Ely 10k  :  Buntingford 10

There were Harriers entrants in the final two road races of 2004.

On the 27th December, Mark Billington, Vic Byer, Bill Billington and Liz Byer ran in the Buntingford 10. Mark was the first Harrier to finish in 76:28. Vic ran 79:33, Bill did 86:28 and Liz crossed the line in 97:10.

On the 31st December, Rachel Gilbert, Cathy Rogers, Steve Clarke, Steve Clarke and Martin Lambourne ran in the Ely 10k. Rachel who was running her first race as a Harriers did 45:24, Cathy finished in 45:36, Steve did 48:30, Nora finished in 51:01 (and won one of the age category prizes - well done Nora) and Martin ran 51:34.

Harriers Awards Night - 2004

Road Race Winners : Road Race Championship Positions : Discretionary Awards
Most Improved Runner : Club /Man Lady of the Year : Club Standard Awards
London Marathon Draw Winners : Race Marshalls London Marathon Draw Winner
 

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Bedford Harriers Half Marathon
(Sunday 12th December 2004

The Harriers put in some excellent performances in the Wootton Half. Deirdre Bethune set a new club best time (LV55) of 1:49:27 and Veronica Singleton, Emily Woodfield and Donna McEwen won the ladies team prize. Emily and Donna also ran pb's as did Andrew Moore, Steve Daniels, Charlie Hempstead, Peter Gillot and Kate Hipwood.

Well done also to Adam Hills, Lawrence Folley, Kevin McCulley, Paul Rayner, Janet Lehain, Stella Peace, Leigh Price, Nicky Pickering, Sharon Healey, Maria McBeth, Lyn Banks and Linda Wilding who all ran their first half marathons for the club.

If any Harriers times or pb's have been missed out, please let us know.

There was a record entry of some 1,600 runners for the Bedford Harriers Half Marathon. A new course and location, the race was a great success and grateful thanks must go to the many Harriers and friends who helped to marshal and contribute to the day. In particular, Race Director Steve Crane and wife Jutta, who over many months, put in a huge amount of work, time and effort to bring the race to fulfilment.

The race itself was won by Huw Lobb of Beds & County in a time of 1:09:45. Huw's had a great year to date. He was the 19th man to finish in this year's London Marathon in a time of 2:15:40  and recently won a respectable amount of money racing against a horse in a race. Nice one! The second man to finish was Steven Herring again of Beds & County in 1:10:30. (Steve ran in another Harriers race, the Oakley 12 last March and was the first man to finish in 1:05:53). The third man to finish was Colin Deasy on Coventry Godiva in 1:12:29. Colin recently won the Leicester marathon in 2:33:19 and the Stevenage Marathon in 2:35:32. He intends to move up to ultra-distance running (100k) next year.

The first lady to finish was Rachel Ross Russel of Notts AC in 1:20:03. We think its the first time Rachel has run in a Harriers event. The second lady was Jamie Felix of Serpentine AC in 1:22:49. Jamie was the third lady to finish in our Gt Barford Half Marathon last year in 1:23:37. The 3rd lady was Zoe Thornburgh of Wootton Road Runners in 1:24:32. Back in June, Zoe was the first lady to finish in the Colworth Marathon Challenge.

The mens age category prizes were:  MV40-Colin  Braybrook (St Albans) 1:20:30, MV45-Alex Rowe (Wesham RR) 1:13:49, MV50- Colin Arnold (St Edmunds Pacer) 1:17:49, MV55 - Bill Adams (Metro Aberdeen) 1:23:57, MV60-Mike Shipway (Woodstock Harriers) 1:25:42, MV65-Brian Daniels (Milton Keynes) 1:34:02.

The ladies age category winners were: LV35-Sarah Paradine (Unattached (1:30:24), LV40- Louise Waldman (London Heathside) 1:29:18. LV45-Sue Spong (Havering) 1:31:26, LV50-Janet Lake (unattached) 1:45:21, LV55-Rosemary Mustoe (Milton Keynes) 1:39:16,  LV60-Sandra Poole (Holme Pierrepoint) 1:52:33.

The mens team award went to Beds & County (Hum Lobb (1:09:45), Steven Herring (1:10:30), Thomas Burke (1:14:18).

The ladies team award went to Bedford Harriers (Veronica Singelton (1:33:30), Emily Woodfield (1:38:28), Donna McEwen (1:39:35) Well done girls!

The mixed team results will be announced shortly.

Harriers Running

Well over 40 Harriers ran in the race including quite a few who did Pb's and a number of others were running their first half marathon. Details of pb's will be added to the Harriers results shortly.

NB: The times of the first 769 finishers have been given so far. The  times of the remaining finishers will be added shortly.

Nene Valley 10
(5th December 2004)

Henlow 10
(24th November 2004)

The Henlow 10 is organised by the Royal Air Force and run as their 10m championship. Non-RAF runners are also allowed to compete. The Harriers did particularly well this year. Kevin Willett was the 7th to finish overall and the 1st civilian. On a hilly course, Kevin's time of 58:54 was a pb by some around six seconds.  Kerry Hamlin who has recently joined us, also did well. Kerry was the 3rd lady overall and the 2nd lady civilian in a new pb of 67:11. It was the fastest 10m time by a lady Harrier this year. Also running a new pb was Sophie Howman. Sophie's last 10m  was at Swineshead in September when she ran 79:14. Her Henlow time of 74:42 was a 4 mins 32 secs improvement on that. Well done also to Ken Toye (77:54) and Nora Haggart (99:36) who ran their first 10m races for the club.

