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Newsdesk 2005
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 166 19 JANUARY 2005
Editor: Steve Rowland
mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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HEADLINE NEWS
* Surrey League - women's team beaten by Belgrave but still leading overall
* Surrey League - men's team rallies but still in relegation zone
* Valentine's Day Ball
* Alf Pearce obituary
WHAT'S COMING...
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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 ).
Saturday January 22nd Inter-club v Bank of England and others
including the Hec Petersen Trophy v Ealing.
Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
5km. 9am start
Saturday January 29th South of England Cross-Country
Championships at Parliament Hill
Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
5km. 9am start
Saturday February 5th Pelling Ratcliff Cup Mob Match v
Blackheath Harriers at Hayes (Kent). See below.
Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
5km. 9am start
Sunday February 6th London Mini-Marathon trials for Richmond's
team in Richmond Park. See below.
Saturday February 12th Surrey League Division One final fixtures -
men at Coulsdon, women at Ewell.
Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
5km. 9am start
INTER-CLUB incl HEC PETERSEN TROPHY Saturday 22nd January in Richmond Park
Your chance to race over some different bits of the Park. This is 5 miles
starting at 2.30pm on the Bank of England's course from Roehampton Gate.
All welcome.
MOB MATCH v BLACKHEATH & BROMLEY HARRIERS & AC for the Pelling-Ratcliff Cup
Saturday 5th February at 2.30pm.
This is the last of our 2004/2005 mob matches. Above all else, mob matches
are all about which club can get the most runners to the starting (and
finishing!) line. So we need as many Ranelagh Harriers as possible to turn
up for a seven and a half mile multi-terrain run through the Kent
countryside. It really doesn't matter if you're fast or slow. The Blackheath
HQ is in Bourne Way, close to the junction of the A2022 and A232 and near
Hayes station. Note that's Hayes in Kent, not Middlesex!.
The start is at 2.30pm but note it's a 10 mins jog from the clubhouse.
If you're late, go straight there.
We will be running a free mini-bus from the Ranelagh clubhouse leaving at
12.15pm and returning after the post-race tea. Please use it! It would be
helpful (but not vital) if you could let Andy Bickerstaff know if you're
likely to make use of this (contact details above).
SOUTH OF ENGLAND CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 29th January at
Parliament Hill
Easiest access is by rail from Richmond to Gospel Oak station, which is
literally within sight of the start.
LONDON MINI-MARATHON 2005
The trials for the Richmond team to take part in the London Mini-Marathon
will take place in Richmond Park on Sunday 6th February. The 5km
Mini-Marathon takes place on part of the London Marathon course on the
marathon day itself, Sunday 17th April. Competitors must be aged between 11
and 17 on April 17th and to represent Richmond you must either live or go to
school in the borough. There are four races in the trial - girls 13-17 at
9.30am, boys 13-17 at 10am, girls 11-12 at 10.30am and boys 11-12 at 11am.
Entry forms are in the clubhouse or can be obtained from the Sports
Development Team, Regal House (1st floor), London Road, Twickenham TW1 3QB.
VALENTINE'S DAY BALL
Marina Quayle writes:
"Jo and I have decided that we need another party to cheer everbody's winter
blues so we are organising a Valentine's Day Ball at the Turk's Head on
Friday 11th February from 7pm to 11pm. There will be an entry fee of £5 at
the door. We will hire a DJ or band and will ask people to bring finger food
as we do not want a sitting down meal this time and the pub does not provide
buffet food.
If anybody knows a DJ or band who would be interested in playing that night,
please contact me (mailto:marina_quayle@hotmail.com) or Jo
(mailto:joturner_45@hotmail.com). The dress code will be: smart dress
essential, ladies in red and gentlemen in black".
WHAT'S HAPPENED...
