Sunday League 6M: 15 January 2012

 Men and women:  Separate Other races:   

All runners

Pos arrow Name arrow Time arrow Cat arrow Club arrow Pace arrow
1 1 Dave Morgan 32:21 SM Serpentine 5:12
2 2 Ebrima Noble 33:54 V40 Serpentine 5:27
3 3 Richard Mathie 35:11 SM Serpentine 5:40
4 4 Lawrence Gatens 36:01 V35 Serpentine 5:48
5 5 Richard Taylor 38:34 V35 Serpentine 6:12
6 6 Fraser Johnson 41:21 V35 Serpentine 6:39
7 7 Wendy Mathie 44:08 SL Serpentine 7:06
8 8 Sarah Knox 45:22 FV40 Serpentine 7:18
9 9 Alex Malzer 45:34 V40 Serpentine 7:20
10 10 Caroline Morgan 48:03 SL Serpentine 7:44
11 11 Cheryl Sacks 48:48 FV40 Serpentine 7:51
12 12 Carole Wisdom 52:44 FV50 Serpentine 8:29
13 13 Valerie Metcalf 52:50 FV45 Serpentine 8:30
14 14 George Allan 56:19 V55 Serpentine 9:04
15 15 Sally Hodge 57:49 FV50 Serpentine 9:18

Race photos

Race photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/berniebarnaby/sets/72157628878830765/

Race conditions

Sunny, light breeze, cold

Report

Venue: Tewin, nr Welwyn Garden City, Herts.

Full results are on www.runherts.com

The final Sunday League race for this season will be on 19 February from The Heath Sports Centre, Baldock Road, Royston, Herts, SG8 5BG, starting at the usual time of 10.30am.

On a cold and frosty morning, fifteen brave Serpies struggled out of our
warm beds and travelled to distant Tewin, North Welwyn, for this season's
fourth Sunday League race.

We managed to field a complete men's 'A' team, and more than enough
runners for the ladies 'A' team. This was really pleasing when compared to
the very low numbers of Serpies running this race in previous years.

Unfortunately we lost several of our Sunday League regulars to runners'
afflictions, from knee down to toes. On the plus side, my shameless
publicity persuaded many to try this race for the first time. They were
not disappointed.

Those who travelled by train completed the long trek across the frosted
vegetable fields from Digswell to the start, near to Tewin. I think we all
warmed up once the race started, and the morning became slightly brighter
during the race.

A feature of this race is the 'reverse etiquette' that takes place at the
kissing gates, of which there are several. No such thing as 'ladies
first', and the men would happily shove the runner ahead through the gates
if they thought they would gain a fraction of a second.

After negotiating the first gate, we started the promised 'agricultural
tour'. We ran the edge of the cabbage fields, mainly on a narrow bank.
Thanks to the frost, this was less slippery than in previous years. We
faced a long and arduous ascent, short downhill interlude, then a
punishing steep hill to take us the furthest point of the course.

We turned a sharp corner, then it was plain sailing homewards; gently
downhill, through the wooded section and straight across a final cabbage
field. The Sunday League management like to offer us 'value' in terms of
distance and difficulty, so we all ran (most of) a second lap of the
above. The hill was definitely steeper second time around, with several
runners walking part of it.

The church bells rang out across the fields at 11 o'clock. We were
accompanied at other times by sounds of gun-shots and quad bikes, and
incessantly by the heavy breathing of 304 cross county runners.

Wendy led our ladies team home for the second time this season. Sarah,
Caroline and I took the next places. I was pleased to see Carole complete
our 'A' team, having fairly recently returned to cross country. Val
finished only six seconds later, and Sally came in not long after.

For the second time this season a Serpie man took first place, again
significantly ahead of his closest rival. Congratulations Dave! Ebrima
finished fourth, Richard Mathie 10th and Lawrence jumped up to 19th.
Richard Taylor, Fraser, Alex and George were not far behind, and completed
the magical eight runners required for a men's 'A' team.

Our ladies 'B' team is now third in the League to date. But Sunday League
for us is all about participation, and I am very pleased with the record
turnouts this season.

Cheryl - your Sunday League organiser

Race helpers

Gowan Clewes

Result queries

If you have any queries about these results please email results@serpentine.org.uk