Stevenage 5k Series (2)
(Tuesday 30th November)

Eleven Harriers ran in the second of this year's 3-race Stevenage 5K series. First to finish was Sean Newbury in 17:45. Graham King (18:39) and Mark Francis (20:36) ran their fastest 5k times this year (Mark's may have been a pb) and Jonathan Rook (23:02) and Graham Bufton (23:26) both improved on the times they ran in the series' first race. Donna McEwen (21:38) was just outside her pb. Well done also to Mark Ingledew,(22:24)  Liz Stockton (25:05), Jackie Dempster (25:21) and Judith Ingledew  (26:29) who all ran their first 5k's for the club.

PS: Still waiting for the official times for the Henlow 10 and the results from last Sunday's X-C at Wootton.

Henlow 10
(Wednesday 24th November)

It was a successful afternoon for the Harriers at the Henlow 10, a local race which doubles as the RAF 10 mile championship. Never an easy course, reports suggest it followed an new route this year with even more hills added for interest.

The first Harrier to finish was Kevin Willett in around 58 mins. Kevin's best 10m time to date is 58:59 so sounds like it could be a pb.  Kevin was also amongst the first ten to finish and won one of the MV40 prizes. (The club MV40 10m best is 58:33 which was set by Phil Barlow way back in 1987!)

The next two Harriers to finish were Kerry Hamlin and Robbie Burrells. Kerry, who has only recently joined us, was the 3rd lady overall in 66:58. It was a pb by around a minute and the fastest time by a lady Harrier this year. Rob, who was running his first 10 mile race for some time, also finished in 66:58.

No times yet for the other Harriers who ran including Chris Proud and Sophie Howman. The official times of all the Harriers will be put on the site as soon as available.

 Stortford 10
(Sunday 21st November )

Graham King, Avril Monmont and Larry Corkery ran in the Stortford 10. Graham was the 2nd MV50 to finish in 64:59, Avril ran 72:16 which was her fastest 10 mile this year and Larry finished in 92:42.

Going back to St Neots last week, belated congratulations to another group of Harriers who put in excellent performances but were omitted from the original race report.  The list includes Jackie Dempster who improved her pb by 8 mins to run 1:52:37, Peter Gillott who ran his first race for the club in 1:52:41, Nora Haggart who ran her first half marathon for the Harriers in 2:00:26 and Dennis and Nyree Hone who achieved  pb's of 1:38:52 and 2:09:24 respectively.

As usual, if anybody is missed of a race report, or their pb not mentioned, let's know at the Harriers email address; hello@bedfordharriers.co.uk

Stevenage 5k Series (Race 1)
(Tuesday 16th November)

Well done again to Donna McEwen who got another pb at the Stevenage 5k.  Donna's time of 21:30 was a 40 secs improvement on her previous best at Cranfield in July. Sean Newbury was the first Harrier to finish in 17:42, it was the third fastest time by a Harrier this year.

The Other Harriers finishing times were Steve Crane (23:19) - good to see Steve racing again, Jonathan Rook (23:40), Graham Bufton (23:42) and Malcolm McEwen (25:25)

New Club Best Time for Bob
(Sunday 14th November)

A belated well done to Bob Wells who established a new MV55 club best time for the half at the St Neots. Bob's time of 1:22:03 was an improvement of almost a minute on the previous best for the age category and distance of 1:23:04 which was set by Maurice Crook at Ramsey in June 1996. Bob's age graded time of 85.96% was also one of the highest ever recorded by a Harrier.

It was a good day for club best times at St Neots as Veronica also established a new one.

St Neots Half Marathon
(Sunday 14th November)

As road races go, the St Neots half Marathon (our half marathon championship) was probably as good as it gets!. Four men finished inside 1:20:00, over 20 Harriers ran pb's, a new club best time was set, the men cleaned up the MV40 awards and one Harrier ran one of our best ever age graded times

The first Harrier to finish and 11th overall was Tony Dadd in an excellent time of 1:16:37. Tony's run was a pb by 2 mins 37 secs. The second Harrier to finish and the 12th overall was Kevin Willett in 1:17:11. Kevin's run was a pb by 50 secs.  Third to finish and the 13th overall was Richard Dorman in 1:17:15 (also think a pb). Fourth to finish and 22nd overall was Morgan Walters in 1:19:03. Kevin, Richard and Morgan, won prizes for being the 1st, 2nd and 3rd MV40s to finish. Kevin also missed setting a new club MV40 half marathon best time by just seven secs. This is currently held by Morgan and stands at 1:17:05.

One Harrier who did set a new club best time  was Veronica Singleton. Veronica, who was the first lady Harrier to finish, ran 1:32:24 which was a new LV40 half marathon best by more than two minutes. (The previous best was also held by Veronica). The second lady to finish was Avril Monmont in 1:35:20 who ran her best half for a while and the third was Sophie Howman in 1:39:58 (Sophia's time may also have been a pb).

Among the many other Harriers getting pb's were Andy Sewell (1:22:05), Neil Lovesey (1:26:22 - Neil says he ran his fastest half for more than 20 years), Henry Downes (1:32:55), Derek Morrison (1:33:15), Ian Marshall (1:33:22), Michael De Cesare (1:33:34 - by 5 mins), Graham Short (1:33:37- by 1 min 42 secs), Kevin McPhillips (1:34:13), Gary Fuller (1:35:43), Jim Gannon (1:38:33 - by 4 mins 51 secs), Charlie Hempstead (1:40:27), Mark Billington (1:41:46),  Pete Chana (1:44:57), Bruce Mehew (1:48:39), Elaine Munday (1:53:14), Suet Lua (1:55:40), Bruce Richardson (1:55:41), Jane Sizer (2:06:50) and Val Bird (2:16:38).

(If anyone else did a pb and is not down, let's know!)

Finally, a special word of congratulations to Bob Wells who finished in 1:22:03. Bob's age graded time was 85.96% which, in addition to being the fourth fastest on the day, was also one of the best age graded times by a Harrier for many years. Well done Bob!

