Aug 09 2010
This Saturday teams from around the country came to Weston-super-Mare to take part in our first Beach Football Tournament.
The tournament was great fun with some great football being played by all.
The early leaders were local team Banwell Beach Boys who beat all who came before them on the way to topping the table at the end of the group stages. With injuries and ‘Saturday chores’ robbing them of players however they had to drop out before the semi-finals which left the team from Southampton playing FC Farcelona in one match, the other being contested by Cutters Friday ‘A’ against Cutters Friday ‘B’.
It was Southampton who made it into the final, winning that 3-0 after a fantastic game which saw a final breakaway goal sealing the win after Cutters sent all their players forward to try and get back into the match.
After the final, teams headed back to Raddy’s Bar for food and a presentation of the trophy before heading off for their own celebrations or for the long drive home.
Feedback was good from teams, the only real complaint being that players feet hurt as the games were all played in bare feet!
A great pre-season fitness booster, playing on the sand really gets the blood pumping and the legs aching, and with some friendly teams and a good atmosphere, the tournament is one that is sure to grow and continue for a long time to come.
We are already looking at next years event. We are planning an earlier date, probably early July to try and catch the sunshine, which was patchy at best this weekend! The date will be released as soon as we have it. Online and postal entries will open at that point too so get some friends together and get down the beach and start practicing!
Thanks to all the teams for a great day, and thanks to Paul at Raddy’s for the food and hospitality after the tournament. Also a huge thanks must go to Matt and Steve for refereeing all day, before rushing off for their teams final pre-season friendly in the afternoon!
See you next year
Jul 19 2010
We are delighted to announce that this Thursday we were invited to the finals of the Network Rail National Partnership awards.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Rory Bremner and held at the Hilton in Birmingham. We walked away with a Highly Commended award in the Community Engagement category for our work with young people in Bristol.
This is great news for us, after only 3 years we have been recognised along with some of the biggest companies in the country as delivering excellent content and value for money in our Streetgames project that ran last year in Barton Hill.
In summary the project was funded by Network Rail and Streetgames and focused on two railway stations in the area. Our job was to try to educate local young people to the dangers of playing on or near the railway and in turn to reduce the levels of crime and trespassing on the two sites. We successfully managed to reduce crime in certain areas by 100% and achieved an overall saving for Network Rail of over £40,000, and most importantly, we could have saved a life or two. What we certainly did do was provide opportunities to over 2000 young people to take part in an activity that they would have never tried before, including cycling, football, rugby, basketball, dance and others.
We would like to thank Network Rail for supporting us and of course for giving us this award, we obviously don’t do this job for the awards, but it is great to be recognised for the work we are doing and make sus really proud that we are helping so many young people in the areas that they need it the most.
We hope to start another project soon in Newport, which will have the same aims and objectives, so now with two projects running at the same time, maybe next year we will scoop the top prize?!
Jul 09 2010
We are running a whole series of activities this summer and here are details of just a few.
You can download a copy of this info to keep on the fridge here Summer Cycling 2010
All sessions must be booked in advance. We may cancel sessions if numbers are low so please call Marc on 01934 425510 or 07894 144595 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk
Please get in touch with any queries or if you need to borrow bikes and helmets.
Guide to activities:
Intermediate/Advanced Session– We will ride as one big group, doing different activities, from cross country to downhill to the now famous Sole Events cycle Heptathlon, 7 events in 2 hrs! Suitable for anyone who can already ride a bike, riders will be out for 2 hrs but we have plenty of breaks. Bring a drink. Helmets must be worn,
Beginners/Improvers session – For complete beginners, and those with no or little cycling experience. These sessions will be held on flat small areas and are aimed at getting riders cycling for the first time, or improving their riding to a standard where they are able to ride unassisted. The sessions will involve simple assault courses and fun games for those needing to improve. Non-riders will learn techniques and tricks to get them riding. Helmets must be worn.
Ladies only sessions – Suitable for women and girls. The same sessions as the intermediate camps, but only girls allowed! There will be a male coach present. Helmets must be worn.
Bike Club – We ride every Saturday through the year, no matter what the weather. We meet at Ashton Court Manor House at 10am and ride for 2hrs. We have between 5 and 15 riders every week. Very friendly group, suitable for those who can already ride and are looking to improve or even race. Helmets must be worn.
Trips – Occasionally we will run trips, these might be to races or to venues where we know there is good, safe riding on good waymarked courses and easy access to roads in the event of emergencies. Riders must attend sessions prior to coming on trips to ensure we know they are capable. Trips will be attended by at least two coaches. We may take a minibus or we may take cars, depending on number of riders. Take lunches, snacks for rides and plenty of drinks.
