Results round-up - February
Many thanks to David Chalfen for writing this, and congratulations to everyone involved.
Ben Tolputt clocked a swift 32.33 at the Ribble Valley 10k, a few ticks away from his recent PB. He also logged 16.34 to win Burgess Parkrun on 4 Jan which was, just about, the pick of the festive Serpie parkrunners.
Nico Besson put out 15.56 at the last LFOTM of the decade, placing 5th.
The Middlesex XC Champs were on the familiar territory of Wormwood Scrubs, flat but heavy going after the weeks of rain. Perhaps like racing through a Christmas pudding. Anna Hollingsworth had a great run, placing a very close second to a Lithuanian Under 23 runner. In the men’s 12k race, Jonathan Poole led the line in 10th place, with Hugh Torry digging in well for 20th and 1st v40 Jonah Kramer placed 5th in a strong Under 17 field and can now expect selection for the Inter Counties team.
Andy Greenleaf’s 3rd place in Hampshire was the strongest performance of the club’s county participants, very timely as the big XC races approach. Nathan Wilkins placed a strong 30th in the quality depth Kent race at Brands Hatch.
A week later, the Met League continued at the ski slope-like muddy acres of Alexandra Palace on 11 January. With very heavy underfoot conditions, the 7.6k route was plenty to sort out the fields. Amongst the women, with the top four finishers spread over 3 minutes, Anna Hollingsworth (7th), Katie Williams (9th) and Tash Sheel (13th) dug in doggedly as places swapped according to who could best handle the changes in gradient. John Poole in 15th led the men home, with Chris Phillips-Hart in 20th always in close contact, and Hugh Torry in 43rd keeping his consistency going well, leading the Club’s V40s. Teams placed 4th women and 5th Men. Leading Junior Jonah Kramer placed a close 3rd in a short (13 minutes) race that played to his middle distance strength.
While after a long injury spell Chris Oddy showed the usefulness of determined cross training and bounced back very well with 69.11 at the Brass Monkey Half in his local city of York, placing ninth though only about 90 seconds behind the winner.
Leading parkrunner on 11 January was Martin Richardson winning at Bromley in 16.46.
On 18 January there were Serpies aplenty at the Box Hill 12k fell race (won in 54 minutes as context for the severity of the course)– Hugh Torry placed a fine 6th and first V40 whilst the real, and very welcome to everyone who knows her, highlight was the welcome return to serious form of long time Serpie Beckie Phillips. To cut short an extremely long story of some deep seated and painful injuries, and the emergence of two daughters (Serpie Richard Phillips also directly involved here) she has been edging back under 19 minutess in autumn parkruns and returned to a full fledged race with a notable win. Backed up very well by Katie Williams in 3rd, Sarah Pemberton in 7th and Vic Crawford in 9th it was a dominant Serpie team.
Across the Atlantic, the next morning long time Serpie Mariah McConnaughy returned to the marathon fray at Houston, and, inspired by the event and the large posse of women in a final chase to qualify for the USA Olympic Marathon Trials, hung on for a PB of 2.49.26 – to place 65th woman.
The leading Parkrunner this weekend was Ben Tolputt, again, winning at Burgess Park in 16.23, a position matched by Tim Powell in Ballincollig (County Cork) in 17.44.
Next notable stop – the beastly Southerns at Parly Hill.
Submitted: 23 January 2020