League Title Smoothly Retained

Traditionally a bit of a bogey fixture for us with half-marathon season underway, there were no worries here, after the histrionics of the last four years. Yes, our list of unavailables kept on climbing and by Thursday evening we had the green light on just 7… if a couple of them had a problem, Clapham could have found a way back. But one final howl did the trick and we started nine, along with a guesting Sally, who is a star in the making.There was no luxury of an ease down for Mel and Zoe; indeed as late as Thursday night Matt had them going hell for leather. The National the big picture and this just ‘taking one for the team’. And there was punishment to be taken as Miss Ansell was full of menace and hungry for revenge, after Mel put Cathy over her knee in Brighton. Mel was not just fatigued but bloodied as she painfully slashed most of her leg on brambles on the steep descent. Not a particularly attractive look but our girl gritted her teeth, all the while putting close to a minute on third.Zoe went out hard but was far too tired to justify that, and settled for a tough session, safe in the knowledge that she’ll be right for the Big One. There was a superb battle for our third, as Fee, Sally and Jojo roared to the finish in lockstep. It was the skipper’s incredible strength and noted kick-finish that prevailed. That’s 12 scores out of the last 15 Surrey Leagues for FM, what a feat.To turn our wheel the full circle it was wonderful to have Mrs Smith to secure the title. The archetypal Charlie’s Angel, Zoe has such natural talent and we all hope that she has many more years of Belles service in her. It was Zoe who fought on valiantly four long years ago, with Catherine Bryson and Tilly, on that grim relegation day of 2011. With those three troopers in the team, it was the evidence I needed that all was not lost, given a bit of TLC. How the entire squad has repaid my and Charlie’s faith.Another ledg Anne stepped off the course at half-way, tightening up, but happy in the knowledge there were a half-dozen claret-topped rascals cavorting up ahead. Rieko had a blinder for surely her best ever SL return, closely followed by Abbie, clipping along very nicely despite a niggle, and the Vixster to reliably close us in.Superb work everyone! Not an easy league to win at all, as so many clubs can find a solid 5, and the distances are short before Christmas. It’s such an open contest with just 30 points separating 3^rd through 6^th on the day, and Thames would have beaten us if their star runner – former international Alice Braham – could start the car.  Yada yada yada.  But it’s all we need to hear, so that come October it’ll be blinkers on all over.1 C Ansell (HHH) 32:45; 2 M Wilkins (Belgrave H) 32:59; 3 L Custance (Clapham) 33:50; 7 Z Doyle 35:22; 19 F Maycock 37:14; 21 J Rhodes 37:19; 29 Z Smith 38:17; 59 R Trees 40:08; 66 A Friday 40:31; 89 V Goodwin 42:31. 163 finishedTeams: 1 Belgrave H 78; 2 THH 113; 3 Clapham C 128; 4 SLH 130; 5 Ranelagh 130… 22 Belgrave B.Overall: 1 Belgrave H 263; 2 Clapham C 427; 3 SLH 581; 4= THH/Dul R 686; 6 G&G 741; 7 HHH 751; 8 Strag 807… B team results follow soon.