Abbey Dore Summer league

Race Reports

Abbey Dore is quite a long way to travel for Croft runners but there were still a very respectable 21 of us on Wednesday evenings race.

As with all of the summer league races, this is not an easy one. The start across the first field is gentle enough but with a bit of a camber is not easy on the ankles. Before you know it there is a steady uphill onto the common and I am not sure how on these races there can be so many up hills and so few downs when the start and finish are in the same place! The end is a particularly tough meadow finish – the finish line is in sight as you come into the field but there is a steep decent followed by a very steep uphill, just to be repeated again to the finish line. However, hills are what we Croft Ambrey runners are good at and I am sure I am not the only one who managed to pick off a few runners in the final half mile.

As always, I was quite a long way back from the front runners and find it difficult to comment on how the lead pack race went, but I think that it must have been a hard fought battle for second place as Mark Lamonby  was just ahead of Sam Mayglothling of Wye Valley at the top of the first meadow hill (as seen on Hayley Millichap’s photos on the facebook page), but just behind him across the finish line.  It was good to see Stacey back running after his recent illness, which would have put less fitter runners out of action for a few months I am sure, he was the next Croft runner home in 6th place. Third Croft home was Dave George in 16th place. Irina ran a great race to finish second lady behind Laura Tootle of Wye Valley. Emma was close on her heels to finish third lady and complete the Croft team to come in second place to Wye Valley Runners who are holding on to the top spot.

The rest of the croft runners did us all proud, look at the determination as we push for that uphill finish line.

Running photos are not the most flattering are they?

So to the final race in Shobdon next week. Will there be an advantage to running so close to home? As it is our race to organise, can anyone who is not planning to run please get in touch to help out, most likely with marshalling or refreshments?

 

 

Comment on this article

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.