THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 251, January 2014 Editor: Sue Francis
Contents, features, reports, results • Thursday night schedules for January and February • Correspondence received • Last run of 2013 – where were you all on a wild, wet and windy winters day? • Christmas Meal – a successful and enjoyable conclusion to 2013 • Race results: Andy Reading 10K – A category prize for Lucy; Huxham 10 Miler – Jamie does well in Bradfield College race; Portsmouth Coastal Marathon – Good pre-Christmas performance from Nicola • Handicap Race – Philomena wins the final 2013 race, and the Championship winner is announced • Christmas meal poems • Webmaster’s article – Mo reminds you to visit our website links, including ‘Keep on running’ and ‘National Trails’; and lists forthcoming races of interest • Thanks to Mo and Jan for this month’s contributions, and Mo for photos • Copy date for next Harriers Herald – 31st January
Thursday night schedule for January Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs
2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th
Mo to lead Handicap Race Sus to lead Gillian to lead Tom to lead
Thursday night schedule for February Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs
6th 13th 20th 27th
Pete O to lead Handicap Race Philomena to lead Martin to lead
Sender England Athletics
Correspondence received Subject matter General Club update letter
Action File
Last run of 2013 Thanks to Sus for organising a Monday run round the Boundary route in horrendous conditions – cold, sleet, biting wind, huge muddy puddles…. Four hardy souls turned out (see below) – where were the rest of you?! As Sus kept saying as we battled on – “Just think of the chips”, and we enjoyed a nice lunch at Compton Swan as the sun came out.
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Harriers Christmas Meal 2013 Sue Twenty-six of us enjoyed a Christmas celebration at The Fox at Peasemore. Although our large party was spread between three tables, we were all in the same area and so were able to share the festive fun and games. This year, Pete O had pre-organised seating allocations, to avoid any ‘musical chairs’ type incidents and to help the pub staff to correctly allocate the meal choices; and this worked very well. Several people had taken up Martin’s challenge to wear a Christmas jumper, and Rich’s outfit was deemed the ‘best’. On the large table, they were sporting fake moustaches, and also had fireworks, modelling balloons and party poppers, courtesy of Martin and Dick. Dick wore his Santa hat which, along with his bushy beard, made him really look the part. The food was very nice (especially the trio of chocolate desserts!), there was plenty of it, and the service was very friendly. Crackers, mince pies, coffee and after dinner chocolates were also included - a nice extra. Thanks to Lucy and Pete O, we had two tough quizzes to keep us busy and quiet. Fortunately we had plenty of time to mull them over. Lucy’s ‘Compton Harriers Google alter egos’ quiz was won by Jamie, while Pete’s photo quiz of worldwide landmarks was won by Pete and Jan H. Sue announced the results of the annual handicap championship (for full results, see page 4). Third prize went to Aaron and second to Dick, while the 2013 Champion was Philomena. Since she was not able to attend the meal (having returned to Kenya for a long Christmas break), Philomena will be presented with the annual trophy upon her return later this month. Many thanks to Nick Bull for engraving free of charge. On behalf of all the Club members, Sue read a ‘thank you’ poem (see page 5) to Jan K and presented her with a gift of thanks for her support of the Club, in particular for her dedication to time-keeping for our Handicap Races, Boundary Run and Relay. Jan has since responded with her own poem (page 5). Thanks very much to Pete for his slick organisation of a very enjoyable evening – he may now have a regular Christmas job for the Harriers!
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Race results Andy Reading 10K, Bicester, 8th December Four Harriers did well at the Andy Reading 10K. Lucy (45:48, 137th overall) collected the prize for 1st FV50. Martin ran 41:18 (78th), Richard D 45:09 (127th) and Colin 47:55 (172nd). The race winners were Stephen Male (33:28) and Samantha Amend (36:46).
Huxham 10 miler, 8th December Jamie (right) ran the Huxham 10 miler on a pleasant December morning. This annual race is held at Bradfield College for pupils, staff, old boys and guests. Despite running an extra half mile, when he went a bit wrong, Jamie finished in a very good 78 minutes.
Portsmouth Coastal Marathon, 22nd December Nicola finished in 3:44:55 and was 248th (20th lady) out of 1193 finishers.