Stevenage Marathon & Half Marathon
(7th November 2004)

One Harrier ran in the Stevenage Marathon on Sunday and eight ran in the Half Marathon.

Running in the Marathon was Simon Bowden in finished in 3:30:44. Simon is in training for an ultra-distance race next year (@100 miles) and this was part of his build-up for it. His next race will be the Luton Marathon in December.

The first Harrier to finish in the half was Chris Proud in 1:31:52. Chris was the 4th MV50. The second Harrier was Henry Downes in around 1:37:00.(Henry's time has unfortunately been missed off the official results).  Next home was Donna McEwen in 1:42:12. This was Donna's first half marathon this year and was a pb by 5-mins. Chris Williams was next to finish in 1:50:47 followed by Elaine Munday in 1:54:05, Suet Lua in 1:56:56 and Andrea Ranson in 1:59:02. These were the fastest times this year by all three girls and again may have been pb's. Finally, and bringing up the rear in the race was Paul Hudson who finished in 3:07:15.

3-Counties X-C @ Wing
(31st October 2004)

The Harriers finished in fourth position in the first race in the 20004/05 Three-Counties X-C series at Wing. The seven Harriers men to score and their finishing position were: Morgan Walters (8), Kevin Willett (9), Matt Burgin (33), Bob Wells (50), Richard Piron (51), Andy Sewell (52) and John Gibson (90). The first three ladies to score were Avril Monmont (10), Cathy Rogers (11) and Donna McEwen (21).

It was a good turnout by the Club with 41 Harriers competing (one of the largest contingents). The next race in the series is at Wootton on Sunday 28th November.

Full Set of Wing X-C Results.

The Fenland 10
(31st October 2004)

The fastest ten mile time by a Harrier this year plus 3 pb's were some of the highlights of Sunday's Fenland 10. Tony Dadd set the fastest 10m time by a Harrier this year with a run of 57:49. It was the first time Tony has been under 60 mins for the distance. His previous best was 60:29 which he ran at Hemel in 2003. The second Harrier to finish was Graham King in 62:30. Graham is now starting to recover his form following a few injuries this year. Next Harrier home was Neil Lovesey in 64:53. Neil's time was a pb as was Steve Daniels who finished in 69:09. Finally a word of congratulations to Maria McBeth who completed her first 10 mile race in 103:38.

Abingdon Marathon
(17th October 2004)

A belated well done to Bob Wells who ran an excellent 2:56:52 marathon at Abingdon on Sunday 17th October.  Bob is a MV50 and only joined the club last week. Had he been a member when he ran at Abingdon, he would have broken Maurice Crook's 1992 MV50 club best marathon time of 2:57:49 which Maurice set at St Albans. Hopefully, Bob will be able to run some races for the Harriers.

2004 Road Race Championship

-Road Race Championship Positions up to 17th October-

With just seven weeks of this year's road race championship remaining, Chris Proud is the overall leader of the men's championship with 782.6 points from his ten qualifying races and Dee Bethune leads the women's championship with with 709.1 from her ten races. In second place in the men's race is Mike Barnard with 736.2 points from ten runs and in third place is Bill Billington with 721.5 points also from ten runs.

Following Deirdre in the women's championship is Suet Lua with 584.1 points from ten runs and in third place is Veronica Singleton with 519.5 points from seven races.

The highest average age graded performances per race so far are by Kevin Willett (79.3% per race), Chris Proud  (78.2% per race) and Veronica Singleton (74.2% per race).

Road Race Championship Update:

Abingdon, Ampthill & Biddenham
(Sunday 10th & 17th October)

Glad to say that the results from some recent races run by Harriers are starting to come through. First person to mention must be Charlie Hempstead who ran the Abingdon Marathon in 4:03:52. Charlie's time was an improvement of around 43 mins on his 2004 London marathon run of 4:46:23. Four Harriers also took part in Sunday's Ampthill X-C Trophy. The first to finish the 8k course was Alistair Fadden in 35:12. Rob Miller was just behind Alistair in 35:24 and was then followed by Jeanette Cheetham 45:29 and Colin Bennetts, who was running his first race back after an injury, in 51:49.

The results of the Biddenham 10k are now in. Fifty-five Harriers ran in the race and four more did the 5k run. The first to finish and the third man overall was Morgan Walters in 36:22. The second Harrier, and the 6th man overall, was Andy Sewell in a new pb of 38:17 and the third Harrier and 8th overall was Richard Piron in 38:54. The first Harrier lady was Donna McEwen in 45:07 . This was another pb for Donna this time by 17 secs. The second lady Harrier was Emily Woodfield in 45:40 and the third was Veronica Singleton in 45:48.

Phil Gray's Glenn Miller Run Report:

"A day for heroes as we were transported to a wild and windy Twinwoods Camp, near Clapham, home to Glenn Miller and a whole lot more. A series of races took place, including the main 10k event. Not for the faint hearted today as race time approached. I aided Richard and Brian with the Finish Area. I did manage to capture some Harriers in action and a familiar face from the past in the guise of ex- Harrier, Julia Philips, now residing in the South West of England. 12 noon as the runners addressed 3 agonising loops around Twinwoods Airfield, now turned over to farming. Morgan Walters, building on his good run at Biddenham last weekend, finished in 2nd place in 36:38.All Harriers went the distance on a wild day in more ways than one. All welcomed hot tea and refreshments. Not one to refuse a bargain, I was grateful for a hot dog with all the trimmings. Some time later, I welcomed a hot mug of tea in the tranquillity that is Belvoir Walk in Putnoe."