Week Beginning July 26th
Ashton Court, Bristol – Intermediate/advanced session- £6 per day
27th July -Tuesday 10am-12midday
28th July -Wednesday 10am-12midday
29th July -Thursday 10am-12midday
Beginner’s/Improvers session, Ashton Court, Bristol – £8 per rider
30th July -Friday 10am-12midday
Ladies only session, Ashton Court Bristol – £6 per day
28th July – Wednesday 12midday-2pm
Bike Club – Regular Sat morning rides will continue through Summer as normal
31st July -Ashton Court 10am-12midday – £5 per rider
Week Beginning August 2nd
Ashton Court, Bristol – Intermediate/advanced session- £6 per day
3rd August -Tuesday 10am-12midday
4th August -Wednesday 10am-12midday
5th August -Thursday 10am-12midday
Beginner’s/Improvers session, Ashton Court, Bristol – £8 per rider
6th August -Friday 10am-12midday
Weston-super-Mare, Wyvern School – Beginner’s session – £8 per rider
6th August -Friday 1pm-3pm
Ladies only session, Ashton Court Bristol – £6 per day
3rd August –Tuesday 12midday-2pm
Bike Club – Regular Sat morning rides will continue through Summer as normal
7th August -Ashton Court 10am-12midday – £5 per rider
Week Beginning August 9th
Ashton Court, Bristol – Intermediate/advanced session- £6 per day
10th August -Tuesday 10am-12midday
11th August -Wednesday 10am-12midday
12th August -Thursday 10am-12midday
Beginner’s/Improvers session, Ashton Court, Bristol – £8 per rider
10th August –Tuesday 12midday-2pm
Ladies only session, Ashton Court Bristol – £6 per day
11th August –Wednesday 12midday-2pm
Bike Club – Regular Sat morning rides will continue through Summer as normal
Ashton Court 10am-12midday – £5 per rider
Week Beginning August 16th
Ashton Court, Bristol – Intermediate/advanced session- £6 per day
17th August -Tuesday 10am-12midday
18th August -Wednesday 10am-12midday
19th August -Thursday 10am-12midday
Beginner’s/Improvers session, Ashton Court, Bristol – £8 per rider
19th August –Thursday 12midday-2pm
Ladies only session, Ashton Court Bristol – £6 per day
18th August –Wednesday 12midday-2pm
Trip to Cwmcarn Cross Country course – £25 per rider
20th August –Friday 10am-4pm (guide time) Meet at Ashton Court Manor House
This is a trip we have run many times before. Cwmcarn is a specially created cross-country course created by the Welsh Forestry Commission. It is 9 miles long and starts with a long climb! It is great fun, with a fantastic jumps section at the top of the course where, time dependant, we will be able to stop and play for an hour. Riders must have attended one of our sessions prior to the trip to make sure they are of the right ability. The course is just the other side of Newport so we travel for around an hour each way.
Bike Club – Regular Sat morning rides will continue through Summer as normal
Ashton Court 10am-12midday – £5 per rider
Week Beginning August 23rd
Ashton Court, Bristol – Intermediate/advanced session- £6 per day
24th August -Tuesday 10am-12midday
25th August -Wednesday 10am-12midday
26th August -Thursday 10am-12midday
Beginner’s/Improvers session, Ashton Court, Bristol – £8 per rider
24thth August –Tuesday 12midday-2pm
Ladies only session, Ashton Court Bristol – £6 per day
25th August –Wednesday 12midday-2pm
Bike Club – Regular Sat morning rides will continue through Summer as normal
Ashton Court 10am-12midday – £5 per rider
May 25 2010
The results from the Harptree Havoc are now in andavailable to download here 23/05/10 Harptree Havoc Results
The eagle eyed among you will notice that there is one blank space…the runner who came in was so muddy that we couldn’t see his number! So if that was you, please let us know and we will update the results accordingly. You must have been going so fast through the finish that we missed you, so sorry about that!
This years race was absolutely fantastic, just what we dreamed of when we first put the race on 3 years ago.
We have already had some fantastic feedback and we have left the comments function on this page so please feel free to let us know what you thought by adding your comments via the link.
For what it’s worth, our thoughts are that the two lap format worked well, the nice weather helped and moving the race to a later date meant that the race took on a slightly different appeal, with the muddy sections becoming much more difficult than in the winter where they are more like puddles than bogs!
The BBQ was a success with spectators and runners, and to add to this what we would like is to try and appeal to more of the family and fun runners, those who will come up and do only one race a year as an adventure challenge. We still want to keep the club runners, but it would be good to get a real ‘Tough Guy’ type atmosphere going too.
We are already looking for a co-sponsor for next year, a local business who would like to help us by supplying race t-shirts for all entrants so if you or your company would like to get involved then please let us know.
As ever, we are grateful for the help and support of our ever-present sponsors Easy Runner. If you need new running equipment or advice, they really are the best in the business so get yourself along to the shop in Bristol, or look online where you can get all your essentials, the website is www.easyrunner.co.uk.
A big thanks to all our amazing volunteers who gave up their Sunday lie in, and most of their Sat afternoon too, the race would not exist without their help.
Finally, thanks to you for coming, we see many of the same faces every year and it is great to see some new ones too, please continue to support us, we hope you enjoyed the day and we look forward to seeing you all at the races, if you see any of us, say hi!
Our next event is the Bristol FitBiz Challenge, a teambuilding and networking event for companies in and around Bristol. 30 minutes of activity followed by a wine tasting and networking event at the Novotel on Victoria Street. The event will be held at 5pm on Thurs 1st July. We are looking for 20 teams so have a look at the link on the events page for more details.
Apr 26 2010
We have just confirmed that we will be running a beach football tournament on 7th and 8th August on Weston-super-Mare beach.
There will be a senior and a junior tournament and teams from around the country are expected to enter for what should be one of the hottest days of the year!
Weston-super-Mare beach is the ideal venue, with parking nearby, toilets and catering all on the sand and the town just 5 minutes walk away.
With the senior tournament taking place on the Saturday there is an ideal opportunity for you to hit the town and celebrate/commiserate with the other teams. The tournament is ideal for a weekend away with family or friends as there are plenty of places to stay and other attractions to visit nearby.
The junior tournament on the Sunday is split into two age groups, the 13-14 age group and the 15-16 and these are limited again to 16 teams in each.
Games last 7 minutes each way with 1 minute of rest at half time, unlimited substitutions from a squad of 10. Games are all 5 a side with no footwear allowed, this is samba football at it’s best!
If you want to enter a team have a look at the events section of the website or click on the link on the right hand side.
Any questions, please give us a call on 01934 425510 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk
Mar 04 2010
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded Streetmark Accreditation.
Streetgames is a national charity, who are supported by Sport England, who share the same ethos as us, namely that they encourage the delivery of ‘doorstep sport’. In other words we have now been recognised as delivering safe, equitable and quality sports sessions in venues around Bristol and beyond.
