Home
Newsdesk 2006

 ****************************************************************************
 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 225                6 September 2006
 Editor: Steve Rowland
 mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com  
 ****************************************************************************
 HEADLINE NEWS
 *********************
 *  Lorna Smith wins the Thomas Cup
 *  Phil Killingley and Marie Synnott-Wells set fastest times
 *  Fari Shams is leading woman in BPTT
 *  Paul Doyle wins Surrey 10,000 metres track title
 *  Mark Middleton is the new club men's Vice Captain
 *  Surrey Road Relays this Saturday at Wimbledon Park

 SEE HERE
 *************
 VICE CAPTAIN
 Mark Middleton has been appointed to be Andy's right-hand man. 

 SURREY ROAD RELAYS  Saturday 9th September at Wimbledon Park
 There are still places available in teams for Saturday's relays at Wimbledon
 Park. There are separate events for senior men, over 40s and over 50s,
 senior women and over 35s.
 Mark Middleton writes:
 "Just a quick reminder that the Surrey road relays are being held this
 coming Saturday at Wimbledon Park, teams consist of six runners, each with a
 leg of three miles. We're looking for runners of all standards- not just the
 quickest guys! With the first Division 1 Surrey League approaching on the
 horizon this would be a really good opportunity to show some of the teams we
 will be running against, that Ranelagh mean business! So anyone that I
 haven't spoken to and would like to run should contact either me, Andy Bicks
 or Phil Aiken". 

 CABBAGE PATCH 10
 Entry for the The Cabbage Patch 10 miles road race on Sunday 15th October
 now has closed with some 1800 entries, 61 of them from Ranelagh.

 125th ANNIVERSARY
 Anniversary Dinner  Friday 29th September at York House
 Tickets are available from Marina Quayle at the clubhouse or at 101 Sheen
 Road, Richmond TW9 1YJ. The price per head is £45 (payable to Ranelagh
 Harriers) and includes a three course dinner and wine, followed by guest
 speakers. Contact Marina for more info: 
 Please specify if you will require a vegetarian meal. Marina has only had
 three veggie requests so far, which she feels is a bit lower than expected,
 so if anyone already booked omittted to specify, would they please contact
 her.

 Junior Anniversary Run  Saturday 30th September in Richmond Park
 A short cross-country race for under 18s, which will also count as the first
 of the winter junior points prize races. Either register at the clubhouse
 before 2pm or at Sidmouth Wood before 2:30. The race starts promptly at 2:30
 and there will be tea for all in the clubhouse afterwards. A special
 anniversary medal will be awarded to all participants.

 Birthday Run  Sunday 29th October from the Green Man on Putney Heath.
 29th October is our actual 125th birthday. Our home in 1881 was the Green
 Man and the club's first run was to the Windmill on Wimbledon Common and
 back - about two miles. Back in 1981 in our Centenary year we re-created
 that run, with most particiapnts dressing up in some approximation of 1881
 running kit - long shorts, short-sleeved shirts and so on. Now we are going
 to do it again! Dress up if you can - whiskers too, if you can manage them
 (women excused!). The run will be in the afternoon (exact start time to be
 advised) and there will be a tea in the pub afterwards. All are welcome to
 come - the more the merrier.

 Mass Mob Match  Saturday 4th November in Richmond Park
 We will be playing host to all our mob match opponents on one day! It will
 be a huge field of runners, and it would be nice if a good proportion of
 them were in Ranelagh vests. All participants will receive a memento of the
 occasion. Put the date in your diary and do come along to run the 7½ miles
 if you can. Of course we will also need officials and marshals. There will
 be a supper in the evening. 

 CONGRATULATIONS...
 ...to Anna McLaughlin and John Scally on their recent engagement.

 HORSLEY 5km  Sunday 17th September
 Louise Piears writes:
 "I am helping to organise a charity 5K fun run in West Horsley in Surrey (10
 minutes drive from the Wisley turn-off on the A3). It is a pleasant course
 mostly through farm-land and is a real family event (children welcome to run
 with parents). So, if you fancy a non-pressurised run somewhere different
 then either e-mail me and I will send an entry form or just turn up on the
 day (17th September, 1.30pm start). Cost is £8 for adults and £4 for
 children - all proceeds to Cherry Trees children's charity".

 FOUNDERS' CHALLENGE  Sunday 22nd October
 This is a 26 miles "challenge" in the Surrey Hills, starting and finishing
 at Peaslake. It's not really competitive and participants can run or walk
 the distance. Maximum time allowed is 9½ hours.  

 *********************
  WHAT'S COMING...
 *********************
 More details of the following from
 Andy Bickerstaff ( 07772 111491 / mailto: andy@norris-hobs.co.uk ) or 
 Mark Middleton ( 07725 119649 / mailto: markjmiddleton@yahoo.co.uk ) or 
 Phil Aiken (07739 035189 / mailto: phil.aiken@rnid.org.uk ) or 
 Anna McLaughlin (07971 606521 / mailto: anna.mclaughlin@talk21.com ).     

 Saturday 9th September   Surrey County Road Relay Championships at Wimbledon
 Park.
 
 Sunday 10th September    River Relay  Windsor to Ham
                                        St Mary's Richmond Open and Veterans'
 track meeting at the St Mary's track. Entry details:
 http://uk.geocities.com/gutchclare/Vets26ampOpen2006.pdf. 

