Plymouth 13.1 & European Champs

Cathy Newman, Exmouth Harriers’ leading lady and currently their top athlete, has just returned from Regensburg, Germany, after her brilliant performances for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the European Non-Stadia Championships. Due to various problems she nearly didn’t go, but fortunately for Great Britain (and Exmouth), in the end she went.

There were over 1500 competitors altogether and over 100 from Great Britain. Cathy’s first medal was her silver in the W45 10K. The race was won by Katharina Kaufmann (Germany) in 35:47 and another German, Katrin Dorre-Heinig, was 3rd in 36:37. Cathy’s time of 36:14 was a massive age graded performance of 89.36% - just awesome, and her best result of the championships!

Next, with her team-mates Fiona Bishop and Lynne Marr, Cathy picked up a bronze medal in the 3 x 2K W45 Team Cross Country event, on a beautiful grassy undulating course on the bank of the River Danube. Their time was 28:54 and the race was won by the German team in 24:41, 2nd place going to the Ireland team in 24:47.

Not content with two medals, Cathy did it again! Another silver for another great performance, this time in the half marathon, in 1:23:13. The winner, just as in the 10 K, was Katharina Kaufmann (Germany), in 1:20:22. The Austrian Anita Pichler was 3rd in 1:24:21. Well done, Cathy! Exmouth Harriers are all very proud of you!!

A large field of 3128 runners, including five Exmouth Harriers, contested the Plymouth Half Marathon, which was won by Gemechu Kidane in 1:03:55. Although much of the day was cold and wet, the rain stopped for the race itself, the sun came out and it became very hot.

Hugh Marsden produced another excellent performance for 44th overall and 3rd V45 in 1:20:37. Andy Johnson was 151st in 1:29:07. Julie Gellender produced another good performance for 219th overall and 5th FV35 in 1:32:38. Trevor Cope achieved his best time for about five years, coming 1144th in 1:52:34. Dawn Teed, currently undergoing treatment for a running injury, was asked by her medical advisor to run in a race to check the effects of the treatment. For Dawn, just completing 13 miles was quite an achievement, let alone coming 1336th in 1:55:28. Well done, Dawn!

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Athlete of the year so far (?!) Cathy !!

(LT)

Woodland XC-Relays

Monday Evening, 21st May -- 28 teams took part in the 4 x 1.8 mile Woodland (Cross Country) Relays at the East Hill Strips between Ottery St Mary and Sidbury last night.

The winning team was Axe Valley “A” in 41:45. Their lead runner, Garry Perratt, ran the fastest individual leg in 9:48.

The Exmouth Harriers V60 Team of Ray Elston (12:39), Les Turner (15:09), Jim Wyatt (13:34) and Roger Rowe (11:58) was the 15th team to finish in 53:20.

Harrier Jon Croome (11:50) ran in the Met Office Men’s Team which finished in 47:24 for 6th place. Lorraine Croome ran for Met Office Ladies who came 7th in 49:36 and her individual time was 13:00. John Perratt (13:21), who helped to organise the event and set out the course, ran with Sidmouth Running Club 3rds, who completed the race in 53:49 for 16th place.

(LT)

BMAF Road Relays - Sutton Park Birmingham

The Exmouth Harriers V60 team returned to Sutton Park, Birmingham, for the 3 x 3 mile BMAF Road Relays 2007. This national event involves some of the best runners in the country. Here, old friends enjoy meeting up again, but once the races are under way the friendliness is replaced temporarily by fierce competition and intense rivalry. Harriers seem to have a particular bond with Clydesdale, who again gave us a great welcome, helped to erect the Exmouth tent and banner and were naturally invited to share it with us.

Clydesdale are a top team and won gold in both 2005 and 2006. This year they only came second in 55:39, but were slightly handicapped because one of their team fell 20 feet off a ladder a week before the race! The winners were Oxford City A.C. in 53:59.

Ray Elston ran a very tough first leg for Exmouth in 20:14, and performed extremely well to hand over to John Perratt in 16th place overall. John stormed away, and brought the Harriers up to 11th in 19:38. Finally, Roger Rowe, still recovering from his knee operation in January managed to overtake another 4 athletes in 18:45, to bring us home in 7th place overall in 58:37 - less than two minutes behind bronze medallists, Birchfield Harriers. The age group is 60 – 69, so for Exmouth, with ages ranging from 62 – 70 and averaging almost 67 years, this was a tremendous achievement against generally much younger men. And Roger Rowe’s great performance, despite the knee operation, resulted in 10th place individually out of 73 runners!

Exmouth also had strong support from Mandy Marvin, who has now joined Bedford Harriers, but retains her first claim membership with Exmouth. Mandy provided the home made cookies that helped the team to run so well! Les Turner travelled as reserve, but fortunately wasn’t required with all the team reasonably fit and running so well. Exmouth Harriers times:

Ray Elston 20:14
John Perratt 19:38
Roger Rowe 18:45

A field of 550 runners competed in the Ivybridge 10K race, including three Exmouth Harriers, who all turned in good performances. Andy Johnson came 52nd in 39:45, Lee Russell was 146th in 44:12 and Jim Wyatt was 262nd in 48:50. The winner was Matt Robinson of Torbay A.C. in 33:25.

(LT)

Kernow '5'

With Launceston being renowned for being in a hilly part of North Cornwall, it makes a refreshing change to be able to advertise the 'Kernow May - 5 miler' as a fairly flat and fast course( with one hill at approx 4.5 miles, sorry). So said the race organisers, but in fact this race would have been more accurately described as 'flat for Launceston' - ie not at all flat! And we had a very stiff wind to contend with as well.

The first 2.5M are mostly climbing, and today they were into the energy-sapping wind. Then we turned and enjoyed 2M of mostly descent with the wind at our backs or sheltered from us by the high hedges. Then we had another tough climb around half-a-mile from the finish, with the rest of the route uphill.

My time was a minute down on the GWR Fulford's 5 in Exmouth in February (32:15), but I was fairly satisfied. I was 17th out of over 100. Cathy Newman was first woman in 30:44 -- what a performance!

This was a good little event. We got a nice momento to gather dust on the sideboard. I would recommend it. It's a good Bank Holiday day out. And we had an enjoyable walk on Bodmin Moor after lunch.

[Andrew Johnson]

Great West Run - Results

Hugh Marsden 12th 01:20:15 M45 3rd
Paul Samways 25th 01:24:17 MSEN 15th
Andy Kennedy 78th 01:30:28 MSEN 45th (?)
Bob Keast 185th 01:37:17 M50 4th
Duncan Parkes 267th 01:40:28 MSEN 152nd
Emma Dupain 309th 01:41:41 FSEN 12th
Nigel Dupain 409th 01:44:44 M55 8th
Chris Dupain 498th 01:46:47 MSEN 290th
Ben White 863th 01:55:40 MSEN 467th
Trevor Cope 1,076th 02:00:30 M50 44th
Denise Kennedy 1,607th 02:18:18 F50 24th

Athlete of the day? Hugh's great 12th in the field [3rd Vet/45]

PS I understand Ray Elston ran the 5k fun-run in 21:47 (2nd Vet/40, 7th overall), with Jim Wyatt in 9th overall (3rd Vet/40) in 23:23; whilst Roger Rowe, running in the main race ran the first 3 miles at 7-minute pace, and the second 3 miles at 6-minute pace, before stopping at mile 8. All in preparation for the BMAF Road Relays in Sutton Park, Birmingham next Saturday.

In no particular order - GWR photos

[All images: Mary Rowe]