News from South London Harriers
October 2nd, 2007: South of England Relays Women: Vet 40 “Silver Medals”
Posted by Chris Phelan at 6:32 pmResults and report from the South of England Women’s Relays below:
SLH Vets team with medals.
Second place for the Vet 40 team gaining Silver medals:
Overall time 1:00:50
Pippa Major 14:33
Lisa Thompson 15:37
Viv Mitchell 15:44
Ruth Hutton 14:56
Senior A Team Finished 26th overall in a time of 1:02:33
Caroline Walker 15:25
Alison Collins 16:20
Beckie Woodland 15:20
Pippa Major 15:28
Senior B team finished 42nd overall in a time of 1:08:07
Sophie Cowper 15:02
Marketa Martins 17:24
Pam Iannella 17:38
Jo Lingwood 18:03
Report
Getting just three teams ready for the South of England Relays did not seem a too difficult task when the names for the teams were entered 12 each for a team of 4. It was not too long though that it became increasingly difficult.
The 30th sept does appear to have been the day everybody in the country had decided too do something attractive so that almost all of the SLH women members had been tempted to venture into activities like going to a wedding,having a birthday themselves or their children, mothers…. ,or work. Sadly in addition to those reasons there were also some people who were ill, and some had long standing injuries. All together every & all skills were required to get 11 ladies to come out today to Aldershot!
So the solution looked like what we usually do and have Pippa run two races!
This almost resulted in disaster as a very keen marshal noted that a runner had done more than one leg – clearly he had not come across the Paul Mitchell clone syndrome! – but an announcement “can the team manger of SLH please come to the referee” sounded very ominous. Luckily he recognised me as the “team manger” who had queried that issue before the start and he had ruled as “the senior ladies and the vets race were two separate races” I could enter Pippa in both.
Although it does appear though that the officials had a “Pippa” syndrome as Caroline Walker became Pippa Walker in the results………
One of the ladies who after my desperate pleading agreed to come down for the race - “as it was on Sunday and not Saturday I am actually free”- was Caroline Walker and a decision needed to be made whether she should run in the vets team or swap with Lisa. It was agreed by all that we would stick to the original plan….. but in the event the 14 secs Caroline was faster than Lisa were not required! Other very late entries not even on my list and therefor could only run in the B team were Sophie and Jo.
When the start gun had gone we all asked each other did you see Sophie start? What appeared to be the situation was that her number was larger than her SLH vest! So none of us had recognised her. In the event she had another very good race finishing on my watch in 14:58, but was officially timed in at 15:02.
The first lady to finish the first leg was Sophie Morris of Windsor,S E & H AC in 12:20 for just under 4km, which one would have thought ought to be the fastest leg of the day as it was no less than 43 secs ahead of number 2. But Steph Twell of AF&D (51:31) in the 4th leg in her race needed to overtake Rachel Townsend of Winchester &D (51:43)to win, which she duly did by 11 secs and in a time just 1 sec faster than Sophie Morris – apparently for the second time recently! Third team in the SL race was Bedford &C.(55:55)
Our eyes though were fixed on our vets and see which other vet teams were around. The first leg of the eventual winners, Reading Road Runners (9th overall & 3 mins faster than last year!) were so far ahead of Pippa that I never saw her…… just in front of Pippa though, finishing in 14:32 according to my watch equalling her best time – but officially given 14:33,was a Southampton vet runner.
By the time Lisa had come round in 15:37 we were at least 30m in front of Southampton or just 7secs ahead. This had increased so much that when Viv finished in 15:44 they were not in sight anymore – but a little later they were clearly having a battle with DMV who won that and became third.
Ruth did a pb of 14:56 to finish our vets team in second position - so medals again for the ladies. Overall our vets team finished in 19th position. (60:50)
Caroline (with daughter supporting) handed the baton to Alison C who thought she was on the “track” and reduced her time to a new pb of 16:20 – overtaking Marketa (17:24) who had had ahead start from Sophie! Alison was followed by Beckie who flew round in 15:20 and Pippa assured me that she would jog around for a second time (I think we would all wish that we could jog like that) – in just 15:28………..26th overall (62:33) just one place down from last year.
Our SL B team progressed from Marketa with Pam who was faster than last year as well in 17:38 handing over to Jo Lingwood who managed an excellent 18:03 giving the B team a respectable 42nd place well above last years position.
Well done all.
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Posted in Road Running, Women
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