Streetgames supported our work last year, and following a successful series of activities which resulted in our nomination for 2 seperate national awards, they have supported our accreditation in 2010.
This is great news for us, not only does it give us recognition that we are delivering quality sessions, but it also provides us with access to the latest training, mentoring, monitoring systems and also gives us opportunities to take groups we work with to other activities being delivered in the UK. For example we took part in another Streetgames activity in Gloucester last year and saw some of the great work they were doing, we can take other groups to these sessions and help the young people we work with experience other people and their communities.
We would like to thank Streetgames for supporting us as well as our partners at Network Rail who fund some of our work and Avon and Somerset police and Safer Bristol who help us with delivery in the city.
Feb 08 2010
Our latest event, the FitBiz Challenge Bristol is now open.
The first time we ran this event in 2008 it was very popular, with teams from across the city taking part to try and become crowned ‘The Fittest Business in Bristol’. That honour fell to the Bank of Ireland team.
The event is designed to test the teamworking skills of companies, with 30 minutes of physical, tactical and mental challenges to complete. Each challenge is worth a different amount of points, and the team which collects the most points at the end of 30 minutes wins…it’s that simple!
As with everything that is worth doing though, it actually isn’t that simple! Teams will be given just 10 minutes to plan the activities they are going to complete, and when they get going they will need to make sure, not only that they and their teammates are capable of finishing each challenge, but also that they avoid other teams who may also be trying to take part in that activity. On top of all that, some challenges can be completed multiple times, some have ways of making them harder to gain extra points, and some will bring extra prizes for the best team to complete that particular challenge on the day.
Without giving too much away, one of last years challenges involved a memory test with a twist. Teams were shown 20 famous faces to memorise, then they had to run a 400metre course before returning and reciting as many of the faces as they could, each one worth a point. On top of this the team that remembered the most famous faces won a hooded sweatshirt each and a USB memory stick…see what we did there! Brace Alzheimers Charity sponsored this particular activity too, raising awareness of their charity and the effects the condition has on people.
So, now we have given you the lowdown on the event we hope you will want to get involved.
The event will be held on 1st July 2010 at the Square, Temple Quay in Bristol and will start at 5pm, for the full information and entry details you can click on the link to the right of this website. You can also see the gallery of the 2008 challenge here www.sole-events.co.uk/gallery/fitbiz-bristol-2008
We look forward to seeing you at Temple Quay.
Jan 18 2010
We are delighted to have been nominated for a prestigious national award!
We have been nominated for the cycle rail awards 2010 in two categories, the most innovative project and the People award.
This in in recognition of the work we have been doing teaching young people to cycle in Bristol and North Somerset.
We have been doing a lot of outreach youth work during this project, which means we have been going to places where young people gather or meet regularly and deliver fun cycling activities for a few hours. This means we are able to reach a whole group of individuals who would not otherwise be able to try cycling, either because of lack of equipment, an inability to travel to organised sessions, or many other factors which affect young people.
We have been working in and around the railways and tracks to try and educate young people of the dangers of playing on or near the railway, and the effects of this behavior on the network and the people working in the industry. Our partners at Network Rail who part fund the project actually nominated us for the award in recognition of the success of the project in raising awareness and significantly lowering the level of rail crime in the areas we targetted in 2009.
The project will be running again in 2010 and we plan to double the amount of delivery and areas in which we visit.
Fingers crossed that we win the award as it will no doubt lead to more people seeing the project and wanting to get involved in the fantastic work we have been doing.
We would like to thank all of our partners in this project, Network Rail, Streetgames UK, the local Police, Bristol City Council and all the volunteers and youth workers at various projects we visit, who do an amazing job every day of providing crucial activities for young people who really need them. Well done to you all.
Jan 05 2010
Saturday bike club has been running for well over 2 years now and we have seen loads of riders in that time of all different ages and abilities, so we thought it was about time we had an awards bash!
So we decided to hold one just before Christmas, straight after one of our cycle sessions on Sat morning.
There were several awards, and the winners were as follows…
Clubman of the Year – Tom Starr – for his everpresence at all sessions, trips and races and for helping to organise and marshal the races that we run in Harptree and Ashton Court, and for always being on hand to help other riders with technical problems or to offer advice to new riders…thanks Tom, well deserved!
Most Improved Rider of the Year – Rufus Brickell – Rufus has been riding with us for around 18 months now and has shown steady improvement in that time. He has grown in confidence and stature and now boasts one of the best jumps in the club! He is one of our most regular riders and we hope that he will come and take part in some races with the team this year.
Chris McCallion Young Rider of the Year – Josh Matthews – This award is named after my best friend who tragically died this year, and for whom life would not have been the same without bikes! We grew up sharing a love of riding and spent many hours riding, fixing and talking about bikes…this love is one which the Sat morning riders now share and the winner of the rider of the year award, Josh, personifies that. He loves to ride his bike and the rest of the guys are all chasing him at the moment as his skills and strength are so good. His ability at both racing and trick riding is so good that the rest of us are just glad to be around him! But the rest of the guys are hot on his heels so he will have to work hard in 2010 to stay on top, we look forward to seeing everyone moving onwards and upwards together.
Crash of the Year – Charlie Battin – and finally the Crash of the year was awarded to Charlie, for the sheer number of crashes and one particular crash while on a trip to Cwmcarn. While riding along a flat wide road, he managed to fall off and land head first in the ditch on the side of the road…however, undeterred he is one of the most consistent riders, coming along every week and also helping at all the events in 2009.
If there are any riders out there who would like to join our Saturday morning rides, we would love to see you there. Suitable for riders of 10 and upwards who can already cycle (it doesn’t matter how good you are, let us worry about that!) we meet at the Ashton Court Manor House and ride for 2 hours with lots of breaks and different activities so don’t worry if your stamina is not great at the moment. We have riders of all abilities, from national champions to occassional riders, and of all ages. Rides cost £5 and we also have bikes and helmets if you need to borrow one.
