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March 2014
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World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships Budapest
A brief mention here because I know this section is reserved for road and XC running generally. Just to say that my mother competed in the 3000m and the 1500m coming 4th and 5th respectively in the finals. PBs totalling over 35 seconds! Great event that Masters (remember that means 35+) looking for some fun but stiff competitoin should consider entering into. Five thrilling days.
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Sandy 10
A crowd from C&C ventured to Sandy this Sunday for a 10 miler. I think the clocks moving forward did us all a favor (despite losing an hour of sleep) as the conditions were cool, the sun didn't break through and the air was still. The course is undulating but definitely felt more down hill than up and the huge decline at mile 8 provided a strong finish. First C&C man home was Paul Makowski finishing 11th and just under the hour, followed closely by 18th man Graeme Kennedy. A special congratulations to Claire Somerton who finished as 2nd lady with a PB - even with tired legs from all of her marathon training!
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Oakley 20
A good turnout from the club on a brisk Sunday morning. Many used it as training run for impending marathons. Highlights included a PB & 1st FV35 for Katie and PB's for Darren & Ian. Well done to all.
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Ryston Grand Prix Race 6
The individual results for the final race of the season can be found here. The race report, by Charlie Ritchie, has now been added. Read this to find out which of our veteran xc runners picked up medals in the overall season competition.
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Cross Country News
Date for the your diary - the C &C Cross Country Awards evening on Tuesday 1st April. A round up of the action during the 2013-14 season in the clubhouse asap after training.
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Wymondham 20
The Wymondham 20 is a joy of a race (at least, until the latter stages), and we sent three of our hardiest to Norfolk for this year's version. Rich Lyle (2:42), Ian Richardson (2:44, PB) and Neil Tween (2:54) all conquered it in style. Nicely done.
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A Tale of Three Halves
It was a weekend for halves, scattered around the country, and we were probably represented at all of them. At Bath, George Schwiening's 1:20 was a run of pure class and sent her way up the national rankings, leaving even John Oakes (1:21) trailing. Congratulations George! And Richard Staley knocked out a PB too, in 1:36. Not quite so far west, Matt Slater ran a speedy 1:24 at Reading, and Stuart Clarke a 1:50 at Silverstone. Well done all.
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Swavesey Village College Half and Five-Miler
It's a wonderful place to run, is my home village of Swavesey, if the flood waters subside, and it was with some relief that we watched the standing water ebb away just in time for the Half and Five-Miler. This is a beautifully-organised local event, and attracted twenty C&Cs this time. Once round the village, and twice round the nature reserve, wind blowing a hoolie all the time. Marvellous. And marvellouser still, we earned a brilliant double victory, thanks to the class of Jack Bowden (1:16) and Ellen Leggate (1:27). What's more, Katie Samuelson added another podium place, third in 1:31, and a PB too. PAul Makowski took fourth, and Bart Hommels 16th. In the five-miler, Charlotte Tame, Sorrel Wood and Jen Richardson wrapped up places three to five. Plenty more good results to browse through - follow the link.
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Cambridge Boundary Run
After a whole season of non-stop rain, I can't imagine the horrors of the muckier stretches of this year's Boundary Run, so I can only pay tribute to all who took part, and above all raise a glass to overall victor and mucky super-human, Tom Stevens. As ever, there was the option of the Half, taking in the southern arc around Cambridge - Cherry Hinton to Addenbrooke's to Trumpington to Coton - or the full marathon, with rural stretches to Madingley Road, Girton and Milton. Thirteen heroic C&Cs targeted 13.1 to Coton, and principal honours went to Carrie Bedingfield-Hall, for a battling third place, with Rory Coulter (7th), Andrew Shields (12th) and Alastair Hodges (14th) our quickest chaps. After the second half, the marathoners were led in by Tom's almost unbelievable sub-3 (2:58:13 to be precise), and a quite stunning second place for Graham Anderson in 3:08. Alongside those filthy heroes we inscribe with pride the names of Neil White (3:19), John Ferguson (3:32), Christof Schwiening (3:44), Mary Jennings (5:15) and Gianluca Savini (5:29), and wish them all the best in scrubbing the vest clean.
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Weekend Round-Up - Double Victory!
A few bits and pieces to tidy up from C&C athletes on a gorgeous weekend. Saturday saw a smaller-than-usual C&C turnout for the 9½-mile CUH&H Roman Road Run, but Rich Lyle and Alex Downie taught the students some respect, leaving many of them trailing in their muddy wake - well done guys. Sunday was no less arduous, with a trip to the Offords for our long-distance squad, and there was the magnificent sight of a race win for Kye Liddle in the Hurden 9 - congratulations Kye! Also nining it, not quite as fast, were Paul Beastall and Tim Long, whilst the epic two-lap option - the Hurden 18 - saw feats of endurance from Ian Richardson, Mandy Lasseter and Mary Jennings, all in excellent nick. I went down to Dunsfold aerodrome for the Surrey Spitfire 20, which was ... ace (geddit?).
Finally, in the world of multi-sports, Ben Baldelli proved he'd been diligently grinding the gears over the rainy winter by winning the Stathern Duathlon, in the Vale of Belvoir. Cracking victory, Ben!
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SEAA Road Relays
The SEAA Road Relays is a venerable institution, and really is a high-quality event - one of the big showcases for club running in the south of England. Well done the C&C boys and girls for putting in some great performances - the chaps finished in a useful 27th over twelve legs in 4:33; the females missed their sixth team-mate, but all performed excellently. Honourable mentions to fastest performers Oliver Park (longer leg), Kieran Wood (shorter leg) and Natalie Griffiths - looking forward to details from someone who was there.
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Cambridge Half Marathon
Apologies for the very belated report on last week's racing through the streets of our city - Ben has summed up what we all feel about those who helped put on such an incredible Cambridge day; many thanks to them.
I had the privilege of racing, along with an almost unbelievable 121 other C&Cs. It seemed like almost as many were cheering us on and/or helping out in some form, including the excellent pacers (sorry not to stick with it, Carrie!). After 2013's sleet and hypothermia, it was a perfect day for the spectators, a glorious spring stunner; a bit warm for some racers, but no problem really, and some cracking performances were registered. I won't try to credit all of the 122, but it would be wrong not to acknowledge our brilliant elites; Vicky Knight won the women's race for us in 1:17:41 - many congratulations, Vicky - with Carla Brown seventh in 1:26:22; on the men's side, Sullivan Smith and Tom Stevens shone once again - Sullivan's third place in 1:10:21 came the day after an epic inter-counties run (the same goes for Carla), whilst Tom's fifth-placing 1:11:44 was a PB. Also making the top ten was Mike Salt (1:15:18), with Alex Eggeman, Charlie Wartnaby and Liz Fraser all a smidge outside. In the age-groupers, there was a magnificent win in the "super-vets" for the super John Ferguson (1:20:43), and top-fours in the ordinary vets for athletes Knight, Fraser, Salt, Wartnaby and Makowski. A genuinely magical Cambridge day.
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Cambridge Half Marathon
Congratulations and thanks to all the Cambridge and Coleridge members who helped make the event go so well , both as athletes and volunteers. This is a Cambridge race and Neil Costello and others were with me from the start as we got it off the ground. It's important to me that it retains its Cambridge identity and never feels like an outside event being hosted in our city. Adam , the race director from Onestepbeyond is also local and we both value the club's contribution immensely.
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CAU Inter-counties XC Championships 2014
The individual results and race report by Ric Park can be found here. Many thanks go to Ric Park for managing the Cambridgeshire County XC Team. Not an easy task.
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