All,
Attached are the GP results from yesterday’s Chester Zoo 10k (along with
tidied up results from the previous race at Macclesfield a couple of weeks
ago).
Please let me know asap if they are any errors – particularly if they are
likely to affect the overall positions.
It was very nice to see a strong turnout from Cheshire clubs (even rivalling
the 2 big half marathons), which fully justified the inclusion of the race
this year’s GP.
Congratulations are in order to Wilmslow RC who duly won the women’s title…….
Congratulations are in order to Wilmslow RC who duly won the women’s title
to add to the men’s one which had already been confirmed 2 races ago.
However, Vale Royal put up a valiant fight, and finished just 11 points shy
of Wilmslow’s overall score, when 2 dropped scores were taken into account.
Winners on the day were Macclesfield, who, if they could regularly get out a
full complement of 4 runners, would surely be challenging for the title, as
they accounted for 3 of the 4 highest scores in individual races throughout
the year, but had to include in their overall total 2 races where they only
finished 3 runners. With the welcome return from long-term injury of Cecilia
Greasley, they are likely to be a major force next year.
I have also included the scores as they would have been had it been 5, 7 or
8 races to score, not just 6. Interestingly, it would have made no
difference to the winners of either the men’s or the womens. In fact the
only difference of note is that if all 8 races had counted then Macclesfield
would have overtaken Vale Royal for second – mainly due to Vale Royal’s zero
score at the Macclesfield 1/2 marathon.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the friendly competition throughout the year.
If people wish the GP to continue next year, then I am happy to continue as
its co-ordinator.
Please let me have any comments – good or bad.
My personal feeing is that having 6 races out of 8 worked quite well. I am
aware that several of you think that having 3 1/2 marathons is probably too
many – in fact, I agree with you. The reason that the Macclesfield race was
included this year was that we needed a race in September (when it was
originally pencilled in for, before it was moved) and that it was the County
Champs. The poor attendance in that race – particularly from the women
(where we had runners from only 4 of the 14 clubs) – lead to be believe that
we should replace this race with a shorter one – possibly another 10k. What
I have tried to do is include in the GP those races which always get a good
attendance of Cheshire clubs, ie those races which runners actually want to
run. Without having the figures to hand, I believe that (after Birchwood)
the next biggest 10k in the county is the Sutton 6 10k, which by coincidence
happens to be in the same month as the race being replaced (ie September).
Is that acceptable to everyone ? (Originally, I only chose a maximum of one
race per organising club, to avoid penalising those clubs who do not allow
their runners to compete in their own events, but now that 2 scores can be
dropped, I am happy to select 2 from a club, as long as that club is happy
(West Cheshire !)).
Please let me have any comments – good or bad.
Adrian Thiemicke
(Cheshire RR GP co-ordinator)