Thursday June 24^th.

Shuttlingsloe results co-incided with the start of Race 10. So I write, in advance of the tables,  as you run. I'll pick-up the errors in my Lymm update.

Malcolm made in two Summer Series wins in a row, he was also 3rd. overall and 1st.M40. Andrew was 12th. Only 11 seconds separated  Trevor, Graham and Rob in 19th., 20th. and 21st.

Andy’s climbing and Tony’s downhill skills saw them not only as League 3's first and second but the same in the M60 category.  Jeremy, Paul, Jon, Jarrod and Gareth followed them in.

Has Angela ever taken the Ladies 60 points before, what a place to do it for the someone who can't run down hills? This really isn't Janine's type of race at all, uphill or downhill, but her reward for not cherry-picking the one's she's good at was 59 points. Huma, picked her way through the field for 58, Clare, some way below her best, got 57 and Soraya, heavy with cold, took 56. Next was Carolyn and then Gail.  All of them putting themselves through one of the Series' tougher races, it was gutsy girls' evening . Angela was 2nd. F50, Soraya 1st.F45 and Carolyn 3rd.F45.

Maybe it was the breeze, but the wait between your warm-up and the start was, before previous races, when the midges had their feast, but they were not strongly in evidence this year.

I tend to think of Shuttlingsloe as up and then down but it is much more varied than that.

The early section is definitely for the climbers. Here I went past Trevor and Gail but didn't see anything of Huma, who had started slowly, or Carolyn or James. Soraya was quickly struggling but the thought that, if she could just stick behind Alan, there were 58 League 5 points for her, kept her going, although she said she hated every step. Don, who was outstanding here a couple of years back, was also in trouble. Everyone else had gone.

I could see them stretched-out in front of me, a long line of bouncing ants, as we left the trees behind and moved  into the open section.  It is less steep but Alan was already losing his crucial League 5 battle with Chris.

The third part of the course is less a problem of climbing and more of balance on the narrow footpath with a steep right to left fall. Gavin had been great at Boars Head, here he had started slowly, that's his style, but now, instead of moving through the field, he was coming back. Andy Dodd started to move away but this section also slowed Chris, Clare and Janine and, as we turned right for the steep ascent, we were five Wilmslow vests together. Again the skill had changed, there is nothing that says the good climbers are also adept at scrambling on their hands and knees.

Five became six as we caught Owen at the summit but he took the direct route over the top and tobogganed on his bottom down the grass bank to move away again. I was aware of not seeing John, with whom I'm normally do battle. He, in fact, had a great race and was some distance ahead.

The stone flags are positioned such that it doesn't matter whether you've got Peter's giant stride, or Huma's tiny steps, their spacing is awkward and you can't get a rhythm. I felt for Angie here, she can defy gravity on the way up but can't harness it on the way down, it must be frustrating to be able to do the hard stuff only to lose it on the easy section. She encouraged me as I pursued Owen past her and it was great to find at the finish that she had won first Wilmslow lady. Static support came from Roy, Dave, Martin, Jav and Paul.  I moved ahead in the family challenge.

The final section is the track back down, a combination of technique in letting the hill carry you along and  bravery knowing the loose gravel can mean disaster. I had determined not to go flat out but the adrenalin was pumping and suddenly the pain was back in my hamstring. I was reluctant to do the wise thing and stop,  I felt the points were good and I was probably already a non-starter for Lymm.  I managed to nurse myself down, successfully until Owen passed me on the line; the time-keepers gave him two seconds but it was nearer two inches.

Steve took the League 4 60-points, he's been doing the Series for a decade, but this is the first grab for glory I can remember.  Geoff got 59, John scored his highest-ever finish,  ahead of Patrick (3rd.M60) and Peter . Then came Andy Dodd, Owen, Ian (2nd.M65), Gavin(missing in the results tables below, 37:13), Angela, James, Janine, Clare, Huma and Don.

Chris beat Alan head-to-head for the first time since Mow Cop, Soraya got her 58 points then came Carolyn, Trevor and Gail. A low turn-out, Shuttlingsloe’s reputation seems to have resulted in the majority of Group 1 and 2 finding pressing engagements elsewhere.

 Andrew Dodd became the eleventh name on the 2011 T-shirt and mug. The top 5 are unchanged; Tony, Paul (Garnett), Gareth, Paul (Norris) and Janine. Then come Andy, Chris, Angela, Carolyn, Gail and Roy.

Janine and Angela reinforced their leadership of the Ladies’ League ahead of Carolyn and Gail.

Tony, Paul Garnett and Gareth did the same in League 3, Paul Norris is fourth. Tony often sets the early pace but as we move into Autumn someone comes along and pushes him into second. Maybe this year his early pace will just be too hot.

Andy Dodd, on the back of his marathon training, is the new leader of League 4 but his reign could be short-lived if Geoff and Patrick score well at Lymm. Janine and Angela slip to second and third.

This was an important win in League 5 for Chris. Carolyn, Gail and Roy retain their positions but Alan and Soraya are poised to change that.

Don thinks I'm missing someone?

Ian