Runners just won't trust the timekeepers

The embarrassment continues!!  But we can deal with it!  Our magnificent ladies, even minus Sarah Keast with illness, still filled the first two team positions.  Okay, the other top three teams all had at least one of their best runners missing but suddenly, from being the club which couldn’t afford to have anyone absent, we’ve developed excellent strength in depth.
Our men weren’t too far behind, winning the men’s team, with the “B” team clinching 4th place.

Jo, winning her 13th consecutive Grand Prix race
 
Jo Friday took the women’s race by the scruff of it’s neck, to win very comfortably by nearly 5 minutes, running close to 4 minutes quicker than her winning time last year.  She’s still flying!  To get it in perspective she would count in any other clubs’ men’s team and would be first in for over half the Cornish clubs!  Donna Hillman cruised around in preparation for London, to place 5th (and win the V35 section) and Suzy Bosustow had a blinder to push Donna all the way and finish just 2 seconds down in 6th (2nd U35).  She also won the prize for the first local female finisher, running almost 6 minutes faster than last year.

Donna, followed by a giant and Suzy
and that's the long and short of it!

Emma Stallard would have been happy with her run (8th in 1.10.06) but for Suzy beating her and it’s good to see the girls pushing each other to perform better.  She was also 2nd V35 and was 4th scorer for the winning women’s team.  Sarah Jarvis made a welcome return to action and ran very well, even if it was a bit over-distance to come 11th lady in 1.12.08 (3rd U35), with Katherine Burgess proving what a great asset she is to the club with a fine 14th position in 1.14.28, talking over a minute off last year’s time. 

Prize winners all.  Post race smiles from just a few of our leading ladies

We were waiting anxiously for our other girls and Jenny Evans just held off Caroline Chesterfield to place 20th lady in 1.19.24 to Caroline’s 21st, 15 seconds later.  This, as we later discovered, sealed our “B” teams 2nd place overall – a great result girls.  Keep them coming.

Great to see Caroline back in the fold again

One for the future came in next, with Charlotte Hurst making use of her injured dad’s number (and probably wishing she hadn’t on the long drag back up to Culdrose!) and coping well with the distance to place 253rd overall in 1.30.08.  Just behind, Lynette Torr went well, despite not feeling 100%, to place 3rd V55 and 275th overall in 1.32.52.

On the men’s side, we dominated up front, with our scoring 6 all finishing in the top 10 places.  Shaun Milford (Newquay RR) won the race comfortably, getting away, after a few efforts, at 3 miles.  Behind, Jon Keast had probably his best ever race to overtake Dave Buzza with 3 miles to go and hold a 7 to 8 metre lead with 800m to go, when they were both told to do a U turn, costing both a few seconds but Jon more than Dave.  Dave pushed on guiltily and thought about letting Jon past but thought he would have prevailed anyway so didn’t!  Sorry Jon!  Anyway, Jon will be chuffed that his London preparation is going so well.  He ran over 90 seconds quicker than last year, despite the confusion and the heavy legs from all those miles, to finish in 58.29 for 3rd and 1st U40, 10 seconds behind Dave.

Matt Lewis was also having a stormer, finishing in his best ever Grand Prix position in 4th, some two minutes faster than last year and 2nd U40.  Adrian Ball had a great run so soon after his superb 2nd in the “Duchy”, defying advice from the brains trust (well it is only me and Alan R, so understandable!) not to run.  He was 7th and 2nd Vet 40, just behind a couple of his usual Grand Prix rivals and beating another, to improve his 2nd place in the Grand Prix overall and clock 1.00.49.  Then came the battle to finish in the scoring team of 6, with our two ex-footballers fighting it out to the line, with Steve Wherry just taking 9th by a whisker (though given by a second) in 1.02.02 (he was also 3rd V40) from Shaun Tozer, who made a welcome return to colours and brought the “A” team home 1st, 7 seconds ahead of  an off-colour Noel Kindon in 11th, who, despite leading the race in the opening stages, appeared to be suffering from early on.

Marathon man Adrian straining every muscle

Shaun and Steve having a real dog-fight,
as they approach the finish

Dave Angilley is still getting fitter by the week and, despite losing a place due to an all too common marshalling error near the finish, placed 15th in 1.03.44, over 3 minutes quicker than 2007.  Paul Chesterfield, rivalling wife Caroline for a Lanzarote generated tan of the day (a disappointing effort from the Torrs this time!), is getting back into the running again and placed 23rd in 1.06.04 (4th V45), with Jeff Houghton nearly 5 minutes faster than 2007 in 1.07.06 for 29th overall  showing that his longer Sunday runs are paying off).

Paul enjoying the suuny conditions

Ken Curtis is looking lean and mean and took over 3 minutes off his time last year, clocking 1.08.42 for 42nd, coming past a crocked Jason Pascoe late on (43rd in 1.08.58 and suffering from whiplash from a surfing accident on Saturday!).  Jason did have the consolation of bringing the “B” team home in 4th place, though I’m not sure that will lighten his mood much!

Ken - captions invited please

Phil Bolt ran a steady race for 49th in 1.09.32 and beat in a very fit Adrian Mutsaers who clocked 1.10.12 for 57th and is looking good for London.  Neville Witham was consistent  as ever with 62nd overall (5th V50) in 1.10.31, with new recruit Steve Opie showing a good turn of speed, clocking 1.15.22 for 112th.  Pete Torr was 33 seconds behind in 118th and Tony Shaw went well after his first marathon at the “Duchy” with 1.16.41 for 125th. 

A blistered but successful debut for Steve

Tony, another marathon man returns to competition

Viv Bray was his usual cheerful self, despite the absence of injured Graham Storer (!), placing 139th in 1.18.06 and Norris Kington was back to form with 1.26.56 for 2nd V65 and a fine 229th overall out of  427 finishers.

An extra mention goes to Sarah Jarvis who joins the ranks of our late birds (Daves A and B plus Jason P), by phoning at 09.30 from Perranporth to ask what time the race started after not putting her clock forward!  She still made the start comfortably!

Yes, this is Sarah, finishing with time to spare