 Saturday 23rd September  Southern Road Relay Championships at Rushmoor
 Arena, Aldershot (senior men, including vets' races)

 Sunday 24th September  Southern Road Relay Championships at Rushmoor Arena,
 Aldershot (juniors and women) 

 Saturday 30th September  Page Cup 5 miles handicap, preceded by Junior
 Anniversary run (see above), both in Richmond Park 

 Saturday 7th October     The Surrey League gets underway! Men at Brockwell
 Park, women at Epsom Downs.
 
 Every Saturday             Bushy Park Time Trial. 9am start at the Diana
 Fountain car park. See www.bptt.net for details. 

 WHAT'S HAPPENED...
 ***************************
 THOMAS CUP 6km handicap  Saturday 2nd September in Richmond Park
 If September 2nd seems unconscionably early to be opening our "winter"
 season, the weather did its level best to set the scene appropriately with a
 windy and damp afternoon. Over 80 members lined up for the annual club
 photograph and 64 took numbers for the race. 

 First starter was 66 year-old Mary O'Donoghue. Her start of 31.10 gave her
 almost eight minutes advantage over the next in line, and a full half hour
 over the day's scratch man Phil Killingley. It might have seemed impossible
 that she could be caught and in fact so it very nearly proved. Nobody on the
 course even got a glimpse of her - excepting only Lorna Smith. The
 fast-improving Lorna made short work of most of those who had started ahead
 of her and finally caught up with Mary on the long drag up to the last
 corner. As Lorna pressed on to her first handicap victory, Mary held on to
 take the silver medal. 

 Next across the line, almost together, were three guests - Gail Granville,
 Lou Ionascu and Mike Bland. They were all ineligible for medals so the
 bronze went to another rapid improver, Kerrie O'Connor. Junior George Inman
 was next, just ahead of Hugh Jones. Handicapper Mike Rowland writes: "When
 Hugh shouted 'Coming through!' and raced past me up the narrow bit of the
 final hill, I felt sure he would win. That would have really pleased me. But
 Lorna Smith and Mary O'Donoghue had got right away... well done them!" 
 
 Hugh's 21.39 was third fastest of the day, behind Phil Killingley's 21.04
 and Duncan Bell's 21.37. It also constituted a new course record for the
 over 50 age group. Marie Synnott-Wells was the fastest woman on 24.10. 

 Mike Rowland generously provided the afternoon's teas on the house, to
 celebrate his 25 years of membership. Of course, this is the only way a
 handicapper can get anybody to say a civil word to him!

 A marquee was erected in front of the clubhouse for the evening's barbecue
 and party. Thanks go to Brian Chard for conjuring up the marquee, Carol
 Barnshaw and Sarah Smith for organising the goodies, and barbecue sizzlers
 Wally Garrod and Alan Craig. 

 SURREY 10,000 metres TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP  Saturday 26th August at Tooting Bec
 Running in the colours of his track club Herne Hill Harriers, Paul Doyle won
 the title in a sprint finish in 33:26.4. "It wasn't a good race," he writes,
 "I won by less than two seconds in the slowest time I've run for years".

 BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL 5km  Saturday 2nd September
 Fari Shams was the first woman home in her BPTT debut.

 1 J Trapmore (Shaft B) 16.07
 19 Iain Wilson 18.29
 26 Nick Wright 19.15
 27 Fari Shams 19.17
 54 Darren Wood 20.51
 65 Adam Wright 21.26
 78 Edward Smith 22.03
 83 Ray Smith 22.13
 122 Amelie Hunton 24.06
 124 Chris Hunton 24.08
 145 Steve McClune 25.54
 157 John Hanscomb 26.48

 LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 5km  Friday 25th August in Hyde Park
 1 R Cousins (London H) 15.33
 86 Pete Warren 20.29
 88 Alan Davidson 20.36
 138 Zuzana Lhotanova 24.43
 140 Mike Rowland 25.12
 155 Wally Garrod 26.21

 ARUNDEL CASTLE 10km  Sunday 27th August
 "Described as undulating and multiterrain, it certainly wasn't a pb course,"
 says Phil Aiken. 

 1 J Baker (Chichester) 34.22
 53 Phil Aiken 43.45
 125 Yvonne Hill 47.54
 399 George Coates 59.39 

 RON WHEELER 2.6 miles handicap  Wednesday 30th August at Wapping
 1 J Arundell (Raven)  16.02  (actual 16.02)
 4 Chris Read  16.52  (actual 15.52)
 11 Andy Hayward  17.15  (actual 16.15)
 13 Alan Davidson 17.24  (actual 16.24) 

 SPIRE 10 miles  Sunday 3rd September at Chesterfield
 1 C Shelton (Chest) 55.30
 66 Phil Aiken 72.35 

 CRYSTAL PALACE CANTER 5km  Tuesday 5th September
 Alan Davidson 20.19
 Yvonne Hill 21.24 

 KINGFIELD CANTER 2.85 miles handicap  Wednesday 6th September at Woking
 1 P Williams (Woking) 24.25  (actual 20.25)
 3 Steve Rowland 25.54  (actual 17.54)
 6 Sonia Rowland 26.11  (actual 21.11)
 20 Alan Davidson 27.07  (actual 19.07) 

 FINALLY...
 Tanzanian Fabiano Joseph became a multi-millionaire when he won a half
 marathon in Bogota last month. His reward for a time of 62.34 at 2600m
 altitude was a cheque for 24,000,000 Colombian Pesos! Unfortunately, that
 works out to just a little under US$10,000.