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***************************************************
 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 538         30th November 2018
 Editor: Steve Rowland
 mailto: sandsrowland@btinternet.com  
 ***************************************************

 HEADLINE NEWS                                                                     
 *************  
 *  Ranelagh women finish 3rd in the Surrey League race at Nonsuch and move
     up to 4th overall
 *  Ranelagh men finish 8th in the Surrey League race on Wimbledon Common and
     stay 8th overall
 *  Freya Thomson and Anthony Haynes lead our League teams
 *  Ranelagh women finish 8th and the men 9th in the London Championships
 *  Suzy Whatmough and Ben Anderson lead our London Champs teams 
 *  We suffer a narrow defeat to Thames Hare & Hounds in our mob match
 *  Our mob is led by Pat Wright and Suzy Whatmough
 *  Club masters championships won by George Howard, Peter Haarer and David
     Wright 
 *  All needed for home mob match on December 8th against South London
     Harriers including club championships 
 *  London Marathon guaranteed places ballot
 *  Date change for women’s Surrey League

 ATTENTION PLEASE
 ****************
 SURREY CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUES Race 3  - note change of date and venue for the
 women’s race
 The next Surrey Cross-Country League races were due to take place on January
 12th, the women at Happy Valley, Coulsdon and the men on Mitcham Common. The
 men’s race will go ahead as planned, but unfortunately the scheduled venue
 for the women’s race is unavailable and it has been necessary to shift the
 race to March 2nd at Lloyd Park, Croydon. The remaining races are therefore:
 Men
 Saturday January 12th on Mitcham Common  3pm start for seniors, 2.30pm for
 juniors
 Saturday February 9th at Lloyd Park, Croydon   3pm start for seniors, 2.30pm
 for juniors
 Women
 Saturday February 9th in Richmond Park (Kingston Gate)    11am start for
 seniors,   12 noon for Under 15s and Under 17s, 12.30pm for Under 13s
 Saturday March 2nd at Lloyd Park Croydon    1pm start for seniors, 12 noon
 for Under 15s and Under 17s, 12.30pm for Under 13s  

 NEXT JOB FOR THE MOB
 As you’ll see below, we fielded an excellent 65 runners for last week’s mob
 match against Thames Hare & Hounds but lost by the smallest of margins. So
 next week, Saturday 8th December, we have the opportunity to make amends!
 We’re being visited by South London Harriers and the Stubbs Cup is at stake.
 It’s the same 7.5 miles course in Richmond Park and the start time is
 2.30pm. The race also incorporates the club championship for the magnificent
 Wynne Cup and a sealed handicap. As ever with mob matches we need as many
 runners as we can get, male or female, fast or slow, young or old. Register
 on the day, preferably at the clubhouse but if necessary at the start
 opposite Pembroke Lodge.  

 MARSHALS
 We’ll be needing marshals and officials for the mob match mentioned above.
 If you can help, contact Andy Bickerstaff at
 andy.bickerstaff@goodrunguide.co.uk. 

 SOUTH OF ENGLAND MASTERS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS  Saturday 8th December
 at Horspath, Oxford.
 11.43 start for the women’s race, in which we have a team entered. 

 SOUTH OF THE THAMES 7.5 MILES CHAMPIONSHIP  Saturday 15th December at
 Beckenham Place Park. 
 2pm start. No three-line whip for this one, anyone wishing to run please
 contact the Captains or team managers. 

 LONDON MARATHON 2019 CLUB GUARANTEED PLACES
 We have been assigned three guaranteed places this year, and as usual there 
 will be a ballot to decide the lucky trio. To qualify for the ballot you 
 need to have run two mob matches during 2018 or run one mob match and
 helped  marshal at a cross-country event. The draw will be made at the club 
 Christmas Party on 8th December. To put your name in the hat please reply
 to  this email by 7th December.

 CLUB KIT 
 We now have a new supplier for our club singlets, men’s and women’s. This is
 iProsports. Visit their website here:.

 Coats, fleeces and long and short sleeved T-shirts are still available from
 our former supplier AlleyCatz, and most items are still offered at a 40%
 discount to clear. Take a look here:.

