Pie & Peas 5
Wednesday August 4th.
Pie & Peas is always popular. We missed Rod, a three-pie man. Nick also has an impressive PB but with signs that three years of injuries may be coming to an end, he’s seeking to ease his profile down from pie-man to runner. Penny braved the pain of a broken toe but the pie was a challenge too many, it remained on her plate, untouched. Sarah Miles went down the road to the Chinese chippie.
The course, particularly the tow-path, was puddled from the morning rain, the late afternoon was sunny, 17o on the way down, but the evening cloudy with a cool breeze. On the way out of the pub garden, with the cool and earlier darkness, there was a feel of the first threat of autumn.
43 Wilmslow vests are not quite a record but the highest in 2010. It led to a lot of close finishes and just over two minutes separated 12 runners; Andrew through to Carla.
Jim, in 6th., was first Wilmslow runner home and 1st.M40, Malcolm 7th. and 1st.M45, Tom 9th. and 1st.M55, Graham 11th., Rob 29th. Mick was 1st. M60.
Tom McGaff, Steve Smith, Nick Bishop, Angela Maziere and Soraya Mason took to 35 the names on the 2010 T-shirt and mug. Sue Stang brought to 81 the number of participants in this year’s competition but, with only six races left, qualifying is becoming more difficult. Roy and Ian completed their 13th. races of the season, full marks for quantity, but as neither added any points to their totals in any of the leagues, perhaps a question mark about quality or is it just the law of diminishing returns?
Tom moves up to third in the table only 3 points behind Graham. The silver media is going to be very tight: Jim now has a 60 and four 59s, Malcolm has two 60s and two 59s.
Steve jumps up to 6th. in the table, Nick to 13th. Angela to 24th. and Soraya to 31st.
Of those who had already completed their seven; Matt moves above Louise and level with Gareth, Andrew moves above Roy, Huma moves above Julie, Sharon moves above Monique and Nina and Simon are now level.
James Eyre goes to the top of those who have completed six races.
Sarah Waite, bronzed and obviously fit from her safari, took the 60 points in the Ladies’ league. Steffi was second, Catriona was not only third but 1st.F40 and without any falling-over dramas this year.
Louise remains top but Sarah moves ahead of Kate and closer to Clare. Angela jumps up to 7th., Huma moves above Penny, Soraya jumps to 10th.
Katy remains a threat to Louise and Steffi to those with ambitions on podium places.
Steve Smith was first Group 3/4, Matt also came-in ahead of Andy, who had won his two previous races . 5 seconds covered Matt, Andy and Richard, then James Eyre with an only another 5 seconds between Gareth and Gavin.
Steve is now tied with, long-time leader, Tony at the top of the table. Any ties at the end of the season will be decided on the 8th. race, so technically Tony is still ahead. Richard moves above Louise into third, Matt above Don into 6th. Angela jumps up to 13th., joining Ian in the relegation zone (she never wanted to be promoted anyway).
James, Katy and Andy, as they move towards their seven races, are the ones for the leaders to watch.
Andrew made it two 5/6 wins in succession, Owen was second. Simon’s season is really building, he edged-out Steffi for 3rd. Cat had her best race since
59 points does nothing for Owen’s overall total, Penny is still close behind but things have conspired against her. In contrast Andy moved 4 points closer and the gap to Owen is only 5 points with 6 races to go. Mathematically John is better placed than the three of them with 5 wins, but he’s out of action although he hopes to be back by Gawsworth.
Soraya, building for the
Assuming Malcolm’s tape measure is functioning well, Great Warford brings another shift of emphasis, this time towards those who favour the longer distances and those who like tarmac under their feet.
Ian