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***************************************************
 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 579         11th December 2020
 Editor: Steve Rowland
 mailto: sandsrowland@btinternet.com  
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 MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

 RANELAGH FESTIVE CHALLENGE 2020
 The challenge  
 Run parkrun courses anytime between 7th December and noon on 3rd January to earn points and the 
 chance to win prizes! 

 The Rules       
 Run any and as many parkrun courses as you like. You can run the same course more than once and
 still earn points.

 10 points will be awarded to the fastest runner overall that day, 9 to the next and so on. All   runners will
 get at least 1 point.

 Bonus points will be awarded if:
 You run more than one parkrun course in one day 
 You wear a festive outfit and take a photo (we will run your entry through our festive-ometer to  determine
 how many points you earn)
 You get a course PB 
 You earn any Strava segment PBs, crowns, trophies or legends.

 The Prizes 
 First place - entry into the next Ranelagh 10k (hopefully 2021!) and a unique winner’s t-shirt
 Second place - 2  
 Third place - 3  
 Fourth place - 4  
 Fifth place - 5 

 How to enter...
 Add yourself (and your results) to the spreadsheet -  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19dYpgPhCDsZHImmAfEIPsxDOaPRuw9wt5S4pLMCsObk/edit?usp=shar  ing
 As ever, please ensure the safety of yourselves and others, and follow the current guidanc   around COVID. 

 Good luck!

 CLUB KIT
 Marianne Malam writes:
 Hi everyone, Club Kit is now available via our clubzone on Iprosports: 

 https://www.iprosports.co.uk/club-zone/ranelagh-harriers/

 The range includes mens and womens vests, tops, hoodies, coats and hats.  It features the   updated
 club logo and all items can be personalized. Use code  'ranelagh20'  to get 10% off all  orders until
 Friday 11th December. Happy shopping! 🎁
 Marianne
 Kit Steward / Women's Vice Captain

 NB: Vests/tops worn for racing purposes (Surrey League etc) will now need to feature the updated  club
 logo - as approved by EA.
 However, this does not need to happen immediately as the club have a time period allowed for   this changeover.
 But all racing kit will need to display the revised logo by Dec 2022 at the latest. 

 RANELAGH HARRIERS GAZETTE
 You should have recently received a note about the publication of our club magazine the Ranelagh 
 Harriers Gazette. This is just a reminder to let us know if you would like a printed copy. If   so, please
 reply to this e-mail giving your postal address. 

 LOCKDOWN 2.0 VIRTUAL CHALLENGE     Monday 9th November to Wednesday 2nd December 
 James Ritchie reports:
 We invited you to run the Richmond Park parkrun course, ideally quite fast, and preferably   several times. 
 And that's what you did!  Top plaudits go to Amrut Sharma for running 2 course   PRs during his dozen attempts,
 and this is a man who has officially run this course some 273   times (342 parkruns in total).  Respect! 

 Keeping Amrut on his toes was Steve Aikin who had 13 attempts.  Unlucky not to have come out   top,
 especially with a treble attempt one day. Also featuring very highly was Andy Starr,   running the greatest
 number of times - 14 and running a 'Ross Barkley' 15:21.  Well done Andy -  a valiant third. 

 For the women, in pole position throughout had been Suzy Whatmough, with the greatest number of  runs
 at 8... but with one barnstorming run picking up a plethora of cups, segment PRs and a   course PR, Sarah
 Palmer leapfrogged Suzy into top spot.  But there was more to come.  Rebecca   Bissell got in on the act,
 running three times in the final couple of days of lockdown and with  a mass of PRs and a course record,
 she tops the podium.  Too exciting! 

 In speed order, Nick Impey was a clear winner in 16:55, with two other men (Jonny Smith, Ross  Macdonald)
 managing to go sub-18.  For the women, Sarah Palmer ran sub-20, with Suzy Whatmough   managing three
 sub-21's and Clare Fowler just outside this. 

 POINTS PODIUMS  
 Amrut Sharma: 183 
 Steve Aikin: 145 
 Andy Starr: 142 
 Rebecca Bissell: 111 
 Sarah Palmer: 80 
 Suzy Whatmough: 75  

 SPEED PODIUMS 
 Nick Impey: 16:55 
 Jonny Smith: 17:40 
 Ross Macdonald: 17:53 
 Sarah Palmer: 19:35 
 Suzy Whatmough: 20:22 
 Clare Fowler: 21:05 

 AGE CATEGORIES  
 U18 
 Alexandra Bramwell (age 12?): 22:36 
 Maisy Fowler (age 6): 33:00 

 V40 
 First use of being old for Dave Lawley! 
 Dave Lawley: 18:04 
 Clare Fowler: 21:05 

 V45 
 Neil Rae: 19:39 
 Kathy Henry: 22:06 

 V50 
 Bruce McLaren: 20:40 
 Wiebke Kortum: 23:06 (twice, great consistency!) 

 V55 
 Steve Aikin: 21:48 
 Carol Aikin: 25:45 

 V60 
 Bill Neely: 21:20 

 V70 
 Ian Charlie Harrison: 25:18 

 V75 
 Dave Kew: 26:12 (extra dedication to get his quickest run in today when the competition was just  about over)! 

