Kipruto will fight tooth and nail to defend their Olympic titles. I think that determination will see them eager to kickstart their ambitions with great performances in Edinburgh at the start of the New Year."

 Bekele, relishing his return to Scotland said: "I feel very comfortable starting my important Olympic year by competing in Edinburgh.

“Because of all the wonderful cross country's I ran there and of course the memories of becoming World Champion in Edinburgh after losing my spike during the race, it feels like coming home to race in Edinburgh against the best in the World. 
 

“My training is going well and after my victory in the fastest time of the year in the Brussels 10000m, I feel good and ready for the Olympic year ahead."

 Bekele his sights set firmly on the London Games next summer, added: "I am looking forward to competing with Mo Farah in front of his home crowd which could make the 10,000m one of the greatest races of the games."

 Kiprop and Kipruto return to the Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry after finishing second and third in this year's race when outpaced by fellow countryman and  former World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge, in the short course race.

"We had no problems in persuading either Kenyan to return and Kipruto, after missing the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run in September through injury, vowed then he wanted to come back to the capital for the cross country," said Foster.

Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry/Winter Run Timetable

09:10 Senior Women Inter District including Celtic Nations

09:45 Senior Men Inter District including Celtic Nations

10:20 U15 Girls Inter District

10:30 Bupa Junior Great Winter Run

10:45 U15 Boys Inter District

11:00 Bupa Great Winter Run

11:05 U13 Girls Inter District

11:25 U13 Boys Inter District

12:00 Junior Men International (6km) including U17/U20 Inter-District

12:30 Junior Women International (4km) including U17/U20 Inter-District

13:00 Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Men (8km)

– Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Women (6km)

14:30 Bupa Great Edinburgh XCountry Men’s International (3km)

The Perils of Daytime TV

After a great weekend of the Durham Christmas Festival – more later – I have caught my first cold in three years!

For those who know me well, the reason why I have been so careful is obvious but I have forgotten how crappy it make you feel.  I have a nose that is sore and running  so much that I am using paper hankies quicker than a school boy in his bedroom with the ‘parental control’ switched off!

Now, where does this bring in the dreaded daytime TV? Well, I have put the telly on having woken early over the past few days.  The first thing I have to say is “ No wonder Daybreak is down to a few hundred viewers!”  the whole programme is such a hotch-potch of hard news and fluffy stuff that you cannot watch for more than 10 minutes before getting confused or just hacked off with the whole ‘hospital TV’ atmosphere it has.

Channel 4 puts on ‘everybody Loves Raymond’ on at around 7.30am.  Before that  they have some UBERCOOL trendy nobodies who have all the professionalism of some first year media studies student – and not a good one either!    

Transfixed by the cheapness of the stuff all channels are putting out, I try and go for a coffee but the ‘council sink estate on tour’ that is the Jeremy Kyle Show hits the screen.

I have a question for all the tracksuits who go on there: 

“You are NOT clever enough to beat the lie detector so don’t try!”

And if you have been cheating / using drugs/ robbing your granny/ don’t go on ‘cause you will get found out.  But here is another point....

There is a disclaimer that runs along the bottom of the screen saying: “Blah Blah.. the lie detector is 96% accurate – 96% but there has been no one- Jezza said so – that has had a genuine false reading on this.

The look on one girls face when the test said she was fibbing was as bad as if she was being accused of being a witch!  I might well write in and ask where the 4% people are.

After that I got the hoover out!

Anyway, Durham Christmas Market was probably the best yet.  Hundreds of people from across the country – all looking for the Durham City Tourist Information Centre that has been closed down – go figure! We had three brass bands on Saturday one after the other which gave the whole of the market a festive atmosphere.  The bands, from Esh colliery, the fusiliers and then the Salvation Army all did their bit.

The highlight of the day was the Lantern Parade by around 300 kids who parade behind the Salvation Army band as they marched to the Cathedral and then a story and some carols.  All happy bunnies.

That’s it from me for the while.  The next entry will have information about a couple of projects

2012 MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE ETAPE PENNINES ROUTE ANNOUNCED

MARIE CURIE CANCER CARE ETAPE PENNINES ROUTE ANNOUNCED

IMG Challenger World, organizers of the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, the first closed road sportive in England, are pleased to announce route details for the 7 October 2012 event.

The 2012 Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines route has been released and promises to showcase the beautiful countryside of the North East of England with a 78 mile route round County Durham.

Starting at Ushaw College, just a few miles from Durham city, the route heads south towards Witton Park, host to the first climb of the day, before turning west through the rolling countryside in Middleton-in-Teesdale for the second climb. Following a quick descent, its north again via St John’s Chapel to Blanchland with a few climbs along the way before heading east back through Castleside to the finish at Ushaw College. With well stocked feedstops, mechanical back up on the route and marshals at strategic points, the priority is on rider care and providing a safe and enjoyable day’s riding.

