Edinburgh & Crediton

In the morning of Sunday 23rd May 2010 three intrepid members of the Harriers, Ben White, Ben Dupain and Emma Dupain, lined up amongst the 23000 entrants for the Edinburgh Marathon. At the start, just outside Holyrood Park, the temperature was high with even higher temperatures expected before the completion of the 26 miles and 385 yard course. Following the starting gun the runners made there way to the estuary of the Firth of Forth. An easterly direction took them along the embankment to Gosforth House before turning about and finally finishing at the Musselburgh Race Course. All the Harriers completed the course under four hours.

Chris Dupain led the trio, coming home in overal 2395th position in a time of 3 hours and 56 minutes and 54 seconds, a personal best time, followed closely by Ben White, in 2544th position and Emma Dupain, in 2545th position, both of who recorded the same finishing time of 3-58-30. Ben also completed the course in a personal best time.

All runners were very pleased to finish (especially Ben who was celebrating his birthday), as they were running in aid of Amy Claire, a 15 year old girl who represented Wales and GB in disability swimming. Her aim was to go to the paralympics in London 2012. Sadly now Amy has had to go part time into a hospice and may never see 2012. Emma was her main carer in Swansea for a year and the three runners all wanted to raise money to allow Amy to do some of the things she has asked to do in the time she has left. They hope to raise at least £1,000 for her and her hospice in Wales. They are nearly there but any further sponsorship would be greatly appreciated.

The first runner to complete the marathon was Steve Littler in a time of 2-26-30, and the first female runner to complete the course was Sarah Gee in a time of 2-38-14.

Closer to home on the same day, still in very warm conditions, Hugh Marsden, Mike Musgrove, John Perratt and Dawn Teed, of the Harriers, all lined up to start in the Crediton Crunch 10k multi-terrain race. The course started at the Credition Rugby club before meandering around the lanes and through the woods of Crediton. The shade of the woods provided a much needed respite from the heat on the open course.

Hugh Marsden chasing the previous course record on 37 minutes and 53 seconds, finished in overall 4th position in a time of 38-42, less than one minute shy of the record. Hugh took the first prize in the V50 category.

Mike Musgrove came in overall 6th position in a time of 39-04. John Perratt finished in overall 87th position in a time of 53-04. Dawn Teed completed the quartet finishing in 113rd position in a time of 56-09.

The first runner to complete the course was Tom Gill of Tavistock AC in a course record time of 36-58 and the first female runner home was Emma Hitchins of the South West Road Runners in overall 18th position in a time of 42-07. 218 competitors completed the course with the last runner, Gillian Waller of the Womens Running Network finishing in a time of 87-58.

(RW)

Edinburgh Marathon

Ben White, Emma and Chris Dupain joined about 23,000 other runners in the Edinburgh Marathon. Despite the blistering heat they all finished in under 4 hours.

Chris was 3.56 (PB), Ben (PB) and Emma were 3.58. They were very pleased to finish (especially Ben as it was his birthday), as they were running in aid of Amy Claire, a 15 year old girl who represented Wales and GB in disability swimming. Her aim was to go to the paralympics in London 2012. Sadly now Amy has had to go part time into a hospice and may never see 2012. Emma was her main carer in Swansea for a year and the three runners all wanted to raise money to allow Amy to do some of the things she has asked to do in the time she has left. They hope to raise at least £1,000 for her and her hospice in Wales. They are nearly there but any further sponsorship would be greatly appreciated.

(ND)

V70s @ Sutton Park

2nd V70 Overall

V60s @ Sutton Park

21st V60 Overall

Of Sutton Park... and Ivybridge

BMAF Road Relay Championships
On Saturday 15th May 2010 two teams of three Harriers journeyed to Birmingham to compete in the 23rd National Open Masters Road Relay Championships. The club entered Roger Rowe, Bob Woodall and Jim Wyatt in the over 60's age group and Ray Elston, Mike Allen and John Perratt in the over 70's age group. Les Turner accompanied the two teams as the travelling reserve.

The race consisted of three laps each lap consisted of three miles around the roadway of Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield's green oasis just north of Birmingham. From the start/finish there is a slight decline before the roadway elevates over almost half a mile before levelling out beyond the first sharp bend to the right. There are undulations throughout the length of the course with very little strictly flat lengths. The course declines down to the turning point (180-degree) where the runners, for a couple of hundred yards, go back to the next left turn onto the homeward stretch, plunging down a long hill. At the bottom, after some undulating twists and turns, the course makes a final right hand turn up the final incline to the start/finish.

From the start the sun was shining with only patchy clouds. The temperature was warm but some areas of shade from the trees adjoining the roadway gave some respite from the sun.