Phil Gray's Biddenham Race Report:

" A bright and breezy October morn as yours truly cycled from the heart of Putnoe to Biddenham and the annual jamboree that is the Biddenham River Run. Participants had a choice of two distances. While a few chose the 5K distance, the majority of the 500 field chose 10K. Good to see the Harriers Massive out in force, following the exceptional numbers at Standalone the previous weekend. Jack Keenan was doing a sterling job as PA for the day as he counted down towards the start at 11. A mute start as 500 left Biddenham behind to address their respective distances. Good to see Morgan Walters up with the leaders in the open metres. He did not let me down and duly secured a respectable 3rd overall and 1st Harrier home in 36:20. Andy Sewell and Richard Piron made up the first three Harriers on the day, while Donna held her position to beat Emily as 1st Harrier lady on the day.  Well done to all who went the distance on a magical day in Biddenham. A special  mention on a personal level.  My GP in the guise of Malcolm Dwyer did 51 for the 10K distance. A magical day was at an end as yours truly settled for lunch in The Castle"

Phil Gray

Standalone 10k
(Sunday 3rd October 2004)

There was a good turnout of Harriers at the Standalone 10k, the club's 10k championship race. Standalone is a hilly course though despite this, quite a few Harriers achieved pb's and many others ran their first race over the distance.

The first Harrier to finish and the 14th overall was Kevin Willett in 35:04. It was the 3rd time in the last four years that Kevin has won our 10k championship. The second Harrier to finish and the 16th overall was Richard Dorman in 35:29. Richard's run was almost a minute faster than his 2003 Standalone time. The third Harrier to finish, up from the sixth last year, was Mark Whiteman in 38:03. Marks' not been able to train as much as he would have liked over the last few months so this was a good run.

The first lady Harrier to cross the finish line was Sophie Howman in 44:26. A new member of the club, this was Sophie's first club championship win. Sophie's other runs this year were at Swineshead and the Embankment 5. The second lady to finish, just a minute later was Donna McEwen with 45:24. This was another pb by Donna, this time by around 15 secs. The third lady to finish was new comer Bev Cockings with 49:01. This was Bev's first race for the club.

Among the Harriers getting pb's were Rob Miller, Derek Morrison, Alex Rothwell, Bruce Mehew and Zoe Willett  (Let's know if anybody else ran one). Congratulations also to those Harriers who ran their first 10k race and also to Christine Armstrong who, following a knee operations, ran her first race for three years. 

Full set of Standalone results

Phil's Race Report

"An early start for yours truly as Monsieur Sutcliffe et al left Bedford behind and made our way to Standalone Farm in Letchworth and the annual jamboree that is the Standalone 10K. It would  also act as the Bedford Harriers Club 10K Championship for 2004. An incredible throng of bodies as nearly 800 prepared for the start. Good to see Bedford Harriers in numbers and nice to some familiar faces in the guise of Jackie Keenan and Kevin Willett. Kevin would have his own personal duel with another Harrier, Richard Dorman,  to settle the Club 10K Championship, while Zoe Willett would have her own personal duel with Suet Lua as start time approached. 10 a.m. as a loud hooter signalled the start of an incredible race. Kevin was in the second lead group with Richard Dorman, while Mark et al would battle out the various categories up for grabs. Sophie Howman would turn the tables on Donna on the day and finish as 1st  Harrier Lady, with Donna second.  Donna had finished ahead of Sophie at Swineshead. A cracking pace from the start as Kevin got the better of Richard and finished as the winner of the Club 10K Championship in an excellent 35.04, with Richard second and a jubilant Mark Whiteman making up the first three Harriers home. A number of pb's on the day including Donna, Derek and Rob Millar"

Phil Gray

British Rowathlon Series @ Thruxton
(Sunday 26th September)

Great performance by Cathy Rogers who was the 1st lady to finish in the British Rowathlon at Thruxton.

Thruxton was the 3rd race in the British Rowathlon 4-race series, the first two races being at Castle Combe in August and Reading earlier this month. Cathy had already won a mountain bike for her performance at Reading, and her victory at Thruxton, which secured first place overall in the series, will be rewarded with a trip to Amsterdam.

Jenny's Gt North Race Report
(Sunday 26th September 2004)

Harriers Gt North Results : Harriers Gt North Photos.

On Saturday 25^th September, approximately 30 Bedford Harriers, plus supporters, made the early morning start up the A1 to Newcastle. Organised by Steve and Lesley, the weekend promised to be every bit as good as last year, especially as we were to be staying in the Hilton. On Saturday afternoon, many of us watched the mile races around the Tyne. Great to see Kelly Holmes win again.

Sunday morning’s weather was perfect. A following breeze and not too hot. After dropping off the runners at the start, some of us (supporters) went in the coach to the finish area. I managed to gain a vantage spot right near the elite finish, and hopefully did a bit of advertising for the club, as me in my bright yellow Harriers sweatshirt appeared on T.V. a number of times. After watching the men’s world record broken, I took up a spot about 200m from the mass finish and was able to cheer in the Harriers and take a few ‘Action Photos’. First Harrier to appear down the finishing straight was Neil Lovesey, finishing in a time of 1.29.45. More Harriers started to appear, all very focused on the finish line just around the corner. Well done to Rebecca Pinney who was the first Lady Harrier to finish and also to Colin Gipson who beat his previous PB by 10 minutes, and to Val Bird who beat her PB by 5 minutes. All Harriers managed to finish the race, although there were a few people hobbling back to the coach. Full results are on the website.

The hotel pool and jacuzzi were taken over by many of us that afternoon. Apparently highly recommended as a post race activity. Tales of the race were regaled in a ‘lively’ Italian restaurant that evening and one or two souvenirs were ‘acquired’ on the way back to the hotel. Just look out for the new ½ mile sign at the Harriers Half marathon in December!

Many thanks to Steve and Lesley for organising the weekend. It just gets better every year – apart from the quiz on the coach which just gets harder!

Look out for a fuller report in a future edition of the club magazine.

