Thursday April 27
Last year the reservoir at Errwood was noticeably low. Last year I kept writing about running races in ideal conditions. This year, after Cloud 9 and Chester, we have Goyt Valley. We started with the course very wet. In my area of the race there were squeals, I think from ladies but maybe it was me, as the flooded potholes proved to be deeper than anticipated. During the majority of the race the weather was bad, it only got worse as we approached the finish and thereafter the heavens opened. I don't know how others fared but I drove home through roads that had become streams, with lying water in dips and valleys to a depth that I started to fear not getting through. The running itself was distinctly risky in places although, despite personally putting in a poor performance, quite good fun.
Malcolm again managed to combine the roles of race organiser with being Wilmslow star, 4th. overall and 1st. V45. Jim was second Wilmslow runner as he has been in 4 of the 5 Series races, he was 7th. and 2nd. V40. Tom who, as always, won V55, was 8th. overall. Trevor, 10th. overall, was 1st.V50. Mark was 13th., Robert 14th. and Graham Screawn, 2nd. V45, 16th.
Allan picked-up his second Division 2 win of the season with Jeremy second and Graham Taylor (was this the night for a man with a dodgy knee?) third. Tony and Andy, unusually, found themselves back in 3rd. and 4th. in the V60 category but I understand Andy had been out for a long run on Sunday. Jon Harper suffered a knee injury at around the 5-mile mark; Richard and Kate sacrificed their own race to help him.
Steve Russell, another who'd been running Sunday, nevertheless won Division 3. Matt Taylor, on a fast-track improvement curve, was second. Nicky, another step back to full fitness, John and Chris were away after the first mile. Christine, Sally, and Owen, I occasional saw up the track but never felt I could catch. But with James and Simon I battled all the way, overtaking on the downhill stretches with them coming back in front as we climbed. In the latter stages the fight took James and I away from Simon and up to Huma, who had been slowing but found something in reserve when put under threat.
There have been murmurings about Sally and Division 3; now it's three races, three wins. Huma pushed Simon, who was only just ahead of Carolyn, into third. Elspeth, Stephen, Trevor and Martin had to take the brunt of the storm at its worst.
Ian
Jon has a suspected fractured femur but tbc .
I spoke with him earlier and he is in some discomfort as you might expect and was on morphine .
Richard will give an update I am sure but would suggest that contact be kept to a minimum for now etc .
Nick.