Stockport 10 – summer series, race 15

Can one missing marshal ruin a race? I think we came close on Sunday. The £13 entry and the goody bag didn't help…."not a goody bad, just a bag", as Mike said. Hopefully, as far as the Series is concerned, we can agree 'positions' for everyone that are the best compromise, and doesn't leave anyone feeling they've been unfairly treated, even if it is not entirely satisfactory.

Good points; it was cooler, 18^o , for me close to my optimum running temperature, although most people like it cooler still, as I would have done when I was younger. The course was good, the hills had been exaggerated, which, again, is not to everybody's taste.

Diane, as I understand it, was first past the post, but helped by running 9.1k of a 10k race. She was nevertheless awarded the first lady prize on the grounds that she was well ahead of the others when she went adrift. Jim was second to arrive at the finish but awarded first as he'd run the whole 10k. Mike was third.

Needless to say, Di was first Wilmslow lady and got the in Division 2 60-points.

Janine was the race's 3rd. and our second lady. Rachel and Gail notched-up their best ladies' scores of the Series.

Allan again came second in Division 2, followed by Richard, the Pauls, Aron, Jon, Gareth, Geoff and Tony.

Janine made it five-in-a-row in Division 3. Patrick picked-up second and Chris third. For the first 5k, I was closer to John and Gavin than is my custom, although they pulled away from me in the second half to have their own tussle with Rachel.

Chris Grime was having a poor day and I had edged ahead of him, only for Simon to spoil my day and pass me just before the 7.5k New Zealand Road/Park Gates crisis point. Simon bounded into the park ignoring calls as I spotted an arrow and doubled back. Claire had passed us and Simon, realising his mistake, came back and joined Gail.  Chris now pulled steadily away whilst we exchanged places, Gail getting away from Simon and, although I passed Claire before the first bend of the track, she had me on the back-straight. Chris, meanwhile, once in Vernon Park, had embarked on a final flourish taking Gavin on the steps and then Rachel and John to finishing only 20secs behind Chris Cannon.

I normally see a lot of Carolyn, but not today until the finish, where she took Division 4's 59 points to Gail's 60. Nina did well to beat Peter. I have not seen Clare of late and assume she has been injured, she was some way down on her normal position. Sue's also working her way back from injury. Janet was going well, it's a shame she was one of those of us tempted beside the park gates. Huma, having set the early Division 4 pace was, as seems inevitable, blighted by injury and then inhibited by Ramadan. It ends this week, just as we go into a month without a Series race. Judith beat Owen and Sarah despite giving them a couple of years.

Roy and Paul gave good support.

The race, itself, I enjoyed. For the second week in succession, there were four of us sprinting against one another for Series points in the final kilometre. However, I suspect the Stockport 10 is a long way from Tony's list of possibles for 2014.

Ian

Hi Janine,

I have started a set of pics from yesterday…. quite a few images of your colleagues at WRC…. I though you/they might appreciate the link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40039558@N05/sets/72157634933582849/

Roger