Write-up added. Grand Prix points updated and available in the downloads section, results below. Congratulations to Danny Norman, first home for the club and worthy winner of the prize for third overall, and to our first 10 mile champions:
Men
Past the Post: Jack Holland (1:00:45)
Age-graded: Gordon Reid (81.10%) (!)
Women
Past the Post: Zoe Ashcroft (1:13:21)
Age-graded: Ann Bath (74.03%)
In the beginning the founding four created the running club that was called 26.2 RRC.
And the club was without form or void, but that was okay because it was just a running club.
And the committee said “let there be a 1 mile championship” and there was a 1 mile championship.
And the members saw the 1 mile championship, and though it hurt a bit, they saw that it was good.
And the committee said “let there be a 5k championship” and there was a 5k championship.
And the members saw the 5k championship, and thought, next year I’m not going to see this, I’m going to run it, and that will be good.
And the committee said “let there be a 10k championship” and there was a 10k championship.
And the members saw the 10k championship, entered and ran it, and figured they had this thing sussed.
And the committee said “let there be a half marathon championship” and there was a half marathon championship.
And the members saw the half marathon championship and wanted the narrator to get on with it a bit, and said “yes, there was that. And a marathon one, too”.
Thus the running club was finished, and all the host of championships.
And the members looked upon the running club, and each championship, and saw that it was good. Though it hurt a bit, what with all the running involved.
But there didst come a terrible wailing and gnashing of teeth. And the members didst look askance at one another and say “what is that racket?”
And a Watkins did come amongst them.
And the Watkins did point out that he had seen the Epsom 10. And he had seen that it was good.
And all didst agree that yes, it was good and shall be evermore.
And the Watkins did build upon his good start and decree that there shouldst be a 10mile championships.
And there was a 10 mile championships.
And the members didst say “hang on, didn’t we vote on that first?”
And the narrator didst tell them to pipe down, quoting dramatic irony and the need to get on with it a bit.
But they all did see the 10 mile championships, to be held alternately at Epsom and at Dorking, and all didst say it was good.
And so it came to pass that 16 male and 6 female 26.2 runners were at the start of the Epsom 10 2012.
And there was much support, and great thankfulness was heard for messrs Bryant, Sunderland, Chang, Collis and Warren.
And I may have missed someone out.
And lo, the start was a bit confused, with some getting a flyer and others facing the wrong way when the horn sounded.
But all ran, and boy did some run quickly.
To start with the ladies, congratulations again to our winners. Zoe Ashcroft was not too closely challenged, keeping Libby behind her and moving into third position in the PTP grand prix standings. This was a run to form for Zoe, with almost exactly the same age-graded score as for last month’s Oxshott 10k. One quick geekgasm – Zoe’s age-grading of 69% is just a shade higher than her average for last year’s Grand Prix, showing that after an injury earlier in the year she is coming into some good form. Ann Bath took the age-graded trophy, also some way clear of the chasers. Julie, Jo and Andrea all had strong runs – Andrea disappointed to finish behind husband John thanks to a fall, but can console herself with the Bennett age-graded bragging rights.
For the men there were two (?) pbs and one near thing. New member but longtime local running stalwart Danny Norman was third overall in what would have been a pb but for a storming run in last month’s Cabbage Patch, while Captain Stone finished exhausted but elated again, as his new slimline self took minutes off his old best time. When you’re getting quicker, looking at Run Britain Rankings gives a nice sense of achievement – http://www.runbritainrankings.com/runners/profile.aspx?athleteid=246058. Neil Parker also picked up a pb without it seeming too much trouble – there are some great pictures of him looking around casually on facebook.
Danny is second-claim for us at the mo, so scores in the grand prix overall standings but not for championships, which means Jack Holland scoops another trophy. In the event he nearly had company, with Gordon Reid producing a fabulous run to finish just 22 seconds behind. Gordon was unwittingly caught up in the battle for the team prize, too; I had passed an Epsom and Ewell runner at around 3 miles, only to see him storm past after 6, and close on Gordon up ahead. From the way he came past me I figured he’d sweep through, but over the next mile I realised I was unlikely to catch Gordon in a similar way as he stuck with the Epsom runner, leading him through the next three miles. Only in the last 400m did Mr E&E get away, pipping a Dulwich runner at the post. That last minute overtaking was crucial for Epsom and Ewell, as they beat Dulwich by a point, and us by just two. Great running by our front three and it would be great to think that we might have more team-competitiveness to come with this new strength in depth.
