Bletchingdon Motavation Results
A very healthy turnout of 41 ERR runners out of the 302 finishers overall.
Still no jokers played that I am aware of.
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Otmoor Challenge Results
Well done to Denise and Arthur for recording PBs in conditions that weren't exactly suited to such things.
Congratulations also to Kate and Denise for their category prizes, even if the latter of those has still to materialise.
John won the report, and his epic tale follows the results.
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You'll never walk alone
It was a very hot June morning and I was putting up fence panels whilst putting off the Otmoor Challenge. I had planned to do it weeks before, then realised that I hadn't done much training and now that it was upon me I simply didn't fancy it. It was hot, Otmoor is hilly and I was out of shape; things weren't looking great for a 13 mile cross-country romp. "Treat it as a training run", said my personal trainer, "just take it easy and enjoy the views".
So, we went to Otmoor and only just managed to get in a beer from the beer tent before the race started. That's the trouble with all these summer festival races - too much temptation and too little time to digest a burger from the barbecue. The race was pleasant for the first few miles and all was going quite well; nice flat lanes, well-tended paths and plenty of shade in the wooded sections. We ran from Horton-cum-Studley, around Charlton-on-Otmoor, through Noke and up to Beckley. Have you ever been to Beckley? It's the village on the hill with the radio-mast that you can see from most of our part of Oxfordshire. That should give you a clue as to how this race ends.
Now, I quite like running up hills, they don’t bother me too much. I just take it steady and run slower, but I quite like them. I hate the idea of walking up a hill and scoff at those I pass, even though I know that they’ll sail pass me again when it levels out. I also give my wife a bit of grief when I see her walking up a hill, or when she tells me that she had to walk a hill (sorry Bambina). At about 10 miles in this race, the course comes off a flat farmer’s field, turns right onto a road and gradually climbs into Beckley. At about 10.25 miles the road goes vertical. At about 10.5 miles it goes back on itself, beyond vertical, and at about 11 miles I think you actually do a loop-de-loop. It’s quite steep.
Half-way up this hill into Beckley, I had to walk. I’m so sorry and I won’t do it again, but I had to walk. It was at this stage - laboured breathing, roaring in the ears, chest just about ready to unzip itself and throw out my organs - that Jane appeared. And did she rub it in! Laughing at me, mocking me and seemingly a bit embarrassed by her husband’s pathetic near-crawl. There wasn’t even any real encouragement, it was more “come on Bishop, that’s pathetic” and “what on earth are you doing?” followed by “are you ill?” As I turned left, up and out of Beckley, I could hear my own son, Alexander, say “Mummy, I think daddy should give up running if this is what it does to him. He looks rubbish!”
It levelled out at about 11.5 miles, and even went downhill again. Nice. A very gentle canter through more cool and shaded woods saw us approach 12.5 miles. At this point we turned left onto the road back up into Horton-cum-Studley. At this point my mind replayed the video footage of my wife and child laughing at me. At this point I put on a bit of a spurt. At this point I started passing people up the long drag to the finish. At this point I was salvaging my race, my pride, my position in my own family. At this point I got massive cramp in all of my legs. I had to stop. I nearly fell over. I nearly screamed. Runners passed me (again) with sympathetic enquiries, with supportive comments and with smug suggestions as to how to alleviate the cramp. All very kind, but not one offered to carry me over the line, not one.
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Oxon County Road Relays Results
Thanks to everyone who turned out, and especially Dave for running 2 legs.
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Chalgrove 10k Results
Well done to Denise for being the first lady, and to Robert for winning his category.
Arthur's report follows the results.
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On paper this event didn't have much going for it:
• Bank holiday Monday
• 12 o’clock start time
• Boiling hot day
• Oxfordshire Road Relays had been the day before
We gathered at the start line. An interesting mixture of apprehension, excitement and sweat filled the air. Talk mostly consisting of pre-race eating strategy. To have lunched, or to have not yet lunched, that was the question.
The following few seconds are still a blur. A countdown had begun. As we reached zero a canon was fired. So incredibly loud and unexpected was the blast (think Battle of Chalgrove Field - 1643) that most of the four hundred assembled runners fell to their knees then scrambled for cover.