We are also especially keen to hear from any ladies who would like to ride with us, we now have a female coach who is keen to encourage more girls to get stuck in and show the boys how it’s done.
If you would like to know more information or talk to us about what the rides entail then please get in touch, marc@sole-events.co.uk or 07894 144595
To all of you who have been onto the site lately, we apologise for not updating for so long!
We had some minor and some not so minor issues to overcome, firstly the beloved Sole Events laptop blew up and we had to get a new one, at the same time we were moving offices so we couldn’t use the regular PC, but we are settled in now, the new office is looking good and the laptop is up and running so we promise to keep you updated with all the goings on as soon as we have them!
We have had a few people come to us for help with their new year’s resolution of getting fitter and we have been able to devise fitness plans for them, take them running and also some super cold Mountainbike sessions!
If you would like some help with target setting, reaching your fitness goals, or just coming out for some friendly rides then please get in touch, all our details are the same as before, by phone on 07894 144595, or by e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk.
Happy new year, we hope that you have a happy and healthy 2010
Marc and the team
Nov 06 2009
We are delighted to have a new person on board with us.
Geraldine has joined us one day a week to help out with admin and generally keeping us all in check!
She has loads of experience of working with sports related organisations, having been at the local council sports development team with Marc back in the day!
She will be putting together regular newsletters amongst other things so if you have any good stories or things you would like to share with the world then drop her a line geraldine@sole-events.co.uk and she will make sure that newsworthy ones go in.
A keen runner, she is soon to be starting up a new group of the local Women’s Running Network, however she still insists to us that she is the foil for our sporting escapades and is keen to represent the masses of ‘normal’ people who are looking to take part in activities just for fun, not for the glory of the win!!
So if you call the office and hear a new voice, please make her feel welcome and bear with us while we all get used to the new system.
Nov 04 2009
We have teamed up with a fantastic local provider to offer custom bike paint jobs for anyone looking to pimp their machine or simply make it look like they have a new steed at a fraction of the cost!
We can do any design you want, we can even help you design it if you want, we have seen a prototype version of a new Armstrong inspired black and yellow ‘Live-wrong’ bike which we have been planning for a while and the quality of the work is excellent!
So if you fancy a new look for 2010 without the pricetag, let us have a go at your current frame. Prices start from just £250 for a full frame and forks, get in touch with your ideas and we will get back to you with a design and price.
Photos of completed bikes will be put up in the gallery shortly.
The Sole Events team have been working hard to spread their wings and have recently been over to France looking for some training camp venues.
We found exactly what we were looking for in the heart of Provence.
With perfect rolling countryside, a lovely start of season temperature around 20-25 degrees, with open water swimming nearby and the Tour De France favourite climb Mnt Ventoux visible from just about everywhere (it’s big!), not to mention fantastic accommodation and welcoming hosts, we have found the perfect place!
Guests will arrive into Marseille Airport to be met by Mark, our riding guide for the week, not to mention cook, cleaner and multitude of other roles, who will take our bikes and bags back to the accommodation at Mas Des Cedres, a beautiful and spacious collection of Gite’s with swimming pool and tennis court on-site (www.masdescedres.com). Here we will meet Krissy, who will be our guide to some of the nearby beauty spots as well as being our expert chef.
Riders and their families will have plenty of choice on this camp, Mark will take us to various spots where we will be able to swim before breakfast, before setting up on the banks of the lake so we will be able to eat breakfast before setting off on a ride of choice from the venue back to our beautiful Gite accommodation. Mark will arrange to meet us on the ride to re-fill water bottles and provide emergency snacks for those who need them.
Of course for those who aren’t riding, or for those who simply fancy a day of recovery after their exertions, we will be running trips to local towns and villages as well as offering the opportunity to take part in other activities such as canoeing, Go-Ape (a high up in the trees rope climbing and boardwalking experience) perfume making and more besides, for a small extra charge. This really is a holiday all about you and what you want to do, we will try and be as flexible as we can to accommodate everyone.
And of course no trip to France is complete without wonderful cuisine. On this camp, all meals will be taken care of by Mark and Krissy, there is a full menu every evening, all included in the cost, and even your first 3 beers every evening are included…not that we think you will be drinking of course!! You really will be taken care of, you only need to get here…and maybe do some pedalling…we can’t do everything for you!
The next camp we will be running in the new year, flights are currently available on Easyjet and at the time of writing this cost around £70pp return with a bag and a bike included. The camp, including all meals and activities (extra activities such as entrance fees to museums, Canoeing etc that incur a cost will be payable directly to the facility, not to us), with guided rides, swim instruction and run coaching with head coach Marc, as well as pick up’s and returns to the airport and other local activities, use of pool, tennis, and those all important nightly beers and wine, costs just £650pp, for the week.
For more details on this camp or to make an enquiry about the next camp, or booking exclusively for your team, group or club, please get in touch with Marc on 07894 144595 or by e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk
Nov 02 2009
Half term proved to be a really busy week for us here at Sole Towers, we had loads of coaching in Bristol, and the culmination of this was a trip with a group of young people to the track cycling World Championships in Manchester on Fri night.
We saw Sir Chris Hoy and the guys take home several gold medals and despite the epic trip (8 hours driving in total) we all had great fun. Seeing the track guys and the speeds they reach is an awesome sight.
We hope to run a track session in Newport soon for those who have never had a chance to try it for themselves. Bikes can be hired there so the session will be suitable for all, look out for more details here when we get them.
Oct 26 2009
Right, first things first, an apology!
Hands up, when we measured the course several months ago, and several times since, we set up our Garmin to measure the course in KM, however what happened was the course was measured in MILES!
