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Newsdesk 2003
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 86 8 JANUARY 2003
Web site: www.ranelagh-harriers.com
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CLUB HONOURS FOR SARAH!!! See the Surrey Championships report below.
SATURDAY JANUARY 11TH SURREY LEAGUE in Richmond Park
It's our turn to host the men's and women's Surrey League fixtures this
Saturday. Proceedings get under way at 12.30pm with the senior women's race,
followed at 1.15pm by the combined girls under 15 / under 13 race and at
1.45pm by the girls under 20 / under 17. Then at 2.30pm comes the combined
boys under 17 / under 15 / under 13 event and finally at 3pm the senior men.
All are welcome to run if you'd like to, but otherwise help with marshalling
or officiating or just supporting the teams would be very welcome!
SATURDAY JANUARY 18TH Match v MILOCARIANS and others at RMA Sandhurst,
Camberley. 6 miles, start 2pm.
This is additional race not on the fixture card. If you want to run and
haven't yet let anybody know, e-mail me straight away with your name and car
details. If you're not on the list in the guard house you won't be allowed
in! Even if your name is on the list you might be asked to prove who you
are, so take some i.d. with you.
HENTY RELAY December 28th 2002 in Richmond Park
We had a reasonable turn-out for the Saturday after Christmas, with eleven
teams carefully assigned by the Sorcerer's Apprentice and one more team
comprised of the late and the lame - one so lame indeed that he wishes to
remain anonymous lest his physio finds out. My lips are sealed, but will of
course open to accommodate a pint.
Marcus's Mob meant business. Their captain galloped home first on the
opening stage and thereafter they were never more than a few seconds away
from the lead. Andy's 'Arriers stayed close at hand and led for a couple of
stages but at the death they died. These two were well clear of the rest of
the pack which was headed by an ornithological team of remarkable
consistency - allowing for the shorter first lap, no more than a minute
separated their "fast" from their "slow". Not surprisingly, that "slow"
Alex Hook proved to be the fastest of the day in her category. Quickest
"medium" was Neil Walford, though rumour has it he was actually selected as
a "fast" but unburdened himself of that honour in favour of his young
colleague Jordan Mungovan. Experience, experience. And fastest "fast", of
course, was Marcus.
SURREY CHAMPIONSHIPS January 4th at Nork Park, Banstead
This was a new venue for most of us and turned out to be perched on a
hillside with seasonal patches of snow dotted about. The courses were all
multi-lap, comprised mostly of a long downhill followed by a strangely
longer uphill. A slippery but flat playing fields area provided the start
and finish.
There were some good results and medals from the junior events but I hope
Anair and the others will not mind if I give pride of place to Sarah Seal.
She started the women's five miles event with considerable confidence,
showing up 5th on the first downhill and then establishing herself in 6th
place which she held with great style for the remainder of the race. This
will give her a place in the inter-counties team for Surrey but more
importantly qualifies her for the club honours award, only the fourth woman
to achieve this. Well done Sarah, the champagne is on ice!
Behind her Liz Kipling was also running in the top ten before unfortunately
having to retire at the end of the first lap. Marlene Pautard ran strongly
after a steady start to pass Sara Grosvenor in the closing stages and the
scoring four was completed by Kathy Mallett. We just missed the team medals
in fourth place.
Alex Hook ran well as ever for 6th place in the under 13s but our only
individual and team medals of the day came in the combined under 20 / under
17 race. Here Alice and Anair Beverly and Estelle Damant finished within 40
seconds of each other to secure team silvers and Anair won another silver
for 2nd in the under 17 category.
Richard Sim and Dan Jermy had solid runs in the boys under 15 race while in
the senior men's event we had a scratch squad of six members who did not
dodge quickly enough when Cap'n Bicks was looking for volunteers. Andy
himself led the way after slowly overhauling Paul Doyle. I'm not sure of the
team finishing position, suffice it to say that we did not trouble the prize
presenters. But at least we finished a team and all credit to the guys for
making it round what was a pretty gruelling course.
OTHER RESULTS
Holly Runs December 22nd at Reigate
Women
1 C Best (Crawley) 19.30
7 Anair Beverly (1st U17) 21.06
8 Estelle Damant (3rd U20) 21.09
Lauriston 7 miles December 28th at Wimbledon
1 S Wurr (TH&H) 38.44
11 Stephen Instone 43.40
Oxfordshire Championships January 5th at Banbury
Peter Haarer ran well to make the county team closely pursued by his
Headington Road Runners club mate Gary Harris who is soon to become a
second-claim Ranelagh member, while runner-up in the women's race was Jude
Craft who has just done so!
1 K Sheppard (Tipton) 31.48
4 Peter Haarer 33.59
5 Gary Harris (HRR) 34.13
Women
1 K Caffel (Oxford) 21.11
2 Jude Craft (HRR) 21.31
BARBADOS MARATHON
Six-times winner Hugh Jones had to give best to a runner from Trinidad in
last year's event on December 1st. The leaders were playing cat and mouse
for much of the way according to the runbarbados web site, hence perhaps the
slower than usual times, before Cantius Thomas got the drop on the rest.
1 C Thomas (Trinidad) 2.38.12
2 Hugh Jones 2.40.17
TUESDAY & THURSDAY NIGHT TRAINING
Sarah and Margaret have unveiled the tortures they have in store over the
next few weeks. Full details appear on our web site, but the kernels of the
first few are as follows:
Tuesday 14th: 6-8 x 90 secs uphill at Holly Lodge.
Tuesday 21st: pyramid session.
Tuesday 28th: 4 x continuous loop on Ham Cross hill.
Thursdays are steady runs of 5-6 miles with some shorter efforts or strides
incorporated.
All are welcome, starting from the clubhouse at 7pm.
Wednesday night training continues as usual of course, with steady runs
starting at about 6.30pm.
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 January 11th Surrey League Division 1 men and women both in
Richmond Park. First race at 12.30pm. See above for details.
Saturday January 18th v Milocarians and others at RMA Sandhurst. See
above.
Saturday January 25th Southern Championships at Exmouth.
Saturday February 1st Final Surrey League fixtures - men at Coulsdon,
women at Lloyd Park.
FINALLY
"Runner's World" reports that Kenyans recorded 301 sub 2.20 marathons in
2001 but were already up to about 330 by mid-December 2002. Don't ask how
many Brits were doing the same....
Steve Rowland
e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk
Tel: 01926 318734
Fax: 0870 4006901