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Newsdesk 2001
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 27 2 MAY 2001
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The number of Ranelagh competitors in the London Marathon seems to be
dwindling each year, while the number of club supporters gravitating to the
infamous "traffic light tree" roundabout on the Isle of Dogs seems to be
increasing. Could the two be connected?
We should have had a team of three at the elite women's start, but Katharine
Mallett succumbed to an Achilles tendon injury and Bridget Cuthbert to
pneumonia, so Marlene Pautard was left alone to record her second-best-ever
time of 3.08 and win the Brasher Bowl club championship.
Amongst our men, Darryl was always ahead but a fast early pace (75.11 at
half way) and hectic times at work combined to take his wheels off in the
closing stages. He finished in 2.42.27 but didn't realise until much later
how close he had come to losing the Winter Cup club championship: at the
finish Mr Steady Ken Fotherby was only 24 seconds behind after halves of
80.54 and 81.57. Next home was Mike Peace in 2.46, good enough for fourth
place overall amongst the over 50s. Giles Marshall at 2.56 was our only
other runner inside 3 hours.
Darryl writes:
"I just want to say even though, timewise, it wasn't what I hoped for, from
a support point of view it's the best marathon I've run by far. It was
really emotional to see almost everyone I knew from London along the course.
Folks like Julian, John, Linda, Ray & Margaret, Steve & Sonia, Paul &
Claire, Ed Barker, Ian Dent, Jim Forrest, Robin & Julie, Dave Knight, Thames
folk, my old lunchtime running group, folks from my Alan Storey group, oh
man, there were so many...you can't describe the feeling in words, seeing
everyone you know calling out your name. I HAD to finish strong. I didn't
want to let anyone down. Thanks to all those who gave me a push. I really
needed it."
Alastair Sinclair gives us a mid-field view:
"Finally I made it, at the third attempt. Two years ago I got badly injured,
last year I managed to break my leg, but this year I finally made the start
line. It was kind of chaotic for the first couple of miles as people found
their own space on the road, coupled with a large number making a pit-stop
for the toilet. I was not feeling particularly great: fairly bad gut-ache,
which kept me moving slowly, but maybe that was no bad thing. The first
Ranelagh supporter I encountered was Ladies Captain Sarah Seal, I never saw
her, I just heard her voice somewhere behind me, way above everyone else
around mile #6 ! (Top marks to her for hanging around there so long to see
the not-so-fast among us.) Shortly after that I passed John Hanscomb, who
said he was doing OK. I was checking my time as each mile passed, and was
going at just under the 8 minute/mile mark. Docklands was pretty amazing.
After hearing about how desolate that part of the route can get, I was
surprised to find crowds pretty much the whole way. It was good to see the
Ranelagh crowd at the roundabout. By that time, I was beginning to feel it
in my legs. I was still making steady times for each mile and as I ran
further, I started to pass more people. My target was sub 3h30, and by mile
23 I figured I would meet my target. Going along the Embankment I started to
pass more and more people. Some runners were now incredibly slow, obviously
those were the ones who went too fast at the start. Of course my legs were
tired, but by the time I saw Big Ben and knew that the finish was imminent I
stepped my pace up slightly. Kathy Mallett yelled on Birdcage Walk and I
ploughed on, overtaking a number of runners. I finished in an official time
of 3h 28mins 40sec, and judging from my splits on the marathon website, I
was a pretty constant pace the whole way. I learned a lot about the marathon
on the day, a lot about my training, and what was lacking. I am sure I can
do better, so I will aim to improve my time at some point in the near
future."
Tom Reay joined the large pack following the Runners' World 4 hours
pacemakers:
"The Sub-4 pace group started sedately enough until at 5 miles they made a
break. I caught them up and kept pace until 7 miles when they did the same
again. Again I reduced the deficit until at 9 miles they broke away and I
never saw them again. I didn't really hit the wall (thanks to Liquid Power
and three bananas) I just got successively more knackered. I was knackered
at 14 miles and kept going at a slower pace until 22 miles when I was
totally knackered. From 22 miles on I pretended I was doing the short
Wednesday club run out to Pen Ponds car park and back. The day was ideal for
running, and the atmosphere was terrific, especially Canary Wharf, Wapping
and the last 4 miles along the Embankment. And at least I've got a medal to
show that someone in my family has done the London Marathon."