This year the relay had eighty-two finishing teams consisting ladies in the 35, 45 and 55 year age group along with the men's 60 and 70 year age groups. The men's team consisted of three runners and the women's teams consisted of four, the team having to completed the extra lap.

The fastest women's team was Dulwich A C, in the 35 year age group, finishing their four laps in a time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

The fastest men's team was Barnet A C, in the 60 year age group, finishing in a time of 53 minutes and 19 seconds.

The Harriers V60 team finished in overall 21st position in a time of 1-02-35. Roger Rowe completed his lap in 19-30, Bob Woodall took 20-39 and Jim Wyatt took 22-26.

The Harriers V70 team finished in overall 2nd place taking the silver medals in a time of 1-05-42. Ray Elston completed his lap in 21-29, Mike Allen took 22-54 and John Perratt took 21-19. The first placed V70 team was Bingley AC who completed the race in 1-02-09, with their anchor man, Fred Gibbs, completing his lap in a course record time for his age in 19-55.

The fastest women in the race was Jenny Clague, in the V35 age group, who completed her three mile lap in 16-51 and the fastest man was Desmond Michael in the V60 age group, in a time of 17-18.

Ivybridge 10k
Later on the same evening fo the Harriers, Andy Johnson and Kevin Lingard, competed in the Ivybridge 10k.

The first runner to complete the course was Kairn Stone of Newham and Essex Beagles in a time of 31 minutes and 08 seconds.

The first woman to complete the course was Anne Luke of Tamar Trotters who finished in overall 31st plosition in a time of 38-08.

Andy Johnson finished in overall 62nd position in a time of 40-10. Kevin Lingard finished in overall 343rd position in a time of 50-41.

(RW)

BMAF Relays - Sutton Park

Saturday, 15th May, 2010

V70 team with their Silver medals (Mel Batty in the background for those who know their International Athletes of the 60s). Bingley were 1st, with a new course record by Fred Gibbs running anchor (19:55) - amazing for a V70+. To give you some idea of just how good that is, he gained over a minute on John Perratt. When did anyone ever do that!

Full report to come...

(RR)

Return of the Black Death Run

On Sunday 9th May 2010 just a single Harrier lined up amongst the starters for the Return of the Black Death Run. The run is 10 mile off road consisting of mainly steep forest tracks with a total climb of 2,000 feet around Coombe Sydenham Country Park. It is claimed that this run is probably one of Britain's toughest 10 mile races. The starting line up consisted of 350 runners, with only 237 finishers

The first runner to complete the course was Mark Hopkinson of Minehead RC, in a time of 1 hour 7 minutes and 24 seconds. Mike Musgrove, for the Harriers, finished in overall 9th place in a time of 1-15-32. This overall position gave Mike the first place in his gender and age category. Mike, sore after his valiant effort, believes this is certainly the hardest race in which he has competed.

The first lady to complete the run in overall 17th position was Ann Mixon of FOD AC in a time of 1-22-27. The last runner to finish was Rob Ley in a time of 2-44-59.

(RW)

The Great West Run

On a cold and extremely windy Sunday 2nd May 2010, two thousand one hundred and twenty-three runners lined up at the Exeter Arena for the start of the Great West Run. This is a half marathon race around the City of Exeter starting on the track of the Arena before exiting for a loop around Beacon Heath before heading into the City. A loop around Southernhay is followed by the return leg back towards the Arena. Along Pinhoe Road a 'U' turn sees the runners returning once again toward the City to complete the same loop. Just after twelve miles from the start the runners feed off into Whipton Village Road and up to the finish on the track at Exeter Arena, after completing some thirteen point one miles from the start.

Local athlete Tom Merson, running under the colours of Bristol and West AC, started strongly and running from the front of the pack ultimately won this years Great West Race in an impressive time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 10 seconds, just three seconds ahead of the second placed runner.

Harrier, Mike Musgrove, produced yet another valiant effort to finish in overall 20th position in a time of 1-22-27, taking the second place in his gender age group.

The other eight Harriers to complete the race were:-
Duncan Parkes finished in overall 304th position in a time of 1-39-40.
Phil Bater, in only his second competitive outing for a couple of years, finished in overall 373rd position in a time of 1-41-34.
Andy Kennedy finished in overall 423rd position in a time of 1-42-33.
Ben White finished in overall 609th position in a time of 1-46-44.
Joan Mason finished in overall 957th in a time of 1-54-30.
Nigel Dupain finished in overall 1118th position in a time of 1-57-51.
Denise Kennedy finished in overall 1875 position in a time of 2-22-57.
Trevor Cope finished in overall 1886 position in a time of 2-23-42.

John Butcher aged in excess of seventy five years was the last runner, 2103rd, to cross the finishing line in a time of 4-33-48. Twenty runners failed to complete the course.

(RW)