Sunday 15th January at Haughley Park, Stowmarket: It was a great start to 2023 for Newmarket Joggers (NJ) & Sudbury Joggers (SJ), who combine forces in this league to become team N&S. This was the 3rd fixture of the season, following on from Framlingham and Woodbridge in November and December 2022. Full results and official times are not yet out but we do know the overall positions of our team members, who raced over the winding, leafy, 8km, 2-lap course through Haughley Park woods. Runners’ own watch times are given where known. SM and SF = Senior (18-39) male and female. M40/F40 etc. = male/female aged 40-44 etc. Individual prizes for age group categories will not be known until official results are released. The 8km distance (4.97mi) seems accurate, according to a survey of the N&S watch readings, with those watches not having multi-satellite function more likely to be showing a little short.
Some of the NJ runners, back row, standing from left: Chris Underwood, Brian Munns, Jo Bouttell, Pearl Fay, Belinda Schofield, Steve Cousins, Sianie Painter, Angela Drury, Paul Holley, Dan Hutchison, Rob Hawkins, Mark Hayward. Front row crouching or kneeling: Jimmy Smith, Jeremy Reader, Daniel Tee. Thanks to the team for the photo.
N&S men’s A team: Already a high-class squad, the team were proud to field their newest NJ club member Nathan Brown, who is stationed at USAF Mildenhall. He immediately showed his class by finishing 2nd of ~390 overall and 1st N&S runner to finish, with a time of 30:07 on his watch. The first seven N&S men to finish were counted as the men’s A team, with the other six members as follows: Jimmy Smith NJ M40 (8th overall, 31:22), Mark Hayward NJ M40 (11th, 31:29), Joey Bendall NJ SM (12th, 31:38), Dan Hutchison NJ SM (13th, 31:58), Paul Holley NJ M55 (20th, 32:50) and Piotr Bulacz SJ M50 (36th, 34:18). This must be one of the best performances of all 17 clubs competing on the day and N&S A team can look forward to climbing up from their current 7th position in the league.
Above left: New member Nathan Brown, who finished 2nd overall; above centre, from front to back: Jimmy Smith, Mark Hayward and Joey Bendall, all in a line…that’s teamwork; above right: SJ Piotr Bulacz in action. Thanks to the team for the photos.
N&S women’s A team was made up of the first 4 female runners to finish. We were fortunate to have top age-grade performer Elke Hausler NJ in action, who was also first N&S home, despite her 55-59 age category, soon to become 60-64. She finished 186th overall. Then came Sally Bowen SJ F45 (205th overall), Belinda Schofield NJ F65 (299th) and Ruth Cowlin SJ F55 (310th, 48:49). This was an excellent performance, especially considering the veteran status of all the first team members, so they should climb up a rung or two from their current 11th position in the league.
Ruth Cowlin of the women’s A team, seen in blue-fronted SJ top. Thanks to Ruth for the photo.
N&S B & C Teams. The men’s B team finishers were as follows: Chris Underwood NJ SM (74th, 36:49), Marc Drury NJ M45 (99th, 38:42), Mark Salisbury SJ SM (117th, 38:32), Andy Buck SJ M55 (137th), Daniel Tee NJ SM (165th), Neville Clarke NJ M65 (178th) and Robert Gourlay SJ M50 (259th). The women’s B team: Sarah Pennock SJ F40 (325th), Angela Drury NJ F40 (349th, 53:41), Sianie Painter NJ F55 (355th) and Pearl Fay NJ F60 (381st, 1:03:01). The men’s C team: Steve Cousins NJ M60 (266th), Jeremy Reader NJ M45 (269th), Robert Hawkins NJ M55 (305th, 48:32), Chris Aylmer NJ M70 (370th, 58:13) and Brian Munns NJ M55 (382nd). The women’s C team: Jo Bouttell NJ F55 (385th, 1:03:31).
Above left: Jo Bouttell; above right: Brian Munns and Pearl Fay. Thanks to all N&S Joggers for photos.