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Newsdesk 2002

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 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 71          15 AUGUST 2002
 Web site: http://www.surreyweb.net/rharriers
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 SURREY 5KM  at Wimbledon  Sunday August 11th
 This was the final event in both our own Grand Prix series and the Surrey
 Road League. The course isn't everybody's cup of tea, comprising two laps
 of a long drag up followed by an equally long dash back down. But despite
 its low profile it's slowly growing in popularity and this year 175
 runners finished. We were in the driving seat for the League championship
 for both men and women, but we have in the past made something of a habit
 in this competition of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Not this
 time, though. 
 The women did it in style. Liz ran an impressive 18.29 to win her race
 (Surrey champ!) and excellent performances from Sarah and Marlene in 6th
 and 7th places secured a team victory and the League title. For good
 measure Liz was also awarded the League individual gold. 
 The men on the other hand struggled a bit without Messrs Doyle and Lane
 but Marcus in 6th place was the first vet home (Surrey champ!) and won
 himself the League Over 40 title. CO and Kevin were our only other men in
 front of Liz and they were just well enough placed to hold on to the
 League title. Allan Lang upset his perennial rivals to be the first Over
 60 home (Surrey champ!).   
 1	A Franklin (Boxhill)	15.20
 6	Marcus Gohar		16.08
 21	Chris Owens		17.15
 28	Kevin Jacques		17.39
 40	Liz Kipling		18.29
 59	Mike Peace		19.16
 61	Sarah Seal		19.22
 70	Marlene Pautard		19.41
 83	Allan Lang		20.12
 86	Chris Read		20.24
 97	Bridget Cuthbert	21.02
 107	Estelle Damant		21.29
 111	Eliete Nascimento	21.49
 147	John Hanscomb		24.15
 149	Carol Barnshaw		24.19
 150	Janet Turnes		24.20
 
 Marcus Gohar adds further comment to the report of the Wedding Day 7km in
 Bushy Park: 
 "As we know that Mick Lane's running quite well, his desertion of the
 Ranelagh pack in favour of the front of the leading group gave us more of
 a sigh of relief than a scare. We knew that starting at that speed he was
 unlikely to forsake us for long, and so it proved. The novelty of the the
 view from the front soon wore off and he returned to the fold.
 There's something about the Stragglers - every race they organise is fun,
 or at least as fun as a running race can be. Those of you who didn't turn
 up missed a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and furthermore, we were soundly
 beaten in the numbers game by Epsom Allsorts!
 A more serious point is that yet again the club team was more akin to an
 old folks outing, the only non vet in the men's team being up and coming
 youngster Paul Doyle (35). If we don't get some young blood soon we might
 be mistaken for a crown green bowling team!"
 
 Ken Powley adds that the slight amendment to the Wedding Day course added
 a total of 124 yards to that used in previous years. This will account for
 me being four minutes slower than last year. 
 
 Margaret Auerback writes:
 "On our way to Manchester we stopped off at the BVAF track and field
 champs where much to my surprise I won the W55 1500m in 5.26.7 beating Pat
 Gallagher ( European champion) for the first time in my life - and the
 last, according to Pat after the race! I'm off to Potsdam on the 14th for
 the European masters where we will resume battle. After that will see some
 of you in Coutainville".
 
 ROAD GRAND PRIX
 The Surrey 5km was the last of the eight events in this year's Ranelagh
 Road Grand Prix, with  each individual's best seven scores to count.
 Remarkably, three of the categories were won with maximum scores!
 Congratulations to Marcus Gohar, Mike Peace and Liz Kipling for their
 domination of the Over 40, Over 50 and Women's categories respectively.
 Marcus was also clear winner of the Open class, but a couple of defeats by
 Paul Doyle saw him fall two short of the maximum score.
 Leading scores:
 OPEN
 Marcus Gohar 82;  Paul Doyle 66;  Mike Peace 49;  Liz Kipling 46; Mick
 Lane 39; Stephen Instone 26;  Chris Owens 19; Alastair Sinclair 18;  Sarah
 Seal 18; Kevin Jacques 17; Adam Tapley 15;  Marlene Pautard 14; Giles
 Marshall 13;  Bridget Cuthbert 12; John Hanscomb 12; Hugh Jones 12;  Jonny
 Rowan 12;  Ken Fotherby jnr 11;  Peter Haarer 11;  Chris Read 11.    
 OVER 40
 Marcus Gohar 42;  Mick Lane 19;  Stephen Instone 16;  Alan Craig 9;  Chris
 Owens 8; Hugh Jones 6;  Kevin Jacques 6; Ken Fotherby jnr 5;  Ian Grange
 5; Clive Naish 4; Andy Bickerstaff 4.
 OVER 50
 Mike Peace 42;  John Hanscomb 23;  Tom Reay 15;  Alan Meaden 14;  Alan
 Davidson 10;  Allan Lang 9; David Meaden 9; Martin Clark 8; Mike Rowland
 4; Wyn Williams 2.
 WOMEN
 Liz Kipling 42;  Sarah Seal 20; Sue Healey 15; Marlene Pautard 12;
 Bridget Cuthbert 11;  Rachel Dixon 7;  Lizzie Clifford 6; Estelle Damant
 6; Kathy Mallett 5; Jenni Kruse 5; Clare Gutch 5.
  
 MR & MRS BICKERSTAFF...
 "...would like to say a big thanks to everyone who attended our wedding,
 sent cards and/or presents and generally made it a great day. We certainly
 enjoyed ourselves to the full...I was certainly full of it (mostly
 Youngs). There are rumours that Chertsey is now seriously short of
 cranberry juice. Thanks again! 
 Andy and Lana
 P.S. We think a few cards have gone awol, so if we don't thank you
 personally, please ask 'WHY NOT'".
 
 And hot on the heels of Andy and Lana, David Benton and Alison O'Neill
 were wed last weekend at Buc in the South of France. "...And very nice it
 was, too," reports Christian Vaughan.
 
 NEXT...
 More details of the following from Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 /
 mailto:norris.hobs@ndirect.co.uk) or Sarah Seal (020 8995 2380 /
 mailto:sarahs@walker.co.uk).
 
 Saturday September 7th   Thomas Cup Handicap at Richmond Park. The Opening
 Run of our 122nd season. The race is 3.8 miles starting at 3pm and all
 members are welcome. Before the race there will be the annual club
 photograph at about 2.30pm. Do try to be there!
 
 Saturday September 14th   Surrey Road Relays at Wimbledon, from 1pm. Races
 for men and women, including veterans categories.
 
 Saturday September 28th    Southern Road Relays at Aldershot  
 
 FINALLY
 In his quest for ever more exotic marathons, Hugh Jones is now plumbing
 the depths. On Sunday August 4th he and 99 others of dubious sanity set
 off on the Greenwich Foot Tunnel Marathon. Yes, that's the narrow
 pedestrian tunnel that links Greenwich with the Isle of Dogs, the vital
 link for London Marathon spectators. 58 laps of it. Starting at 2am.
 Apparently these things are very popular in Germany.
 Hugh won by half an hour in 2.45.40. About fifteen minutes into the race
 two members of the public stumbled unwittingly into these subterranean
 shenanigans. "What's going on?" shouted one at the top of his voice, "This
 is crazy!". And who am I to disagree... 
 
 Steve Rowland
 Telephone: 01926 318734
 Fax: 0870 4006901
 e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk