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Newsdesk 2001
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 23 7 MARCH 2001
Web site: http://www.surreyweb.net/rharriers
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The Foot and Mouth outbreak is playing havoc with the fixture list, but
let's confirm first of all that the Baker Cup 3 miles road handicap WILL
take place as scheduled on Saturday March 24th on our old course around Ham
Common. The start is at 3pm but allow extra time to get to Ham Common which
is about a mile from the clubhouse.
In the evening, upstairs at the Dysart, will be the annual club supper and
prize giving. All trophy winners should please try to attend. Details below.
The Reading Half Marathon and the Finchley 20 miles have both been cancelled
too, and a number of our members looking for a long race prior to the London
are switching their attentions to the Worthing 20 miles on Sunday March
25th. Entry details below.
GREEN BELT RELAY
This is due to take place on the weekend of May 19 / 20. It is to be hoped
that Foot and Mouth will be under control by then and the event will be able
to go ahead. Certainly the Stragglers' organising committee are continuing
with their planning on that assumption, and we should do the same. To recap,
for those unfamiliar with the event: it's a two-day race around the
outskirts of London for teams of ten runners. The total distance is just
over 200 miles, broken down into 20 stages of average length 10 miles but in
fact varying from 6 to 14. The route is mainly road, but designed to be as
attractive and scenic as possible. Most stages go off road at least for a
short distance. Each runner in the team runs twice, once on Saturday and
again on Sunday. Last year we finished 4 teams and won the three main
categories - open, vets and women. But 4 teams means 40 runners, so there is
scope for everyone to take part. You have to be fit enough to tackle two ten
mile runs in as many days, but you don't have to be a superstar. And if you
don't feel up to running you can still help out with driving and support if
you can spare a few hours over the weekend.
You don't have to commit yourself definitely at this stage of course, but I
would like to start hearing from everyone who is interested in taking part,
either as a runner or helper. We will need to make a decision in the next
few weeks as to how many teams to enter, so please take a moment now to send
me a quick reply (srowland@calorgas.co.uk). Thanks!
In the absence of much in the way of results to report, over to Bill Bird:
"Dave Wright's amazing run of 97 unbroken mob matches has inspired me to go
over the records of all appearances. I know this is pretty stupid but I have
done enough stupid things in my time, as some of you are aware, to be able
to claim consistency.
I have included a short series in the thirties against Polytechnic Harriers
and a longer series, overlapping both sides of the Second World War, against
Finchley Harriers. I do not claim 100% accuracy because of very minor
adjustments made by me to help correct a bias against the real 'oldies'. A
few short or missing results is the cause of a statistical error of well
under 1%."
42 members have racked up 50 or more mob match appearances, of whom perhaps
only a dozen might expect to add to their tally. There follows the top 20,
then selected others:
John Hanscomb 109, David Wright 103, Bill Bird 100, Glyn Thomas 98, Steve
Rowland 98, Ron Callis 96, Jim Forrest 89, Jeff Bull 84, Harry Sheer 84, Roy
Sheridan 82, Carl Nargang 81, Mike McDowell 80, Bob Maslin 78, Alan Hedger
77, Peter Fowler 73, Mike Peace 73, John Kirk 71, Bill Harvey 71, Ned
Sullivan 70, Clive Naish 70...Ian Milne 64...Stephen Instone 57...Julian
Smith 52...Marcus Gohar 49...Alf Pearce 47...John Barnard 47...John Pratt
42...Geoff Jones 40...Mike Riley 39...Ken Powley 38...John Brett 38...Steve
Bird 38...Gordon Whitson 38...Michael Brandon 37...Simon Hedger 37...Chris
Owens 35...Kevin Harrison 32...Mike Rowland 30.
