Sunday February 9th, Nether Hall Estate, Pakenham: This was the fifth and penultimate fixture in the Suffolk Winter XC League 2024-2025, organised by Saint Edmund Pacers running club over a cross-country distance of approximately 8km. Newmarket Joggers (NJ) and Sudbury Joggers (SJ) join forces in this league to form team Newmarket & Sudbury (N&S). After the fourth fixture in January, N&S held top position of 22 East Anglian clubs in the men’s A team division (first 7 N&S men to finish at each fixture) and fourth position of 22 clubs in the women’s A team division (first 4 N&S women to finish at each fixture). The combined N&S men’s and women’s A teams stood in second place in their division, so it has been the best season for many years for N&S.
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Above left: Steve Cousins, Charlie & Cheryl Thomas admire the scenery (right) on Nether Hall Estate.
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At Pakenham on Sunday, N&S had a big turnout of 40, comprising 12 women and 28 men; enough to form three complete A,B and C teams for women (4 to a team) and men (7 to a team), with some men’s reserves to spare. B and C teams compete in separate divisions with their own trophies awarded at the season’s end, with the main spotlight inevitably falling on the A teams’ results. Not all clubs in the league have enough runners for B and C teams, so A, B and C results cannot be pooled.
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Above, the N&S team at Pakenham XC. Thanks for the team photo.
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Official results and times are not yet out, but we do know the overall positions of our N&S runners on Sunday. It looks like the men’s A team should maintain top place in their division and that the women’s A team could very well climb higher in their division into the top three, but we will need to wait and see. Two of our women’s A team (Carol Cienna Carter & Helen Hilario) are in their fifties, yet still able to compete on a level basis with senior members in their 20s and 30s. They both joined Newmarket Joggers last year and have helped to strengthen the women’s A team, along with Olivia Carter and young Lilian Corbett (U20), who are both in great form. Incidentally, Carol and Olivia are not related.
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Above left: Rachael Maltpress & Bridget Wallwin; right: Jimmy Smith, holding off Bury Pacers in the
Pakenham XC. Thanks for photos.
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N&S women’s A team: Carol Carter NJ 78th of ~325 overall; Olivia Carter NJ 94th; Helen Hilario NJ 136th; Lilian Corbett NJ 149th. N&S men’s A team: Rob Dobson NJ 4th; James Smith NJ 9th; Mark Hayward NJ 10th; Oliver Daykin NJ 13th; Chris Balmer NJ 17th; Dan Hutchison NJ 24th; Hugh Tawell NJ 30th.
N&S women’s B team: Ellie Bithell NJ 174th; Helen Wass NJ 255th; Bridget Wallwin NJ 283rd; Rachael Maltpress NJ 284th. N&S men’s B team: Piotr Bulacz SJ 47th; Barley Woodcock NJ 66th; Paul Holley NJ 68th; Marc Drury NJ 100th; Richard Defries NJ 104th; Chris Connett NJ 115th; Greg Davis NJ 120th.
N&S women’s C team: Belinda Schofield NJ 289th; Sianie Painter NJ 303rd; Pearl Fay NJ 319th; Caroline Mcintosh NJ 320th. N&S men’s C team: Steve Edwards NJ 123rd; Andy Fryatt NJ 125th; Neville Clarke NJ 148th; Jon Brooker NJ 151st; Tom Elton NJ 156th; Reuben Smith NJ 169th; James Hilton NJ 191st. N&S men’s reserves: Rob Hawkins NJ 224th; Steve Cousins NJ 263rd; Alan Thornhill NJ 269th; Brian Munns NJ 294th; Jim Withers NJ 305th; Chris Aylmer NJ 321st.
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It was great to see some Junior Newmarket Joggers competing for N&S at Pakenham. In the ~3.3km race, Harvey Thomas MU15 finished 9th overall, Cerys Bithell FU17 21st (2nd F) and Alex Balmer MU13 48th. Charlie Thomas competed in the shorter U11 Fun Run and received a medal.
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Also on Sunday, two Newmarket Joggers competed in the Farnborough Winter Half Marathon in Hampshire, which attracted some top class runners. Neil Pollard (1:13:12, 19th of 2,399 overall, 6th of 418 in M40-49) put in a great performance, earning over 85% age grade. His wife Hannah Pollard (1:33:50 PB, 44th F of 844, 21st of 240 in F 40-49) was also in top form, with her best ever half marathon time. She is now running better than ever since recovering from a protracted injury problem some years ago.
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Above: Neil & Hannah Pollard after Farnborough Half Marathon. Thanks for photo.
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Up in the Derbyshire Peak District on Saturday, Chris Underwood (3:36:47, 99th of 164 overall) took on the Tour of Bradwell Fell Race over ~17.5 miles, which included 3,455ft of climb. He posted very even gradient-adjusted splits throughout and was pleased with his time, after a period of illness had limited his training.
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On Sunday at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, 3 Joggers ran in the Zig Zag ‘Run For Cake‘ multi-lap event. Jan Holmes (2:38:52, 105th of 123) and Alexia Smithson (2:45:27, 110th) both ran 4 x 5.3km laps for a half marathon, while Miranda McWade (4:22:21, 3rd of 5) ran 6 laps for 31.8km, or just under 20 miles. This was good training for possible spring marathons.
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Above left: Jan Holmes on left with other LRG members. Thanks for photo.
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Above: The start of the Run For Cake Zig Zag event at Ferry Meadows. Thanks to Zig Zag Running for photo.
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TRACK NEWS
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Elke Hausler competed in the W60 800m at the Eastern Masters Athletics Club (EMAC) track event at Lee Valley on Sunday 9th February. She finished second to good friend and GB teammate Christine Anthony, taking the silver medal in a time of 2:49.79. This earned her 87.54% age grade. Her best age grade so far this year is 90.84% in the W60 1500m at Linz in Austria. She will be competing in the British Masters Athletics W60 800m and 1500m events at Lee Valley on Saturday 22nd February….maybe also the 400m. Watch this space….