were also full of grit. I had managed to stay upright for 8 miles but then tripped over some stubble in a wet field, and landed hands first in a (fortunately fairly clean) puddle – but no injuries other than very cold hands. Colin was a bit less fortunate. He fell over at least twice – he lost count – and cut his knee and elbow. Meanwhile, Ryan had a fantastic race, bettering his 2012 time by 2.5 minutes. The race was as always very well organised, with a feeling of satisfaction and achievement after crossing the line. Philomena and I both felt we’d like to have a go at it in better conditions when we could get into a proper running rhythm, but maybe we are expecting too much of a January race! At least we did not have to battle heavy rain or strong winds. As our finishers’ medals stated, we had all been truly ‘Roughed and Tumbled’.
Ryan 24th 1:18:21 Sue 114th 1:32:47 Colin 228th 1:44:47 Philomena 1:57:53 1st man Charles Pennington (1:07:43) 1st lady Fay Scripps (1:21:35) 504 survivors
Photos (by Mo) • Ryan running well at 8 ½ miles • Sue on one of the very wet roads • Colin sliding into a sprint finish • Philomena happy to reach the last hurdle
Woodcote & Goring Lions 10K, 13th January
Three Harriers enjoyed this local 10K on a bright and sunny but cold winter’s morning. Martin was 39th in 41:57, Lucy 83rd in 46:01, and Richard D (who admitted to having too much fun at a wine-tasting event the previous evening) in 47:00. Their performances earned them the accolade of 3rd team overall. The race was won by Nick Jones (Newbury) in 34:37, with regular ladies winner Samantha Amend (Belgrave) defending her title – 38:16. 2