On Sunday 27th November, 6 Joggers competed in the popular Bass Belle 10M race in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire. This race is named after the US ‘Memphis Belle’ B17 Flying Fortress bomber that flew 25 successful missions from RAF Bassingbourn during World War 2, without any of its crew being seriously injured, though the aircraft itself sustained its fair share of damage.
The Memphis Belle today, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio (Image credit: Matt Haskell)
Chris Underwood (1:09:48 PB, 20th of 356 overall, 12th of 50 in MS), was first Jogger home, doing very well in his first known 10-mile race. He was followed by Jonathan Ollington (1:10:24 PB, 23rd overall, 3rd of 45 in M50-59), who beat his time in the same race last year by 58 secs. Third Jogger to finish was Joe Cormack (1:12:16 PB, 37th overall, 16th of 50 in MS), who took a whopping 16 minutes off his time in this race last year. First female Jogger to finish was Ellie Bithell (1:22:26, 23rd F of 187, 7th of 62 in F45-54) in her best time since 2018, so in great current form. Next came Sarah Last (1:55:34, 166th F, 55th in F45-54), doing very well in her first known 10-mile race, closely followed by Caroline Mcintosh (1:55:58, 168th F, 26th of 31 in F55+) [actually F70+] in her best time since 2019 at Lee Valley. Gillian Green (2:14:24, 180th F, 31st in F55+)[actually F60+] put in a good effort in her first known attempt at this distance, despite having run up to 50K in the past.
Above left: Joe Cormack and Jonathan Ollington after the Bass Belle 10; above right: Sarah Last with her Bass Belle medal. Many thanks for the Strava photos.
Suffolk Schools’ XC Area Championships at Ipswich High School, Woolverstone Hall, Saturday 26th November. Junior Newmarket Jogger Cerys Bithell (daughter of Ellie, who ran in the Bass Belle 10) was invited to take part in this second qualifying round for the Regional Championships, after she finished 5th of 36 in the Intermediate Girls’ U15 race in the first round at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook on 13th October. Full results are not yet out but we know that Cerys did very well to finish 5th again in the Intermediate Girls’ U15 race at Ipswich High School and will almost certainly be invited to the final qualifying round at Woodbridge School on January 12th. Well done, Cerys! The qualifying rounds are for the Regional Anglian Schools’ XC Championships, which will be held in Northamptonshire on February 4th 2023, with the English Schools’ XC Championship finals at Wollaton Park in Nottingham on March 18th.
Cerys and Ellie Bithell after the Bonfire Burn 10K on 6th November. Many thanks for the photo.