You see the world running the Summer Series; one week it is Bollington and Swythamley, the next Wythenshawe and Middleton. I had confidently predicted a decent turn-out for Moonraker but that the fast boys wouldn’t show. It was with some surprise, and not a little disappointment, that I bumped quickly first into Stuart, and then Damian and Tom. At least Damian had the fore-thought to have forgotten his vest. This meant he would be relegated to last place, thus ensuring his popularity with everyone except perhaps Martin who is competing with Charlotte in the laterne rouge championship. Nina, not her best Sunday morning, put in a spirited challenge out on the course but Martin prevailed.
Damian duly won the race, as he did at Bollington and The Gun Run. He was ‘only’ third at the Sale Sizzler but broke the club 5k record. Ray Eagle, in nominating Damian for Runner of the Month makes the point that Damian is not just winning races but, at places like Sale, he now has the confidence to take-on the big boys and compete with them.
So Stuart gets his first 50 points of 2009, 49 to Tom and 48 to Ray. Stuart was 11th. and 2nd. M45, Tom was 13th. and 1st. M50, Ray 18th. and 1st. M55.I write from the depths of South West Wales without access to Don’s updated tables but my calculation is that Damian will just have enough points to edge-out Tony at the top of the leader-board , Mick dropping to third. Don drops out of the podium position he has held for the first half of the season. Despite the fact that he is running better than he has ever done, Don will, like all of us who have flattered to deceive, race by race slip down the table as Group 1 and 2 complete their 7 races. (There will be an excellent article in the newsletter by Richard, a newcomer getting to terms with the idiosyncrasies that are part of the charm of the Summer Series).
Even if Damian is not already top it is merely delaying the inevitable; the Ladies is much more open. Nicky becomes the sixth race winner following Kate, Vicky, Sue, Katy and Sally. Kate took 49 and Angela 48. Nicky was also 2nd. L50. Kate consolidated her position as overall leader, Nicky moves into second, Angela edges ahead of Penny in third.
Peter takes his first, 3/4 victory, Ian took 49 points and Tony, 2nd. M60, took 3rd. Overall the Tony/Mick battle tops the table with Don third.
I’ve always enjoyed Moonraker, the change of surface and the undulations favouring different runners in different sections of the race. I’ve had some great battles here in the past although the lives of my greatest rivals over the course, Sally Maddock and Sean Barry, have moved them on. Today I tracked Matt for much of the race hoping he would fade in the final kilometres. In vain, however, he actually pulled away from me with some ease and, in the end, it was Kate, nursing her damaged ankle, who was coming back.
I was with Penny in the early stages but hoped the course was neither long enough nor the hills tough enough for she, or Ang, to take me on. Angela got ahead of Penny in the second half to grab the 50 points. Angela was 3rd.L45 and Penny 3rd. L50. Carla and Steffi, (3rd. and 4th. L<35), remain largely unknown quantities, today they took 5/6 48 and 47 points respectively. What I do know is that steadily they are closing on me and its not only the debutants. Series veterans, Peter and Rod, now both free from injury and starting to get race fit, have halved the gap over the fortnight. Peter was 2nd. M65. Behind Kasey and Soraya, Roy, having also done Bramhall, paid the penalty of three races in four days, you’d think he was old enough to know better. Overall Penny retains first place just ahead of Angela with John third.
The names of Nina Birch, Soraya Mason, Chris Watts, Nicky Mowat and Damian Nichols bring to 18 those on the 2009 T-shirt and mug. 8 races to go, still possible to complete the Series even if you haven’t started yet.
Four races in two weeks but now a 10 day gap to Pie & Peas on Wednesday August 5th. and then, for the Series, a new race, the Meerbrook 15k. It sounds daunting for those of us who like our running short and flat.
Ian