Captain’s Report – February 2020
Captain’s Report – February 2020
A quick look back at February, when normality was a thing.
The month got off to a flying start, with Harriers attending 4 different races on the mainland, as well as a massive turnout to our own Ryde 10m, all in the first weekend. With excellent overall and age group positions obtained in Ryde 10m, resulting in good Men’s & Ladies’ team rankings in the HRRL.
This was followed by the last of the HXCL fixtures at Popham Airfield, on a course that considerably dryer than our own cross-country races.
Then to round off the month, Harriers attended 10km & Half Marathons in Winchester, Brighton & Wokingham, with the men all placing very high in the latter.
Results for Arc of Attrition winter 50m 1st February
(Travel Sponsored by Wightlink)
Sasha Levrier 14:43:33
Arc of Attrition 50 miles…Minack Theatre to Porthowan.
In February, before the current Covid-19 situation locked down racing in the UK Sasha Levrier of Ryde Harriers competed in the Arc of Attrition 50 miles ultra-run. Starting a race you’d forgotten you’d entered with a finish and three course cut-off times over 50 miles of very hilly Cornish costal path doesn’t inspire confidence and Sasha started the race thinking she wouldn’t finish.
The race didn’t start well for Sasha with tight calves and numb feet leading to a slow start from Porthowan to the first time check at Pendeen. First cut-off time beaten it was a hard slog to St. Ives through the mud and bog of the coast path. Over this terrain it’s difficult to get a rhythm going with the wind and despite the blue skies recent, continual heavy rain had led to very muddy, treacherous running conditions.
After not looking at her watch on this section Sasha was very surprised and pleased to hit St. Ives again within the cut-off time. Now believing she could do the full 50 miles a quick change of shoes and clothes and Sasha was off to the section around Tonhayle and through the ‘dunes of doom’ (this sandy terrain made more difficult by having 26 miles already in the legs). Despite this Sasha hit the next checkpoint at Godrevy within the cut-off and after a quick kit sort out was ready for the final section.
By now it was ‘chucking it down’ and the added wind chill was making conditions ‘bitter’. A lack of nutrition combined with the downhills turning into mudslides left Sasha with a few hairy slides, a broken walking pole. At this point nutrition is whatever you can find in your ruck-sack even if it does taste like cardboard, so a sausage roll later she was into the final section and finishing in 14hrs 43mins and 33secs for the 51.5 miles.
Considering she didn’t expect to finish Sasha said she felt ‘Frazzled but on Cloud Nine and what a start to the year’.
Results for Chichester 10k 2nd February
(Travel Sponsored by Wightlink)
Jake Brougham 00:34:29
Steve Brougham 00:42:32
Results for Longleat 10k 2nd February
Sue Clerkin 01:22:47
Results for Portsmouth Coastal Half Marathon 2nd February
Matthew Jacobs 01:36:51
Results for Ryde 10m 2nd February
(Travel Sponsored by Wightlink)
Joe WADE 00:55:13 (1st Overall)
Gary MARSHALL 00:58:24 (3rd Overall)
Dave HUNT 00:58:45 (4th Overall)
Charlie METCALFE 01:04:16 (2nd Lady, 1st Vet 40)
Trevor MCALISTER 01:06:40
Bryan JONES 01:06:49
Leslie CUPIS 01:07:41 (1st Vet 55)
Richard MELVILLE 01:08:32
Ken OATLEY 01:10:25
Nigel ELDRIDGE 01:12:17
Graham GARDNER 01:13:11
Alex ROBERTSON 01:13:56
Peter WILMOTT 01:14:36
Jodie WILMOTT 01:14:37 (3rd Vet 35)
Harry FURMIDGE 01:15:00
Craig ROBINS 01:15:41
Scott BRADLEY 01:19:04
Andrew LEWIS 01:19:03
Richard BULMER 01:19:07
Dominique NOYCE 01:20:12
Simon JOY 01:20:13
Graham SKELLEY 01:21:03 (3rd Vet 65)
Ken BEAK 01:22:19
Sarah PEAKE 01:22:26
Cordelia DEWEY 01:22:48
Claire ANGELL 01:23:35
Jo STEVENSON 01:26:06
Tracey DILLON 01:26:28 (3rd Vet 45)
Elaine PARRY 01:28:02
Emma WHEELER 01:28:14
Nick HERBERT 01:28:25
Samantha FANCOURT 01:28:07
Sally ROBERTS 01:28:52
Bridget LEWIS 01:29:43
Mark WRIGHT 01:29:48
Natalie ROSE 01:30:11
Linda SPENCER 01:33:35
Keith RUTH 01:33:58
Scott STILLWELL 01:35:12
Brian WARREN 01:35:19
Rosie ELDRIDGE 01:35:50
Caroline DALL-WHITTALL 01:35:43
Carolyn WARD 01:36:08
Lance SMITHSON 01:36:13
Lisa ROBERTSON 01:38:01
Diana SWYERS 01:38:27
Rachel REYNARD 01:38:55
Alison CRITCHLEY 01:41:43
Robert SOMERS 01:42:33
John NORTON 01:43:07 (2nd Vet 75)
Reniera O’DONNELL 01:43:14
Melanie JAMES 01:43:15
Kate COUCH 01:44:03
Michelle MARTIN 01:47:38
Sarah PROBERT 01:47:38
Pippa SHARP 01:47:53
Joanne BEAK 01:47:56
Carole BARRY 01:51:29
Craig WHITE 01:54:20
Louise WILCOCK 01:57:25
Kath LEVRIER 01:57:32
Beth HOLLOWAY 02:03:51
Gabbie GINN 02:04:50
Results for Popham Airfield, Basingstoke HXCL 8th February
Women’s 4m
Samantha Fancourt 00:31:05 87th
Claire Campbell 00:31:52 100th
Natalie Rose 00:33:53 113th
Men’s 6.3m
Trevor McAlister 00:41:44 127th
Nigel Eldridge 00:44:54 167th
Ken Beak 00:49:21 200th
Results for IOW XC Championship 16th February
Well attended by 65 runners, 21 Harriers
Results for Arthur Biggs XC Handicap 23rd February
Well attended by 38 runners, 16 Harriers
Results for Wokingham Half 23rd February
(Travel Sponsored by Wightlink)
Joe Wade 01:08:01 (3rd Overall)
Dave Hunt 01:16:43
Jake Brougham 01:17:34
Results for Brighton Half 23rd February
Alex Robertson 01:39:33
Results for Winchester 10Km 23rd February
Sue Green 01:07:26
