Torbay 10k - 7:00pm 21st August 2005

Welcome back Dave Stone. Dave's first proper race for a couple of months saw him starting VERY circumspectly before 'opening up', overtaking a great deal of the field before finishing in a creditable 11th place overall; and in a pretty decent time considering.

Large field - some 500+ entries - so the first mile was rather frenetic weaving in and out of the traffic. Roger went off fast hoping to get clear, but was surprised to find Dave S and Adrian overtaking him around the one mile point, run in 5:32. Shaun and Andrew were having a little battle all of their own, whilst John Perratt, starting more conservatively waited for the crowd to thin before really getting into his running. By the second mile, Ed had managed to get clear and into some steady running, whilst Diccon and Dave E were having problems of their own with the crowds.

The slow second mile, taking in the gasworks hill, saw the field string out rather, but the double lap of Paignton Green brought confusion for the faster runners on the second lap - just whom were they chasing, and whom could they safely ignore.

Just before the double circuit, Roger managed to get past Adrian and close up on the leading lady, Helen Parkinson from Bideford.

Back up over the gasworks hill, the gaps were steadily growing, but the aformentioned Helen P quickly regained the initiative over Roger, finishing a place in front.

The final stackup:

Position - Time - Name - Category - Pace
11th 35:04 STONE, Dave M35-39 05:38.5
41st 37:57 ROWE, Roger MV60-64 06:06.3 1st Vet/60
45th 38:23 KEARNS, Adrian M35-39 06:10.5
56th 39:30 LOCK, Shaun M30-34 06:21.3
63rd 39:56 JOHNSON, Andrew MV40-44 06:25.5
83rd 41:00 PERRATT, John MV65+ 06:35.8 1st Vet/65
140th 44:12 SHUTT, Edward MV50-54 07:06.7
223rd 48:59 HAYES, Diccon M30-34 07:52.8
356th 56:00 EVELEIGH, David MV50-54 09:00.6

Great run in warm conditions, pretty well ideal. But those hills really kill the legs at pace!

Roger R.

Simouth Festival 10k - 14th August

Great run, good weather. One hill !! A real test of knees. The course consists of a flat start, and then a long-long climb up Peak Hill to High Peak. The first man and woman up the hill receive the accolade 'King' or 'Queen' of the Hill. (and they deserve it belive me). There is then a flat tour of Mutters Moor before plunging back down the hill to Sidmouth Sea Front. A mad dash down if ever there was one.

Harriers results:

Jamie Palmer 9th 42.37
Jim Pyne 12th 43.16
Hannah Dupain 30th 48.00 (2nd Lady and Queen of the Hill)
Tim Gent 55th 50.24
Chris Dupain 58th 50.50
Nigel Dupain 82nd 53.42

Well done everyone,
Tim Gent

Yeovil 5k - 10th August

Well... about the fastest 5k course I've ever seen. Even with a wind it is quick. The three of us were very pleased with times and places! All the times were recorded a second slower than we had on our watches... and 17:59 would have been nice!! Ho Hum...

26th 18:00 Roger Rowe Vet60+ 88.00% (5:47.5 pace)
1st Vet/50&60 Course record

46th 18:56 Andrew Johnson Vet40+ 71.70% (6:06 pace)

59th 19:43 John Perratt Vet65+ 87.30% (6:21 pace)
1st Vet/65

The final race in the series is on the 14th September... a PB course if ever I've seen one! It starts off flat and gets flatter (is that possible)? Run on a wedge-shaped course around the lanes from the Yeovilton Airbase through Podimore and back around the perimeter. Having run it, one can easily see how such fast times have consistently been run during the 6-race series each year. Organised efficiently by Yeovil Town RRC.
 

Totnes 10k - 7th August 2005

6 00:37:22 HATCHARD, Anthony Exmouth Harriers SM
15 00:38:57 MARSDEN, Hugh Exmouth Harriers M45 (1st V/45)
21 00:40:23 PALMER, Jim Exmouth Harriers M35
33 00:41:54 LOCK, Shaun Exmouth Harriers SM
35 00:42:00 KENNEDY, Andrew Exmouth Harriers M45
56 00:43:32 KEARNS, Adrian Exmouth Harriers M35
69 00:44:53 MERRY, Steve Exmouth Harriers M50
72 00:45:11 CHAMPION, Paul Exmouth Harriers M50
75 00:45:17 PERRATT, John Exmouth Harriers M65 (1st V/60)
82 00:46:17 DUPAIN, Hannah Exmouth Harriers SF (4th Lady)
98 00:47:20 DUPAIN, Christopher Exmouth Harriers SM
109 00:48:13 ELSTON, Ray Exmouth Harriers M65 (2nd V/60)
209 00:53:23 BAMSEY, Jonathon Exmouth Harriers M35
252 00:55:48 TEED, Dawn Exmouth Harriers F40
299 00:58:50 WILKIN, Sue Exmouth Harriers F45
360 01:02:15 KENNEDY, Denise Exmouth Harriers F45
464 01:14:10 MOULTON, Jan Exmouth Harriers F55

Not sure anyone else noticed, but Ray Elston beat Peter Tabenor (Plymouth Harriers) by over a minute. THAT is a real scalp to take... well done Ray.

... and Sam Merry was first 'lady' in the fun run!

Pewsey 5 - Wednesday 3rd August

A long way to travel (by train!), but I had been seeking a five-mile race for a while and it was the only one within reach. Pewsey is halfway to London on the Paddington line, so an easy trip both to and from.

The race is of long-standing, but as they said to me... not flat! Actually it was a typical undulating circuit of the lanes around the town; not unlike parts of Devon. The first two miles having some climbs, and the last three a bit quicker, but with a (very) twisty half-mile at both start and finish.

I managed 30:02 for 9th in the field, and had the pleasure of breaking the course record for a Vet/60 -- previously held by Bruce Tulloh - 30:04 in 1996. As you can imagine I was pretty happy with that on such a course, but a very close run thing; I even managed a sprint at the end with my eyes on the clock (and I can't sprint for toffees); experiencing the reason we all run at the end -- relief and joy!