The event will be run on closed roads at all times and in order to make this traffic free environment possible, the route will have to cross several main arterial roads. At these points specially trained marshals will be operating level crossing style crossing points for the duration of the event, stopping vehicle traffic and cyclists in turn to make safe crossing possible. Timing mats will be on each side of these crossings so riders times will not be penalised if there is any delay at these points.

James Robinson, Managing Director of IMG Challenger World, has been working closely with the event team on the route since the event’s inception, “We are really pleased and excited to be bringing the first closed road sportive in England to County Durham as the course has been designed to offer riders a challenging and rewarding ride in the stunning countryside of the North East. Rider safety and enjoyment is paramount at all times and to this end we have been working with the Police and Durham County Council to ensure a traffic free route for the entire event. We will be working very hard over the next 11 months to make sure the first closed road sportive in England will be every bit as successful as its sister event - the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia. ”

Marie Curie Cancer Care is the official Charity Partner of the Etape Series 2012. All funds raised by cyclists taking part in the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines will enable Marie Curie Nurses to provide more free care and support to terminally ill people and their families.

For more information and entry details on the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines please visit

http://www.etapepennines.co.uk/

ABOUT IMG Challenger World

IMG Challenger World owns six events in the UK and 24 events globally. UK events include…

Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia - The UK's first and only closed road mass participation cycling event. The event appeals to cycle club

enthusiasts, recreational cyclists, gym members and those looking for a new physical challenge in the stunning highland Perthshire. 13th May

2012.

Sky Ride Etape Hibernia - Sky Ride Etape Hibernia is a closed road cycle event, taking in 82 miles of breathtaking scenery in County Clare, West

Ireland on 26th August 2012.

Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines – The first closed road sportive in England with 78 miles of stunning scenery in Durham on 7th October

2012.

Run to the Beat powered by Nike+ - Run to the Beat is London's first half marathon and the UK's first music marathon. This unique event starts

and finishes at The O2 in Greenwich, with the route passing through three Olympic venues. Live music will be played at strategically placed

points around the course to help motivate competitors. 2012 date TBC.

ABOUT Marie Curie Cancer Care

Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK’s largest charities. Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, it

provided care to more than 31,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its nine hospices last year and is the largest provider of

hospice beds outside the NHS.

Funding

Around 70 per cent of the charity’s income comes from the generous support of thousands of individuals, membership organisations and

businesses, with the balance of our funds coming from the NHS.

Marie Curie Nurses

The charity is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide end of life care, totally free for patients in

their own homes.

More information is available at www.mariecurie.org.uk

Female atheltes and Children in Need

Most of the athletics is over for another year and the IAAF Awards have been given out.  Not much competition for the Male athlete of the year – Usain Bolt - and well deserved too.

The female award was another thing altogether!

Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot was overlooked in favour of Ozzie Sally Person.  I have interviewed / chatted to both in the past year and found them both very nice people and very good at what they do. But I, and a lot of others, find it difficult to understand how Sally got the vote over Vivian.  Have a look at the link and it may explain more if you don’t follow athletics. 

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/sports/2011/11/15/kiplagat-slams-iaaf-over-cheruiyot-gala-snub/

It is Children in Need time again and local BBC pitched up in Durham City  to sell the calendar – normally a nice success.  All in all more than 300 calendars were sold and the team were ‘over the moon’ and will come back again.

It was also nice to catch up with Julie Smith – a VJ for the BBC based in Newcastle.  It was nice to chat ‘in a happy time’ as our last meetings have been sad.

ALSO, had time to make final arrangements for the Durham City Christmas Festival this year.  It is a magical event for young and old as the City lends itself to this sort of occasion. There will be a number of brass bands adding to the atmosphere on both Saturday and Sunday (3 &4 DEC) as well as a lantern parade by youngsters up to the Cathedral where there will be a ‘Christmas sing song’ for all.

More on that later, but for now  Keep Smilin’

Portsmouth in October - not for the sun worship!

Down at the Great South Run over the weekend and it was, as always, a great place to be.

Leonard Komon, a one to watch out for next year, won the event in a very nice 46.18.  Not his preferred distance – as he holds World records for 10 and 15k but 10 miles was good for him down on Portsmouth front.

Kenyan and World marathon record holder Abel Kirui who crossed the line in 46.40 with Ireland's Alistair Cragg third in 47:14.

Komon went off like a rocket but paid the price for his this as he ‘slowed’ to almost five minute miles in he last two miles.

"I deliberately started fast as I knew it would be difficult when running against the wind in the closing stages," said Komen "The weather was too much for me and it was really tough at the end. It would have helped me if earlier in the race there had been someone to run with. I tried my hardest on my own but it wasn't enough."