Race report – Jen Lovesey

Berlin Marathon
(26th September 2004)

Many congratulations to Andy Sewell who ran his first sub-3 hour marathon in Berlin. Andy's time of 2:59:21 was a pb by around 5 minutes. Andy's splits were: 5 km 20:42, 10 km 41:17, 15 km 1:01:49, 20 km 1:22:57, half marathon 1:27:33, 25 km 1:44:02, 30 km 2:05:37, 35 km 2:27:17, 40 km 2:49:4.   Also running at Berlin were Chris & Jude Cottam. Chris finished in 4:16:48. No time yet for Jude.

Leighton 10
(26th September 2004)

Over at Leighton Buzzard, there were more good performances and also some pb's. The first Harrier to finish was Steve Daniels in 70:33. Steve's time was nine minutes faster than his only other 10 mile run at Hemel in March. The second Harrier to finish was Andy Purdy in 73:13 followed less than a minute later by Donna McEwen in 74:02. Donna's run was a pb's by some three minutes as was . Among the other Harriers setting new pb's was Bruce Mehew who clipped some 10 mins of his previous 10m best to run 82:53.  Suet Lua (86:46) and Andrea Ranson (88:49) also ran their fastest 10m times this year. Completing the Harriers participation at Leighton were Henry Downes (75:42), Vic Byer (79:50) and Liz Byer (95:10).

European Duathlon Championships
(26th September 2004)

Chris Proud took part in the European Duathlon Championships at Swansea. The event consisted of a 10k run, a 40k cycle and a 5k run. Chris's total time was 2:19:13. He finished in 10th position in the 55/59 age category.

The Embankment 5
(19th September 2004)

David Gitau of North Yorks Moors running club and Claire Peet of Beds & County were the first man and lady to finish in Sunday's Embankment 5. In a field of almost 300 runners, David finished in 25:35 followed 20 secs later by Daryn Castle of Milton Keynes in 25:53 and Rob Palmer of Luton AC in 26:55.

Claire Peet just managed to slip inside the 30 mins barrier finishing in 29:48. The second lady was Wendy Jones of Royston Runners in 32:01 followed by Kerry Hamlin of Ampthill & Flitwick Flyers in 32:09.

The male vets prize winners were: MV40 Stephen Kitchener (Leighton Fun Runners) 29:56; MV45 Richard Wood (Team Milton Keynes) 30:24; MV50 Martin Fowler (Wootton Road Runners) 32;34, MV55 Jim Stocker (Unattached) 32:39; MV60 Gerald Marsden (Royston Runners) 33:08, MV65 Anthony Cotton (BRJ Huntingdon) 34:48; MV70 Laurie Walsh (Unattached) 40:11.

The mens' team prize was won by Milton Keynes (Daryn Castle 25:53 - Ed Alexander 28:01 - David Glossy 29:13)

The ladies vets prize winners were: LV35 Samantha Tophill (Fairlands Valley) 32:30; LV40 Trudie Green (Wootton Road Runners) 33:28; LV45 Anick Valpinee (Milton Keynes) 32:40; LV50 Jackie Dempster (Bedford Harriers) 42:11; LV55 Margaret Chew (Stopsley Striders) 37:13; LV60 Phyllis Wilson (Weake Runners) 47:49; LV65 Ursula Duckworth (Beds & County) 44:43.

The ladies team prize was won by Beds & County (Claire Peet 29:56 - Emma Keech 34:57 - Rachel Cave 36:23).

Bedford Harriers Results:

39 Harriers ran in the race. The first to finish was Rob Miller in 31:40 followed by Graham Short in 33:17 and Steve Daniels in 33:38. The first lady Harrier was Donna McEwen in 35:33 followed by Sophia Howman in 36:10 and Janet Lehain in 39:34. Among the Harriers setting new pb's were Donna McEwen who clipped 5 secs of her previous best and Graham Short who improved his best time by 4 secs. If any other Harriers achieved pb's let's know.

The Jungle Marathon
(Friday 17th September - Thursday 23rd September)

How would you like to run on tracks & trails through the Amazon jungle in Brazil, covering 200km or around 125 miles in 6 stages over 7 days!

That's what Harriers Simon Bowden will be doing between Friday 17th & Thursday 23rd September. Simon, who is a veteran of around 20 comrades marathons in South Africa, describes this as being the toughest marathon in the world. Around 60 competitors from around the globe will take part in the race. Each runner  will be provided with bottled water by the organisers but will be  required to carry all their own food and gear for the duration of the race. At the end of each stage, runners will share occupancy on pre-erected Amazonian style campsites with hammocks. We're hoping to receive regular updates from Simon on his progress.

Robin Hood Marathon & Half
(12th September 2004)

Five Harriers ran at Nottingham on Sunday in the Robin Hood Marathon & Half. Running in the marathon was Bruce Mehew who finished in 4:22:19. Well done Bruce as we have no record of him running the distance before. Running in the Half Marathon were Andy Sewell who continued his Berlin Marathon training with a 1:25:19 (Andy's best half marathon time this year), Graham Short who finished in 1:35:19 which was a pb by 1 min 14 secs and Derek Morrison who finished just 10 secs behind Graham in 1:35:29. Jack Chana also ran in the half but appears to have been missed of the official results.

The Vitruvian Triathlon
(12th September 2004)

Richard Piron ran in the Vitruvian Triathlon on Sunday. Richard went under 5 hours for the Vitruvian ( which is very good) and won the MV50 prize. This was despite the 6.45am start, the howling wind and rolling hills. The race is run around Rutland Water.

Swineshead 10
(12th September 2004

No official results yet for the Swineshead 10 but quite a few Harriers ran and recorded good times. The first harrier to finish and third man overall was Morgan Walters in 60:36. The first lady overall on the day was Avril Monmont (no time yet) .Also running well was Donna McEwen who finished in 77:03 which was a pb by 1 min 35 secs. The times of all the Harriers running will be given as soon as available.

