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Newsdesk 2003
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 117 22 OCTOBER 2003
Web site: www.ranelagh-harriers.com
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MOB MATCH v ORION HARRIERS for the HAROLD LEE CUP in Richmond Park Saturday
October 25th
This is the first of our four mob matches this season and our visitors are
Orion Harriers from Epping Forest. You've probably read all this before but
just to underline it again for the benefit of newcomers: in mob matches we
need EVERYBODY we can possibly get to run. The more we have, the better our
chance of winning. It's definitely not just for the fast guys and girls.
Every finisher will count towards the final result. The destination of the
Lee Cup is in your hands!
Start time is 2.30pm and the course is two laps of our "Thomas Cup" circuit
- 7.5 miles in all.
We'll also be hosting some of our Orion visitors to supper at the Rose of
York after the race. 6 - 6.30pm start, price about £6 per head. If you'd
like to attend please contact Mike Peace pdq on 01252 543176 or
mailto:head@frimley.surrey.sch.uk
SOUTH OF THE THAMES "JUNIOR" CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday November 8th at Coulsdon
"Junior" in standard, not age! It's 5 miles, starting at 2.30pm. We'll be
entering a team and we can run as many as we like - but entries have to be
sent in by the end of this week. So if you'd like to run, please contact
Andy Bickerstaff as soon as possible (mailto:andy@norris-hobs.co.uk).
SURREY LEAGUE DIVISION 1 in Richmond Park (Kingston Gate) Saturday October
18th
The 2003-04 Surrey League campaign for both men and women started in our
home Park but a couple of miles away from our usual haunts. Start and finish
was at the top of the hill at Kingston gate, and that hill provided a nasty
sting in the tail of an otherwise fairly innocuous course. Conditions were
as dry as could be - those that wore spikes did so for grip in deep dust
instead of mud.
First up were the women and Ranelagh made a substantial contribution to what
was apparently a record League field of nearly 300 runners. Our 26 starters
easily constituted a club record. Allison O'Neill came over from Paris for
the race and was always in contention at the front, though it soon became
clear that nobody was going to be able to live with the eventual winner Lucy
Hasell of Thames. But Allison beat off all challengers for a clear second
place. Sarah Seal ran as courageously as ever and held 6th for most of the
race before losing a couple of places on the final climb. Our third finisher
was an impressive Jo Ronaldson who made steady progress throughout the race,
as did fourth home, newcomer Lynsey Morris. Lynsey is a second-claim member
and was ineligible for the scoring team this time but we'll look forward to
counting her in the next race. Right behind Lynsey was Kristina Semple and
right behind Kristina was Clare Nicholson playing a captain's innings to
close in the team. The rest, led by Sara Grosvenor, came in thick and fast,
two or three of them like Lynsey in their first race for the club.
Full results have not yet been published so we're indebted to Ken Powley's
unofficial timing for most of the results. More details when we get them.
Subject to confirmation our 'A' team finished 4th, a result Captain Clare
declared herself well satisfied with, and from which she is confident we
will be able to build in the subsequent races. We await the team positions
of our 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'E' teams!
With her sister Alice unable to make it for the senior race, Anair Beverly
was all for taking her place. But in the end she was obliged to contest the
Under 20 race where she gave us a very pleasing victory. She has three more
years in this age group! Jessica Harvey also ran well for 5th place.
Alex Hook was our leading finisher in the Under 15 event, but unfortunately
we do not yet have the results of our other three runners.
We had a pretty strong team out for the men's race too, and like the women
they were lead all the way by a Parisian, in this case Dave Benton. A little
race rusty, Dave went out hard from the start and was desperately hanging on
in the closing stages but crossed the line an excellent 16th. It was good to
see Julian Smith running well again, moving through the field smoothly and
taking Peter Haarer with him. They finished close together in 21st and 24th
positions. Paul Doyle was another to commit himself from the gun and he too
held on for a good top-thirty placing despite being almost literally on his
knees climbing the last hill.
Marcus Gohar felt a little below par following illness but ran as strongly
as ever for 38th, but close behind him came the day's first surprise packet
Nick Henderson, an outstanding 42nd in his first league race. Almost as big
a surprise was the appearance of Steve Day as our 7th scorer, back for his
first league race for several seasons. Mick Lane and Andy Bickerstaff
followed Steve all the way round and then Will Graves came fairly bounding
up the last hill to close in the scoring team.
Our final team place was 5th, again a very satisfactory and promising start
to the Division One season.
In the junior men's results, Richard Sim and Dan Jermy both ran strongly to
make it home in the top ten.
CABBAGE PATCH 10 MILES ROAD RACE Twickenham Sunday October 19th
We had a good showing at Twickenham 24 hours after the League races on
another day of strong winds. There were 25 RH finishers, 15 of them women,
headed by another pb from Vice Captain Anna McLaughlin. This gave a grand
total of 40 women turning out in Ranelagh colours over the weekend, which
has got to be some kind of a record. Some photos of the race can be found at
http://www.dwknight.co.uk/2003/cp10m/index.html
KINGSTON RUNNING FESTIVAL Sunday October 12th
Another result worthy of mention was that of our second-claim member Paul
Sinton-Hewitt who finished 3rd in the marathon in 2.41.05.
CALLIS CUP CLUB 10 MILES ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP
This was originally to be incorporated with the Cabbage Patch race last
Sunday but owing to the clash of dates with the Surrey League it was decided
to transfer it to another event. It will now be contested in the Dorking 10
next June.
CLUB CRY
It may not instill the fear of a Kiwi haka into our opposition, but it's all
ours! If you've puzzled over the strange cry that goes up before a mob match
start and perhaps wondered whether you could believe your ears, here's the
authorised text:
Hobble Gobble
Razzle Dazzle
Zis Boom Bah
Ranelagh Ranelagh
Rah Rah Rah.
NEXT...
A full fixture list for the 2003/04 winter season is available on our web
site.
More details of the following from Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 /
mailto:andy@norris-hobs.co.uk) or Paul Graham (mailto:paulgraham28@hotmail.com)
or Clare Nicholson (07710 348030 / mailto:clarenicholson@hotmail.com).
Saturday October 25th Lee Cup mob match v Orion Harriers 7.5 miles
in Richmond Park. 2.30pm start. All hands on deck please!
Women's National 4-stage Relay at Birmingham
Saturday November 1st Priory Relays at Reigate
Saturday November 8th South of the Thames "Junior" Championships at
Coulsdon
Saturday November 29th Mob match v Thames Hare and Hounds 7.5 miles
on Wimbledon Common (Kingston Vale). 2.30pm start.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Courtesy of Sir Roger Bannister via Jay Rowden:
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it
and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become,
the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for
freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher
than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
Steve Rowland
e-mail: srowland@calor.co.uk
Tel: 01926 318734
Fax: 0870 4006901