Ethiopia's former World half marathon runner up Asselefech Mergia won the women's race 52 minutes 55seconds ahead of the Kenyan pair of Doris Changeywo and Irene Jerotich.

Changeywo last year's Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres silver medallist and Jerotich winner of the marathon title in New Delhi clocked 53:34 and 53:43.

"I decided that was the best point to get clear as I knew when we turned (for the last two miles) the wind would make it very difficult - which happened," said Mergia.

So watch out for those names next year and also a little girl called Charlotte Perdue who is fast making a name for herself.  Only 20 years old and did herself proud in such good company coming in fourth.

More info on the race click here:

http://www.greatrun.org/News/NormalNews.aspx?nid=7680

Haile Gebrselassie returns to Birmingham with a win and looks towards qualifying for London 2012.

He had won and broke World Records in the City – indoors, but this time ‘The Emperor’ showed he still has the class on the roads as he eased to victory in the Great Birmingham Run on Sunday.

 The 38-year-old Ethiopian was back to form with a credible time of over half-marathon distance with 1:01.29.

Making his break at just over half way he cruised to the finish line, with his nearest challenger a full minute behind - Qatar's Essa Rashed in1hr 2mins 28secs with Morocco's Abderrahime Bouramdane in third in 1:03:57.

Gebrselassie said: 'It was a fantastic race for me except for the wind and it was really hard between 11 and 12 miles.

'This helps me in my preparations for next year's Olympic Games where of course I still have to get the qualifying standard. That means to get one of the three places in the Ethiopian team I will have to run around 2:05.

'I am totally focused on getting the qualifier. Today was kind of a training run towards doing that. The three fastest will go to London.'

The women's race was dominated by British athletes, and won by Gemma Steel in 1:12:21, ahead of Louise Damen (1:13:51) and Lucy MacAlister (1:15:30).

Haile Gebrselassie to compete at the inaugural Bupa Great Birmingham Run

Ethiopian running legend and the world’s greatest ever distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie, will compete at the inaugural Bupa Great Birmingham Run on Sunday 23 October.

Gebrselassie confirmed his participation in the international half marathon race earlier this week while visiting Soweto in South Africa, where he is doing charity work for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The event is being organised by Nova International, organisers of the world famous Bupa Great North Run, with 54,000 competitors.

Gebrselassie, despite recently losing his world record in the BMW Berlin Marathon, still remains one of the biggest attractions for global meeting organisers, and although failing to finish in the German capital, he remains determined to qualify for his national team over the distance and take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

During his illustrious career, the 38-year-old , has won two Olympic 10,000m gold medals, four IAAF World Championship titles over the distance and set 26 world records in competitions ranging from 2,000m to marathon.

The African star is also no stranger to Birmingham where in the past his electrifying appearances at the National Indoor Arena have seen him break the world 2,000m, two mile and 5,000m records.

Brendan Foster, chairman of Nova and a former world record holder and Olympic medalist himself, is delighted to have attracted Gebrselassie to the inaugural meeting, which has attracted a 15,000 sell out field.

"To bring the greatest runner of all time, Haile Gebrselassie, to one of the biggest cities in the UK for the first staging of the Bupa Great Birmingham Run will be fantastic," said Foster.

"It will offer everyone taking part in what is a very large and impressive field to run with him, and I know from his popularity there in the past, a big crowd will come out to support him and all of the contestants.

"Personally I just can't wait to see Haile running in Birmingham, which is a venue very special to him. He is the number one guy in our sport and to have him running in a city where he's set world records in the past is fantastic and it would be great to see him win the race."

Foster added: "Haile is also no stranger to our meetings. He's won the Bupa Great Manchester Run on four occasions and also had a magnificent victory in his first ever Bupa Great North Run last year.
"Now he'll be running over the half marathon distance where he is a past world record holder and I'm sure he will be looking to achieve something special as we bid to make the Bupa Great Birmingham Run another major asset in our global running programme.

More information at: http://www.greatrun.org/

Gateway Wheelers

It was something of a rare day on Sunday when I had the honour of presenting one of the groups who take part in the Durham Big Ride with a trophy.

Gateway Wheelers are based in Chester-le Street and have, for the past five years, made the effort to get themselves down to the DBR and take part in all of the distances – 3, 10 and the 25 miler.

Seeing, at first hand, the work that goes on down there –using and adapting cycles so that all the kids, no matter what their riding ability, can get out on the athletics track and enjoy the safe environment, confirmed why we decided they should get the Business Challenge Award this year.

We give this award to groups or companies who make the most of the Durham Big Ride day.  This has previously gone to Henderson Doors, a company that has had its fair share of problems (haven’t we all) in recent years. 

What they do is make a weekend of it and get some of their employees from Holland and Ireland to come over and take part as well as a bit of ‘social networking’.