 Well done to all of you, and especially Maisy and Alexandra and Ian Charlie and Dave at eithe   end of the age
sspectrum.  👏👏 

 PAIRS  
 Some of you were sociable, some not.  The speediest pairs were: 

 Men: Dave Lawley (18:04) and Mark Herbert (18:20) 
 Women: Suzy Whatmough (20:22) and Kathy Henry (22:06) 
 Mixed: Jonny Smith (17:40) and Clare Fowler (21:05) 

 COURSE PBs 

 Well done to Tom Cameron, Sarah Palmer, Jarryd Hillhouse, Shaun Griffith, Alexandra Bramwell,  
 Maisy and Clare Fowler, Amrut Sharma (twice), Sergio Stillacci, Kathy Henry, Felix von Schubert, 
 Rebecca Bissell, Susan Ritchie, Clare Day, Ross Macdonald and Jo Marshall for running PBs - all 
 the more impressive for running this outside of an official parkrun event.  We hope you can redo  this
 when parkrun is back.  Good luck.  🤞 

 THANK YOU 
 To all 41 of you lovely people who came out and ran and made this a great competition.  All the  scores
 and times can be seen here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13O60m52pvWblqXcXYB_gBEuyvRdCmTaPqZhFKSXgYzs. 

 VIRTUAL MINI MOB MATCH  Ranelagh Harriers v Thames Hare and Hounds  28th November to 6th   December
 This last week has seen an historic first in Ranelagh History - a virtual mob match. With social  distancing
 rules a little unsupportive of getting a mob together, could we still get the numbers  out to take on our rivals?
 With no hobble gobble and razzle dazzle to spur us on, could we put   in a good enough performance? Only time would tell.

 After a slow start to the week with Ranelagh outnumbering Thames and an early marker by Dave  
 Ready in Bushy Park (17:12), things hotted up over the weekend as the number of runners soared. 
 Alarmingly, all of the top spots were gradually being snuffled by Thames runners (who appeared  
 to be taking the rules on running a parkrun course with a very large pinch of salt..) But a   large turnout
 of the faster men peppered the top 20, with Dave Lawley, Marc Leyshon and James   Riley all running
 sub-18 in Richmond Park. Sarah Palmer in 19:35 was Ranelagh's first lady. At   the sharp end for the
 veterans were Richard Willoughby (19:46) and Emma Harris (20:31) both at   Bushy Park.

 Still, as more of the high places fell to Thames, would this be enough? Bigger blue waves   started to
 appear - Kathy Henry, Natalie Haarer, Alberto Esguevillas, Alex Ring and Bill Neely   running at different
 times and on different courses all coming in close together from 41st to   46th And then a blue tsunami
 as ten Ranelites took places 54 to 63. With great runs from   veterans Dave Kew (26:32 at Richmond),
 Tom Reay (29:30 at Kingston), Angus Cater (29:35 at   Newbury), John Pratt (30:59 at Preston Park, Brighton),
 Jackie Dunkley (31:37 at Bushy Park),   Janet Turnes (33:00 at Richmond) and Rodney Oliver (44:09 at Richmond),
 Thames were well and   truly awash.

 Outnumbering Thames by more than two to one, the final score was a very solid victory for  
 Ranelagh Harriers by 747 points to 1116.

 Thank you to everyone for turning out and helping us to this historic win

 Mini-Mob Result                                                                   
 
 MAVERICK HALF MARATHON  Saturday 5th December
 Ed Perry finished 13th in 1:43.37.

 DORNEY LAKE 10k  Saturday 5th December
 Chris Read reports:
 On Saturday 5th December 2020 I ran the Dorney Lake 10k.  My objective was to get inside 50  minutes. 
 The race was well organised.  Runners were set off individually to minimise the risk   of Covid infection. 
 The course was flat and involved running on a good surface throughout. The  weather was chilly with a
 cold wind blowing.  As the race progressed a steady stream of people   overtook me.  My time was 54.09.
 which was inside my (revised) target of 55 minutes.

 GOODWOOD MOTOR RACING CIRCUIT HALF MARATHON  Sunday 6th December
 Nick Twomey writes on Facebook:
 “What a day for running! So many friends running fantastically today and I was overjoyed with a massive
 PB over the Half Marathon at Goodwood. Over 2 mins 30 sec PB!” Nick finished 11th in  72.47.

 GOODWOOD MOTOR RACING CIRCUIT MARATHON  Sunday 6th December
 Great PBs too for Jonny Smith, 8th in 2:39.05 and Gavin Hillhouse 122nd in 3:39.33.  

 HENLEY CULDEN FAW HALF MARATHON  Sunday 6th December
 Ranelagh finished well up in the podium places. Kathy Henry and Rebecca Bissell were 2nd and 3rd 
 women home and 1st and 2nd W40s. Ann Kearey was 2nd W50 and John Tovell 1st M60.

 1   D Miller (unatt)        1:28.06
 10  R Davies (Abingdon)     1:40.58  (1st woman)
 16  Kathy Henry             1:47.33
 22  Rebecca Bissell         1:53.22
 36  John Tovell             2:03.01
 38  Aoife Kilpatrick        2:04.51
 39  Gavin Hillhouse         2:05.20
 47  Ann Kearey              2:12.50

 KEEP IN TOUCH
 1. Join the Strava Group
 2. Log your run and give it a catchy title.
 3. Give our segments a shot!
 4. Check back every week for highlights
 5. Note that Activity and Profile Privacy settings will need to be set to Everyone if you want   the rundown
 team to be able to see your individual runs
 Follow us elsewhere on social:
 Twitter: @ranelaghharrier 
 FB:
 Insta: @ranelaghharriers

 FINALLY¦
 My doctor told me that running could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten   years older already.

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