Grand Prix 11 of the 2014-15 season took place at The Finchley 20 – organised by Hillingdon AC.
The provisional results of the race in PDF can be downloaded from http://www.activetrainingworld.co.uk/events/2015/03/08/finchley_20
A total of seven members took part in the race which consists of four 5 mile laps around the town of Ruislip. Unlike the very chilly GP 10 in Tunbridge Wells, the temperature was an almost balmy 13 degrees and running vests were the order of the day.
The journey around the pleasingly quiet M25 was quick and easy and the free parking at the two available car parks was abundant. Parking at the Ruislip Lido was a bit of an eye opener – sat next to Ruislip’s very own sandy beach – who knew?! Registration was quick and easy and the club house provided a welcome place to get changed and chat with other runners.
The start was on a public road which was temporarily closed to enable the race to start – much like the Cabbage Patch 10 race which like the Finchley 20, also operates a gun-to-chip setup. There were around 500 starters so the first mile or two meant the left side of the road was very much our own and the cars were kept back until the route left the road and moved onto side roads and pavements. The five mile route was mildly undulating but the overall elevation was fairly even. The route wasn’t as scenic as that at Tunbridge Wells but the vast team of enthusiastic and supportive marshals certainly did well to give the race a good feel overall. This friendly atmosphere was evident again in the clubhouse post race whilst Gary, Danny, Pete and I enjoyed a nice cup of tea and sausage sandwiches.
One result of a four lap race is of course the opportunity to be lapped and it was no surprise to see the eventual winner, Jonathan Poole of Serpentine come steaming past midway through the race. He eventually won in a mightily impressive 01:48:38 (approximately 02:23:00 marathon pace). First lady was Emily Proto of Arena 80, finishing in 02:10:38.
Unfortunately three of our runners fell victim to fatigue and made the sensible decision to pull out at the end of lap three to fight another day.
Both Alastair and Pete deserve special mention for completing not only their longest races to date but also their longest runs as well – so two PBs amongst the four 26.2 finishers!
Full results for our four finishers were
- Alastair McGeogh-Williams 02:06:14
- Gary Rogerson 02:23:30
- Lawrence Bromley 02:42:31
- Peter May 02:45:19
Updated GP tables can be viewed at http://www.26point2.co.uk/index.php/menu-file-downloads/download-files/category/7-grand-prix
Alastair further cemented his place at the top of the men’s FPTP GP table whilst climbing to second in the age graded competition and gaining ground on Steve Ramek.
With no female members finishing, Libby Marchant, Kirstie Mitchell and Vicki Kirk still sit first, second and third in both competitions.