Last year the Durham Fire and rescue took the shield home as they have put the Durham Big Ride and The Beast, as part of their fitness regime.  There is a fair few of them doing both events and enjoying it as well!

This year, little Grace McGlone had the ‘pleasure’ of accepting the Business Challenge Shield from me at their session.  She remembered that it was me who gave her the T-shirt and medal for completing the 3 miler this year.  Yes, that face is one you DON’T forget in a hurry!

Brian Millar who runs the club told me: “We have been a registered charity since 2000 and now have around 150 members.  We enter DBR because it is a fun event that we can take part in as equals, the range of rides mean that our members can choose the length that suits them and it also raises valuable sponsorship for our organisation.”

Dive in for 2012 British Gas Great Swims

Swimmers should get ready to dive in for the British Gas Great Swim Series 2012, Europe’s largest open water mass participation event, as online entries are now open for the following three events:

·        The British Gas Great East Swim, Alton Water Park, Suffolk,  Saturday 16 June

Half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile courses

·        The British Gas Great North Swim, Lake Windermere, Cumbria, Friday 22^nd, Saturday 23^rd and Sunday 24^th June

Half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile courses

·        The British Gas Great Manchester Swim, Salford Quays, Sunday 1^st July

1-mile urban course

Earlier this year, the flagship of the series, The British Gas Great North Swim, reached full-capacity weeks before it was staged, with over 10,000 swimmers taking to the waters of Windermere.

The British Gas Great Swim Series 2011 attracted a record number of swimmers – 22,000 who signed up for the five events staged in outdoor locations by Nova International in London, Salford, Cumbria, Suffolk and Scotland.

The mass race swimmers were able to swim in the wake of world-class elite open water swimmers such as Great Britain’s Keri-Anne Payne, the world 10k open water champion, and nine-time world champion Thomas Lurz – who won the 2011 Salford and Suffolk events.  The duo, plus a host of other world-class swimmers are expected to compete in Great Swim events next year, in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. 

Entrants can apply to enter the British Gas Great East, Great North and Great Manchester Swims by visiting http://www.greatswim.org/. Entries will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Things are sent to try you!

After the massive weekend - including what felt like hours of interviews on the Friday, the Great North Run was once again a great success.
There is a great bunch of people work on the whole weekend of events.  Far too many to mention of course, but my mate Dickie was around and did a sterling job just getting on with things and making sure 'the swan looked calm while the feet below the surface were going at 200 miles an hour'.

Looking after the snappers at the event is always good fun- if a little hectic! 

On the Sunday morning of the Great North Run the atmosphere is unique to say the lease.  If you haven't had the chance to sample it, get up there even if you are not running or interested, it is worth the trek up there.
For me the start is a chance for a quick chat with some of the cleebs who are good runners and the ones who come along to jog and enjoy the day for what it is.

Chris Chittle and Tony Orpenshaw ( two leads from the soap Emmerdale) are also good fun and Tony is not a bad runner with regular 1.30 for half marathon and around 3 hours for the full 26.2 miles.

Nell McAndrew, model, TV presenter and general all round great person is also someone I come into contact with around 3 or 4 times a year through running and is always happy to chat about stuff as well as knocking out 1.25 or so for the run ( even dressed as batwoman this year she still managed a sub 1.30!)

As I say in the title, things are sent ... and this week was a toughie!
After the troubles I have had over the past 6 weeks or so, emotions were, I thought, sorted out but the sight of thousands of people running / jogging / strolling the race - looking to get through in 3 hours did get to me a bit. 

Nell caught it straight away and another great friend of mine Pat Darling from Marie Curie Cancer Care also saw right through me.  I was glad to work the day and glad to get back home.

Just recently, I have found out about a few other people - both good things and bad. 

I was trying to sort out a gig for a couple of mates of mine and was well and truly 'stitched -up' by someone who I have always been wary of but try and do a fair deal.  Made me look a bit of a idiot but know better from now on.

Another one is that a project I was working on regarding a panto in Durham City has went to the wall beacuse of finance backers getting into trouble through other business ventures.  Big shame as the cast were well up for the show - based in a big top on the the riverside in the City.

NB one to watch for next year.  Charlotte Dawson.  She is the daughter of Les Dawson and is now making a name for herself in the world of showbiz.
Apart from that - everthing is fine! Meg the dog is happy - well getting older and just as grumpy, England are still in the Rugby World Cup and after the troubles of the past few months I am starting to get back to chatting with clients and friends again.

Keep Smilin'

New start

Hello and welcome to my blog site that will become an important part of the Ed Tutty Communications Website.
It is the place where I will try and get all of my press releases up - and pictures as well.  Along with them, I will, on occasion, put some personal stuff up - but not much as my life isn't that interesting!

Happy days and come back when you like.