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 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 138                  28 APRIL 2004
 Web site: www.ranelagh-harriers.com 
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 HEADLINE NEWS
 *  Duathlon international vest for David Benton
 *  Richmond Half Marathon entries closed

 RICHMOND HALF MARATHON  Sunday May 16th
 The entry limit has already been reached so regrettably no more entries can
 be accepted. If any more Ranelagh members had planned to run, they should
 contact Robin Drummond (mailto:thedrummonds@blueyonder.co.uk ) for any returns. 
 The new course needs even more marshalls than the old, so anyone who can help 
 on the day will be very welcome. Contact Alan Hedger on 01372 740626 or
 mailto:alan@hedger1st.fsnet.co.uk . The race starts at 8.30am in Meadlands 
 Drive (5 mins from clubhouse - the same starting point as the Dysart Dash).   

 GREEN BELT RELAY  Saturday May 8th and Sunday May 9th
 Bev Ali is still looking for one more not-too-fast runner to complete her
 team which will be aiming to retain the Toilet Seat Trophy for the last team
 to finish! You have to be able to cover 10 miles+ on each day, but speed is
 definitely unimportant. Contact Bev at mailto:bev.ali@blueyonder.co.uk
 See the race web site www.greenbeltrelay.org.uk for more info. 

 CHRIS BRASHER MEMORIAL 10Km  Sunday June 20th in Richmond Park
 This is a one-off event being organised by Chris's son Hugh and the Sweat
 Shop, with part of the proceeds going to the Petersham Trust. Its aim is to
 raise £162,000 which will enable the Trust to hand Petersham Meadows to the
 National Trust and secure them for future generations.

 The course will use the Park's roads, which will be closed to traffic, and
 will be similar to that used for the Nike 10km last year. You can get more
 information and register for the race at the web site
 www.chrisbrashermemorialrun.co.uk 
 Those of you who read our "Chris Brasher Miscellany" last year might
 recognise the quotations used in the "Chris Brasher - the man" section!  

 Hugh has asked whether Ranelagh would be prepared to man one of the water
 stations for the race. Please contact me if you think you might be able to
 help. 

 DYSART DASH 10Km  Sunday June 27th in Ham
 Our own 10km follows a week later. It's becoming common for entry limits to
 be reached nowadays, so if you want to run get your entry in early. Forms
 are available on our web site.  

 LONDON MARATHON  Sunday April 18th
 One additional Ranelagh finisher not reported last week:
 20293 Bernadette Weber 4.37.57 

 ASHBOURNE DUATHLON  Sunday April 25th
 Allison O'Neill reports on a great performance from David Benton:
 "At the Ashbourne Duathlon last Sunday - the GB qualifying event for the
 World Champs in Belgium at the end of May - David became the 'Tracey Morris'
 of the duathlon world, delivering a performance that shocked even himself! 

 Bidding for a place in the 35-39 GB age group team, David destroyed the
 field in the 12k run/40k bike/4k run over one of the toughest duathlon
 courses in the country, easily booking his place for Belgium.  And then,
 when the overall results were posted combining all age groups and the elite
 field (who had started slightly earlier than David's age-group), it emerged
 that not only had David dominated his age-group but he had also turned in
 the 2nd fastest performance of the day, headed only by one  'elite' athlete,
 Mark McKay!  For a brief moment, the prospect of a full elite GB vest looked
 likely as the first 5 finishers of the day were to be selected for
 Belgium...only for David to be told that his outstanding performance could
 not be taken into account as he hadn't been in the same race as the Elites.
 So despite David finishing 3 minutes faster than the 5th elite finisher
 Martin Yelling (Liz's husband and former UK duathlon champion), the
 selectors were 'forced' to pick Martin instead.  A genuine disappointment
 for David but not one that should tarnish one of those rare and wonderful
 days in sport when you completely out-perform your wildest expectations.
 Surely the start of great things to come from David in duathlon - from now
 on certainly on the elite start line!" 

 TRACK TRAINING
 Margaret Auerback writes:
 "The Thursday track sessions (7pm at Barn Elms) are well under way, we have
 a good group of all standards but there is plenty of room for more to join
 us. The masters league is fast approaching with the first match on May 10th
 and there are also some Southern League races and county championships to
 aim for". 

 COMMISERATIONS...
 ...to Stephen Instone, who writes:
 "Just to apologise for absence from GB Relay etc. Incapacitated at present
 with broken right arm sustained in the Guisely Gallop over Easter, an Easter
 trip / break with a difference (tree root)". 
 
 ...to Kathleen Harris in Australia, who congratulates everyone on their
 London Marathon performances: 
 "Alas, I've not been running for the last 6 weeks as yesterday I had a knee
 reconstruction. Yes, all those years of playing international netball and
 nothing untoward ever occurred, then I do my good deed of helping out a
 friend whose netball team only had 6 players and what do I go and do......
 put a tear in my lateral ligament, completely lose the ACL, and extensively
 damage my medial. Can you believe it? So it's lots of hard work from here on
 in to get it back on track. No more netball that's for sure but I will be
 back running in about 2 months". 
 
 ...and to Hugh Jones, who won the Sahara Marathon in Algeria by some 20
 minutes in 2.46, but subsequently tore a calf muscle in another marathon -
 meaning that he too will miss the Green Belt Relay in which he currently
 stands top of the table with a total of eight stage wins. 
  
 SAM HAUGHIAN
 It was very sad at the weekend to read of the death in a road accident in
 South Africa of Sam Haughian. Only 24, Sam was one of the few bright hopes
 of British men's distance running. He was a member of Windsor, Slough, Eton
 & Hounslow, but also ran second-claim with Ranelagh for a while when he was
 a teenager.  

 NEXT...
 The 2003/04 fixture list, together with details of the 2004 Ranelagh Road
 Grand Prix, can be found on our web site. 

 More details of the following from Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 /
 mailto:andy@norris-hobs.co.uk ) or Anna McLaughlin (07971 606521 / 
 mailto:anna.mclaughlin@itv.com ). 
   
 Thursday April 29th                Summer Junior Handicap Series 2km race 1.  
 7pm at the Hawker Centre, Kingston. All under 17s welcome.

 Sunday May 2nd                     Sutton 10km.  Ranelagh Road GP race 3 and
 Surrey Road League race 1. 11am start. Entry form at
 www.suttonrunners.cwc.net 

 Saturday May 8th / Sunday May 9th       Green Belt Relay. See above 

 Sunday May 16th                    Richmond Half Marathon. Ranelagh Road GP
 race 4 and Surrey Half Marathon Championship. Our Half Marathon is on a
 different course this year, starting where our Dysart Dash 10km starts, in
 Meadlands Drive. See our web site for details.  

 Sunday May 23rd                   Coombe Hill 5 miles 

 Thursday May 27th                 Summer Junior Handicap Series 2km race 2.
 7pm at the Hawker Centre, Kingston.  All under 17s welcome. 

 Sunday June 6th                   Dorking 10 miles. Ranelagh Road GP race 5 
 and Surrey 10 miles Championship.  

 FINALLY
 Bev Ali writes:
 "Pat, Deborah, Bev and Lorna received an impromptu audience with the Queen
 and Prince Philip on Sunday as they ran a reconnaissance mission on the leg
 2 of the Green Belt Relay through Windsor Great Park. Her Majesty regretted
 that her religious obligations prevented her from donning her kit and
 joining the ladies, but did hint that she may be persuaded another time, and
 drove off with a cheery wave of the royal hand!" 
 
 Steve Rowland
 e-mail: srowland@calor.co.uk
 Tel: 01926 318734
 Fax: 0870 4006901