Weekly Serpie round-up
There were records and there were personal bests, but above all there was one very popular Club Handicap winner whose beaming smile said it all. Read on for the week's highlights.
Club Handicap, 7 July
For 6 years and 48 races my running goal has been to win the Handicap. I came 4th once. Then on Saturday, to my astonishment … amazement … bewilderment … elation … there was no one ahead of me! (In fact I ran a fairly standard time but everyone else was really affected by the heat!)… but never mind that – a win is a win and I WON!!!!
I proudly wore my medal to the Serpentine summer party and don’t be surprised if I’m still wearing it at the next Handicap! I love the community, the chat, (the running is ok!), the sense of camaraderie and the fact that absolutely anyone can win! Thank you to the volunteers for their hard work in organising a unique and wonderful race. (Report & photo: Sophia Holder)
As Sophia pointed out, the heat seemed to affect all of the runners, with only three PBs recorded this month: Well done to Meredith Clark, Harry O'Keefe (on what was a good day for other Harrys too) and Stefan Salva for bucking the trend (full July results). After 7 out of 12 races, it's a clean sweep for the women at the top of the Tom Hogshead table, with Catherine Wilding, Sophia Holder, Joy Yang and Lynne Maughan holding on to the top 4 spots. The next race will take place on Saturday, 4th August.
BMC Grand Prix, 7 July
Chris Wright ran a new PB of 8:25:18 over 3,000m in Eltham on Saturday, placing him second on the Serpie all-time list. Congrats!
1-mile club championship, 3 July
In the second Grand Prix race, 55 Serpies took part in the 1-mile club champs on Tuesday 3 July at the Paddington Recreation Ground athletics ground. Helen Gray was first woman in a time of 4:56:00, taking over four seconds off the women's club record to become the first Serpie women to go under five minutes. Sam Barnes was first man home, in 4:37:70, with Andrew Reeves taking the age-graded prize with his 86.9%, narrowly ahead of Avril Riddell (86.3%). After the race our runners tried to relax over drinks in the Warrington, although the England football team made that rather difficult for many. Many thanks to all our runners and particularly to volunteers, notably Nicola Kaye, Ian Hodge and Malcolm French. Full results. (Report: Tom Poynton; photo: Eda Korkmaz; more photos on Flickr)
800m club record, 24 June
Congratulations to David Matthew who set a new M50 club record over 800m in a time of 2:10:90 at the South of England Masters Championships 2018 in Battersea Park. That's 9 seconds faster than David McGregor's previous record and the 7th fastest M50 time in the UK this year.
Orion Harriers Fast Friday, 29 June
Several great performances at the Orion Harriers Fast Friday on 29 June. This included a PB for Nathan Wilkins in the 5000m, and in the 10,000m Jonathan Poole and Will came fourth and eighth respectively, with a PB for Will in a very competitive race that was also the south of england championship, and Ben Tolputt and Dani de Palol came first and second in the B race, both with PBs. Serpie results. (Report: Tom Poynton)
J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, 4 & 5 July
The two London races held in Battersea Park saw three podium spots for club members, for once representing their employers rather than Serpentine. Chris Wright (presumably a warm-up for the BMC Grand Prix) won on Wednesday night, with Jonathan Poole following suit on the Thursday and Andy Greenleaf bagging third place. Full results.
>>Your report here<<
Did you achieve a new personal best, compete in your first ever race, hit a milestone or especially enjoy a particular race? Then please get in touch. Whether you are a competitive athlete or take part for the sheer pleasure of it, everybody's contributions are welcome. Deadline: end of Monday; 130 words max. If you send photos, please ask for permission if you use somebody else's and confirm the source.
Parkrun results for 7 July 2018 (59 runners)
Andy Greenleaf's time of 15:35 at the Winchester parkrun was the 6th fastest men's time in the UK. Nicely done Andy!
Top 5 by time and age-graded performance
| Name | Event | Time | Gender # | Name | Event | Time | Gender # | Name | Age-graded | ||
| Andy Greenleaf | Winchester | 15:35 | 1 | Natasha Sheel | Ormskirk | 19:32 | 1 | Andy Greenleaf | 84.60% | ||
| Glenn Hughes | Ormskirk | 16:25 | 1 | Zoe Birchenough | Northallerton | 21:34 | 1 | Glenn Hughes | 80.81% | ||
| Joost Vogel | Wormwood Scrubs | 17:37 | 3 | Tatiana McIntosh | Burgess | 21:50 | 3 | Karen Hancock | 76.45% | ||
| Gideon Reid | Wormwood Scrubs | 18:42 | 5 | Tanya Usher | Hackney Marshes | 22:03 | 5 | Natasha Sheel | 75.77% | ||
| Ross Jeavons | Wycombe Rye | 18:53 | 5 | Rachael Eddershaw | Cheltenham | 22:20 | 3 | Dominic Grise | 75.44% |
Podium Finishers
1st: Andy Greenleaf (Winchester) - 15:35, Glenn Hughes (Ormskirk) - 16:25, Natasha Sheel (Ormskirk) - 19:32, Zoe Birchenough (Northallerton) - 21:34
2nd: Sandra Ahrensfeld (Old Deer Park) - 25:00
3rd: Joost Vogel (Wormwood Scrubs) - 17:37, Tatiana McIntosh (Burgess) - 21:50, Rachael Eddershaw (Cheltenham) - 22:20
Milestones
Jonathan Rae - 50th parkrun, celebrated at Brockwell, Herne Hill
Busiest parkruns (3+ Serpies)
Bushy (6), Southwark (4), Wormwood Scrubs (4), Burgess (3), Richmond (3), Tooting Common (3)
Full consolidated Serpentine results. Can't see yours? Updating your parkrun profile with Serpentine RC as your club should do the trick. (Results: Alex Jeffreys)
Meet the Club Member
Don't miss our latest 'Meet the Club Member', Elvira Gonzalo. Previous portraits include Vanessa Armond, Elizabeth Ayres, David Evans, Eddie Ware, Coralie Frost and Karen Hancock. I'm looking for more club members who'd like to share their story; please email me if interested.
Serpentine results database
Check the results database on the club website for other performances not covered here. If your result is missing, you can add it yourself or, if the race isn't listed in the dropdown menu, contact the Results Elves at results@serpentine.org.uk. Even better, add your name to the Race & Event Planner in advance and name SERPENTINE as your club when you enter races to ensure your results can be more easily added to your profile.
With thanks to everyone who contributed to this week's edition!
Eda Korkmaz
communications@serpentine.org.uk
Submitted: 10 July 2018