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Newsdesk 2007
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 249 19 April 2007
Editor: Steve Rowland
mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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HEADLINE NEWS
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* 76 year-old Ed Whitlock runs 3.04.54 marathon in Rotterdam
* Tim Woods 5th in Thames Towpath 10
* A hot weekend in Paris
* London Marathon this Sunday
* Your views requested
SEE HERE
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LONDON MARATHON
Good luck to all runners on Sunday! As I write, the weather forecast is
"mostly sunny" with temperatures rising to 22 degrees by Sunday afternoon.
So hopefully the conditions for running in the morning will be pleasant, but
it may become warm in the closing stages. Nothing so extreme, however, as
that faced by the competitors in the Paris and Rotterdam events last
weekend - see below.
The day will as usual end up at Janet Turnes's pub the Wych Elm in Elm Road,
Kingston. All runners, spectators, supporters, television watchers welcome
from 7pm onwards. Bring your medals!
IMPORTANT - YOUR VIEWS PLEASE
Hon Sec Simon Burrell writes:
"Please give us your views on an important topic, for which we feel we need
a better understanding of members' opinions before reaching a decision. This
relates to the setting of future annual subscriptions.
You can help by reading this document and expressing your views by e-mail to
Simon Burrell (mailto:simon_burrell2000@yahoo.com).
Please do this by the end of April.
Your individual responses will be shared with a small team looking into this
matter, with an anonymous summary of opinions presented to the full
committee on 29th May. We will propose a future course of action, based on
member feedback at the AGM in July.
POST LONDON AND PARIS MARATHON PARTY
Richard Xerri of Xerritherapy, in conjunction with realrunners.co.uk and
goodrunguide.co.uk, is organising this at the Alexandra pub in Park Road,
Kingston on Thursday 26th April at 7.30pm. Richard writes:
"As some of us (in fact many of us) are not good enough for the official
London Marathon post race party I thought it was time to run an unofficial
one.... no suits or fancy dresses required, you can spill your food and not
worry and it doesn't matter if you fall asleep in your pint or white wine
spritzer. Vast range of fattening food allowed too!!
Nice prizes to the quickest male and female club runners from both events
and maybe the slowest...if they are not to embarrassed to step forward.
Bring your race number for the infamous MARATHON RUNNERS DRAW and the even
more infamous OLDEST RUNNING VEST COMPETITION. Photo evidence not required.
This invitation is going out to the masses of the running community so come
and see some of those non-social marathon lot from the past few months who
pretend they have been training hard!!
A run will take place beforehand just up the road from the pub in Richmond
Park / Kingston Gate car park at 6.00pm".
MARATHON SPONSORSHIP
If you still haven't found a home for all that sponsorship money in your
wallet, here's one more appeal, from Rachel Fursman:
"I'm running the London Marathon in aid of Parkinson's Disease. My grandad
suffers from the condition so it's great to be helping such a worthwhile
cause. Please give what you can, it's much appreciated.
The link is: http://www.justgiving.com/RFursman
RICHMOND HALF MARATHON Sunday 13th May at 8.30am
Entries for our Half Marathon are now approaching 600, including about 30
from Ranelagh. It would be nice to see a few more, especially as the race
doubles up as both our own club championship and the Surrey county
championship.
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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 ).
Sunday 22nd April London Marathon. Ranelagh GP race.
Sunday 6th May Sutton 10km. Ranelagh GP and Surrey Road League race.
Sunday 13th May Ranelagh Richmond Half Marathon. Ranelagh GP race.
Sat 19th / Sun 20th May Green Belt Relay.
Sunday 3rd June Dorking 10 miles. Ranelagh GP race and Surrey 10m
championship. A new course is being introduced this year.
Every Saturday Bushy Park Time Trial: 9am start at the Diana
Fountain car park.
Wimbledon Common Time Trial: 9am start
at the Windmill car park.
Details:
RANELAGH ROAD GRAND PRIX
Full details
WHAT'S HAPPENED...
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THAMES TOWPATH 10 miles Sunday 15th April at Chiswick
Tim Woods reports:
"It was hot and a change of course meant that there was a climb up the steps
onto Richmond Bridge at the half way point which knocked me back a bit. Too
little on roads and too much on the uneven towpath with dogs, bikes and
children enjoying the weather. Overall I went off too fast (not for the
first time), and was on my own for the last few miles after someone left me.
At least he wished me good luck and called me 'son'! Well organised and
worth it, especially if you enjoy Fullers beer".
Tim finished 5th overall but surprisingly was only the second over 50 home,
the winner being 52 year-old Paul Gregory from Vale of Aylesbury. David Rowe
hacked several minutes off his previous best to record 67.36 as the second
Ranelagh man in, ahead of Niall O'Connor and Marc Snaith. Martin Clark was
the first over 60 to finish and John Hanscomb was the first over 70. Carola
Richter and Aine Hayes led the Ranelagh women.