This was an honest mistake, that no-one picked up on in the dozen or so times that we took people round the course, so apologies, we know from talking to everyone on the day that some people were happy with a longer run, some definitely weren’t and some were just happy to still be alive at the end!
As a result we shortened the cycle course to 2 laps midway through the race for this reason.
This means that the total distances you traveled were 6.9km run, 16.25km cycle, 6.9km run.
So again, sorry for the confusion, we hope it didn’t spoil your day!
So on to the results, Julian Emery took out the men’s race with two storming runs, literally leaving the field in his wake, awesome performance to dip under the two hour mark.
Robyn Golding won the ladies event for Team Easy Runner, again demonstrating some fantastic running as the base for a fantastic time.
The provisional results are here Provisional Results 2009
They are also up on Tri247.com and duathlon247.com for anyone who likes to see their name up in lights! http://tri247.com/results_7546.html
If anyone spots a problem then please let us know and we will try to change things around, thanks to the timing marshals for a great job.
There are some fantastic photos up on the BristolSport.net website, thanks to Gary for coming along and taking some really good shots. www.bristolsport.net
We are already working on plans for next year, including plans to buy a new marquee as ours flew away shortly after the start!! and hope that the 2010 event will be even bigger and better, if you have any feedback for us we would be very grateful to receive it, we know there were some teething troubles and we hope it didn’t affect your race, but let us know, good or bad what you thought, e-mail us on marc@sole-events.co.uk
Prizes will be posted to winners in the next couple of days.
Thanks again to everyone for coming, next event is the Nike Harptree Havoc 10km on March 28th, if you haven’t been to this race before, it is full of mud and hills and waist deep puddles and is definitely another race not for the faint hearted…it’s great fun though.
We hope to see you there, or at next year’s BOD!
Thanks to Gary Bray/UNICON for this image of the start…our favourite
Sep 28 2009
Head coach Marc took the long trip over to Camberley in Surrey this weekend for the All About Triathlons Off-Road Triathlon.
It was a great event and the sun stayed out throughout which was a bonus.
Despite getting up at 6am and driving for 2+ hours and having to take part on a borrowed bike he managed to come in 4th overall, not bad for his first race in a few years.
To make the day complete he then drove the close to 3 hour journey down to Taunton so he could play in his football teams big match, which they drew.
Not a bad effort, the next event on the schedule is the Leicester Half Marathon on the 11th Oct so keep your eyes peeled for the results…there is even talk of the Sole Coaching staff having a go at Ironman in 2010…watch this space!
Sep 21 2009
Our new promotional video has been expertly mastered by friend of Sole Events, Joe Keenan.
We have put it up on YouTube so click on the link and have a look, let us know what you think…We like!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz_K-Qj1e6A
Sep 14 2009
Loads of stuff has been happening with the Bristol Off-Road Duathlon so we thought we would give everyone a quick update.
Firstly, entries are coming in fast so thanks to all of you who have entered so far, if you have entered online and chosen to send a cheque seperately, you need to send it off soon please as we are trying to keep on top of the entrants.
If you haven’t entered yet, then you can do so online via the tab on the right hand side of the homepage, or you can print off a form and send it to us in the post if you would prefer. As long as we get your entries by the closing date, we don’t mind how they come in! People have been asking if they can enter on the day and the answer to that is no, sorry guys but for a number of reasons we are only accepting entries up until the week before so you need to get entered in advance.
We will be running a session on Sun the 18th where we will be riding around the course, so if anyone would like to see in advance what is coming up, we will be meeting at 10am at the Mansion House Car Park at the bottom of Ashton Court. The session will last for approximately 2 hours and will be fully coached in two ability groups, so if you are not a very confident rider you can pick up some tips on how to ride each section, and if you are just looking for a blast around the course, one of our faster coaches will be on hand to take you off for a spin too. This session costs £5 per rider. If you want to come along please let us know beforehand by e-mailing marc@sole-events.co.uk or by phoning 07894 144595.
Under Armour have now confirmed that they will be sponsoring the event and will be supplying prizes for the top 3 male and female as well as winners of the 40+, and the 50+ race, male and female. So plenty to race for if you are looking to pick up an end of season podium place. Easy Runner are also sponsoring the event and will be supplying goodie bags for each competitor.
We also have various companies coming along on the day who will be setting up stalls so you can see the latest gear on offer. We will have a mobile coffee van selling Tea’s, Coffee’s and soups as well as snacks. Thirst Solutions will also be coming along with their mobile drinks machines so you will be able to grab your post race drink from them…you will deserve it!
More news is happening every day so we will keep you updated with the latest as soon as we get it. If you or your friends are thinking of entering and have any questions you can always drop us a line and we will be happy to help, marc@sole-events.co.uk or call us on 07894 144595.
Train Smart and have fun
Jul 06 2009
The Bristol Off Road Duathlon will take place on Oct 25th 2009 at 10am.
Taking place at Ashton Court in South Bristol, with easy links from the M5 motorway, Bristol Airport and Bristol Temple Meads train station, the event is sure to attract a large field for this rare opportunity to race in this beautiful venue, completely off road, yet only 5 minutes from one of the largest cities in the country.
The event itself consists of a 5km undulating run, followed by a 20km mountainbike course which follows much of the same route as the hugely popular and excellent Bristol Bike Fest, before completing a second loop of the 5km run course.
This will be completely off-road, with various challenges facing riders, from the infamous Timberland Trail, technical and muddy sections, to fast descents and long flowing climbs, sure to test the mettle of every rider, and yet be achieveable by all at the same time.
The event is already attracting interest from a number of high profile athletes as well as club and novice athletes from across the country. Kit Stokes, Age Group winner and course record holder of Half Ironman UK has confirmed that he will be racing, as have a number of other local high profile racers.