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SURREY LADIES LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Saturday 15th January in Richmond Park
Anna McLaughlin reports:
"Congratulations to everyone who ran on Saturday, it was a great team result
with everyone improving on their performances from last time! We had 13
runners lining up on the start line for this fast and furious race over near
perfect conditions and from the off it was obvious that it was going to be a
tight battle with Belgrave. Sarah Seal led the Ranelagh contingent from the
front, quickly settling into her fantastic final finishing position of 5th
closely followed behind by Alice Beverly who managed to finish just ahead of
the 2nd Belgrave scorer. Next home on the scoring A team was Marie
Synnott-Wells who managed to keep ahead of the final two Belgrave scorers,
who sadly just finished ahead of the very strong running from Estelle Damant
and Sara Grosvenor.
Overall on the day we were the 2nd team by just 5 points but still holding
onto our lead at the top of the league. However, it is now all very tight
for the last match of the season with there only being 17 points between us
and Belgrave to claim that coveted top spot so please mark in big bold
letters in your diary, Saturday February 12th - Surrey League XC, West
Ewell, 12:30pm!"
Just to underline that last paragraph - Ranelagh has never won a senior
Surrey League Division One title, male or female. If we can hang on to that
slender lead it will be a historic triumph. Let's give the team the best
support we can on February 12th, either by running - it would be great to
have a big crowd of blue vests in the field - or by lining the course to
make sure they get no chance to rest! It's a 12.30pm start for the senior
women's race. More details of the exact venue when I have them, but as Anna
says, put the date in your diary now!
Let's not overlook in the excitement that we had some juniors running hard
too, including Anna Mallett in her first Surrey League race. Georgia
Miansarow joined Anna in the Under 13s and finished a strong 14th while in
the Under 15s Victoria Elbourne, Emily Ball and Rhiannon Mehta all finished
in good mid-field positions.
SWEATSHOP SURREY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Saturday 15th January on Wimbledon
Common
Mike Peace reports:
"And so the day of reckoning. Would the amassed Ranelagh ranks (20+) in the
sunshine of Wombly Common be good enough to keep our hopes alive. Would the
opposition reveal a chink in their running talent (that's a weakness not a
nationality). Changed and warmed-up on a balmy (or was that just Phil'n
Andy) Saturday afternoon the greens and golds (foliage) of the common
invited us to run ...... even without numbers; well-done Matt who ran the
whole junior race without his for an excellent 5th.
Could the seniors emulate this WITH our numbers on. Well some of us ran.
Dave Benton (merci beaucoup) couru tres bien et fini kilometres a tete de
touts les autres Ranelites mais seconde de Paul Doyle, superbe coureur
extraordinaire sur le jour. Some of us spoke Greek and ran a Corinthian, nay
Athenian, race and some of us just swore at each other and plodded round.
Capt Bix reckoned it was the best we could do and those of us with maths
degrees added, subtracted and accumulated scores well into the night; well
evening at least, via tea at Julian 'n Sarah's (great rock cakes), beer at
The Swan, dinner 'n more beer in Twickenham (amongst Irish moonies) and more
beer 'n rock music in the Red Lion.
So, well-done to the Girls in their League race, thanks to the girls for
their support and encouragement for the boys, esp. Sarah, Sonia, Alison 'n
Annie who cheered us all on. The boys .. well we're still working out the
maths .. sacre bleu ... nous esperons. Voyez les resultats".
Paul "call me Popeye" Doyle's run was certainly his best ever over the
country and he added a whole hatful of scalps to his growing collection -
one of them David Benton, beaten by a fellow RH for the first time in
several seasons. David still made the top 20 in a classy field and Julian
Smith did his best to do the same. Abandoning his usal slow start tactics J
blasted off and paid the penalty by losing some ground in the closing
stages. Unfortunately he took Jordan Mungovan with him and Jordan suffered
even more. But this was another highly promising run from Jordan and he was
the first Under 20 to finish.
The dependable Marcus and Mick were 5th and 6th for Ranelagh and Captain
Bix, Rob, Peter and Chris completed the scoring ten just ahead of new man
James Corbett. It was a very encouraging sign to have 27 Ranelagh men taking
part.
