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Newsdesk 2004
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 151 22 SEPTEMBER 2004
Editor: Steve Rowland
mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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HEADLINE NEWS
* Thomas Cup win for Jacqui Reid
* Women's course record for Allison O'Neill
* Ranelagh weekly 5km time trial to start on October 2nd
WHAT'S COMING...
The fixture list for the 2004/05 winter season, can be found on our web site.
More details of the following from
Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 / mailto: andy@norris-hobs.co.uk ) or
Phil Aiken (07739 035189 / mailto: phil.aiken@rnid.org.uk ) or
Anna McLaughlin (07971 606521 / mailto: anna.mclaughlin@itv.com ).
Sunday September 26th Women's Southern 4 stage relay at Rushmoor
Arena, Aldershot. 3.30pm start.
Saturday October 2nd Page Cup 5 miles handicap in Richmond Park.
All members welcome - enter on the day in the clubhouse. 3pm start. See our
web site for more details of the course and the history of the Cup.
Ranelagh 5 km Time Trial in
Bushy Park. 9am start. See below and look on our web site for more info.
Saturday October 9th Surrey Women's Cross-Country League on
Wimbledon Common starting at 12.30pm (seniors, followed by junior races)
Surrey Men's Cross-Country
League in Brockwell Park starting at 2.30pm (juniors, followed by seniors at
3pm)
Saturday October 16th Surrey Veterans' Cross-Country Championships
in Richmond Park (women 6km at 2.30pm, men 10km at 3pm). See below.
Invitation match v Oxford
University and others at Shotover, Oxford.
RANELAGH WEEKLY BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL
Paul Sinton-Hewitt writes:
"Ranelagh is introducing the "Bushy Park Time Trial": a weekly event
involving a short, sharp and flat course allowing you to challenge yourself.
Treat it as part of your Saturday run or incorporate it into your speed
training. A regular burst will do wonders to your performance in short
races.
You don't need to remember when this event is held because this event
happens each and every Saturday whether you are there or not. It's a low-key
event, no results provided on the day, no entry fee, arrive 15 minutes
before the start and away you go. Results will be listed on our web site.
The inaugural event will be on Saturday 2nd October at 09:00.
We meet in Bushy Park in the car park closest to Hampton Court Palace.
The course is 5km long, flat and doesn't cross any roads".
Thanks go to Paul for getting this off the ground. The event will need a
minimum of personnel to organise, but Paul would be pleased to hear from
anyone who could help regularly or occasionally
(mailto:p.sintonhewitt@btinternet.com). He would also of course like to see
a number of us taking part in the inaugural event on October 2nd to get the
enterprise off to a flying start! See our web site for some more details
including a course map.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Jo Turner has more details about the Ranelagh Christmas Party, to be held on
Friday 10th December at the Turk's Head pub in St Margarets:
"It will be a sit-down three course meal and will cost £18 per person. We
need to know by the end of October who is going to be coming. There is a
menu choice and that will be available at the club from next Tuesday. Could
people either look for the list at the club to sign themselves up or let
Marina or myself know by email if they are going to come
(mailto:joturner_45@hotmail.com or mailto:marina_quayle@hotmail.com)".
SURREY VETERANS' CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 16th October in
Richmond Park starting at 2.30pm.
Margaret Auerback writes:
"This event is open to women age 35 and over and men age 40 and over. It's a
low key race of 6km for women and 10km for men. We usually pick up a few
individual and team medals here so it's worth turning out for. You don't
have to be super fast to take part as it's also a good social event. And you
get tea in the clubhouse afterwards! But to count in the team races you do
have to enter in advance. Women who want to run should contact me either on
Tuesday night at the club or by e-mail at margaret.auerback@btinternet.com.
Men who want to run should contact Chris Owens
(mailto:aachrisowens@yahoo.co.uk). We need your name, age and £3 entry fee".
COACHING
Robin Drummond writes:
"I am giving 4 x 15 minute coaching talks on Thursdays at 7pm, starting on
the 23rd September. They are entitled 'Lose weight, get rich and knock ten
minutes off your 10km pb' and subtitled 'How much do you want to improve?'
All are welcome".
COMMITTEE MEETING...
...in the clubhouse on Tuesday 28th September starting at 8.30pm.
TUESDAY NIGHT TORTURE
Tuesday sessions for the next few weeks, starting from the clubhouse at 7pm:
28/9 2 x 6 mins efforts + 2 x 5 mins
5/10 1 x 10 mins effort + 3 x 4 mins
12/10 3 x 3 x Ham Gate hill
19/10 2 x 7 mins efforts + 2 x 5 mins
See our web site for more complete details.
CABBAGE PATCH 10 miles Sunday 17th October at Twickenham
Phil Aiken writes:
"The race is now sold out but if anyone would like to marshal, their
assistance would be appreciated. Contact me and I will pass on your details.
A race t-shirt and a free meal (and drink) in the Cabbage Patch pub after
the race are on offer to those who help". Phil's contact details are shown
in "What's Coming..." above.
THOMAS CUP 3.8 miles handicap Saturday 18th September in Richmond Park
The race for the Thomas Cup, the Opening Run of our 124th season, attracted
a field of 77 runners and a dozen or so more for the annual club photograph
that kicked off the afternoon's proceedings. Ken Powley was behind (and in
front of) the camera and the result of his work can be seen on our web site.
We managed to dodge the showers for both the photo and the race, and
conditions overall were pretty good.