Mike Rowland race-walked the marathon:
"I had a fine day - 3 minute improvement on last year. I waited until
everybody, bar some bloke on stilts, had left Blackheath before I started to
walk. Gave me a nice, clear road until we joined the slowies from Greenwich
Park. I had my usual problems during the last eight miles where so many of
the competitors have slowed to a painful walk. It's very difficult to get
through. Wish I'd beaten Redgrave, I was only a quarter of an hour behind.
(Didn't he just have to beat his wife - couldn't they have finished
together!!). In terms of numbers I think we've reached saturation point now
- no room for anymore."
Pat Hewlett had her personal support group and fan club in attendance to
ensure she got no peace:
"I really enjoyed the Marathon apart from the last few miles and also
really enjoyed the training. The best thing was the fact that everyone was
so pleased for me when I did complete it. I should like to thank everyone
at Ranelagh for their support and encouragement during the past few months
especially Francis and Bev."
Stephen Instone seems to have forgotten the race itself altogether:
"London Marathon thoughts [and I had plenty of time for thinking thoughts as
I plodded along]:
1. It's suddenly dawned on me that the longer I take the less nappies I
have to change that day, so next year I'll be gunning for eight hours.
2. Train service from Waterloo East best ever: train was completely empty
(not jam-packed as in all previous years) when I got in.
3. Nice to be handed back my kit bag within 30 seconds of finishing.
4. T-shirt design needs improving: cut out the silly slogan and have a nice
picture of London instead.
5. Sandwiches were tasteless"
1 A El Mouaziz (Morocco) 2.07.11
W1 D Tulu (Ethiopia) 2.23.57
203 Darryl McDonald 2.42.27
210 Ken Fotherby 2.42.51
292 Mike Peace 2.46.00
655 Giles Marshall 2.56.12
W88 Marlene Pautard 3.08.20
2062 Stephen Instone 3.14.58
3619 Alastair Sinclair 3.28.40
4393 Steve Barber 3.34.22
4996 Mike Holman 3.38.34
5266 Tim Woolmer 3.40.07
W695 Eleanor Grey 3.48.14
6774 Martin Clark 3.49.22
7056 John Hanscomb 3.50.59
13033 Michael Beverly 4.23.04
14492 Tom Reay 4.31.26
W4599 Pat Hewlett 5.15.33
21080 Mike Rowland 5.29.22
That's all I've found in the results so far, but I think Chris Spink was
around 3.30 and I definitely saw at least one other Ranelagh vest the
occupant of which I did not recognise. Any more info gratefully received!
Also, Sue Ashley ran 3.23.03 representing Epsom & Ewell and Ernie Hudson
4.02.24 for 26.2 RRC.
Best results in the Mini-Marathon came from Laura Ball and Anair Beverly,
11th and 12th in the girls 13 - 14 race and setting the fastest times
amongst our girls. Estelle Damant, Jessica Harvey, Alice Beverly, Eleanor
Moore and Gareth Greggains all managed top-50 finishes in their events.
Girls 15 - 17
1 F Fullerton (Havering) 14.41
18 Estelle Damant 17.42
28 Jessica Harvey 18.06
43 Alice Beverly 18.39
63 Louise Webster 19.22
89 Hannah Turnes 20.06
Girls 13 - 14
1 M Foley (Havering) 15.49
11 Laura Ball 17.25
12 Anair Beverly 17.25
44 Eleanor Moore 18.38
103 Lucy Southwell 20.20
188 Dina Lacmane 22.40
Girls 11 - 12
1 L Clark (Barnet) 16.54
69 Emily Ball 20.24
167 Stacey Barber 23.26
Boys 15 - 17
1 D Lewis (Barnet) 13.13
41 Gareth Greggains 15.08
60 Bastien Tardy 15.37
Full results can be found at
http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/results/results.asp?Year=2001
Our Canadian superhero Ed Whitlock's feats continue to amaze. At the Greater
Buffalo Track Club Half-Marathon on April 21, he ran 1:22:23 to set a
pending world age group (70-74) record, finishing 14th overall out of 285
finishers. According to VO2 max equivalency tables, his time equates to a
2:52 marathon.