Following the noisy send off (which had been triggered by GMTV’s Penny Smith – who?) we ran a hot and undulating 10k route on quiet rural lanes passing through the villages of Berrick Salome and Roke, before returning to Chalgrove where the May Day celebrations awaited us.
Highlight of the day was a post race ice cream whilst watching Denise and Kate going down the bouncy slide.
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Charlton Motavation Results
A most welcome return for Robbie after far too long since his last appearance in an Eynsham vest.
There were 36 ERR runners among the 301 finishers overall.
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Chedworth 10 Mile Results
Well done to Robert and Denise for their category prizes. There should also have been a Kate award, but for some sort of admin error by the organisers. By way of compensation, she won the wine, so her report follows.
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What a fantastic run, well it would have been but it was a race not just a run.
The scenery was wonderful but I had forgotten just how ‘undulating’ it was until we drove down into the valley to The Inn at Fossebridge and back up just before we turned left to Chedworth.
My selective memory is already sifting out the pain of that horrendous hill up through the trees and just not getting any nearer to the Witney lady just ahead. I didn’t catch her in the end! And taking avoidance action going through the stream and finding myself in the deeper part - but the water only just came up to the knees of the chap in front, why was I so wet!!
Well done Robert and Denise, but no Queenie award for me, the years had just fallen away for that one day.
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Reading Half Marathon Results
Well done to our various club members who took part in the Reading Half Marathon, many of whom were attempting the distance for the first time.
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Carterton 10k Results
The changed course at Carterton, coupled with the snow, meant that it wasn't quite the PB-fest of old.
So, well done to Denise for being the first lady overall, and to Mark for such an excellent PB. There may be other category prizes, but it's not clear who has won any at this stage.
Any missed jokers/PBs, please let me know. Abby wasn't in club colours, so out comes the jobsworth hat.
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Harwell Cross Country Results
A new course for most of us at Harwell, which could be described as 'multi-terrain', saw a decent ERR turn-out for the final event of the season.
The ERR ladies were 5th on the day, for 6th place for the season, while the men finished 4th on the day, to finish 5th for the season (both teams are in Division 2). Checking the official results, I find that the ERR ladies have been relegated, which seems a bit harsh from 6th place.
There were 137 finishers in the women's race, and 183 in the men's.
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Bourton 10K Results
Decidedly cold at Bourton, which meant that any PBs were even more well-deserved.
Congratulations to Kate for winning the Kate Award, and to Denise for being 2nd in her category in what is a high quality race.
Well done to all those who managed PBs, particularly Steve, whose margin of 2 minutes over his previous PB makes it officially 'big'.
Any jokers/PBs missed, or people in the wrong league, please let me know.
Jane won the wine (for the first time, apparently), and her report follows the results.
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Hmmmm chilly, that would be my first description of a lovely day out in Bourton on the Water. Bloomin' freezin' would be my second!
My first race of the season turned out to be a rather funny affair. The ERR starting list had rather changed from that published on the website due to various late withdrawals. I think there are a few of the, shall we say, faster male runners, who should be thanking others for points they shouldn't have gained, (note to runners, when Roger says 'the race fills up VERY quickly', he means it! The race started with a lot of shuffling back followed by the gun no-one was ready for. None of the normal 'man on a ladder speaking rather muffledly (real word?) through a mega-phone' nonsense.
The race started as usual with a couple of steady laps round the town centre (although I swear it was only one lap last time) followed by an out and back route. Now I am normally a big fan of the out and back routine, crossing all the ERR team for a cheery 'well done' & 'great running', both in front and behind. Even the leader passing me at 3k (his 7k) doesn't normally bother me. However this year the turning point found me spotting Marisa only a few strides behind. Really, I'm not that competitive, but I cursed Marisa and thought to myself 'well that buggers up any chance of a sneaky walk I was planning!'. So it was a proper run in and a rather lovely snood gift as I crossed the line.
Only thing missing was John who normally greets me at the finish with a water and a 'how was that mate?' Nowhere to be seen, I found him inside, two coats on, huddled against the radiator. He finished the race as cold as he started and not even Ian's rather padded coat on top and a cup of tea could warm him through. Still I had lunch out with no children planned and his whimpish nature wasn't going to spoil it. So off to a lovely little tea room we went and dined out on Bourton's finest fish and chips!
A lovely day with a little bit of shopping after, one to put it the diary for next year.
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