Results

Thanks to everyone who turned out, and especially Dave for running 2 legs.

Well done to Denise for being the first lady, and to Robert for winning his category.

Arthur's report follows the results.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A fairly limited turn-out overall at Swindon, including the Eynsham teams, although the men actually did their position some good as a result. Perhaps more importantly, the new tent was a great success, and we won the competition for 'quickest de-tenting' (not sure if that counts towards our score overall).

125 women ran overall, and 195 men. The ERR ladies were 7th in Division 2 on the day, while the men were 5th in their Division 2. Both teams are 6th for the season as a whole.

The first Club Championship and Short League fixture of 2013 seems to have been a proper romp in the mud, judging by the pictures.

If anyone went for the early joker option, please let me know.

There were 180 finishers in the women's race and 254 in the men's.

The ERR ladies were 5th and the men 6th on the day (both in Division 2), which is where they also now stand for the season so far.

Kate won the wine, and her report follows the results.

Slippy,  sloppy, stinky, wet mud, do I need to say more? Maybe fun?

After missing a few turns off various roundabouts and nearly (by way of a quick u turn) visiting the Sandhills park and ride we found our way to the right car park and on to the field where we found the Eynsham tent already standing proud.

Looking around to see how muddy some of the younger persons might be, the first one I spotted had mud up to the top of his head – say no more. So on to inspect the ditch, our first hurdle, the general feeling was to keep to the right but don’t stop whatever you do.

With hindsight the ditch was a doddle compared to the rest. I made good progress overtaking a few on that endless everlasting hill only for them all to come hurtling past me on the downhill! Then we came to some tarmac but, oh no, round the corner through the wood lurked those hip height (I know I’m quite short) slurpy, sloshy mud puddles. The only way really was straight through the middle, and yes I finished covered in mud. On my return home Philip told me that I wasn’t coming into the house looking like that and to try the hosepipe which is what I did, but only on my legs!

I have to admit that it was lots more enjoyable than freezing cold Wittenham clumps and Shipton under Wychwood. Bring on Swindon and Harwell.