Summer Series race 7 – Roaches

Jim registers his second 50 points of the Series and is followed-in by Tony and Don.

 

A great course but for some a difficult post-work venue and 27 represents a good turn-out. The 3 hundred-percenters were all racing, their 7 races completed despite there still being 12  to go and the names already poised for the 2009 mug and T-shirt read Tony Hulme, Don Bullough and Kate Sutton. James Eyre, in contrast, made his debut.

 

Steve Smith, compensating for his missed marathon, leads those who have run 6 races, Mick Fairs those on 5 and, lurking dangerously, Jim Pendrill, heads those who have completed 4.

 

Kate, again, was first lady home and is putting an impressive distance between herself and the peleton. Nicky and Penny took second and third both enjoying the serious business of miles and the hills after the frivolity of the 5ks. Overall, however, they are 3^rd. and 4^th. behind Angela, another finding her footing better on the more demanding terrain.

 

The relentless consistency of Tony, Don and Kate has shut-out everyone else in Group 3/4 but, now they have run their seven, adding to their overall score will become increasingly difficult. The threat through July is likely to come from Steve, Mick and Gareth.

 

Penny won her first Group race of 2009 and becomes the fifth different 5/6 winner in 7 races. She was followed Angela and Christine. The back of the pack was a fight between Sarah and Nina. Funny how when the hills appear the men disappear, bit like vampires and garlic. The overall leadership of 5/6 also changes again; Angela, for the first time, moving up into top position, Penny up to second and Trevor into third.

 

Nick’s trying to fix a session so we can better explain the age/sex table. The numbers also need some checking but this is how it’s looking:-

Tony Hulme was first at Roaches giving him 3 firsts, a second and a third from his seven races. Rob Downs has won both his races; Bowdon and Lymm as has Tom McGaff; South Cheshire and Goyt Valley. Mick has three second places.

If you think that’s all age and no sex then the challenge is coming from Kate who has four, and Nicky who has three, first five finishes.

 

The next two races; Bollington Nostalgia on Sunday, the Gun Run on Tuesday, pose an interesting challenge. Neither are easy. The young and the fit can probably perform to their potential twice in three days but how will the rest of us fare? The hills in the first and final mile of the Gun Run are likely to expose the tired legs of some and therefore, perhaps, for others, unaccustomed opportunities.

 

Ian

 

 

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