Handicap Race Sue The AGM and fish ‘n chips supper brought out the grand total of 14 runners for December’s Handicap Race around the Village Lap. The forecast high winds did not really materialise and we were left with a breezy but dry evening. The regular handicappers were joined by Pete H and Dave, both having had a few months absence from Thursday night runs. Prior to this final race of the 2013 Handicap Championship, it was clear that only three people – Dick, Philomena and Aaron – could possibly win the Championship. All three of them turned up to rise to the challenge, and Philomena rose the highest! A well-paced run saw her pass Mo and Jacqueline and hold on to the lead to win the race for the first time this year. Would this be enough to take her to the top of the championship scoreboard? Behind Philomena, Jonathan and Neil both put in excellent sub-13 performances to claim 2nd and 3rd places, and were closely followed by Lucy. Martin and I had a good race together all the way. I started just behind Martin, and got past him, only for him to edge past again on the final straight. My time was just 2 seconds faster than Martins, and was the quickest of the evening. Pete, Jacqueline and Colin also had a good race to the finish. Dick passed Aaron on Shepherds Mount, and they were followed in by Richard, Dave and Mo. Thanks and well done to Jan for recording times for almost everybody, despite her biro falling apart at a hectic time! Thanks also to Tom for helping Jan to record names of the finishing runners. The first race of the 2014 Handicap Championship is scheduled for Thursday 9th January, around the Village Lap. Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 HH Jan 2014
Position on handicap 1 2 3 5 6 7 4 8 10 11 12 13 New Runner 9
Name Philomena Jonathan Neil Lucy Martin Sue Pete H Jacqueline Colin Dick Aaron Richard D Dave A Mo
Start time 3:30 5:01 5:26 4:46 5:59 6:03 4:19 1:21 4:19 5:12 4:22 4:56 5:47 0:28
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Finish time 17:48 17:57 18:04 18:12 18:22 18:24 18:28 18:30 18:39 18:53 19:14 19:31 20:15 20:37
Actual time 14:18 12:56 12:38 13:26 12:23 12:21 14:09 17:09 14:20 13:41 14:52 14:35 14:28 20:09
Handicap Beaten? -0:12 -0:03 +0:04 +0:12 +0:22 +0:24 +0:09 +0:30 +0:39 +0:53 +1:14
+1:31 New Runner +0:37
Handicap Championship: Thanks and well done to everyone who took part in the 2013 Handicap race series - 24 runners competed in at least one of the nine races. Only Aaron and I ran every race, but Philomena, Dick and Colin ran most of them. Races 1 and 8 saw 15 runners taking part. Grateful thanks to Jan who was there to time-keep for every race, whatever the weather, and to Tom who assisted Jan for many of the race finishes. We used two courses this year: the 3.1K winter ‘Village Lap’ route for Races 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 and the 2.5K ‘Relay Route’ for Races 4, 5, 6 and 7. There were two wins for Tapani, while Dick, Aaron, Pete O, Neil, Piers, Gillian and Philomena each won one race. Dick led the Championship in January, after a win in the first race. However, he missed Race 2, and Lucy took the lead ahead of Terry and Aaron. Terry took the lead after Race 3, before he was struck down with a summer of injury. In April (Race 4), Dick regained the lead, with Aaron hot on his heels, and these positions were maintained after Race 5, as Philomena moved into 3rd spot. Races 6, 7 and 8 saw these three establish a solid gap between themselves and everyone else, Dick maintaining the lead while Aaron and Philomena swapped places for 2nd and 3rd spots. With only one race left, only 3 points separating the three of them, and only the best five scores to count for each person, there was all to run for in the final race! None of these three had won the Championship before, so it was guaranteed that there would be a new name on the trophy this time. While Dick and Aaron where slightly below par for Race 9, Philomena was on top form. Her win was sufficient to give her Championship victory ahead of Dick and Aaron. Well done to you all! The 2014 Handicap Championship will use the same format and scoring system.
Pos.
1 2 3 4 5 6= 6= 6= 9 10 11= 11= 11= 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21= 21= 21= 21=
Name
Philomena
Dick Aaron Lucy Neil Colin Mo Sue Pete O Richard Terry Tapani Mags Jonathan Martin Ricky Gillian Piers Pete H Jacqueline
Nicola Charlotte Hana Dave
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Race 1 9 12 (4) 10 8 7 (2) 5 3 6 1 1 (1) 1 1 -
Race 2 (1) 12 7 6 3 (1) 8 10 9 3 4 5 -
Race 3 8 10 6 12 3 (4) 5 9 2 7 -
Race 4 (2) 10 8 6 9 4 1 5 7 3 12 -
Race points Race Race 5 6 9 10 6 7 (4) 6 3 5 4 10 5 8 7 9 12 12 2 8 -
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Race 7 10 8 9 12 7 1 -
Race 8 (7) (5) (1) 8 (2) 6 (3) 4 10 (1) 9 12 1 1 1 -
Race 9 12 (1) (1) 7 9 (2) (3) 5 1 10 6 8 4 1
Total of best 5 48 45 42 35 34 31 31 31 28 26 25 25 25 23 22 21 20 13 9 5 1 1 1 1
A ‘Thank you’ from Compton Harriers
A ‘Thank you’ from Jan
You stand in wind and rain and snow And sometimes baking sun, To time us Compton Harriers On our village run
My thanks for the box I received at The Fox I’ll try to convey in these lines. You’re much too kind, And I really don’t mind Standing out in the cold keeping times.