Entries cost £30 for BTA members, and an additional £3 levy will be added to cover registration and insurance with the BTA for those currently not a member. We have set up an online entry system and it can be found here http://sole-events.co.uk/onlineentries/. If you would prefer to enter by post, download an entry form and send us a cheque to guarantee your place, you can download a form here Bristol Off Road Duathlon Entry Form 2009
There will be free parking, toilets, massage, retailers, and food all available on the day and the event will have a real family feel to it, with plenty of open space for others to ride, plenty of spectator spots, including a main transition area, as well as spectacular views across Bristol and the Mendips, the spectacular Ashton Court Manor House and the world famous Deer Park.
For more details or for any questions please feel free to get in touch by phone on 07894 144595, or in the office on 01934 425510 or by e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bristol!
Jul 01 2009
We have just confirmed our latest event.
The Bristol Off Road Duathlon which will take place on 25th October 2009 at 10am.
The event will consist of a 5km cross country run, followed by a 20km mountainbike ride, finished with a second loop of a 5km run.
The cycle course will follow the majority of the route used in the Bristol Bike Fest, an event which we took part in and really enjoyed, with some serious climbing, some super fast downhills and plenty of singletrack to test even the most skillful rider.
The run route will use another interesting part of the estate, and will be undulating and muddy!
This is the ideal event for anyone who is a keen mountainbiker, runner or triathlete or those who want to get into adventure racing. Also a great event for first time racers or those looking for a challenge to keep them motivated over the winter.
We are really excited about this event, we have taken part in several off road duathlons which are great fun and a real challenge, and regularly use Ashton Court for coaching so know some fantastic routes which are sure to prove exciting…especially if it happens to rain over the weekend!
Half Ironman UK age group winner Kit Stokes has already confirmed that he will be racing as have many other local riders who are sure to make it a competitive event.
We are working on some big name sponsors as we speak and hope to give more information soon.
We will create a new page for this event on our events menu when we have more information. We hope to have online entries and details of a whole host of activities happening over the race weekend soon.
Keep your eyes peeled!
Jun 10 2009
Team Sole headed for the Bristol Bike Fest on Sunday for the 6 hour enduro event.
The format of the race is basically to rack up as many laps as you can of a 9.5km course around Ashton Court.
Marc, Josh and Eric managed an impressive 7 laps in 6 hours, this despite losing 2 laps to mechanical failure when Marc’s crank fell off on the very first lap, and after fixing it…it went again on the last!
If the boys had managed these two laps they would have come an impressive 3rd place in the team event, however they still managed a respectable 7th place overall. Good work guys!
We are looking at the next event for the guys to get involved in, any ideas are welcomed, we will post the results up here when we have them.
Jun 03 2009
We are delighted to announce that we have been nominated for a national award for our work with Network Rail on various projects throughout Bristol.
The Network Rail Partnership awards aim to reward companies who have provided outstanding projects which have affected the community in which they operate, helping spread the message of rail safety and helping to build stronger and safer communities.
Our work with young people in the Barton Hill and Horfield areas of Bristol has caught the attention of Network Rail and we have been asked to submit evidence of the fantastic work we have been doing for a judging panel to see very soon.
If we are successful at this first judging stage we will be invited to an awards dinner with other finalists in July…now we just have to find Marc’s tie incase we win!!
We are delighted to have been recognised for our efforts in this way, it makes all the coaching, often in difficult circumstances, seem worthwhile and it has helped us to realise how far we have come as a company in the short time we have been going.
We would like to thank Network Rail and all the other people involved in this project for all their help and recognition, the drinks are on us if we win!
If you have a community project that you would like us to be involved in please get in touch by e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk or by phone 07894 144595
This weekend Marc and some of the boys from Team Sole Events went over to Margam Park in Wales to take part in the British Marathon Champs race.
The main event was a lung busting 100km ride, but the boys entered into the 25km version as it was their first race.
The sun was really hot and the racecourse had a lot of tough climbing in it, but the team did a fantastic job overall and really enjoyed the experience.
The results are in full on the xcracer website, but the most important are …
Marc Molloy – 9th
Eric Brook – 17th
Tom Starr – 50th
Sam Bristow – 51st
Charlie Battin – 53rd
The next race is this weekend at Ashton Court where we will be taking part in the Bristol Bike Fest, a 6 hour endurance ride where riders have to complete as many laps as they can in the 6 hours available, we will post a report here next week.
May 08 2009
June 25th 2009…a new concept in teambuilding is born! Introducing Teams Together.
We have been working hard on a new teambuilding and sporting activity, and Teams Together is the result.
We have spoken to previous participants in our events, we have spoken to local businesses, national businesses, and have also taken ideas from other successful events, and we have come up with what we think is the ultimate teambuilding experience.
On June 25th teams of 5 will be meeting at Wyvern Sports Centre in Weston-super-Mare for 2 hours of fun (hopefully in the sun) team games, sports and plenty of food and drink. Teams are encouraged to bring as many colleagues, family and friends as they like to take part, they just need to have 5 people who will take part in the activities on offer.
There will be a BBQ and teams are welcome to bring their own food and drink if they prefer. Infact we want teams to bring their own food, drinks, gazebo’s, posters, team t-shirts…anything that will make them stand out to the other businesses in attendance and hopefully spark some new relationships.
Teams will take part in 3 different activities, there will be individual races to start with, each member of your team will need to take part in one of our various races…including space hopper races, sack races and so on, and at the end of this the scores will be added up and the team with the best overall results will be awarded a trophy to take back to the office.
After this there will be two team building activities for your team to take part in, there will be no competitive element to this, rather a chance for your team to work together and learn some more about each other and the way you operate most effectively. Finally all players will be invited to join in a mass game of rounders, there will be no prizes for the winners, just a chance to meet people from other teams and to compete against your own workmates for bragging rights in the office!
