Au Revoir Les Enfants

In a day of amazing drama the Bels bade a 12 month farewell to the raucous menagerie that is Div 1 of the Surrey League by just a single point: 2129-2128. Yes, it’s a sting, but that’s all it is, and we’ll bounce straight back up. We’ve been through far worse setbacks and the club always reacts well. Witness the Southerns of 1937 when we were on course for an overwhelming victory with six in 20 before the wind blew the paper trail away; or the 2001 National 12 Stage where we lost the race in the final yards. This we can handle.As ever there can be a million ifs and buts, and the cruel banning of Paul Lowe from the season’s final three races has cost us 180+ points. Andrius’ momentous season hit the skids with knee trouble and the skipper’s divine missus booked him in for Valentine’s weekend bliss in Bath. But still we looked fine as 14 strong lads were lined up by Friday; and all calculations said that our buffer over Clapham would be around 80 points. But then we lost over a fifth of those men. Two to popped calves (Matt Taylor, and Stanners during the race), and the redoubtable Royston to a suicide investigation by Great Western Railway en route to the venue.Bad luck? Yes a bit, but Clapham can point to problems I’m sure, not least to losing Andy Maud for the last two races. On the day they managed to throw 24 bodies at the problem, and us a mere 11; so perhaps justice was done. Ironically though, the local squad is in finer fettle than at any time since I joined in ’98; it just hasn’t quite yet caught up with the stunning quality of the league, but it will. I’m far more optimistic about the future of this bunch than I am the winning Surrey League squads of 2000 and 2002, which evaporated the moment both races were over.And as for the race itself, heroes all. We didn’t leave a point out there. Yes, every runner can think, “ooooh, I reckon I could have found another pip if I had my time again,” but really? I for instance had two close in front, but I also had three crashing into my back the moment I crossed the line. So second-guessing is futile; we can be happy that we gave it everything and almost carried off the swag. Paskar, as ever, fought brilliantly, while Zek went out far too quick but hung on doggedly. It was wonderful to welcome the supremely talented Ed Auden back into the team for the first time this winter – and even that was a white-knuckle ride as he made the start with two minutes to go after a bike ride to Windsor and back.Nick Buckle has been running on empty since the Southerns, but the boy is a ‘racer’ through and through, as is the dogged Mr Smallwood. Kieran is in good touch, but in the dark and crowded woods trees seemed to pop up out of nowhere; what a brave warrior he’s been. And those warriors kept on coming. Tom O’Beirne hit the start hard and hung on grimly all race, while Gregg Clark had no business finishing where he did after a long time out with injury. Doug Morton saw us home, even if he was running through treacle 10 minutes in, after a start to frighten the horses.We were then able to quiz sweeper Phil Carstairs on life in Division 2, as one has to go back 23 years for such a thing. He tells us that we have some lovely venues to savour; and it certainly looks like those lads of ‘93-4 had fun. They fairly blitzed the league and got used to racing at the ‘sharp end’ again. We’ll have some entertaining days over the country next term, and then it’ll be blinkers on to emulate the women: relegated in 2011, Div One champions in 2014!1 tba (Kent) 25:49; 3 P Owor 26:48; 17 Z Abery 28:11; 20 E Auden 28:16; 33 N Buckle 28:50; 72 N Smallwood 30:10; 85 K Gilfedder 30:40; 93 W Cockerell 30:54; 106 T O'Beirne 31:16; 111 G Clark 31:37; 123 D Morton 32:25; 154 P Carstairs 34:59.  192 finished.1 Ken 256; 7 Bel 541.1 Ken 1044; 7 CC 2128; 8 Bel 2129.Full result