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Newsdesk 2006
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 230 17 October 2006
Editor: Steve Rowland
mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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HEADLINE NEWS
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* Paul Doyle wins Surrey Vets championship
* Golds also for the over 40s team, silver for Chris Owens and bronzes for
Andy Bickerstaff and the over 50s team
* Mark Morrison and Kerrie O'Connor our leading finishers in the Cabbage
Patch 10
* Rachel Rowan wins Blenheim 10km
* Sara Grosvenor 2nd in BPTT
* Mob Match v Orion this Saturday - minibus leaves the Dysart at 12 noon
SEE HERE
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LEE CUP MOB MATCH v ORION HARRIERS Saturday 21st October at Epping Forest
We have the special "mass mob match" at home on November 4th, but to get us
into the swing of it we first have our biennial trip to Epping Forest to
take on Orion Harriers. It's a bit of a trek to get there, (though access
from the M25 is pretty simple) but it's a memorable multi-terrain course
through the forest. It's a one-lap 7½ miles, there are fast runnable paths,
road sections, hills and bits deep in the woods that will probably be muddy.
Start time is 3pm, and for mob matches we need absolutely as many people
there as we can get. All will count towards the result.
Orion's clubhouse is at the rear of the Royal Forest Hotel, Rangers Road
(the A1069). Use the car park opposite.
There will be a minibus leaving the clubhouse at 12 noon. Please use it! It
will return after tea and a quick drink, so expect to be back by about
7.30pm. Let Andy Bickerstaff know if you are likely to use it (contact
details below).
RANELAGH'S 125th ANNIVERSARY
Birthday Run
We are about to celebrate our actual 125th birthday. This is on Sunday 29th
October, when we will be re-creating the club's first-ever run from the
club's original home at the Green Man on Putney Heath. We will be running at
4pm sharp, so aim to arrive by about 3.30pm. The route will be to the
Windmill on Wimbledon Common (a little over a mile) where we will re-convene
before returning to the Green Man. Run or walk the route as you wish. And if
at all possible, come in 1881 period costume! If you're running, take a look
at the old photos in the clubhouse for some ideas. Basically, it's
knee-length shorts (and old pair of cricket trousers cut off at the knee
would do the trick) and a plain half-sleeved or sleeved top. Shoes are more
tricky - I guess we'll have to overlook any anachronisms there. Of course,
ladies did not run in 1881, so we might have to bend our history a bit there
too. Non-running wives, husbands, friends and children are all welcome, and
if they can appear in costume, so much the better.
After the run, the Green Man will be laying on a buffet which is going to be
free of charge. Please come along!
Mass Mob Match
The final anniversary event will be on the following Saturday, November 4th.
It will be a run in Richmond Park against all our traditional mob match
opponents - Blackheath Harriers, South London Harriers, Orion Harriers and
Thames Hare and Hounds. The route will be the normal two laps making up 7½
miles but for those who might find 7½ a bit too much there will be the
option of running only one lap. All competitors and officials will receive a
special commemorative shot glass. For those who might not have taken part in
a mob match before, the idea is that each club fields as many runners as
possible and all might count towards the final result. So even if you do no
other cross-country races this winter, please try to get to this one! There
will be a supper in the evening in the clubhouse, details to follow.
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WHAT'S COMING...
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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 21st October Lee Cup mob match v Orion Harriers at Epping
Forest. 3pm start. See above.
Sunday 29th October 125th Anniversary Run from the Green Man at 4pm.
See above.
Saturday 4th November Mass Mob Match in Richmond Park at 2.30pm. All
members please try to come! See above.
Sunday 5th November MABAC League 5 miles at Puttenham Common. 11am
start. See http://www.mabac.org.uk/.
Saturday 11th November Surrey League Div 1 - men at Coulsdon, women at
Lightwater Country Park.
Every Saturday Bushy Park Time Trial. 9am start at the Diana
Fountain car park. See http://www.bptt.net/ for details.
WHAT'S HAPPENED...
