Kenilworth Runners

AAA Mem. No:

M2402AWA

Race Results - for October 2002

Sunday 6th October	BUPA Great North Run
Saturday 12th October	Worcester Beacon 6 Mile
Sunday 13th October	Bells of Pattingham
Sunday 20th October	Blenheim Palace 10K
Monday 28th October	Dublin Marathon.

06/10/02 - BUPA Great North Run

Forsome the lure of the North East is too much! Six members made the annual pilgramage to Newcastle for this point to point half. With some 47,000 entries, Kenilworth have a bit of catching up to do - mind you it would make for an interesting start!

Martin Dorrill was the first home in an official time of 1:18 (Watch time 1:17:33) and 101st! Despite starting some 5 yards behind the elite group it still took him 6:30 for the first mile. Tom Dable started alongside Martin, but eventually finished in 1:33. Pauline Dable crossed the line in exactly two hours. This was the first time that they have run this race(!) Tom took 30 secs to cross the start line and had a fairly clear run. Pauline started with two work colleagues who had never run a half marathon before. It took them 7 minutes to cross the start line and although overtaking for the whole of the distance was not able to actually 'race' due to the volume of competitors.The Greenhalf family almost kept it together, but dad, Richard broke away near the end to finish in 1:45 whilst Ross managed 2:05 and Zoe 2:07

12/10/02 - Worcester Beacon 6 Mile

Five members travelled on Saturday to Malvern in Worcestershire to take part in the annual 6 mile hill race brilliantly organised by Worcester AC club. A old notice outside the race headquarters shows that this race has been in existence since at least 1887 when the winner received 9 casks of ale for his efforts! No doubt he was not in any condition to run again after consuming such a prize. This year that prize was not on offer but each finisher received a nice medal for their efforts. The Worcester Beacon Hill Race is a race that generally attracts runners who welcome the daunting prospect of an unrelenting climb followed by a sublime chase down hill to the finish line. This race offers this challenge in full with a steady pull up through the wooded sides of the Malvern Hills above the Town to meet the long gruelling track up to the summit of Worcester Beacon which stands at 1340 feet above sea level. The race returns via the most northern Malvern hill with superb views over Worcestershire all the way as a reward for the earlier effort of the climb. All five Kenilworth Runners had good runs with Tom Dable leading them in with a fine run of 56.00 minutes. He was followed by Richard Greenhalf (59.47), Mick Morris (70.08), Colin Bricher (72.00) and Pauline Dable (73.00). Whilst the conditions were similar to those in 2001 and the course identical each runner improved upon the previous years time with Tom and Mick knocking a hefty 4 minutes of their times.

Richard, Pauline, Tom & Mick after the race - and not a cask of ale in sight!

13/10/02 - Bells of Pattingha

The race was originally started in the late 1980's to raise funds to restore the bells of Pattingham Church (Black Country), which had not been rung for many years. The race starts in field adjacent to the village church and is now entirely on the country to Patshull and back. Some challenging climbs with the last mile uphill when the runner is welcomed to the finish by the ringing of the church bells, a cup of tea and a piece of Christmas Cake.The race attracted nearly 700 runners and 650 plus finished.

Tom Dable 52mins 46 secs; Ray Wilson 54 mins 56 secs; Pauline Dable 66mins 03 secs.

20/10/02 - Blenheim Palace 10K

Mike Johnson made the short trip down to Blenheim for this race and ran away with it! His time of 33:25 was good enough to win by a comfortable margin on the undulating course. He was challenged for the first 8K before pulling away to win by over 10 seconds. His prize, apart from the medal was 6 months free membership to a local health club! So we might not be seeing much of him for a while!

28/10/02 - Dublin Marathon

On a cold dry Monday morning in Dublin Sam Kincaid joined over eight and half thousand runners in The Dublin Marathon an annual event that attracts top runners from all over the World and in particular from Canada and The USA. This was Sam's fourth marathon and he was under pressure to repeat his achievement in the other three by finishing inside the magic three hour limit! The 26 mile 285 yard course starts outside Trinity College in Dublin going over Balls Bridge and through Terenure and Kilmainham to reach the pleasant surrounds of Pheonix Park at the 19 mile mark. Here there is a long hill that can be cruel to leg muscles after that distance but Sam continued smoothly along the North Circular Road and then O'Connell Street and so to the finish outside Trinity College.

Sam need not have worried about his target for he was well inside the three hour time with a run in 2 hours 52 minutes and 22 seconds to give him 107th position in amongst some top class runners and four marathons, four sub three hour finishes - hard to beat! His half marathon split times showed how well he ran for he completed the first half in 1 hour 24 minutes and 42 seconds and the second in 1 hour 27 minutes and 44 seconds which is powerful running indeed.