Team-wise we finished 6th but gained only a little ground on Aldershot and
Reigate and remain adrift in 8th place overall with just the last race - at
Coulsdon on February 12th - to come.
GORING AND WOODCOTE 10km Sunday 9th January
Alice Beverly writes:
"I did a 10km the day after the Surrey Champs, as I was a bit annoyed with
my performance. I won in 39.20 (by my watch), a bit disappointing, but I
blame the very hilly course, which seemed to add a good 90 seconds to
everybody's times... excuses, excuses!"
Alice's time was officially 39.22, which places her 21st on the Ranelagh
all-time list.
1 Sam Aldridge (Reading) 33.19
12 Alice Beverly 39.22
BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL 5km Saturday 15th January
Fighting 50s Steve and Stephen spent the race desperately trying to burn
each other off, both in the certain knowledge that the two young men jogging
effortlessly along beside them would leave them for dead as soon as they
knew the way home! There was a record field of 33 starters and 31 finishers,
including Luke Wilson celebrating his 11th birthday. Rachel Rowan was the
first woman home.
1 Shane McDermott (Raheny) 19.16
3 Stephen Instone 19.29
4 Steve Rowland 19.42
5 Jonny Rowan 20.18
6 Rachel Rowan 20.34
11 Sam Hunton 21.48
14 Amelie Hunton 22.22
15 Chris Hunton 22.22
20 Jo Turner 24.32
23 Wally Garrod 24.57
25 Luke Wilson 27.07
26 Gill Wilson 27.08
29 Holly Wilson 30.08
CABBAGE PATCH BOXING DAY RUN Sunday 26th December
Terry Marks was the leading over 60.
1 D Huck (WSEH) 22.30
25 Terry Marks 28.41
53 Caitlin Limmer 38.30
SUSSEX CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 8th January at Bexhill
Neil Walford finished 39th on the 7.5 miles course in 51.56.
TRAINING
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Tough Tuesdays continue as normal, with speed work for various groups (next
few sessions below) and Wally's beginners' club. Full details on our web
site.
Robin Drummond's "Improvers Sessions" continue on Thursday nights at 7pm
from the clubhouse, concentrating on speed and technique. See below for an
outline of the forthcoming sessions. Full details can be found on our web
site.
As an alternative on Thursday nights, Margaret Auerback and Frances
Ratchford are holding Strength and Conditioning coaching sessions at 7.30pm
in the free-weights room at the gym at St Mary's College, Waldegrave Road.
Coaching at the gym on other days is negotiable. For more information
contact Frances at mailto:grapevineproductions@compuserve.com.
Also Wednesdays at 6.30pm and Sundays at 10am at the clubhouse for a steady
run in the Park.
Tuesday sessions. Each also includes a steady run warm up and warm down.
Jan 25th 8 x 90secs on Holly Lodge hill plus 4 x 30 secs
Feb 1st 3 x 5 mins, 3 x 3 mins
Feb 8th 4 x Nightingale Lane bottom, 3 x Richmond Hill, 3 x Nightingale
Lane bottom
Feb 15th 2 x 3 x 4 mins efforts
Thursday sessions. Each also includes a steady run warm up and warm down.
Jan 20th 3 x 3 x 60 secs in Ranelagh Drive
PARIS MARATHON Sunday 10th April
A sizeable group of Ranelagh Harriers is heading for Paris in the Spring,
either for the marathon or for the shopping! They are staying at the Hotel
Baudelaire, 12 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, a ten minutes metro trip from
the start. Most are planning to travel by Eurostar on the Saturday morning,
returning on Sunday night or Monday. Others are welcome to join the party -
contact Simon Burrell for more info (mailto:simon_burrell2000@yahoo.com).
THE PERFECT RACE
Dave Powell writes:
"If anyone has a few quid left after Christmas, or a spare book token
looking for a home, I recommend getting your hands on a copy of "The Perfect
Race - Ovett and Coe", by former Times and FT athletics writer Pat Butcher,
if you haven't already done so.
