Weekly Serpie round-up
The end (for now) of the heatwave couldn't prevent some great Serpie performances, including a win for Milan Misak at the Round The Rock Ultra on Jersey. Read on for the week's news.
Round The Rock Ultra, 28 July
On Saturday at 6am, three half-asleep Serpies gathered with about 80 ultra and relay-runners at the start of the Round the Rock Ultra in St Helier, Jersey. A 48-mile anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the island was ahead for Milan Misak, with Frank Womelsdorf and Jen Bradley helping out, having deferred entries. Frank swept part of the coastal course, Jen spent the day with the race director re-signing the route and delivering aid to checkpoints. Returning to Jersey for his third year in this race, Milan aimed to improve on last year’s performance – which he would have won but for a route-diversion that bumped him to second; redemption was sought! Battling the strong wind, he led from the start, joined by a relay-runner (there are 2 and 5-person relay races at the same time) and a couple of other solo-runners just behind for most of the race. A removed-sign (some locals, surprisingly, not a fan of the race) meant an extra loop and he was back with his competitors. Once again, he pulled away and finished in 6:49.39 for the win! 3 mins ahead of the first relay-team, 10 mins ahead of the second solo-runner and ready for a well-deserved beer! (Report & photo: Jen Bradley)
RideLondon, 29 July
My first Ride London, and some real highs and lows, both mentally and physically. The weather and the roads were atrocious. I had three punctures and as a result pushed my bike the last 2km into Leatherhead only 10 minutes ahead of the sweeper van. I was sure my ride was over, but rather than waiting for the van I set off on my own personal time trial, deciding I would keep cycling until I got swept. This bit was actually the most fun. The roads were clear, and I had a huge amount of support from marshals and spectators waiting for the pro race. I got more and more excited, realising that I was going to finish after all. I was so close to giving up, this was a real lesson that it’s not over until it’s over. (Report & photo: Anne Bennett)
That was a very tough ride, even for an Irongran but it was still great fun – all 94 miles! The wind, the rain, the unexpected cold, after such glorious weather. Sadly us late-starters (Group Yellow didn’t go off till 9.00am) weren’t allowed up Box Hill because of an earlier accident – one of many, I gather! But still a fantastic experience – riding on the right side of those familiar roads at every opportunity – just because I could! The camaraderie in the face of adversity was far stronger – August 6th is in my diary, to sign up for the ballot next year. (Report: Eddie Brocklesby)
Well done Anne, Eddie and all Serpies who rode on Sunday, you did yourselves proud!
Dunwich Dynamo Double, 28/29 July
A 100-mile ride wasn't long enough for Alex Elferink: "I did the Dunwich Dynamo on Saturday night. A 180 km ride from London Fields to Dunwich and back making the total ride 367km or 228 miles. I set off at 8pm from London Fields, arrived in Dunwich at 3.30am. On the return journey, I set off at 4.30am, arriving home 11.30am." Hats off dude!
Dock-2-Dock Swim, 28 July
The Dock-2-Dock swim at the Victoria Docks took place with 1500m, 5km and 10km distances to swim. I opted for the 5km swim which was one lap of the lake. Despite having over 50 days of lovely sunshine and calm weather, the wind decided to pick up and we had choppier than expected conditions. It was a really fun swim and good entry-level event for building up distance. (Report & photo: Coralie Frost)
In other news
It was a one-two for Serpettes at the RunThrough Velo Park half marathon on 28 July: Gemma Carter was first in 1:29:48 and Jen Green second in 1:32:44. Good work ladies!
Congrats to Phil Bradburn who successfully completed the Grand Union Canal 145-mile race. His finish time was 38h 32m.
Many thanks to Serpie Jack Wild who snapped the competitors at the 3,000m club champs on 10 July. You can see his brilliant photos on Flickr. Please credit Jack if you share pics on social media, etc.
>>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.
Meet the Club Member
Will Green shares what motivates him and the training underpinning his fine performances. For those who don't know Will, he helped Serpentine's men secure gold at this year's UKA marathon and half marathon team championships.
WANTED: Editors for the Round-up
I am looking for enthusiastic editors who would like to help produce and publish the weekly round-up. You will need editing skills, some planning and organisational talent and a dash of creativity. And it helps if you have experience using content management systems (but not essential, training will be provided). Having a team would allow us to draw up a rota, minimising the workload for any one individual. Please email me at communications@serpentine.org.uk or chat to me when you next see me to find out more.
Parkrun results for 28 July 2018 (74 runners)
Top 5 by time and age-graded performance
| Name | Event | Time | Gender # | Name | Event | Time | Gender # | Name | Age-graded | ||
| Max Harrison-Tosatto | Dulwich | 16:59 | 3 | Lynne Maughan | Gunnersbury | 22:08 | 5 | Andrew Reeves | 81.94% | ||
| James Gillanders | Burgess | 17:27 | 2 | Siobhan Reddy | Wanstead Flats | 22:28 | 2 | Jonathan Moscrop | 80.61% | ||
| Jonathan Moscrop | Burgess | 17:27 | 3 | Sandra Ahrensfeld | Gunnersbury | 23:02 | 8 | Gary Hymns | 80.51% | ||
| Andrew Reeves | Reigate Priory | 17:43 | 2 | Rhiannon Needham | Malling | 23:04 | 3 | James Gillanders | 78.22% | ||
| Gideon Reid | Wormwood Scrubs | 18:42 | 3 | Claire Levermore | Mile End | 23:15 | 11 | Max Harrison-Tosatto | 75.96% |
Podium Finishers
2nd: James Gillanders (Burgess) - 17:27, Andrew Reeves (Reigate Priory) - 17:43, Siobhan Reddy (Wanstead Flats) - 22:28
3rd: Max Harrison-Tosatto (Dulwich) - 16:59, Jonathan Moscrop (Burgess) - 17:27, Gideon Reid (Wormwood Scrubs) - 18:42, Rhiannon Needham (Malling) - 23:04
Busiest parkruns (3+ Serpies)
Finsbury (6), Bushy (5), Hampstead Heath (5), Gunnersbury (4), Wormwood Scrubs (4), Burgess (3), Hilly Fields (3), Richmond (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)
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: 1 August 2018