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SURREY VETERANS CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 14th October in Richmond Park
Passing your 40th birthday is something to be dreaded for most people, but
at least for runners the pill is sugared a little by moving into the vets
category. Paul Doyle celebrated passing that age milestone a couple of weeks
ago in the best possible style by romping away with the Surrey veterans
title. Paul took the lead from the start and was well clear by the end of
the first lap. He maintained the pressure on the second circuit and, still
running strongly, crossed the line over a minute and a half ahead of the
runner-up. Nick Henderson made a very tentative start owing to a sore knee,
but stormed through the field on the second lap to finish just out of the
medals in 4th place. Andy Bickerstaff finished 13th, and much to his
surprise was called up for the over 45s bronze medal. Paul, Nick and Andy
also won golds in the over 40s team race, turning the tables on SLH who had
defeated us comfortably in the county road relays.
The over 50s got in on the act too, with Chris Owens the individual silver
medallist, and Chris, Iain Wilson and Mike Peace taking the team bronzes.
There were no medals for the women this year, the best results coming from
Sonia Rowland (4th over 50) and Yvonne Hill (7th over 40).
CABBAGE PATCH 10 miles Sunday 15th October at Twickenham
This race incorporated the Callis Cup club 10 miles championship, and Mark
Middleton was always the prime candidate for the trophy. He was a little off
his 55 minutes target but 56.27 still represented a personal best and
brought him home 23rd in a high-quality field. Behind him, Trevor Maguire
just missed the one hour barrier, Graham Quick was another couple of minutes
back and Nik Wright and Marc Snaith finished in the 64 minute bracket.
Trevor and Graham were 6th and 9th in the over 40s category.
Next in, with indisputably THE run of the day, was Kerrie O'Connor. Kerrie
continued the astonishing improvement she has shown over the past few months
by hacking something like 15 minutes off her previous fastest 10 miles with
a brilliant 66.42. This was good for 24th overall in the women's race and
6th in the over 35s. There was a good performance too from Mandy Westlake at
just over 70 minutes.
We had nearly 50 finishers altogether in a massive field of over 1400.
BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL 5km Saturday 14th October
Numbers returned to a (slightly) more manageable 232. Chris Brook was the
leading Ranelagh with a 1 second PB. Sara Grosvenor just missed her best
time, but was the second woman home.
1 W Cockerell (Belgrave) 16.18
17 Chris Brook 18.53
30 Chris Camacho 19.28
41 Sara Grosvenor 19.49
45 Darren Wood 19.58
148 Zuzana Lhotanova 25.09
153 Phil Aiken 25.24
157 Roger Wilson 25.40
170 Wally Garrod 26.44
218 Penny Merrett 33.02
ROTARY BLENHEIM 10km Sunday 15th October at Woodstock
Rachel Rowan reports:
"In my efforts to break 40mins for 10k I did the Blenheim 10k around
Blenheim Palace on Sunday. Unfortunately, I hadn't appreciated how
undulating the course was going to be so unfortunately I didn't manage it.
However I did win the ladies race in a time of 40.42. It is a great course
to do due to the scenery, however not a good one to do for a PB".
1 S Kimber (WSEH) 35.06
27 Jonny Rowan 40.41
28 Rachel Rowan 40.42
Rachel continues:
"I also did the Hawker 10k (from the Hawker Centre) - two weeks ago, again
to break 40 mins but again a near miss of 40.09, but came second overall
(only about a field of 40)".
KINGSTON RUNNING FESTIVAL Sunday 8th October
In addition to the results shown in the last edition, Carola Richter also
ran the 8-miler, finishing 237th in 64.46.
RICHMOND HARRIERS, MELBOURNE
Mike Hubbert writes to tell us that former Ranelagh man Paul Beauvais was
the Richmond Harriers club champion for 2006.
FINALLY...
Feeling your age? In the Cabbage Patch 10 team results placed on the web on
Sunday, all the Ranelagh men were shown as over 60s and all the women as
over 55s....