10th November 2024

Remembrance, Day, Horses, Leaves, Football and no puddles

Key Information:

Treeton Lightning 2024 – hosted by Rotherham Running Club (and supported by Up & Running)

11.30am Start (for Remembrance Day) at Treeton Cricket & Football Pavilion, S60 5PU

Quoted distance: Approx. 4.5 miles. Strava stats on the day: 7.27km with 122m elevation gain.

Entry £6/£8 including overall/age category prizes and buffet (16 years +)

On the Day:

As with most recent mornings this was looking like another dull overcast day. However as I exited the clubhouse the skies cleared and hazy sunshine greeted us for the start of the first ever Treeton Lightning Trail Race. It’s billed as a 4.5 mile race around the Dyke (lake?) and woods. Apparently it’s the reverse of the Treeton Bolt (plus a few bits??) which has sadly always clashed with other events, so I am yet to try. We gathered for the start after a short walk down the hill (from the clubhouse) on a  path that would eventually take us past Treeton Dyke. We marked Remembrance Day with a pre-race 2 minute silence.

From the start, we headed out along an uneven stony track with enough mixed size craters towards Treeton Dyke (which was on our left). This is a beautiful large lake which looked inviting in the crisp autumn sunny weather. The path narrowed, turned and left the lake side heading off (and up) into the woods. The recent dry weather meant that the ground was a sea of deep, crisp brown leaves, which on occasions made finding the route a bit challenging (especially when I lost sight of the runner ahead). However the route was generally very well marked with ribbons on trees and painted white arrows in specially cleared sections of trail. Trip hazards were also helpfully highlighted with paint. Cheery and supportive marshals were also located at key points around the course. As a first for me and others we came face to face with a couple of large horses in the woodland. Reports suggested that we all skillfully passed each other with politeness and no incidents. There are a couple of (may need to walk) steep climbs approaching 3k and 5k, which were testing.

The race finish was up behind the clubhouse (and away from the start). The quicker runners would have easily made it back to a packed clubhouse for the Blades v Owls kick off. A very lively atmosphere greeted us all on our return. Half time provided the perfect window of opportunity for awarding overall and age category prizes. An excellent buffet was also available, along with bar service. Sadly, on this occasion no Strider managed to bag a prize.

Thanks go to Rotherham Running Club for putting on this very enjoyable,  local race. It’s a very nice mixed route, passing the Dyke and touring the ancient woodland in this “hidden” corner close to both Sheffield and Rotherham. Hopefully we’ll be back for the Bolt and Lightening next year.

Some Key Fun Facts about Treeton:

Treeton is a small village located in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham

There is evidence of a Mesolithic and Neolithic settlement in this area as well as a nearby Roman Fort.

Treeton is home to St. Helen’s Church, which is a Grade II listed building that dates back to the 12th century.

The village was once a thriving coal mining community. The Treeton Colliery operated from 1875 until its closure in 1990. The railway station closed in 1951.

Treeton is surrounded by picturesque countryside, offering plenty of opportunities for walking, cycling, and bird watching.

Treeton Cricket Club, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest cricket clubs in South Yorkshire and has a strong local following.

Treeton Dyke is a large lake located in the village and is popular for fishing and bird watching.

The village has several welcoming traditional pubs, serving local ales and fine food. A summer fair is amongst many annual events in and around the area.

There were 47 finishers

Striders results