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February 2016
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Cambridge Half Marathon
Results are now up for Cambridge's big day. 120 of us (and rising - thanks for the data updates everyone) took on the new route, and we were all completely brilliant. An excellent mix of the best of city and country, I thought, covering the city's famous architecture and green spaces and Grantchester's rural gentility. Elizabeth Bridge lost some of its charm the second time round though...
I'll let you browse, but I really must mention our quickest participants first. Chris Darling PB-ed in fourth place with a 1:11:32, and Jack Bowden took eighth in 1:12:53 ahead of the 1:13 triumvirate of Patrick O'Hare, Alastair Hodges and Alex Eggeman (surely all impossibly fast - on the old course I would suspect a lap short), whilst in the women's race, Mary Twitchett clocked an impressive 1:29:37, missing her category win by seconds, just ahead of fellow V50 podium-er Stef Godfrey (1:31:00). In other age categories, Andrew Shields was our only winner this year, with a huge two-minute PB of 1:17:35 in the V50s, and Charlie Ritchie took third place in the V60s with 1:29:10. We had no fewer than seventeen chaps under 1:20 this year. Blimey and well done to all.
Huge thanks to all organisers, marshals and spectators who made the day (I spent the whole race saying hello to chums in yellow jackets and otherwise), and a particular word of gratitude, I suspect from all of us, to the wonderful medical teams whose duties this year included two serious incidents - best wishes to those two runners.
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Clubnight: Tuesday 1st March
Ultra-Katie Samuelson and Darren Gillman will be giving us some insights into what's involved with running ultra events at the next clubnight on Tuesday 1st March. The bar will be open, so come along and be social and hopefully you'll learn something too!
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Cambridge Half; After Party
We have a load of tables booked at the Old Spring in Ferry Lane (http://www.theoldspring.co.uk/) for a get together after the Cambridge Half this Sunday. Space is booked from 12, but I expect a lot of us will be there well into the afternoon!
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Frostbite League - Bourne
It's always a hard job coaxing you lot up to deepest, darkest Lincolnshire for a February Frostbite, especially when there's Essex League, Ryston Series and endless long runs to be done that day, but it actually, genuinely, really is one of the best races of the year. It is.
We were a couple of runners short of the full ten, but I think all relished the undulating woodland trails and frequent filth - probably a seven out of ten on the Bourne mud-o-meter this year - so the points penalties are a mere trifle, and the consequent fifteenth place a gnat's bite on our team pride. Individually, it was a clean sweep of first-C&C honours for the Eggemans; Alex was tenth male and Jo 48th female - well done them. And the, erm, exclusive turnout allows a full roll-call - hurrahs for Michael Moore (26th), Oliver Johnson (64th), Andy Howard (95th), Ben Chamberlain (115th), me (206th after a unique-in-recorded-history sprint finish win) and Neil Costello (279th).
Particular thanks to team manager Adam Poole and assistant Carmel McEniery, as well as the gaggle of family members, for travelling that far to give their support.
The juniors were also two short of a full team, but ran brilliantly. Well done Miles Benyan (7th), Emma Stephens (28th girl) and Ruby Buchan (33rd girl). Again, they deserved better than 13th in the team event.
We go to Hinchingbrooke next month in tenth place in the league, twelfth for the juniors, and we will crush everyone. Probably. I will need someone to scrub my trails first though.
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