 TUESDAY NIGHT SOCIALS
 Don’t forget that we meet for a casual drink after training on the first
 Tuesday of each month. Venue is upstairs at the Roebuck on Richmond Hill.
 All welcome.

 THURSDAY NIGHT TRACK TRAINING AT OSTERLEY
 The club is continuing to subsidise track sessions on Thursday evenings at
 the Osterley track. All groups and all abilities are welcome. The sessions
 are  every Thursday 7.30-8.30pm.  Link to the map is here:

 FACEBOOK
 Follow Ranelagh on Facebook. 

 WHAT'S COMING
 *************
 More details of the following from the men's Captains ranelagh.men@gmail.com
 or the women's Captain / Team Manager  ranelagh.women@gmail.com      

 Saturday 8th December  Mob Match v South London Harriers at home in Richmond
 Park. 7.5 miles, 2.30pm start. Includes club championships.

 Saturday 8th December   South of England Masters Cross-Country championships
 at Horspath, Oxford

 Saturday 15th December  South of the Thames 7.5 miles Championship at
 Beckenham Place Park. 2pm start

 Saturday 29th December   Henty Relay – our Christmas fun relay, all welcome.
 12 noon start, register at the clubhouse by 11.30am. 

 5km parkruns every Saturday at 9am and 2km junior parkruns weekly or monthly
 on Sundays.
 Venues, more details and registration at www.parkrun.com or
 www.parkrun.org.uk/events/juniorevents/. 

 WHAT’S HAPPENED
 ***************
 START FITNESS SURREY LADIES LEAGUE DIVISON 1  Saturday 10th November in
 Nonsuch Park 
 In contrast to the stygian deluge that awaited the men a little later on
 Wimbledon Common, conditions for the women were pleasantly bright and mild.
 We had sixteen starters and it was exciting to see 17 year-old Freya Thomson
 leading our team in her first senior race. Freya was up with the leading
 group on the first circuit and though losing a little ground in the later
 stages she held on well to finish in an outstanding 15th spot. Cordy Parker
 was closing on Freya at the end and Cordy in turn was being caught by Suzy
 Whatmough – great runs by all three. Not far behind as a valuable fourth
 scorer was Laura Blazey and then there was a finishing dust-up between Fanny
 Vein and another 17 year-old Izzy Atkins. Izzy just got the verdict, giving
 us a very pleasing two 17 year-olds in our five A team scorers. For good
 measure, just-18 year-old Alice Patterson was fourth scorer in our B team.
 Aside from Fanny and Alice, the B team also featured Sarah Palmer , Becky
 Northmore and Eugenie McLachlan, while Marie Synnott-Wells led the rest.  

 This was a good team effort and we were rewarded with 3rd place on the day
 and a jump up from 6th to 4th overall. Our B team finished 4th and remained
 4th overall.  
  

 START FITNESS SURREY LEAGUE DIVISON 1  Saturday 10th November on Wimbledon
 Common 
 Phil Killingley reports:
 “After an overnight deluge the morning of Saturday 10 November dawned bright
 and autumnal - beautiful conditions for cross country with the course nicely
 softened up for the 9mm spikes. With the thermometer reading around 14C at
 lunchtime, many of us ventured out with a couple of light layers... and paid
 the price. Just as the boys race climbed back to the finish, it got really
 wet. It didn’t seem to bother U17 Jacob Patterson who logged a superb 14th
 place in the boys race, with Finlay Sinclair also running well in a stacked
 field.  

 And then it got wetter. The men started. At one point in the woods on lap
 one visibility was atrocious, the paths were rivers, and it became a battle
 for survival. Anthony Haynes did just that, scoring 8th place to go one
 better than last time in what was a stronger field. The team welcomed back
 Ben Anderson, returning from injury into the top 40, and Carl Assmundson
 just outside the top 50. Hercules, Kent and Thames had shortly after this
 point closed their scoring tens - Hercules securing a win of around 100
 points to put them in the hot seat of the league. 