Dick puts up a big bright lamp So everyone can see And some nip in your downstairs loo To have a final wee!
To thank you in verse Might seem a bit terse. Perhaps I should just write a letter? Sonnet? Haiku? Or Limerick? “Once an old man named Dick …” No, email or text might be better.
One by one we all set off Mo, then Mags and Gill, A little gap, then off goes Jac, Charlotte, and then Phil Then several set off all at once Aaron, Petes times two, Colin, Terry, Richard, Dave, Nicola and Sue
If only my muse Were as gifted as Sue’s - such eloquent style on the Handicap. But the rhythm and rhyme In this ‘poem’ of mine Is just a load of old rubbish.
Lucy, Rich and Jonathan, And not forgetting Dick And finally it’s Martin He goes off last (he’s quick!)
Jan K
We set off along Burrell Road Then up to Newbury Lane Stretch our legs down Fairfield Hill Then on the flat again Round a loop behind The Swan On towards the school And turn off into Shepherd’s Mount – That final hill is cruel The runners finish thick and fast The race is now all done You’ve written all the names and times And worked out who has won When several finish really close It’s not an easy task And when the biro falls apart It’s just too much to ask! Tom, Sus and Anne are there to help Shouting out the names Their skills may well be needed At the next Olympic Games! And then we have our fish ‘n chips With forks and napkins too Ketchup, salt and vinegar And that’s all thanks to you And so you’ve earned the accolade Of the Club’s biggest fan That’s why we’d all just like to say A great big ‘Thank you Jan!’ Sue F HH Jan 2014
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Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo Links of interest this month Richard D’s selection for this month’s ‘Keep on Running’ link is: Sparks - 'Beat the clock' from the album 'No 1 in Heaven'. Mountain - 'Don't look around' from the album 'Nantucket Sleighride' Thin Lizzy - 'Running Back' from the album 'Jailbreak'. Don’t forget to click ‘Links’ on the website menu every so often … this will take you to a variety of interesting links. For instance, if you need to know more about the National Trails and their locations, just follow the link to ‘National Trails’ under the ‘Trails, Tourism & Walks’ heading and all will be revealed. Photos taken at the Christmas Party can be viewed on Compton Harriers Facebook page under ‘Albums’. (www.facebook.com/ComptonHarriers/photos_albums ). The direct link is http://tinyurl.com/CHRCXmas2013 A few forthcoming Events of Interest – see Website Events Calendar for more details: Sun 12 Jan 2014 Sun 26 Jan 2014 Sun 02 Feb 2014 Sun 09 Feb 2014
Sun 16 Feb 2014 Sun 23 Feb 2014 Sun 02 Mar 2014 Sun 09 Mar 2014 Sun 16 Mar 2014 Sun 23 Mar 2014 Sun 30 Mar 2014 Sun 06 Apr 2014 Sun 13 Apr 2014 Sat 19 Apr 2014 Sun 27 Apr 2014 Sun 4 May 2014
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Rough 'n' Tumble 10 - Milton Lilbourne, SN9 5LQ Oxford 10k - Cutteslowe & Sunnymead Park, OX2 8ES Oxford Mail XC - Round 4 – Cirencester Park Long Mynd Valleys Race - 18.5k Fell Wokingham ½ Mthn - Cantley Park, Wokingham Meon Valley Plod (21miles, X-C) - Clanfield Scout Hall, PO8 0RE Dursley Dozen - Dursley sports centre, GL11 4BX BRAMLEY 20/10 MILE - Bramley Primary School RG26 5AH The Terminator - Pewsey Vale School, Wilcot Road, Pewsey, SN9 5EW Cholsey Chase 9-mile MT - 51.573286,-1.155414 Mizuno Reading Half Marathon - 51.422092,-0.982682 Oxford Mail XC - Round 5 - Harwell R.A.L (to be confirmed) Banbury 15 - Spiceball-Leisure-Centre, Banbury, Oxon OX16 2PG Goring 10k - Storton Lodge, Icknield Road, Goring Surrey Spitfire 20 & Tempest 10 - Dunsfold Aerodrome, GU6 8TB Water of Life ½ Mthn & 10k, Marlow - Bisham Abbey National Sports Cntr Combe Gibbet to Overton 16 - Overton Recreation Centre, RG25 3ES White Horse ½ Marathon - OX12 7LB The Bluebell Race 12k – Collingbourne Ducis Virgin Money London Marathon 18th Compton Downland Challenge - Downs School, Compton, Berkshire Treehouse School 10k - Treehouse School, Cholsey, Oxfordshire Three Forts Challenge (Mthn & ½Mthn) - Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF
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