Phil Gray's report on the Swineshead 10:

"What a bright and breezy September morn in the village of Swineshead, venue for the annual jamboree that is the Swineshead 10. Good to see some familiar Harrier faces on the day, including Morgan Walters, who had travelled a long way, about 3 miles from Riseley actually. He would not disappoint on the day as start time approached. 11.30 as my camera cracked into frenzied action and captured the initial action as runners left Swineshead behind and addressed a demanding 10 miles that would conclude in the village about an hour later. Simon Bell was first home in 58 minutes, slighter slower than his winning time in 2003, with a Wootton runner in second, with 60:20, and Morgan Walters of Bedford Harriers third in a blinding 60:36. Morgan also secured first Male Vet on the day and a host of goodies, including a nice bottle of Merlot. Avril was first Lady and first Harrier lady on the day and first Lady Vet, with Donna not too far behind. It was also good to see a face from the past in the guise of Martin Green, former Bedford Harrier, who actually won the first running of this event in 1982 and returned a 66 minute time. It was good to capture the action on camera and Morgan was kind enough to secure refreshments in the guise of a welcome burger and all the trimmings. Thanks Morgan. Thanks to the Swineshead massive for an incredible day, to Steve Ball for transporting yours truly to the venue and to all Harriers who went the distance on magical day in the heart of Bedfordshire. Yours truly welcomed the sight of my secluded retreat in Putnoe"

Harriers Handicap Race
(Wednesday 8th September @ 7.00pm)

There was a good turnout of Harriers at our annual handicap race, which was run this year around Priory Marina. The race consisted of two laps of the Marina, a total distance of 4.46K

The first three men to finish were Laurence Folley, Thurston Plate and Ian Watson. Laurence started in Band I which had a 7.45 mins handicap and Thurston started in Band F which had a 4.45 mins handicap.

The first three ladies to finish were Bev Cocking, Carla Fisher and Jackie Dempster. Bev Started in Band F which had a 4.45 mins handicap and Carla and Jackie both started in Band J which had a 8.45 mins handicap.

Many thanks to all those who took part and also to all those who marshalled.

Harriers 1-mile race

There was an excellent turnout by the Harriers for Wednesday night's 1-mile time trial, an event which was run in commemoration of Roger Bannister's sub-4 minute mile. The times recorded of all those taking part, which seemed to be well over 100, will be pinned on the notice board and also placed on the website as soon as possible.

The race was run for a local charity and the total amount raised will also be made known.

Well done to Steve Gaunt for organising the night.

Cranfield 5
-Friday 13th August-

There was another good turnout by the Harriers for last Friday's Cranfield 5 and quite a few ran pb's.

The first Harrier to finish was Tony Dadd in 28:52. Tony's time was a pb by some 40 secs. The second Harrier to finish was Richard Dorman in 29:28 followed by Richard Piron in 30:39. The first Harrier lady to cross the line was Avril Monmont in 34:08 followed by Donna McEwen in a new pb of 35:38. The third lady Harrier was new member Stella Pearce in 36:18.

Among the Harriers setting new pb's were David Herincx, who clipped around 30 secs of his previous 5-mile best to finish in 34:38, Bruce Mehew who improved his pb by around 10 secs with 37:09, Elaine Munday whose 40:41 was a new pb and Kevin McCulley whose 40:55 was also a personal best.

Full set of Cranfield 5 results.

Other Weekend Events

Cathy Rogers and Chris Proud took part in the Castle Combe Rowathlon on Sunday. The event consisted of a 3k row, a 21k cycle and a 3k run. Cathy was the 1st LV40 to finish in a time of 1:05:41. Chris was the 2nd MV50 in 1:01:47.

The Blisworth 5
-Friday 6th August-

Over 40 members of the Harriers entered the Blisworth 5 (the club's 5 mile championship race), including a number who were running their first race for the Club. The evening was again successful with four Harriers winning age category awards and several other running pb's.

The first Harrier to finish was Kevin Willett in 28:13. Kevin has now won  all three club championship races run so far this year. The first lady Harrier to finish was Veronica Singleton in 34:30. Veronica has now won two of this year's championship races - the other being the Hemel 10. Both Kevin & Veronica won age category awards at Blisworth, as did Chris Proud who was the 2nd MV55 to finish in 31:21. (Chris's run was just 12 seconds outside the club's MV55 5-mile best time of 31:09 which set by Maurice Crook back in 1995.) Also running well was Bill Billington who was the 1st MV65 to finish in 37:15.

The second Harrier to finish on the night was Neil Lovesey in 30:59 (which was a pb), with the third Harrier home being Rob Miller in 31:19. Rob's time was a 25 secs improvement on his Colworth 5 run in June. Donna McEwen, who was the second Harrier lady to finish, similarly had another good race and clipped a further minute off her pb to finish in 36:09. 

Also getting a pb (her second in two races) was Laura Soady who finished in 46:56 (though 46:46) by her own watch. Laura knocked over 2 mins 30 secs off her previous 5-mile pb. Laura's other recent pb was at the Doug Anderson 5k.

If any other Harriers ran pb's at Blisworth let's know.