 A mini blue wave of Jackson Creegan (‘unfit’), newbie Pat Wright and George
 Howard made up our middle order, before captain Killingley came in ahead of
 newly-wed Marc Leyshon and the winner of the V50 race (by a whole minute)
 Peter Haarer. Graham Brook closed us out. Many of us ran well and were
 shocked to be so far down the field. 8th place it was, like last time, and
 we’re still in the relegation zone. We're now 143 points off the pace, which
 is quite a lot, but we turned it around after Christmas before - Ranelites
 are famed for putting in the hard miles in the dark and cold over
 Christmas.  

 The B team ran nicely, going one better than last time for 5th place. Marc
 Snaith anchormanned us yet again -  it's almost like he plans it!  The team
 was led home by Ted Mockett, followed by David Ready - who had an excellent
 race and is going from strength to strength.  Nick Twomey also ran well just
 behind him and was followed by Mark Herbert, Dave Lawley, Al Morgan, Marco
 Perinelli, Ed Perry and Vaughan Ramsay, who had one eye on the rugby. 

 Kudos to Alan Hedger, Ken Powley, Sonia and Steve Rowland and Gordon Whitson
 for braving the elements to support us (and to anyone else whom I didn't
 spot through the deluge), and thanks to all the runners for your overflowing
 efforts.” 


 LONDON CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS  Saturday 17th November at Parliament
 Hlil
 Rich Kimber reports on the men’s race:
 “A small but select group of ten Ranelites pitched up to the Parliament Hill
 savannah, where conditions underfoot had rumours circulating that the South
 of England Athletics Association was considering trucking in a few tonnes of
 mud just to give some semblance of real cross country. Despite the
 unprecedented dryness, the course was challenging as always, but the top end
 of the Ranelagh team fared very well, with Ben Anderson placing 12th, and
 Carl Assmundson following as second scorer in 26th. I missed out on the top
 100 and Mark Herbert rounded off the scoring team to place us a very
 respectable 9th. Mishap of the day went to Dave Ready, who wrote off a
 strong run just behind me by forgetting to put on his ankle chip.”

 The women’s team went one better by placing 8th. Suzy Whatmough led the team
 with a great run to finish in 14th position less than a minute from a podium
 place. Equally impressive was Holly McGuigan who was within striking
 distance of Suzy in what appears to have been her first race since winning
 the W35 category in the Surrey Half Marathon championships back in May.
 Laura Blazey and Becky Curtis-Hall closed in the team of four with Eugenie
 McLachlan not far behind and also breaking into the top hundred. . 


 MOB MATCH v THAMES HARE & HOUNDS  Saturday 24th November in Richmond Park
 On a brisk day with good running conditions 35 Thames starters faced 65 from
 Ranelagh.
 Phil Killingley reports:         
 “With Thames elite runners limbering around the Ranelagh Oak, it looked like
 Ranelagh were going to have their work cut out to win this mob match. 
 Thames don't often have the numbers (with the exception of their 150th
 anniversary last year, where they ended our unbeaten run), but they
 certainly have the talent.  They yielded victory in the chant to Ranelagh's
 noisy Hobble Gobble and set out to win the race. 

 And that victory didn't seem in doubt at any point, from the spectator's
 eye.  I was out of action, supporting with my 2 year old who spent the whole
 time chanting "Razzle Dazzle", and we witnessed what seemed like white vest
 after white vest stream past, before a sea of blue, accounting for
 Ranelagh's superior numbers, held up the rear of the race. The top eight
 were mostly theirs, punctuated by gutsy runs from Pat Wright and George
 Howard, with new member Joe Gomes securing an excellent ninth just ahead of
 Ted Mockett.  More white followed, but then a cool blue wave punctuated
 their dominance from positions 18 to 24, starting with new member Jim Graham
 and ending with Louis Randall.  Traffic had held up Peter Haarer and he
 surged through the ranks to produce an excellent 50:00 run, having started
 around 5min late.  Possibly the highlight was the first lady Suzy Whatmough,
 who ran virtually the whole race behind Thames's Rebekah Edgar, only to
 close a huge gap in the last 400m to surge past and win by a margin of two
 seconds.

