Arkwright & Co/Turners Summer 5K League, Rowley Mile Heath, Newmarket, Thursday evening, June 4th: This fixture attracted a total of 390 runners from the eight running clubs taking part in the league, namely: Cambridge & Coleridge AC, Histon & Impington Runners, Ely Runners, Saffron Walden Striders, Royston Runners, Haverhill RC, Cambridge Triathlon Club and hosts Newmarket Joggers AC (NJ). The weather was changeable, with sunny intervals, wind and showers, producing a beautiful rainbow ahead of the finish line. The course was more or less flat, over grass, sandy tracks and hard paths. Altogether, 35 NJs competed, including 8 women and 27 men.
NJ Izzy Talbot Price was bang in form, finishing first female of 136 in a time of 18:30. The other top five NJ female finishers were: Lilian Corbett 23rd F 22:45; Sarah Osborne 30th F 23:17; Elke Hausler 42nd F 24:07 and Angela Underwood 86th F 27:32, all putting in very good efforts.
For the men, the top five NJ finishers were: Thomas Hemsley 17th M of 254 17:35; James Smith 25th M 17:59; Jason Bevan 29th M 18:10; Gordon Irvine 75th M 19:47 and David Percy 80th M 20:10, all at the peak of their form.
Above from left: the rainbow that appeared on Newmarket Heath during the Summer 5K race; Francine Dasseville plus rainbow.
Also contributing to the NJ team score (at a point per person) were female runners: Francine Dasseville 27:50, Marie Poujardieu 31:01 and Svetlana Zinchenko 32:04; and male runners: Nathan Howie 20:24, Harvey Thomas 20:30, Andrew Sandeman 21:12, Sergio Pelado 21:13, Shane Mcandrew 21:48, Stephen Edwards 21:51, Charles Jones 22:06, Jonathan Ollington 22:11, Michael McGarvey 22:34, Darren Gore 22:37, Tristram Hilborn 22:40, Martin Smith 22:42, Phil Blundell 23:39, James Hilton 24:02, Jeremy Reader 24:11, Liam Elvidge 24:18, Reuben Smith 24:47, Toby Stephens 27:47, Neil Williamson 28:39, Alan Thornhill 30:00, Wayne Hargreaves 30:58 and Jim Withers 40:34 (backmarker).
Scoring system: The top five female and male finishers for each club were awarded points according to their finishing positions within gender, with lower points beating high. Thus, our NJ women’s top 5 scored 1+23+30+42+86 = 182. All club runners (including the top 5) were also awarded one negative point to subtract from the top five totals of their women or men. There were 8 NJ female runners in all, so the NJ women’s team score was 182-8 =174. Thus, all participants contributed to the club team totals, regardless of where they finished.
Above from left: the rainbow by Jeremy Reader; Wayne Hargreaves on right with friends; Mattie Blakeman plus rainbow.
In this fixture, NJ women’s team finished 5th of the 8 clubs, with the NJ men’s team 6th of 8. After 3 fixtures, the NJ women’s team have now slipped from 3rd to 4th position, with the men’s team holding on in 6th. Cambridge & Coleridge AC are clear leaders in both the women’s and men’s competitions. The overall turnout of Newmarket Joggers was rather low for this fixture, possibly influenced by the need for adequate volunteers to host the race. Many thanks to those Joggers and their friends and/or family, who did give up their time to volunteer as marshals and other valuable helpers. Thanks also to Jon Brooker, who did an excellent job as race director.
Apologies that results for the Junior U14 race over 2km are not currently at hand.
Friday 5 Series, Sudbury, Friday evening, June 5th: Seven Joggers turned out for this 5-mile race, the third of six fixtures at different locations across Suffolk, including one in Essex. Carol Cienna Carter tried out her first race of the series and led the Joggers home in a great time of 33:17, finishing 74th of 329 overall, 5th F of 105 and 1st of 16 in F55. She was also 1st of 12 in F55 for the Suffolk Grand Prix. Close behind came Richard Defries (33:42, 73rd M of 224, 11th of 37 in M50). Then came Helen Wass (45:08, 7th of 11 in F60), Neil Williamson (47:48, 37th in M50), Jan Holmes (50:34, 9th in F60), Joanne Bouttell (50:51, 10th in F60) and Jim Withers (51:32, 6th in M70+). Good news that Jim Withers is currently top of the M70+ table in the Friday 5 Series, having run in all three fixtures to date. Just behind him is Neville Clarke, who missed this fixture, having won the M70+ age group in the first two races.
Above: Joggers at the Sudbury Friday 5: Richard Defries, Neil Williamson, Cienna Carter, Helen Wass, Jo Bouttell, Jan Holmes and Jim Withers.
ROUND UP OF OTHER RACES
On Friday evening, June 5th, Jason Beeton (44:56, 16th of 109 overall, 6th of 12 in M40-49) put in a good effort in the Rye 10K in East Sussex, representing 1st claim Thetford AC. It was an out & back course, starting beside the River Rother and proceeding south and then west along the coast to Winchelsea Beach, where the turnaround point was reached. It was very much wind against, up to halfway.
Severn Valley 10K Trail Run, ‘Steaming Down The Valley’, Saturday 6th June, Alveley, Shropshire: Pete Brisbourne (1:18:46, 94th of 183 overall, 8th of 13 in M40) very much enjoyed the scenery along this trail run, which was an out & back route, roughly following the River Severn from Alveley down to Arley in Worcestershire and back again. He crossed an old railway line, which was rescued from closure in the 1970s and still follows this route along the Severn Valley, for the benefit of local people and tourists.
Above from left: The start of the 10K Trail Race in Severn Country Park, Alveley; Pete Brisbourne with medal.
Above from left: the River Severn by Pete Brisbourne; a small railway station near Severn Valley Country Park, still functioning.
Phoenix Cambridgeshire Meadows Half Marathon, Sunday June 7th, Thorpe Meadows, Peterborough: Ian McClements (2:56:12, 19th of 25) enjoyed a relaxed 4-lap run around Thorpe Meadows, with his good friend Russell of Stevenage Striders.
Race For Life 5K, Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds, Sunday: Joggers Sarah Last (~31:01, no official time) and Gillian Green (~41:36) both completed this run and enjoyed supporting Cancer Research. There were over 700 participants on the day.
Above: Gillian Green & Sarah Last at Nowton Park Race For Life; scenery at the race.