If this sounds like your kind of activity and you would like to get involved download the information pack here Teams Together Brochure 2009if you would like some more information, please get in touch marc@sole-events.co.uk or phone 01934 425510.
We are looking forward to a great evening out and hope you will join us.
Apr 27 2009
Our partners at Network Rail run a really fantastic project called No Messin.
Their aim is to educate young people to the dangers of playing on or near the railways, and to let them know the potential damage their actions can cause to others.
The website has details of the project, including the fantastic roadshows that they run accross the country in the Summer Holidays. we were at the Weston-super-Mare event in 2008 and it was great to see so many people trying out new and exciting sports. We also got to meet some fantastic riders from across the South West who had travelled to the event to show off their talents.
We have been working with Network Rail at sites across Bristol, working with some really challenging groups which has been fun. It has also given us some really good opportunities to spread the news about what Network Rail are trying to achieve
The website link is below, we recommend you have a look, and if you can, try to get to one of the roadshows…we hope to be at one near you if we can too!
http://www.no-messin.com/index.aspx
Mar 29 2009
The 2009 edition of the Harptree Havoc took place this morning.
The sun was shining and we had 69 runners enjoying the race (maybe enjoying is not the right word!)
The winners of the Senior race were Alan Baker in 36.22min and Claire Hallissey in 36.24min.
We have had some fantastic feedback and have been sent some brilliant photographs. If you raced today and would like us to send you through any photos with you in them, (I think we have nearly everyone on there somewhere) then send us an e-mail with your name and race number and we will get one over to you, marc@sole-events.co.uk
Also have a look at our gallery on the left of the homepage for some of our favourites from the day.
The results can be found here Race results 2009
Thank you to all the people who helped this morning, the marshals, Rich at Easy Runner who supplied the winners prizes and loads of spot prizes too, Gordon Robbins our race referee and of course all you racers who made the day such an enjoyable one.
We hope you enjoyed yourself, please let us know how you got on and your thoughts on the event.
We look forward to seeing you in 2010!
Mar 25 2009
This week we have been coaching at the Bristol School Sports Festival at Coombe Dingle.
The format is pretty simple, pupils have competitions in the morning, which we have been running as BMX and track races.
Then in the afternoon pupils are able to try out 2 new sports. We are running shorter more simple races and games for this, aiming to create some enjoyment and interest in cycling.
There are lots of sports going on up at the site and it has been great to see some of the other coaches and to work with so many different sports in one place.
The event has obviouslty generated lots of interest in our curriculum based cycle courses, and we hope to be working in some of the schools in Bristol next term and beyond. We have also been asked to run various events as one off, end of term fun activities so we are looking forward to taking some groups out for the day to some of the local cycling spots.
After 3 days of solid coaching in the cold though it will be nice to get back in the office for a few hours to thaw out
There was a reporter there on the day and he managed to catch Marc on his bike, for a look at the festival as a whole and to see the cyclists in action have a look at the video here. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7962335.stm.. and keep watching til the end… don’t blink or you’ll miss us!!
Mar 23 2009
Sole Events coach Rich Thomas has taken his first national title, winning the BUSA Student Downhill Mountain Biking championships on Saturday.
Following his great start to the season in which he has now started racing in the Elite category, Rich smashed the opposition winning by over a second from his nearest rival in 1min 23.70secs.
We at Sole towers are really proud of Rich’s achievements, he works hard, trains hard and is a fantastic coach and role model to the young people he works with.
Rich is currently working at after schools clubs across North Somerset as well as helping out at various other cycle projects we are running. He is gearing up for a long season of racing, but we are currently putting together plans for a series of downhill workshops later in 2009, so if you are a budding downhill rider who wants some tips from a national champion, keep your eyes peeled for the dates coming up soon.
A detailed report of the event can be found on British Cycling’s website, follow the link here
www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/mtb/EventReports2009/20090324_BUCS_studentchamps.asp
Well done again Rich!
Mar 02 2009
We are delighted to announce that we are working on a fantastic new project in Bristol with our partners from Network Rail, Bristol City Council Sports Development Team, the national charity StreetGames and the Bristol Youth Inclusion service.
We will be running various cycling activities across the city, from cycle skills for novice riders, through to trips for the more advanced as well as bike maintenance and servicing sessions.
We will also be working with local Cycle Proficiency trainers to give the young people we are working with an opportunity to take a qualification, also giving them further opportunities to volunteer, coach and ultimately become qualified cycling instructors themselves.
This is a sustained year long project, working with various groups across various age ranges, with the overall aim of helping the groups work together, to help them to create safer and stronger communities and to raise awareness of the safety issues of hanging around and playing on or near the railway.
We are delighted to be working with such fantastic partners who share our ideas and our ethics, wanting to use sport to help people to develop themselves and the area and community around them. We really think this project will have a massive impact on the lives of those involved, providing clear opportunities to get involved in positive activities in their own backyard.
There are plans to create plenty of press coverage of this project so we expect to see lots of other cycling related activities spreading across the city and the South West soon.
If you are involved in a youth project, or work with young people who you think would enjoy a day or even a programme of cycling, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you, we have all the necessary equipment, transportation, insurance, qualifications, and more importantly experience and youth centred approach to ensure that you will get the most out of your time with us.
Please give us a call on 01934 425510 or on 07894 144595 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk for more information.
Feb 22 2009
Marc and Kit took part in the Tough Ten, 10 mile race in Weston today running for Team Easy Runner.
Kit did well coming in 2nd, Marc did well (by his standards!) albeit a bit further down the field.
Our team photographer managed to take a few snaps, take a look at the gallery to see the boys in action….
Feb 17 2009
The guys raced over the 4 lap cyclo cross route in Ashton Court on Saturday, and despite the winner setting a new course record, the times were generally a bit slower, wet and muddy conditions were partly to blame for this, however this makes Josh Matthew’s time of 29.30 even more spectacular.
