Report by Sam Harper.
This Croft event started in August 2019 with Mark Paviour coming up with a challenging 2.4km route with 140m climb for the club.
Back then it was the time of covid restrictions and runners were set of in pairs to help keep the whole event covid safe.
Thank goodness two years have passed and we can now run with a mass start but this did leave the committee with a bit dilemma of how to time an event when the person with the stopwatch at the end point not being able to see or communicate with someone at the start (no phone signal and only very weak walkie-talkies).
We thought we had this cracked with Eric setting off at 6.45, meeting Tori at the finish line, where he would time the rest who were starting at 7.
Things didn’t quite go to plan in that I didn’t make it to the start point by 6.45 and Eric had already set off, without synchronizing any watches.
This led to a bit of a fraught start and a request from those who could to self time their runs to compare with Erics watch at the top. In the end it was not an issue as (it seems obvious now) garmin watches are all synchronised anyway, so setting off the pack at 7 worked out perfectly.
33 Croft runners took part in this race – a really challenging but short uphill climb, so that it’s suitable for all club members.
It made sense for Eric to be first off to help Tori on the finish line with the timing but it did mean that the race for the top places was perhaps not quite as it should have been. If Matt, Eric and Aiden had started together this would surely have pushed all three into faster times. This is not to detract from the times of the top three – Matt (9.35), Eric (9.58) and Aiden (10.06) all beating the previous course record of 10.40. Aiden’s time gave him the JM course record.
Other age group course records went to Andrew George (MV45 11.41) PB by 12 seconds, Bryan (MV80 22.47) PB by 57 seconds. Livvie Hayman took the JF record in 14.56, and Sue wood (FV65 18.20). Sue now holds the FV60 and FV65 records!
There were some very impressive improvements over the last couple years of running too:
Personal bests for Thea in 1min.46, Clare Preece 1.27, Bronwyn 1.21, Lisa Gray 60secs, Eric 42secs, Tim Jones 26secs, Liza 16secs, Roland 7secs.
The top 20 male and female times, together with the course age group records can be found on the club records page of the website
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone took any photos on Tuesday evening – too much faffing at the start by me and too much recovery at the end I think! Maybe next time!
| position | Runner | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Yapp (SM) | 9.35 | New course record! |
| 2 | Eric Apperley (SM) | 9.58 | PB by 42 secs |
| 3 | Aiden Yapp (JM20) | 10.06 | Debut |
| 4 | Andrew George (MV45) | 11.41 | PB by 12 secs |
| 5 | Dan Brazier (SM) | 13.21 | debut |
| 6 | Greg Jones (MV45) | 13.44 | |
| 7 | Stuart Austin (MV55) | 13.49 | |
| 8 | Thea Preece (SF) | 13.51 | PB by 1m46 |
| 9 | Lee Mardell (SM) | 14.04 | Debut |
| 10 | Tim Jones (MV55) | 14.18 | PB by 26 secs |
| 11 | Roland Preece (MV55) | 14.23 | PB by 7secs |
| 12 | Olivia Hayman (JF) | 14.56 | Debut |
| 13 | Emma Jones (FV45) | 15.01 | |
| 14 | Howard Verran (MV45) | 15.17 | Debut |
| 15 | Liza Austin (FV55) | 15.26 | PB 16s |
| 16 | Sam Harper (FV45) | 15.42 | Debut |
| 17 | Bronwyn Preece (SF) | 15.44 | PB by 1.21 |
| 18 | Oli Cameron-Swan (MV45) | 16.01 | Debut |
| 19 | Flora Gunner (FV55) | 16.06 | Debut |
| 20 | Gary Gunner (MV75) | 16.30 | |
| 21 | Robert Martin (MV60) | 16.30 | Debut |
| 22 | Lisa Gray (FV50) | 16.53 | PB by 60 secs |
| 23 | Huw Williams (MV60) | 17.31 | Debut |
| 24 | Steph King (FV55) | 18.11 | |
| 25 | Sue Wood (FV65) | 18.20 | |
| 26 | Clare Preece (FV50) | 18.20 | PB by 1.27 |
| 27 | Carol Powell (FV50) | 18.46 | Debut |
| 28 | Hayley Colebatch (FV35) | 19.34 | Debut |
| 29 | Theresa Jones (FV50) | 19.40 | |
| 30 | Tom Davies (MV70) | 19.57 | |
| 31 | Frank Luscott (MV65) | 20.11 | |
| 32 | Bryan Markham MV80) | 22.47 | PB by 57 secs |
| 33 | Alison Apperley (FV55) | 23.26 | Debut |
