Some mayhem, but mainly obdurate fare

Another Surrey League, and another incredibly intense race. Some five minutes before the gun the drizzle started which soon became a monsoon.  In the words of that noble runner Forrest Gump: 

“We been through every kind ofrain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain … and big ol’ fat rain. Rain thatflew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up fromunderneath.”

via Gfycat

With 19 finishers we were up a tick from Richmond Park’s blissful day, and big guns Cumine and Courtney-Pinn were smoothly replaced by the skipper and 2^ndclaimer Dan Agustus, an old friend from years back.

Nick Goolab returned for more after a fraught bike ride from Twickenham.  He ain’t seen nothin’ yet.  After that mad downhill start where he thought he may’ve been as low as 100^th (it was probably 40^th), he made a big charge on the leaders and soon it was just the Kent vest ahead of the amazing Alex Yee who reeled off a 27:51 10k in the summer.  Nick was closing down at the end of the first lap but on the hill his shoes gave up providing any purchase, and he slipped his way to around 10^th.  It had become incredibly dark, and I think that the November fixture in the Surrey league should probably also be moved to 2:30, as with the January one.  In the woods, Nick, who is visually challenged, and sans specs, couldn’t see a damn thing and it was all he could do to keep upright and not get lost.  He exited them in around 30^th and then another 20 souls came by in a long last mile.  A brutal race for he, but such kudos for sticking with it, when many stars step off the course when it all goes wrong. 

It was also the opposite of what Paskar Owor likes and he had to pay a mere 10-12 place tax for the dire conditions, whilst the heroic Andrius Jaksevicius was immaculate as ever, as was the redoubtable Tinos Touse, albeit down a dozen or so from Richmond.  Nick Buckle made a very welcome return to the squad, just overtaking Nick G in the final yards, whilst Arne Dumez in the form of his life crept up half a dozen spots, long may he continue the ascent.

Runners were starting to pour in now and Ed Auden popped up in the melee creeping back into good touch, whilst we rounded out our scorers with “Le Metronome” Ross, Alex Mills forcing his way back into the team after being rudely shut out last time, and Dan closing us in, after doing it the hard way – our image does not have him in 115^th but alongside Yee [434]!

Perhaps run of the day came from new man and sweeper Ollie Young; and to all of our subs bench THANK YOU for being there, and sticking with it.  Many of you have fine running careers ahead [that’s more like it from Joseph!], or - choosing my words carefully here - have had fine careers.  Even dear ol’ Alex Luce zapped 50, having been stone bonkers last early doors...

To the naked eye, a position of 7^th reads a touch grim, but our problems have been duly noted, and we’ve lengthened the buffer on Ranelagh and remain ahead of SLH who had a great day, and are a mere 11 ticks behind Herne Hill.

Please visit Steve Gardner's superb album of the race here, and Like our Facebook page!

1 A Yee 25:12;15 P Owor 26:58; 32 A Jaksevicius 27:34; 40 K Touse 27:49; 47 N Buckle 28:08;51 N Goolab 28:12; 57 A Dumez 28:28; 73 E Auden 28:53; 102 R Finlay 30:03; 112A Mills 30:28; 115 D Agustus (2cl) 30:33; 119 O Young 30:40; 132 B Hurley31:14; 160 P Mcdougall 32:11; 170 C Warren 32:45; 171 R Norville 32:48; 172 J O’Clery32:48; 181 S Mills 33:06; 187 S Jones 33:21; 206 A Luce 35:11.  251 finished.

1 H/W 148; 2Ken 259; 3 THH 371; 4 GG 438; 5 SLH 462; 6 HHH 493; 7 Bel 525; 8 Ran 568; 9 SOC831.

Overall:  1 HW 331; 2 Ken 472; 3 THH 718; 4 GG 823; 5 HHH 980; 6 Bel 991; 7 SLH 1040; 8 Ran 1183; 9 SOC 1652