It's a simply unputdownable account of the lives of Steve Ovett and Seb Coe
on and off the track - the world records, the family dramas, the training,
the rows with the press and of course the epic battles in the Moscow and Los
Angeles Olympics and elsewhere. It's all there. Pat Butcher saw much of it
and has tracked down the training partners, coaches, family and friends of
the two champions, everyone - including other great runners, like Thomas
Wessinhage and Steve Scott, that were unlucky enough to reach the pinnacle
of their careers in the years when these two very different Englishmen were
setting new standards in middle distance running.
But it's not just hero worship. Butcher is critical of the pair's use of
pacemakers to set many of their world records: a development he sees as
corrupting the free competition of racing where all compete to win. And so
other heroes emerge from the book. Particularly Filbert Bayi of Tanzania,
who ran from the front in the 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500 to beat world
record holder John Walker and take nearly a second off the old record. It
can still be done from the front without paid assistants to pull you round,
he argues.
This is thoughtful analysis of the issues our sport faces as well as a
gripping evocation of the terrors and triumphs of racing at the top level. I
challenge any runner to read it without a quickening of the heart and the
odd tear. But be careful if you read it on the train. You could go way past
your stop".
ALF PEARCE
Alf died late on Wednesday 12th January after a long illness. He was 87 and
with his death Ranelagh loses one of its oldest and most popular members.
Always a livewire, ready for a voluble but friendly discussion over a pint,
ready to prick any pomposity, Alf was - to use an overworked term - a
"character".
It is ironic but quite appropriate that a reference to Alf's success in club
handicap races appeared in the e-news sent out just a few hours before his
death, for it is as a handicap specialist that he will be best remembered in
the club records. Over 52 years of membership he achieved an unparalleled
total of eight handicap wins, when most members think themselves lucky if
the handicapper smiles on them once. Three second places and four thirds
complete his tally.
Alf was born in 1917 and originally ran with Thames Valley Harriers. After
Dave Braybrook, with whom Alf had served in the Royal Navy, had switched
allegiance from TVH to Ranelagh, Alf followed his example in 1953. He
started as he meant to continue with a win in the Baker Cup three miles
handicap at the end of his first season. His time of 16.51 was fourth
fastest of the day. In complete contrast in May 1954 he won the club's own
20 miles road race, at that time held over a three lap course in Richmond
Park, after a sprint finish in a record time of 2.10.52. "It must be almost
unique in the history of the club," wrote the Gazette correspondent, "for
the holder of the Baker Cup to go on and win the 20 mile road race eight
weeks later". One month further on Alf beat three hours for the Polytechnic
Marathon. He was a keen road runner and recorded 58.39 for 10 miles in 1957
and was still able to run as fast as 64.41 in 1970. "Alf seems to be getting
faster with age," reported the Gazette. A week later Alf won the Thomas Cup
handicap for the third time, ten years after the second of two consecutive
wins, another feat almost unique in the club's annals. The joint
handicappers are reported to have resigned!
Alf also competed regularly over the country, featuring in our championship
teams up to the mid-1960s. He was the inaugural winner in 1957 of the club
veterans' championship and although never able to match that success he
placed frequently until the late 1960s. He often led the Ranelagh contingent
in the Veterans Mob Match.
An accident at work may have permanently affected his health but he
continued to run when he could and recorded his last handicap win - the
Thomas Cup yet again - at the age of 70 in 1987. His final club races were
in 1990 but he continued occasionally to take part in the monthly
Hammersmith handicap races near his home almost up to his 80th birthday.
Latterly he would help at the water stations in our road races and perhaps
his last appearance at the clubhouse was in October 2003 when he was
presented with an engraved tankard to mark fifty years of membership. "I
backed a winner fifty years ago," he said.
Our condolences go to Alf's two daughters. The funeral will take place at
10am on Tuesday 25th January at St Teresa's Child of Jesus Church, Boniface
Walk, Harrow. Would anyone planning to attend please contact Alan Hedger
(tel 01372 740626).