PARIS MARATHON Sunday 15th April
"April in Paris" goes the old song, "Chestnuts in blossom, Holiday tables
under the trees". Sitting at a holiday table under a tree with long drinks
in their hands is probably what most sensible Parisians were doing on
Sunday, as sunshine and high temperatures ushered in an early summer. 30,000
marathoners tackled the conditions as best they could. Chris Read reports:
"With temperatures forecast to reach 27C a team of nine Ranelagh runners
lined up at the start of the Paris Marathon. The first half went well for
me with the early start ensuring relatively cool conditions. Crowd support
was good with shouts of "Allez" and "Bravo" to encourage us. As I went into
the second half, however, things got tougher. By 30 km the temperature felt
as if it had reached the promised 27C and I was tired and overheating. The
band at 35 km optimistically sang "Everything's gonna be all right" and so
it proved as I crossed the line more or less on target in a time of 3.26.11.
Andy Hayward was the fastest Ranelagh finisher in 3.25.41. Evelyn, Karen,
Michele and I all did pbs. The rest of the team did relatively slow times
as they struggled in the heat. From what I personally saw the race was well
organised. I understand, however, that it was tougher further back with not
enough water and medical facilities struggling to cope with the number of
people collapsing."
1 M Shami (Qatar) 2.07.19 (chip time 2.07.18)
3184 Andy Hayward 3.26.12 (3.25.41)
3522 Chris Read 3.28.39 (3.26.11)
5628 Evelyn Joslin 3.40.25 (3.37.16)
8022 Karen Broadbent 3.52.33 (3.49.24)
8993 Greg Walters 3.57.54 (3.57.14)
10458 Ian Grange 4.03.20 (3.57.48)
14360 Michele Gibson 4.21.09 (4.14.07)
17154 Tom Reay 4.34.20 (4.23.54)
21215 Steve Roberts 4.56.16 (4.42.18)
ROTTERDAM MARATHON Sunday 15th April
Conditions were just as torrid in Rotterdam, where the organisers took the
unprecedented step of stopping the race in the interests of safety after
three and a half hours. Even so, over 50 runners were hospitalised. The
superhuman Ed Whitlock took it all in his steady stride and ran another
incredible race to set a new world record for over 75s of 3.04.54. We could
all learn lessons from his 5km splits, which were 21.26, 21.13, 21.35,
22.01, 22.14, 22.20, 22.05 and 22.00.
David Wright was in Rotterdam with Wendy Jones, who was ostensibly chasing
the World Championships qualifying time of 2.35 but in light of the
conditions settled for a steady 2.45. David met up with Ed on the eve of the
race: "He felt that he wasn't in the greatest shape and he said that
Toronto's winter had come late this year so the change in temperature for
him was massive. I didn't see him after the marathon because we had to race
to the airport but I understand that he ran 3.04 for a new World V75 record,
an absolutely magnificent run in the conditions. I saw him at 30km, in his
Ranelagh vest of course, and gave him a cheer. On Saturday he told me that
he's determined to run a Ranelagh mob match so as to achieve the record of
the biggest gap between mob matches - his one run for Ranelagh being a mob
against Finchley Harriers about 60 years ago!"
Ed adds, with massive understatement: "I had an OK run, but was looking for
a little better. Cramping problems over the last 2k but otherwise OK. Most
other people seemed more affected by the conditions than me".
1 J Chelanga (Kenya) 2.08.21 (chip time 2.08.19)
56 Wendy Jones (Ciren) 2.45.54 (2.45.50)
183 Ed Whitlock 3.04.54 (3.04.51)
BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL 5km Saturday 14th April
A bumper 349 runners in the sunshine this week, the Ranelagh contingent led
by junior Jamie Taylor-Caldwell.
1 R Stannard (Belgrave) 15.34
18 Jamie Taylor-Caldwell 18.15
42 Darren Wood 19.15
50 David Rowe 19.38
86 Chris Camacho 20.58
97 Tony Appleby 21.13
127 Adam Wright 21.57
201 Luke Wilson 24.52
202 Alan Craig 24.53
206 Zuzana Lhotanova 25.09
245 John Hanscomb 26.54
277 Gill Wilson 28.00
322 Sharon Rowe 31.12
WIMBLEDON COMMON TIME TRIAL 5km Saturday 14th April
1 T Moonen (Ealing S&M) 17.07
8 Andy Bickerstaff 18.19
DUNSFOLD 10km Sunday 15th April
Not the best day for a course completely devoid of shade!
1 D Taylor (Blackheath) 32.34 (chip time 32.33)
58 Jonny Peacock 42.20 (42.18)
ASTHMA UK 10km Saturday 7th April at Battersea Park
1 R Lee 32.24
13 Ed Barker 35.38
NEWPORT TO RYDE 7 miles Saturday 7th April
Another over 60 win for Clive Beauvais.
1 P Cameron (W Wight) 38.14
16 Clive Beauvais 47.15
FINALLY...
London Marathoners will be relieved to hear that the "Dancing Priest"
Cornelius Horan has been given an ASBO to keep him away from the race on
Sunday. Horan, if you don't remember him, is the defrocked priest who
disrupted the 2003 British F1 Grand Prix and then rugby tackled the leader
of the 2004 Olympic Marathon...