Phil Gray's race report:

I like to dream a lot and Shakespeare sums up my thoughts to the letter with the following, taken from The Tempest..  ' We are such things as dreams are made of..' It was certainly a night for dreams as the Harrier Massive left a sultry Bedford behind and addressed an eventful journey to Blisworth. You know the story, those that were there will tell you. A little before  7 the Harriers Massive departed the coach and made ready for the start at 7:30. Mike Barnard was doing a little bit of reportage prior to the main event and yours truly captured the Massive, one and all, near the Start. What a scene as over 300 plus runners left Blisworth behind to address what the entry form describes as ' an undulating 5 miles course....' I can vouch for that as Kevin again did did the business on the night in a stunning 28:13 to be first Harrier home, followed by Neil Lovesey and Rob Miller who won his personal duel with Chris Proud. Wow and double wow as Harrier after Harrier came screaming past and yours truly captured the action, now visible via the Harriers website. Loads of prizes on the night with Kevin, Veronica and Chris securing Vet Category Prizes. Refreshments were well deserved for one and all and some alcohol on offer. Well I never as the evening drew to a close as the Harrier Massive made its way back to Bedford and some much needed kip.

A tired but elated individual.

The Doug Anderson 5k
(28th July 2004)

There was another strong turnout in the second running of the Doug Anderson Memorial 5. Amongst the field, were over 70 members of the Harriers, a number of whom were running their first road race.

The first man to finish was Owain Matthews of Beds & County in an excellent time of 15:12. Owain's time was 36 secs faster than last year's winning time. The second man to finish was Richard Powell, also of Beds & County in 15:53. (Richard's time was 5 secs faster than 2003). The third man to finish was John Clarke of Ware Joggers in 16:20.

The first lady to finish was Jo Wilkinson, of Beds & County, in another excellent time of 16:53. Jo's time was over a minute faster than the winning lady's time in 2003. The second lady to finish was Michelle Maxwell of Beds & County in 19:54. The third lady was Veronica Singleton of Bedford Harriers in 20:30.

The men's age category winners were:  David Hall of Luton AC: 18:39 (MV40), Tony Thompson also of Luton AC: 17:40 (MV45), Bill Barrett of Stopsley Striders: 19:32 (MV50), Roger Wadeley of Biggleswade AC: 20:08 (MV55), Martin Leach of Bedford Harriers: 19:53 (MV60) & Adrian Randell (unattached): 30:44 (MV65).

The ladies age category winners were: Diane Gill of Milton Keynes AC: 21:24 (LV35), Kate Wallace (unattached): 20:59 (LV40), Dee Brockway of Luton AC: 21:00 (LV45), Jayne Partridge of Northampton Phoenix: 24:33 (LV50), Margaret Chew of Stopsley Striders: 23:04 (LV55) and Pauline Niilend of Charlotte Road Runners: 28:21 (LV60).

The team prizes were both won by Beds & County. Their mens team consisted of Owain Matthews (15:12), Richard Powell (15:53) & Jud Kirk (17:58). Their ladies team comprised Jo Wilkinson (16:53), Michelle Maxwell (19:54) & Emma Wright (20:40).

Harriers results:

71 Harriers took part in the race including a number who ran PB's. A new club best time of
25:10 was also set in the LV55 category by Jackie Keenan. The first Harrier to finish was Neil Lovesey in 18:26 - Neil's time was a pb by around five secs. The second Harrier to finish was Rob Miller in 19:09 followed just a second behind by Andrew Moore in 19:10. The first lady Harrier to finish (and the third lady overall on the night) was Veronica Singleton in 20:30; the second lady Harrier was Emily Woodfield in 20:55 and the third lady Harrier was Viv Kilgour in 22:25. Among the other Harriers getting a pb was David Gallagher who ran 21:41.

Well done also to those Harriers who ran their first race. Included here are Paul Rayner, Kevin McCulley, Sharon Healey, Nicky Pickering, Linda Wilding, Nicola Keir, Muneeb Magre, Adrian Tanner, Carla Mowbray, Diane Lines, Sian Roberts, Karen Heaume, Helen Shade, Margaret Sharman, Linda Payne & Helen Dodsworth.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Phil Gray's Race Report:

Phil Gray

The Tough Guy
(25th July 2004)

Ian Kingstone, Jack Chana, Dolores Wallis, Cathy Rogers and Dolores' brother Kevin all braved the unseasonable July weather to venture up to Wolverhampton and tackle the summer Tough Guy course, Nettle Warrior.  It lived up to the name but we all had great fun? Cargo nets, walk the plank, Battle of the Somme (ditches filled with a very strange mud and burning hay to run over), swimming around with a log on a muddy pool, minor electric shocks, concrete tunnels etc all after a winding and hilly cross country course that included the Ghurkha Grand National which was basically a big ditch that you had to go in and out of lots of times!  Not sure where all the mud came from or even if it was just mud as the course is based in a horse sanctuary!  We certainly faced our fears regarding the underwater bits and the rope walks at height (the stinging nettles below were there to break your fall!).  Al in all a good day out and one I'd recommend just for the sheer fun of it.  Finish times are not yet published but we all got around in one piece with a well deserved cup of tea or six at the end. Well done Tough Guys!

 Cathy Rogers

Milton Keynes Half Marathon
(25th July 2004)

Half a dozen Harriers ran in Sunday's Milton Keynes Half. The first to finish was Andy Sewell in around 1:26:40 closely followed by Stuart Bartlett. The times of all the Harriers running will be put on the site as soon as available.

Vauxhall 5
(4th July 2004)

Stevenage (3k) Relays
(Tuesday 20th July 2004)

The Harriers usually have a successful time at the annual Stevenage Relays and this year's efforts again produced a number of awards. 

The Vets A team of Kevin Willett (10;04), Richard Dorman (10:21), Neil Lovesey (10:47), Richard Piron (10:39) and Morgan Walters (10:09) did particularly well finishing their five legs in a combined time of 52:00 mins. They were the second vets team overall on the night and the 1st vets team from Bedfordshire. Also running well were the second men's vets team of Andy Sewell (11:30), John Shearer (11;06), Tony Parello (10:58), Steve Gaunt (11:18) and Mike Barnard (11:26) who completed their five legs in 56:18. (Their time would have been even faster had Andy not missed the starting gun by around 30 secs.) Despite this, they still collected a prize for being the third Bedfordshire vets team to finish.

