Henley Half/10k Results
A small but elite (our word) ERR group attended these races, which meant it was a day for playing your joker, or asking if you could ‘re-play’ it if you already had done.
Well done to Denise for her PB, especially bearing in mind her speech beforehand about not putting in too much effort the week before a marathon.
Thanks to the Bishop family for their ever-energetic support.
I won the wine (that’s Graham, in case you wonder who writes this rubbish), so have only myself to badger into writing the report that follows the results.
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Henley is a Half of 2 halves, and the 10k coincides with the second of these halves. The first 6 or 7 miles of the Half is largely flat and scenic, passing through the village of Remenham then back along the river before returning to the town. Where it joins the 10k course we immediately hit ‘the hill’, which climbs for about 1.5 miles of varying gradient (but always up). What goes up must come down, as someone said, so your downhill technique is fully tested before the last couple of miles back down into the town and its supportive crowds, otherwise known as the Bishops.
With a small ERR attendance, it was certainly a day for dusting off that joker. John finally got to play his after a few missed opportunities, while Gail was also persuaded to play hers, having first asked ‘what is a joker?’. Elsewhere in the 10k, Sheila did her chances in the Short League no harm at all by coming in first, while Roger showed what a tough course it was by finishing 10 minutes over ‘par’. In Robert and Kevin’s absence it was safe to play mine and, having heeded Denise’s advice about not overdoing it in the week before a marathon, I was quite pleased with my time. The lady herself was also suitably pleased with her pb – obviously her advice was only meant for others. She was followed home by Hugh and Larry, who unfortunately aggrevated some injuries over those punishing hills and may have put back his 20000 miles d-day.