The list of appearances in the men's Surrey League scoring teams has a more
up-to-date feel to it, largely because we only started competing in the
League in the mid-sixties. The first two seasons are excluded - results are
not availble in their entirety and conveniently the 'Mid Surrey League' in
which we competed was not considered part of the main League. Top 20:
Julian Smith 47, David Wright 45, Mike Riley 38, Jim Forrest 37, Bill Harvey
35, Chris Owens 35, John Barnard 29, Simon Collingridge 29, Hugh Jones 27,
Paul Graham 26, Jeff Bull 25, Allen Horne 25, Andy Bickerstaff 25, Guy de
Boursac 24, Dave Daniels 24, Kevin Harrison 24, Simon Hedger 23, Ian
Macintosh 22, Len Duke 22, Steve Rowland 22, Geoff Jones 22, Marcus Gohar
22.
Finally, top dozens for the Southern and National Championship teams:
Southern: GWR 'Robbie' Robinson 13, Jeff Bull 13, Bill Harvey 13, John Davis
12, Bill Bird 12, Jim Forrest 12, Mike Peace 12, Julian Smith 11, JF Lintott
10, Alan Hedger 10, Steve Rowland 10, Chris Owens 10.
National: John Davis 11, Alan Hedger 11, Julian Smith 11, Bill Bird 10, Jeff
Bull 10, David Wright 10, Bill Harvey 9, Chris Owens 9, Jim Forrest 8, Peter
Fowler 8, Allen Horne 8, Paul Graham 8.
More of Bill's researches to follow.
COMING UP
More details of all the following from Paul Graham (0796 7788945 /
paulgraham28@hotmail.com) or Sarah Seal (020 8995 2380 /
sarah.seal@haynet.com).
Saturday March 10th Clutton Cup 10 miles handicap POSTPONED. But don't
forget that Zis Boom Bah will be playing at the Rose of York from about 9pm
onwards, and all are invited.
Sunday March 11th Reading Half Marathon POSTPONED until later in the year.
Sunday March 11th Stragglers 10km mob match at Kingston POSTPONED until
June.
Saturday March 24th Baker Cup 3 miles road handicap at Ham Common followed
in the evening by the annual club supper and prize-giving, which is to be
held at 7pm upstairs in the Dysart . Price about £12. I'm not sure who is
taking the bookings, but anyone who wants to get his or her name down can
e-mail me and I will pass the list on.
Sunday March 25th Finchley 20 miles incl Spendlove Cup club 20 miles
championship POSTPONED
Sunday March 25th Worthing 20 miles. 10am start. Entries £7 (payable to
Worthing & District Harriers) by March 17th to Race Sec, 15 Southdown Road,
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5AL. Entries on the day £9. Race HQ is
Worthing Leisure Centre, 1.5 miles from the start. e-mail
rjmew@wickhamr.fsnet.co.uk.
Sunday April 8th Thames Towpath 10 miles at Chiswick Bridge. Ranelagh
Grand Prix race 1. 10.30am start. Entries £6 (payable to West 4 Harriers) by
April 1st to West 4 Harriers, Flat 3, 15 Grosvenor Road, Chiswick, London W4
4EQ. Entries on the day £10!
Sunday April 22nd London Marathon. Ranelagh Grand Prix race 2
FINALLY
Simon Burrell has sent me the text of some exchanges between Nike and a
customer who wanted to take them up on their offer of personalised stitching
on a pair of running shoes for $50. Trouble was, the customer wanted
"Sweatshop" on his shoes - not the British shops of the same name of course,
but rather a reference to the conditions in third-world factories where the
shoes are made. The whole exchange is too long to repeat here, suffice it to
say that Nike were not amused. The customer's final e-mail: "Thank you for
the time and energy you have spent on my request. I have decided to order
the shoes with a different iD, but I would like to make one small request.
Could you please send me a colour snapshot of the ten-year-old Vietnamese
girl who makes my shoes?" There was no answer from Nike....
Steve Rowland
Tel: 01926 318734
Fax: 01926 318718
e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk