Race 18 – Sutton 10k

Sunday September 18th.

As has been generally true this year, conditions were good for running; the rain held off, the wind was gentle and it was an overcast 16^o. The priority was for the Men to retain the Cheshire Grand Prix Championship, we had a good response from Groups 1 & 2 and it looked, at the finish, very much like 'job done' and Nick has subsequently confirmed. The Ladies had already secured their win but we were out in sufficient strength to enjoy a lap of honour. They like the Men had to settle for second on the day but, ask Sir Alex, it is the consistency over the season that wins championships.

Louise was 3rd. individual Cheshire lady (and first L35), Christine 4th.(and 1st. L45), Janine 5th (and 1st.L40), Kate 6th. and Angela 10th. Nicky was 1st. L50.

Damian was the 2011 individual Men's champion. Rob was 5th.(and 1st. M45), Jim 7th. and Graham MacNeil 9th. Tom was 1st. M55, Mick 1st. M60, Ian 1st. M65 and Peter 1st. M70.

Priority number two was the Summer Series. For those who had not completed their 7 races this is a critical period; 39 Wilmslow runners, so you were going to earn your points. One who is probably not going to make it is Rod, sad to see him on the sidelines. His knee's been a problem since Offa's Dyke, and it looks, for the first time since the competition started in the latter end of the last century, that Tony's going to have to reduce the order for the XL T-shirts . For those who had already qualified, with the stars out for the Grand Prix, more of us were likely to be running for pride rather than points.

Damian was 4th., Rob 8th., Jim (apparently recovered from 100 miles per day on the bike) 13th , Graham 15th. , Andrew 24th. and Mike 36th.

Louise needs races to complete her 7, but more than that she needs wins to retain her position as Ladies' champion. So the small inconvenience of a broken shoulder, sustained only four weeks ago, was not going to get in her way. Sharon Johnstone bolstered the Ladies' Grand Prix score in her 2011 Series debut. Christine versus Janine was fought the length of the course and only 5 seconds separated them at the finish. Louisa worked her way through the field in the latter stages for another good score. Kate and Jane both seemed to be running within themselves. Melissa had a big PB, a brilliant run. Sharon Jones defends her approach of starting fast over the early kilometres as the only way she can do it and she showed, by breaking 58 minutes for the first time, that she is paying-back less in the second half. Carolyn, targeting 50 minutes, had Curtis playing Chris Brasher to her Roger Bannister, but the four-minute mile and her PB, will have to wait another day. Elspeth had an excellent run and, I gather, a PB. Gail's on the long trail back to where she was a year ago, enthusiasm undiminished. Laura damaged her foot.

In this, his qualifying race, Mick notched-up his 5th. Group 3 60 points. He was followed by Louise, she's amazing, Andy, Tony, Steve and Paul Garnett. Ed, like Sharon, was making a belated entrance into the Series. In contrast this was number 13 for Paul Norris and for Matt his qualifying race, whilst Simon needs two of the last three for his first T-shirt. Gareth took another valuable step back to where he should be.

Christine took her second Group 4 win of the season, and her second in three races. Janine's run 16 races but she's still adding to her score. Gavin is probably running better than at any time in the last two years, apparently throwing-off his knee problem without the need of the surgeon's knife. In a good day for points in Group 4, Andy was able to up his total. Ian, by passing Jane and Kate in the latter stages and then getting back to Louisa after she'd overtaken him up the hill, scored vital points in his fluctuating battle with Owen and Angela. Even without the toilet break this would not have been one of Owen's better runs.

Simon gets better and better, he took 45 seconds off his Birchwood time, reversing Peter's victory of last month for his first Group 5 win. Melissa's PB split the two of them for 59 points. Peter's been going steadily faster all year, something I'm not sure you're supposed in the over 70 category. Sharon's running is also on an upswing but Carolyn's not quite hitting the highs of the early season. Roy ran much better than at Birchwood. Janet's already moving-up the pecking order and a big stride forward for Elspeth. Only three more races and Gail will break the record number of races for the season (but it looks like she'll have to share it with Carolyn and Chris). Trust Laura is going to be OK. Just one more race and Martin will have completed the hardest (and longest?) ever seven races.

Mick Fairs, Mathew Atkinson and Gavin Mendham are the names added to the 2011 T-shirt and mug. Qualifiers now total 49, competitors 96. In theory 69 can complete the Series but the probability is that we'll be below last year's 60.

Cat, with Mike, was giving welcome and forceful support, but why wasn't she running her qualifying race – what's she saving herself for?

You'll have to check, when the updated leagues are published, the extent to which, in what follows, I've got the impact of Sutton on the tables right.

Damian was, of course, 2011 champion some time ago. Malcolm, Jim, Graham MacNeil and Trevor are still 2, 3, 4 and 5. Mick comes-in at 13th., Matt at 21st. and Gavin at 32nd. Peter Watson goes above Don and Gail. Sharon overtakes Julie, Trevor and Sarah

Sutton left the Ladies' leader-board unchanged with Janine and Christine tied in first place. Kate is third, Angela fourth. They are followed by Clare, Soraya ,Huma, Carolyn, Sharon, Nina, Gail, Julie and Sarah Miles.

Tony, who has led League 3 since the start of the Series, is deposed by old rival Mick. Paul Garnett is third followed by Andy, Paul Norris, Aron and Jon. Even with Matt, who comes-in above Gareth, there are only 9 qualifiers so far in League 3.

In contrast there 17 qualifiers in League 4. Gavin, having completed his seventh race, and Ian, going above Owen, are the only climbers. Geoff leads. Patrick and Christine are on the podium. Then Janine, Steve, Kate, Gavin, John, Peter, Ian, Owen, Angela, James, Huma, Clare and Don.

Chris is now champion of League 5, Alan can no longer catch him. Simon's win, taking him back above Soraya into 3rd., is the only change, then it's Peter, Carolyn, Sharon, Roy, Nina, Gail, Trevor, Julie and Sarah.

Ian