Macclesfield Half Marathon

Cheshire Grand Prix, final race

Summer Series, Race 21

Sunday September 25^th.

Whilst Macclesfield is not Buxton nor is it Wilmslow, I always approach it with some trepidation, not the race to find your legs feel heavy. It was drizzling on the way to Macc but brightened to sunshine for the start, there was only a light breeze. The rain returned just before the hour, at first a pleasing drizzle but then it started to get past a joke. For those unfortunate enough to still be out at 1:45 there was another heavy downpour. Even so, ok conditions, in any case it is not a course for a PB.

Our Ladies, unassailable and victorious, already had the Grand Prix in the bag and South Cheshire were similarly out of reach in the Men’s. Our men packed well; Rob 2^nd., Jon 4^th. and Barry 8^th. It was difficult to envisage the algorithm that sent the team prize, and accompanying bottles of wine, which looked very tempting, elsewhere.(though Rob’s facebook post suggests they had second thoughts). James was 30^th.

Janine was our leading lady and first F45, but was given the prize for 4^th. overall, we were not convinced this was a winning exchange. Amy and Angela completed our team.

Matt scored another League 2 60 points beating Mick, who was first M65 and Pete who was second M60. League 2 was well represented with Andy, second M65, Janine, Paul and Christian.

Amy nestled in amongst League 2, in winning League 3 from Huma and Patrick. James, although League 4, was also up there.

League 4 has been hit by plague and pestilence this year. A couple of years ago there often 10 of us racing of whom 6 or 7 would be of similar ability and one race you could be the first, only, the following week, to be the last. Huma, John and Bernard have moved-up to greater things. Clare is now in Poole, Sue is nursing degeneration in her toe, Kate has a knee similarly afflicted. Gavin is working his way back from his broken heart. Gail is making steady progress from her marathon training injury but Sharon has drifted. Carolyn, after a great marathon, has succumbed to her Achilles. Colin ran the first 5 races well and then disappeared, injured? Simon suffered a collapse of form instigated by a still undiagnosed breathing problem, Ian, mysteriously, suffered a similar collapse of form overnight in late April. Rachael gave birth, probably not technically an injury, although I’m told it can be painful.

It has been left to James, Angela and Sally, joined in the second half of the season by Gail, to fly the flag. James took 60, Angela 59, Gail 58, Ian 57. Angela, who turned-in another excellent performance, and Ian won their respective age categories.

In League 5 Cat, Jan and Leanne, on their day, have flown but, with Julie also missing, it was left for Elspeth and Trevor to grind-out the hard miles. Elspeth and I swapped places throughout the first six miles, I had her on the downhill but she was better on the uphill and, sadly, it transpired also had more stamina.

Always a race when you can rely on good support of the non-participants, I spotted Roy, Simon, Sharon and Gareth but there were a cluster and my eyesight, as well as my legs, can be a little blurred. I gave them a nice smile the first time I saw them but lacked the energy for any such extravagances on their later appearances.

None sure how Jan and Tony got on in the fun run.