 Thames only had one runner outside an hour and rumours were flying around
 that they had clinched a narrow victory”. The rest of Phil’s original was
 overtaken by events!  

 Tension mounted as Ken’s computer went on the blink and results were not
 available at the clubhouse. Back at home Ken manfully set about calculating
 the result manually and later in the evening announced that we had won the
 match by the tiny margin of 24 points. However, in the best tradition of
 matches against Thames the story does not end there. One Ranelagh runner, it
 was discovered, had been inadvertently entered on the Thames declaration
 sheet and was included in their points score. With margins so narrow,
 restoring her allegiance to Ranelagh reduced the total number of scorers
 and, sadly for us, pushed the result into Thames’s favour by the even
 smaller margin of 11 points – 1044 to 1055! 

 So in the end it was disappointment for us but, as Phil Killingley added,
 “Huge congratulations to a superb mob effort from Ranelagh.”   
                                                       
 The race incorporated the club masters/veterans championships for all over
 40s. The Hastings Cup for the overall winner deservedly went to George
 Howard. Had Peter Haarer not missed the start he might have given him a run
 for his money but George would have been tough to beat. Peter had the
 consolation of winning the McDowell Salver for the first over 50 – having
 chased and caught all the other over 50s in his headlong charge through the
 field. David Wright won the Maslin Mug for the first over 60 by a wide
 margin.

 Included in the above:
 Hastings Cup club masters/veterans championship
                                                            
                                                             
 REGENTS PARK 10km  Sunday 11th November
 1   B Day (Kent)              35.33
 221 Tom Reay                  56.06

 WINDSOR AND ETON AUTUMN CLASSIC HALF MARATHON  Saturday 17th November
 1   M Ryde (Reigate Priory)   73.06
 7   Ross Macdonald            74.31

 SOUTH OF THE THAMES 5 MILES TEAM RACE  Saturday 24th November at Morden Park
 Women
 1   S Haileselase (Belgrave)  30.29
 29  Marie Synnott-Wells       36.37
 48  Becky Northmore           39.08  

 FLORENCE MARATHON  Sunday 25th November
 New Over 60 Martin Halvey finished 2nd in his age group, just missing three
 hours. That performance puts Martin on top of our all-time Over 60 rankings,
 albeit the late Ed Whitlock ran faster in the Over 70 category.
 Martin writes:
 “It  was like the thief in the night, who arrived on the first of November
 and stole away with  my energetic and most fruitful years. Nothing left now
 but the long stemmed pipe and ash coloured slippers. Ah! Woe is me.”

 1    A Gelchu (Ethiopia)      2:11.32  (chip time 2:11.32)
 363  Martin Halvey            3:00.43  (3:00.36)
 3201 Ben Johnson              3:52.24  (3:50.04)
 6043 Ruth Houlihan-Smith      4:34.58  (4:24.46)
 6175 Tamsyn O’Connor          4:37.31  (4:27.18)   

 APHRODITE 5km  Sunday 25th November at Paphos, Cyprus
 Alan Davidson reports:
 “I ran the Aphrodite 5k on a fairly flat course in warmish weather. I
 finished well down the field in 28.22 only for the announcer to call me over
 and very embarrassingly make the announcement that I had won a bottle of
 wine for my sprint finish! I could only reply ‘Thanks, it made the effort
 worthwhile!’”

 KINGSTON 10km  Sunday 25th November
 1   J Fraklin (unatt)         33.48  (chip time 33.46)
 8   Michael Everard           38.19  (38.17)
 10  Nick Wright               38.32  (38.29)    
                  
 RUNTHROUGH RICHMOND PARK HALF MARATHON  Sunday 25th November
 1   J Cocker (Burg H)         1:21.56  (chip time 1:21.54)
 193 Roger Wallace             2:00.36  (2:00.13)
 194 Colin Brett               2:00.37  (2:00.14)

 parkrun results...
 Follow this link for the latest Ranelagh results:. Then follow
 the “Previously” link at the bottom of the parkrun screen to access previous
 weeks’ results.     

 FINALLY...
 The amazing story of runner Florence iliott.
 Video:. 

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