Congratulations to Josh and the rest of Team Sole on a winter of hard work, and with some MTB events coming up in the next few months, we should see some podiums in each age category!
Results:
4 laps
Josh Matthews – 29.30 (new course record)
Jim Mateer – 32.30
Tom Starr – 38.19
Thomas Proffit – 38.40
Rufus Brickell – 42.53
2 laps
Aaron Mateer – 31.17
Sessions are open to everyone who would like to improve their skills, stamina and race strategy, riders from the age of 9 up to (let’s say 30+) and of all abilities come to the sessions, making them fun and achievable by all.
For more info on this and any other sessions please give us a call on 01934 425510 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk
Feb 11 2009
We are starting lunchtime run’s from the Easy Runner shop in Bristol in March.
These runs are designed to last between 30 and 40 mins and are ideal for those people who may struggle with motivation for their lunchtime run, or who want to run in a group to keep the interest levels high.
For all the information, have a look at the poster here Easy Runner Lunchtime Run Poster
For the first month or so the runs will be free as the shop are subsidising them, so now is the ideal time to start your new training regime, or just use the opportunity to meet some like minded people and get in a good quality run in your lunch break.
As always, for more information give us a call on 01934 425510 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk or you can call the shop direct and speak to Rich.
The Harptree Havoc entries are coming in thick and fast so if you are thinking of entering the race, you had better get your entries in soon.
Easy Runner are again supplying prizes for the winners, and there will be some spot prizes too.
Spaces are limited to 200 runners and entries accepted before the day are £2 off, what more incentive do you need!
Jan 20 2009
We now have a group on Facebook!
The idea is that we can spread the word about our up coming events and activities quickly and easily through the pages so if you are already a Facebook member, join us and we will send you regular updates.
The group is called ‘Sole Events’ or click this link to join…
http://www.facebook.com/n/?group.php&gid=49952880737
This is a new way of keeping up with all that is happening here at Sole Towers, so if you are a regular browser, competitor or just interested in the next event, get signed up!
Our friends over at WestCountry Triathletes have been busy putting on another year of races.
Their Duathlon which swims in the local pool and runs around Cheddar reservoir is well worth doing, especially hard last year as the wind was in full force!
There are other rcaes in the series which are worth checking out too, including the Stert Island swim, which is a fantastic open water swim from Burnham to the opposite island and back.
If you are interested in triathlon or multi sports why not go along and check out the club, all the guys are friendly and there are regular coached sessions for you to join in, whether you are a seasoned campaigner or a complete novice the club would be happy to welcome you.
Have a look at their website www.westcountrytriathletes.co.uk for more info
Jan 09 2009
For anyone wishing to enter this years Harptree Havoc, we would just like to let you know that the entry form is now available, just follow the link to Harptree Havoc 2009 on the left of the site.
Thanks to all those people who have already entered, we look forward to seeing you up at the farm where we promise that the new date will be warmer, but the course will be just as hard. with more streams, rivers and puddles to run through…
We look forward to seeing you at the race
Nov 24 2008
At the Gloucester City Cyclo Cross event on Sun morning one of our riders racked up another win in his fledgling career.
While most of us are thinking of having a few weeks off to relax after the season, Eric seemingly gets stronger and stronger.
Sessions for all those interested in MTB or Cyclo Cross are held every Sat morning, all ages and abilities are welcome.
Sessions cost £5, last 2 hours and start at 10am at Ashton Court Manor House in Bristol.
Full results are available on the British Cycling website, but the main one is below…
Youth
1st Eric Brook – 4 laps in 21.06
Well done Eric, keep up the good work.
Nov 16 2008
We had a photographer come along to one of our recent Sat morning sessions and he took some great photo’s…
We have created a gallery of some of our favourite photos on the link on the left hand side of the website main menu.
In the meantime, this was one of our favourites.
If you need a photographer for any occasion, let us know and we will put you in touch.
Nov 14 2008
At Bike Club last Sat morning the gang took part in a timed race around a cyclo cross course at Ashton Court.
The results were as follows…
Eric Brook – 29.41
Tom Rose – 33.00
Thomas Proffit – 34.13
Tom Starr – 35.42
Charlie Battin – 36.37
Sam Bristow – 40.08
Rufus Brickell – 40.28
Gabriel Wightwick – 46.21
Aaron Mateer – 2 laps – 27.10
The guys raced over a 4 lap course around the Golf Course on a circuit that we have practiced on many times before.
For most of them this was the first time they had ridden in a solo time trial for such a long distance, and it was great to see all of them do so well.
We will be running this session again later in the year to give the guys an indication of their improvement over the winter. Fingers crossed that by the time the racing season comes around they will be firing on all cylinders!
Sat sessions are open to riders of all abilities, and start at 10am by the Manor House and run for 2 hours.
Qualified coaches are at every session to make sure that the riders are given good advice and ride safe and interesting routes.
For more information please call Marc on 07894 144595 or e-mail marc@sole-events.co.uk
Oct 28 2008
We popped in to see the new Easy Runner store today and it is looking fantastic.
For all visitors to the old shop, the new one is in the same place, but has taken over next door too.
For those who haven’t been, the shop is on St Michaels Hill just behind the Bristol Royal Infirmary in the centre of Bristol.
There is a massive range of running wear, footwear, as well as nutrition and other outdoor essentials.
You can get your running style analysed by the new state of the art video treadmill machine and try out as many pairs of trainers as you need to make sure you find the right ones for you, the staff are all trained to get the most out of your footwear, and they are a friendly bunch too.
There is also now a great physio service at the shop, meaning that you can get your shoes fitted by the guys to prevent reoccurence of any niggling injuries.
For more information on the shop and the new services, and some cracking special offers have a look at the website www.easyrunner.co.uk