A DAY IN THE COUNTRY
On either May 20th, when but for F&M we all should have been on the Green
Belt Relay, or June 10th, we are organising a repeat of the Sunday in the
Country runs that were so successful last summer. The idea is to meet at
10am at Coldharbour (near Leith Hill), have a run of indeterminate length in
the beautiful countryside around there, and then enjoy lunch in the Plough,
have a picnic or go off home as you choose. There will be a number of
different groups running, so all standards will be catered for. More details
later, but if you're interested please contact Chris Owens
(chris.owens@unilever.com) or Julie Naismith (julienaismith@hotmail.com) so
we can get some idea of numbers and preferred dates.
Liz Kipling finished 5th in the national Modern Pentathlon championships at
Bristol on April 14 / 15, recording 5044 points behind winner Georgina
Harland's 5592 and Olympic gold medallist Steph Cook's 5576.
Mary Smith, who has just moved with Ian and their family up to Lincolnshire,
writes:
"Many, many thanks to all our friends at Ranelagh for the magnificent
surprise at the Club house a few Wednesdays ago.
Ranelagh has played such an important part in both our lives. As our close
friends know, we have had good times, bad times and sad times (and more
recently I'm pleased to say, happy, happy times!) since we joined the Club
in 1982 (they was the days when the lasses stood starkers around a bucket of
warmish water after Wednesday runs! Eeh by gum these young lasses don't know
the 'arf of it!). There was me, Sonia, Helena, Margaret and a couple of
others. For some reason we all kept coming! Maybe because we knew that
certain men (who shall be nameless - they know who they are!!!!) really,
really didn't want us to!!
We have not been around much recently - Ian because of double hip
replacements (with added complications just to spice things up), me because
I'm sad and pathetic and use my children as an excuse when actually I'm just
too damned lazy and unmotivated (however, my bottom is expanding fast - just
the motivation a vain woman the wrong side of forty needs!).
However, Ranelagh is the kind of Club where you still feel valued and
important even when you are not in the hub of things. Best wishes to all our
friends - do come a visiting, it's nice and fast and flat around here.
Love
Mary and Ian Smith "
Also moving away shortly are Tim Bacon to Saffron Walden and Paul Perry to
Bristol. Tim writes:
"I wish you all the best with the future of the club. I shall probably
remember sunny Wednesday evenings round Richmond Park above all and everyone
eating chips in the Rose of York (except Chris Owens - the only person I
have met who can order and pay for fish and chips but politely go without
the chips when they fail to arrive).Good luck!"
And this from Paul:
"I do intend to visit London on quite a few weekends during the year and so
hopefully will be a fairly active country member. i.e. do quite a few
handicap, mob matches and grand prix events during the year. I said my
good-byes to the guys down the club last Wednesday but I naturally send my
regards to the rest of the club".
We wish them both the best of luck and hope to continue seeing them as
occasional visitors to the clubhouse.
COMING UP
More details of all the following from Paul Graham (0796 7788945 /
paulgraham28@hotmail.com) or Sarah Seal (020 8995 2380 /
sarah.seal@haynet.com).
Sunday May 6th Sutton 10km. 10.30am at Sutton Arena. Entries £5 payable to
Sutton Runners to Race Sec, 245A Carshalton Road, Carshalton, Surrey SM5
3PZ. Surrey Road League race 1.
Sunday May 13th Richmond Half Marathon. Surrey county championship and
Ranelagh Grand Prix race 3. 10.30am at Old Deer Park. Entries £7 payable to
Ranelagh Harriers to Robin Drummond, 1 Church Street, Hampton, Middlesex
TW12 2EB
Sunday May 20th Sunday in the Country (see above).
Sunday June 3rd Dorking 10 miles. Surrey county championship and Ranelagh
Grand Prix race 4.
FINALLY
Athletics Weekly reports that one Arthur Magni recently won the annual New
York Health and Racquet Club Backwards Mile by over two minutes. That's
running a mile backwards....in a literally staggering time of 6 minutes 36
seconds.
They also mention that the event took place on April 1st, so it could be
that either they or you have been fooled....
Steve Rowland
Tel: 01926 318734
Fax: 01926 318718
e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk