Croft Woods Handicap – Race 5

Race Reports

There was a comparatively low turnout for the penultimate race in the 2014 handicap series, but we welcomed a few fresh faces and there were some excellent times recorded in the second event over the new course.
Rosie has bloomed since her first outing last month, thanks to some consistent early morning training runs around the leafy lanes surrounding Shobdon, and she ran a solo race – first away and first across the finish line – knocking almost 3 minutes off her debut time of last month. That is a huge improvement and if that rate of progress continues she will be the fastest runner in the club in a couple of years.
Runners starting on estimated times don’t normally feature in the choccie awards ceremony, but the exceptional performances of the next 2 runners home over-rode that restriction – or, maybe, I am trying to cover up my lame attempts at time prediction. Jo Meadowcroft was the next to conquer Heartbreak Hill and emerge from the woods to record a battling second place. We need a different name for Jo as we already have a Jo M. in the ranks – Jockey Jo ?, Mojo ? – any suggestions ? Next to fly across the finish line was a newcomer to us all, who made a breathtaking impression and broke Simon’s course record that had stood for just 5 weeks. The athlete’s name is Will Hayward and he is just 15 years old ! We are unlikely to see much of him as he is a boarder at Shrewsbury School, but his precocious talent suggests that he will be an outstanding addition to the club if he chooses to stay. To run with such maturity on a course that he had not previously seen shows great promise. He even followed this up the following evening by winning the Herefordshire 5000 Metres County Champs. on the Hereford track – again over a distance that he had not previously raced.
Stacey, Mark, Simon – can you beat that time ?
Most runners improved on their times set last month with Ria breaking her own female course record, having resisted the temptation to test the water quality in Fishpool Valley as part of her thesis work. Her sister, Roxy, appeared to be magnetically attracted towards Yarpole, her home village, as she merrily missed the turning into the woods and eventually approached the finish line from the opposite direction. By doing so, she joined the ranks of a select bunch club members who have got lost in the woods and she is the first to achieve this honour on the new course, plus she has set her own record on her own new route.
Almost a third of the runners hailed from Shobdon and, by my calculations ( 6 in a team with 4 to count) the Shobdon Shooters beat The Rest Of The World team by a single point. So no more cries of “Shobdon Shirkers” or Shobdonkeys” if you please – they are all thoroughbreds thriving on the village’s clean and wholesome atmosphere.
The final race in the series will be run on Tuesday 2nd Sept. Please try not to be late as the darker nights are rapidly approaching.

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CROFT WOODS HANDICAP – Race 5

News
A  momentous  evening  in  the  history  of  Croft  Ambrey  R.C.  as  the  lissom  limbed  Suzanne  sped  around  the  course  4  seconds  quicker  than  the  existing  course  record  set  by  Sue  Connop  way  back  in  1999.  Zan  is  enjoying  a  hot  streak  of  form  following  on  from  being  crowned  female  champion  in  the  Herefordshire  Summer  League, and  her  record  setting time  was  all  the  more  remarkable  as  this  abnormal  summer  weather  had  created  difficult  conditions  as  the  overgrown  foliage  impeded  the  runners  as  it  flopped  across  the  route  which  was  also  unexpectedly  muddy  in  sections.  Congratulations  Suzanne  on  an  outstanding  run – we  are  all  Zan  fans.
First  across  the  finish  line  was  our  super  septuagenarian  Bryan, who  recently  completed  another  triathlon, though  he  is  more  of  an  old  Greylee  as  opposed  to  Brownlee.  Sue D.  was  a  clear  second, thankful  that  her  preparation  for  the  event  did  not, this  time, entail  running  up  the  steep  Yatton  Bank  to  arrive  at  the  start  line.  Irina  also  continued  her  spell  of  excellent  good  form  as  she  knocked  50  secs.  from  her  P.B.  and  just  held  off  the  fast  finishing  Mark  L.  in  a  sprint  finish.  Mark’s  first  run  over  the  course  produced  a  time  that  took  him  to  10th=  on  the  all  time  list (equal  with  Neil  Powell, who  was  on  the  finish  line  to  witness  the  young  upstart’s  exploit).  Further  improvement  lies  ahead  for  the  talented  Mark  who  has  enjoyed  a  highly  successful  first  season  in  Croft  colours.
Welcome  back  to  Dave  Moss, who  has  been  missing  for  too  long, and  who  still  holds  the 4th  fastest  time  around  the  Croft  Woods  course  set  8  years  ago.
The  final  event  in  the  2012  Handicap  Series  will  be  held  on  Tuesday  11th  September.  Please  note  that  the  earlier  start  time  for  this  will  be  at 6.45 p.m.  This  is  necessary  as  darkness  descends  early  as  autumn  draws  nearer, so  please  try  to  be  on  the  start  line  promptly  so  that  the  event  can  be  smoothly  conducted.

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