You might perhaps think this to be damned with faint praise – but I can assure you this is not the case! Up until the morning I really could not see how we could hope to avoid 7th slot at the Vets finals on Sunday – last year we had managed 6th by two points only. Although Serpie
Ladies have won the mid-London Section of the SVAC track and field league every year since its inception in the early ’90s, the final has always been a great challenge for us, facing as we do clubs with regular Women’s Saturday track and field fixtures that keep all their athletes honed for competition.

This year looked like being a nightmare. Because of the World Masters competition in Spain the SVAC final was a week later than usual – which led to all sorts of clashes – most devastatingly, but not confined to, the Club 10K champs. There was also the Nottingham half marathon and a number of other regulars were out of the country. We had 4 age categories to cover – 35+, 40+, 50+ and 60+. The only available V40 was the amazing Val Metcalf, who ran a PB at the Victoria Park 10 K in the morning and then came along to run the 3000m in the afternoon! All our other V40 slots were filled by V50s. Our sprinters were Catherine Shelly, Hel James (in her first outing for us – welcome to the team!)
and Sue McGinlay, fresh from San Sebastian, with Sally Mackay, Sue-Ellen Horrocks, Hazel Paterson, Phil Kelvin, Rachel Broster, Marianne Morris, Cathy Crilley, Pauline Rich and Ros Young covering the rest of the runs and the 2000 walk. Sue-Ellen also jumped (repeatedly) and Ruth, Nadya and Bev threw.

So, when after 8 events on Sunday we were lying last I was not surprised. But I’d reckoned without the surprises our gang are capable of when they put their minds to it…by the time 10 events were over we were one point ahead of Blackheath and Bromley and we just kept on chipping away. Surprise number one – Marianne Morris (v50) winning the
v40 walk. Surprise number two – even after her strenuous morning Val Metcalf coming second in the 3000m. And no great surprise – Pauline Rich taking an easy win in the v60 3000m – our only other win of the day. But there were numerous other significant results – massive PB by Sue-Ellen
in the triple jump and PBs by Phil in the 800 and 1500, the 200 and 400 for Catherine Shelley, the 100 and 200 for Hel James and for Nadya on the discuss (a reward for getting herself there in time to cover all the throws but one, despite officiating at Victoria Park in the morning). A first effort at the shot by Ruth, solid performances by Hazel in the 400 and 800, a welcome appearance by our ultrawalker Cathy Crilley (although not at her preferred distance!) and valuable points from Sally Mackay, Ros Young, Sue McGinlay, new squad Member Hel James and even team manager Bev!

We finished the day 6th, with an 11 point lead over Barnet and District. Blackheath and Bromley won the women’s competition and Oxford City the men’s (Serpie men to the final too next year perhaps??).

At the end of the day it was my very pleasant duty to award the women’s vets track and field cup for the season. This was a really tough decision because so many people had contributed to getting us to the final as well as performing remarkably on the day itself – including doing all sorts of unfamiliar events. However, in the end the cup went to someone who “only” ran – but how she ran, after last year’s injury frustration, improving so well through the season and finishing up on finals day running 5 events, including anchoring two relays – and getting two PBs. The cup went to Catherine Shelley.

Further info.