Results round-up - November
Many thanks to David Chalfen for writing this, and congratulations to everyone involved.
Hard to know where to start on this one. October is traditionally the start of the cross country season although most of Serpentine’s swiftest may be making a trendily delayed entrance on that one……
Biggest recent race appearance was Tony Payne wearing the Thailand vest in the Doha World Champs marathon but this time Tony succumbed early on to an injury and he bowed out before the half way point.
Back in clubland, Ben Tolputt clocked 16.04 to win Burgess parkrun, in a pb, and after a very grim running year so far Izzy Clark returned towards some better form with 17.28 to lead the women home.
Sparkling runs the following day at Cardiff Half from V40 Will Green, another PB of 67.47 towards the very sharp end of the GB senior athletes whilst Martin O Connell took a bigger margin off his own best with 69.02, scything though the Serps All Time lists ahead of some quasi-household names (if you mix in red-and-gold households, at least). Three weeks later the rapid duo performed equally well, better even, at the truly stacked Leeds Abbey Dash, with Will's 30.26 and Martin's 30.53 going 3rd and 7th on Serpie All Time lists and Will placing similarly highly on UK All Times for 44 plus.
The club was somewhat shy of full strength at the first Met League on 12th October, the fixture where the women for the first time ran the same distance as the men. Chris Wright led the men home in 12th place, within one minute of the winner, whilst Sarah Pemberton was first woman in 16th place. The restored Cabbage Patch 10 miles the following morning saw Nick Torry have a strong run in 3rd place, 50.45 and, as if it needed saying, he was first V40 to finish. Whilst in Manchester Ben Tolputt had one of his best runs to clock 70.52 in the Manchester Half marathon, very close to his PB.
A big highlight for Nic Besson in the Toronto Marathon. He ended his last track session by saying that he would be pleased with a one second PB, after his great 2.25.20 in London. His Canadian foray lasted 2.25.19. Takes the famed Serpie pacing precision to a new level...
Closer to home Jonathan Poole put a 2019 marathon score on the door in Abingdon. Having mainly raced in big city marathons he hadn't previously had the winning feel but placed first by six minutes after a solo effort of 2.29.52. Rumour is it was a training effort ahead of a more prominent Euro marathon a few weeks hence. Also a strong run in the Yorkshire Marathon by V45 Jonathan Moscrop, leading the Serpie posse in 2.46.04.
In ideal conditions on the fast Battersea Park course Chris Wright won the Sri Chinmoy race and a pineapple (and some chocolate hazelnut biscuits which frustratingly aren’t part of his nutritional strategy) in 31.12 with a sizeable negative split. Ben Tolputt after peppering the lesser side of 33 mins knocked a chunk off his pb with a well-deserved 32.28 and Andrea Fraquelli clicked off 33.46. James Gillanders v40 with 34.44 was as consistently swift as ever whilst Victor Lio advanced his PB to 35.32. After the Doha setback Tony Payne returned to domesticity with a comfortable win at the inaugural Chiswick Half in 70.52. In case you missed it, new signing (upgrade from local recreational pedestrians Highgate Harriers) Fabio Gelbcke won the Rio de Janeiro Barra 9.5k running 32.47 in very muggy conditions.
David Chalfen
Isaac Leigh
running@serpentine.org.uk
Submitted: 28 October 2019