Further back, I had a great tussle with Chairman Joe, who produced another earlyish burst of speed to come alongside me on the big hill, an area I would normally think is my strength rather than his. Some people talk about ‘burning matches’ during races, meaning you have a limited number of surges in you and once they’re gone, that’s it. Despite the early stages I reckoned that if Joe got away as at Nonsuch he would be gone and I certainly burned a match here, managing to crest the hill ahead of Joe and, crucially, pull away. Steve Watkins wasn’t going to die wondering and had started strongly, racing through much of the field before slowing a little on the hills yet finding enough strength to hold just over 6.5 minute mile pace. Jason Blair and Rob Hinton were also both under 70 minutes; not as quick as they would run when fully fit, but both should find a fitness benefit from good runs. To put all of these performances in perspective, last year our first three were 23rd, 32nd and 40th, with times of 63.37, 64.57 and 65.57. Even in 2010, the year of Dom and Joe B’s epic battle, both finished 27th and 28th, in around 63:30. Taking the number of people under 70 minutes as an (arbitrary) standard, we had 2009:2 2010: 6 2011:5 2012: 8, so plenty of kudos to Steve for instituting a 10 mile champs and to everyone for rising to the challenge.
Alasdair Reisner was one of few without a 26.2 vest in view up ahead, and ran well to keep Neil “So good they counted him twice” Parker behind him. Simon Gerrard wasn’t able to stay as close to Zoe as he might normally but was still pleased; he may be one of the next targets for the captain’s improving racing. Peter Grecian gave Stoney a run but was a little sub par and unable to hold him off, while John Bennett ran well to finish within a minute of his Dorking time from earlier in the year. Derick Wilkie showed that in the absence of the Wilkettes you can at least score well in an age-graded sense, producing another 63% age-graded run-and was quicker than Dorking to boot.
No GP race in December, but lots of points available in in January with Tadworth 10 on 6th http://www.tadworth.org.uk/Tadten.html and the Perch on the 27th http://www.epsomoddballs.org/perch.php.
Men | Past the Post | Age Graded | |||
AGE | Time | Points | % | Points | |
Danny Norman | 33 | 0:56:54 | 20 | 78.35% | 19 |
Jack Holland | 28 | 1:00:45 | 19 | 73.06% | 17 |
Gordon Reid | 48 | 1:01:07 | 18 | 81.10% | 20 |
John Matthews | 39 | 1:02:01 | 17 | 74.42% | 18 |
Joe Chang | 34 | 1:03:49 | 16 | 70.10% | 14 |
Steve Watkins | 39 | 1:05:23 | 15 | 70.58% | 15 |
Jason Blair | 33 | 1:07:34 | 14 | 65.98% | 13 |
Rob Hinton | 48 | 1:08:32 | 13 | 72.32% | 16 |
Alasdair Reisner | 34 | 1:11:41 | 12 | 62.40% | 9 |
Neil Parker | 33 | 1:12:05 | 11 | 61.85% | 8 |
Simon Gerrard | 41 | 1:14:48 | 10 | 62.66% | 10 |
Kevin Stone | 44 | 1:17:58 | 9 | 61.56% | 7 |
Peter Grecian | 49 | 1:18:55 | 8 | 63.34% | 11 |
Greg Whiteman | 44 | 1:24:46 | 7 | 56.63% | 6 |
John Bennett | 48 | 1:29:06 | 6 | 55.63% | 5 |
Derick Wilkie | 66 | 1:31:44 | 5 | 63.43% | 12 |
Women | Past the Post | Age Graded | |||
AGE | Points | % | Points | ||
Zoe Ashcroft | 37 | 1:13:21 | 20 | 69.01% | 19 |
Libby Marchant | 27 | 1:18:13 | 19 | 63.52% | 18 |
Julie Chasin | 38 | 1:22:53 | 18 | 61.37% | 17 |
Jo Deeks | 38 | 1:23:25 | 17 | 60.98% | 16 |
Andrea Bennett | 47 | 1:30:06 | 16 | 60.78% | 15 |
Ann Bath | 64 | 1:32:56 | 15 | 74.03% | 20 |