As ever at the start of the season, a number of the runners were competing
as guests - no less than 16 of them in fact. And as often happens it was the
guests who actually led the way home: Lucy Stevens crossed the line with
almost two minutes in hand over Karen Broadbent and Nicola McGillivray and
another half minute elapsed before the first runner not carrying a 'G' on
her vest finally crossed the line. This was Jacqui Reid, whose regular short
races in Battersea Park over the summer have obviously given her an extra
turn of speed. She ran a well-judged race, passing George Coates up the last
hill to win her first club trophy. Stuart Perry had been tracking Jacqui
from a distance throughout but could gain only a few seconds overall - but
he too managed to pass George just before the line to claim the silver
medal. George held on to win the bronze, a metre ahead of fast-finishing
Clive Naish.
The finishing stampede was led by David Wright, obviously getting some
fitness back, and not far behind him Julian Smith led Allison O'Neill across
the line to set the fastest men's and women's times respectively. Allison's
22.27 was a new women's course record, hacking almost a minute off Margaret
Auerback's previous mark which dated right back to 1986. Paul Doyle had
been the scratch man, with 40 seconds to make up on Julian, and gained some
ground early on before fading a little to record the day's second fastest
time of 21.11. Marcus Gohar was 3rd at 21.55. Aussie visitor Lauren Shelley
also set a very impressive time of 23.28 and Sarah Seal ran 24.27.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt made a low-key comeback to competition after injury but
far more importantly hosted the club's Opening Run party in the evening,
which by all accounts was a great success. Thanks, Paul!
COURSE MARKING
We experimented with marking the course for the Thomas with a sawdust trail
rather than the conventional flags. Robin Drummond was the volunteer who
kindly ran the course in the morning laying the trail. It looked pretty good
to me, but we'd like to hear any other feedback from those who ran.
WIMBLEDON PREMIER 10km Sunday 19th September
Phil Aiken reports:
"I don't know my official time - the clock was in front of the finish(!) and
the results aren't on the website yet - but I timed myself at 42.37, a
Ranelagh 10k PB by over two minutes! There must be something in running 4
miles cross country on Saturday afternoon, partying till one o'clock in the
morning and only getting four hours sleep, though I'll try a more
conventional approach prior to this Sunday's race in Camberley. Also running
were Steve Instone and Thomas Cup winner Jacqui Reid".
RIVER RELAY Sunday 12th September
This is a pleasant low-key charity event running from Virginia Water to the
Hawker Centre in Ham. There were two Ranelagh teams amongst the 49 starters,
and most of our gluttons for punishment had also taken part in the Surrey
relays the day before. Niels Andersen and Lucy Stevens were due to run stage
4 but found themselves stranded in traffic on the wrong side of Walton
Bridge, so John Kipps and Alan Craig, fresh from stage 2, jumped out and ran
again.
1 Stragglers 3.04.13
23 Ranelagh B 3.44.43
35 Ranelagh A 4.03.18
Stage 1 Virginia Water - Bishop's Gate 4.15 miles
35 Julia Langensiepen (A) 31.30
45 Jo Muirlittle (B) 35.57
Stage 2 Bishop's Gate - Staines 5.16 miles
25 John Kipps (B) 32.15
34 Alan Craig (A) 39.21
Stage 3 Staines - Walton Bridge 7.56 miles
29 Simon Burrell (B) 57.38
32 Phil Aiken (A) 55.49
Stage 4 Walton Bridge - Hurst Park 3.82 miles
24 John Kipps (B) 25.01
34 Alan Craig (A) 30.52
Stage 5 Hurst Park - Ham 5.27 miles
23 Wyn Williams (B) 36.34
37 Karen Broadbent (A) 44.58
Stage 6 Ham - Hawker Centre 5.45 miles
23 Pete Warren (B) 37.18
35 Shelley Beeston (A) 40.48
SELF-TRANSCENDENCE 10km Saturday 11th September in Battersea Park
Tim Woods's come-back progresses...
1 D Gitau (Nth York M) 32.18
3 Tim Woods 35.39
21 Stephen Instone 40.27
48 Jacqui Reid 45.42
NEW FOREST HALF MARATHON Sunday 19th September
...and progresses. Next comes the Normandy Marathon on October 3rd.
1 L Rodriguez (New For) 70.10
9 Tim Woods 78.01
SURREY ROAD RELAYS - MORE FOR THE STATSHEADS
Pete Mulholland has updated the ranking lists for the Wimbledon Park course,
which has been in use for this event since 1998. Jo Ronaldson naturally sits
on top of the women's individual list with her course record of 16.30, and
Sarah Seal's 16.59 from last year gives her 7th place. Julian Smith's 15.10
in the Over 40s event places him 6th, two places behind Marcus Gohar's 14.55
in 2003. Chris Owens's 16.52 this year nets him joint 17th place in the Over
50s list.
In the team lists, our 2004 winning women's squad set the second
fastest-ever time (but would have to find nearly a minute to displace SLH's
2000 time at the top). But our 'B' team, which finished 5th this year, seems
to have set the fastest-ever 'B' team time! Our men's Over 40s and Over 50s
both set the fastest-ever Ranelagh times this year in those categories, and
respectively rate 4th and 5th by club (though some clubs have more than one
faster performance). Our fastest senior men's time dates back to 1998 and
rates us 9th.
Phil Aiken points out a few more big improvers since 2003 amongst the
Ranelagh teams: Lorna Smith 1.25 quicker, Anna McLaughlin 1.16 and Neil
Walford 44 secs. Well done all!
BEST OF LUCK...
...to David Benton who represents Britain in the European duathlon
championships this Sunday in Swansea.
APOLOGIES...
...to Jeff Bull who was inadvertently left off the list of Vice Presidents
on the recently published fixture card. Jeff protests that he is alive and
well and still running! He has been a member for over 50 years, having
joined the club in 1953 as a teenager from Emanuel School.