After all the much needed rain, our Summer League at Dulwich Park started with a bang! writes Patricia Thomas. Glorious sunshine for those of you who likes running in the sun and for the rest of us who suffers in the sun and will never see a PB in the summer!!
We had a great turnout with 22 runners, including our youngest member Cameron Thomas age 10. Our first speedy man home was Steve Elson in 3rd, sporting a new “go faster beard” or is it “I can’t be bothered to shave” in a time of (35:43), in 2nd Angelo John (5th, 37:15) followed by the rest of our valued team in this order Tom Yates (15th, 38.29 – PB), Eamon Bradley (29th, 41.49), James O’Neill (33rd, 42.38), Chris Brown (44th, 44.44 – PB), John McKim (47th, 45.04 – PB), Andy Dodd (48th, 45.30), the comeback kid, who after months of not running due to injury made his comeback, Gary Stringer (64th, 48.12), John Falvey, coming back from injury (73rd, 49.22), Bob Stanbrook (83rd, 54.17) and Lawrence Messer (88th, 59.33).
Alison Hopkins (40:13) was our first lady home in 2nd overall, followed by Patricia Thomas (4th, 43.24). Although Steve Barrington (42:48) was running for Hayes & Harlington he very kindly ran with me. My knight in shining armour!!! Steve if I mention you will you change club? Swiftly followed by the following valued runners, Claudia Manera (5th, 43.49), Nikki Baker (10th, 46.17), Gill Morgan (14th, 48.32), Beverly Packwood, first race back after baby boom (29th, 53.25), Janice Newman (49th, 1.02.03) with Phil York as her guide, trying to negotiate the bikers, walkers, dogs etc and finally Dorothy Johnstone (51st, 1.03.40) completing the team.
Cameron Thomas had a really good run as the sole child running for the club. finishing 4th overall in the girl’s race and first in her age category.
The relays, as usual was the highlight of the event, with everyone saying it’s just a bit of fun and then the gun goes and everyone wants to win!!! We had Cameron making up the women’s team and Alison falling flat on her face – which was a sight to see!!! I think we took 2nd overall. For the men’s team there were some sterling performances with the team coming in 2nd, and then our mixed team completing a great set of relays finishing in 3rd.
Overall, Ealing finished in 5th on the day, but much closer in terms of points to the leaders than we have been in previous years after the same fixture, thanks to a win for the women’s team and a 3rd place for the men.
Full results are here.
Finally for such a small club we managed to pick up our share of the trophies. For the 4th year in a row Patricia Thomas won her age category. Fiona Kennedy, Lynn Wilson and Gill Morgan did a clean sweep in their category, collecting 1st, 2nd and 3rd. There were trophies for Matt McCabe our newcomer who won the overall men’s series, Philip York, Phil Manley, Claudia Manera and Janice Newman. The youngsters also picked up medals Ryan Leung, Callum Fogarty-Cameron and Blaise Hanley.