Also picking up an award were the ladies vets team of Jenny Lovesey (12:21), Cathy Rogers (11:56) and Avril Monmont (11:56) who competed their legs in an excellent 36:13. The girls were the first Bedfordshire ladies team overall to finish and so picked up the Open County Award.

Well done also to the senior ladies team of Carla Fisher (12:53), Sheena Salah (12:55) and Emily Woodfield (12:05) who all took part in their first relays. They completed their three legs in a combined time of 37:53. The senior men's team of Sean Newbury (10:14), Alistair Fadden (10:44), Rob Miller (11:06), Andrew Moore (10:42) and Franck Monmont (10:35) similarly ran well and finished their five legs in 53:21.

St Ives 10k
(18th July 2004)

Jackie Keenan established a new LV55 club best time for the 10k at St Ives. Jackie's time of 51:07 was a nine second improvement on the previous best for the distance of 51:16 which was set by Deirdre Bethune at Weedon in June 2004. Jackie was also the 1st LV55 to finish on the day.

Neil Lovesey was the first Harrier to finish in the race in a time of 38:58. Neil's run is believed to have been a pb by around 10 secs. Also continuing to make a strong come back after injury is Donna McEwen. Following on from her pb in the recent Cranfield 5k, Donna improved her 10k best by around 2 mins 35 secs to finish in 45:25.

Also running well at St Ives was Avril Monmont who finished in 43:27 and Ian Marshall who ran his fastest 10k this year in 43:48.  Bruce Mehew (48:00), Jack Chana (51:07) and Andrea Ranson (56:36) were the other Harriers putting in good performances.

Full set of St Ives results.

Cranfield 5k
(9th July 2004)

67 Harriers ran in the Cranfield 5k, the largest turnout by the club for a race so far this year. Cranfield is a fast course and a number of Harriers achieved good times and ran pb's. Cranfield is also the club's 5k championship race.

The first Harrier to finish and the 1st MV40 overall on the night was Kevin Willett in 17:03. Kevin has now won the club's 5k championship at Cranfield in four of the last five years. The second Harrier to finish was Tony Dadd in 17:13. Tony's run was a pb by seven secs. The third Harrier to cross the line was Alistair Fadden in 18:21.

The first lady Harrier to finish was Emily Woodfield in 20:47. It was the first time Emily had run at Cranfield. The second lady Harrier was Viv Kilgour in 21:37 followed by Jenny Lovesey in 21:45.

The Harriers vets performed particularly well with Chris Proud, who is producing some excellent runs at present, being the 1st MV55 to finish in 18:59.  Chris won the M55 by 7 sec from Tony Simmons of Luton, who in the 1976 Montreal Olympics took 4th place behind bronze medallist Brendon Foster in the 10k. [Chris was also just seven seconds short of Maurice Crook's club best]. 

Also running well were Martin Leach whose 19:17 was a new MV60 club best time and Bill Billington, who clipped 4 secs off the Club MV65 best!  Bill was the 1st MV65 at Cranfield, but as Cranfield does doesn't present prizes for age categories over 55+, Bill left empty handed.

Among the Harriers who got new pb's (and that we know about) were Graham Short (19:24), David Herincx (20:22), Donna McEwen (22:10) and Lynn Short (32:27). Quite a few Harriers also improved their times over Cranfield 2003 including Tony Barnes (18:46), Andrew Moore (18:52), Paul Roberts (18:59), Mike Barnard (19:36), Derek Morrison (20:14), Alex Rothwell (21:30), Bill Billington (22:16), Larry Corkery (24:32) and Paula Hollowell (30:14).

Well done also to those Harriers who ran their first race for the club. Included here are Adam Hills (19:48), Steven Wallace (22:20), Paul Rayner (25:23), Kevin McCulley (27:50), Debbie Gilbert (29:13), Maria McBeth (30:49), Sarah Thurman (31:22) and Sarah Maddison (31:49).

 Full set of Cranfield 5k results

Phil Gray's report on the night

"A feast for the Gods awaited me as I picked up my hire car for the weekend. It was a spanking new Seat Leon TDI, with enough horses under the bonnet to start a riot. I used some of those horses as I sped along the A421 to Cranfield University and their annual 5k jamboree. It would also act as the Bedford Harriers 5k Championship and Beds AAA’s 5k Championship. Yours truly arrived a little before 7 as a few familiar faces in the guise of Bill T and Martin Leach came into view, along with a few more of the expected 500 participants.  What a night in store as my camera took a few stock images before the main event. I located at the 1k marker as 8pm signaled the start. It was a frantic start as Kevin and Tony Dadd flew past, the men clearly on mission from God, to quote the Blues Brothers for a minute. Harriers were here in force and it was good to see some of the beginners addressing the distance for the first time. A sea of yellow and black Harriers came past me as I took a whole load of images before locating near the finish of a magical 5k. Kevin held his position to finish in a fantastic 17.03 {1st MV40 }, with that man Tony Dadd not far behind in an excellent 17.15 and Alistair Fadden making up the 1st three Harriers in 18.20. Emily had a storming run to finish as 1st Harrier lady on the night. It was good to see Harriers excelling on the night, including a well pleased Graham Short, who slashed a massive 30 seconds off his 5k best to finish in 19.30 and good also to see and capture Zoë Willett in action as the other half of the Dynamic Willett  Duo. Well done to all who went the distance on the night as yours truly welcomed a burger and some welcome refreshments. Good also to see Harriers doing the business in the Beds AAA’s Championship, with Kevin Willett and Chris Proud among the many Harriers to pick up Beds AAA’S Titles on the night.  I left the proceedings a tired but elated individual"

Phil Gray

Milton Keynes 10k
(6th July 2004)

There were some good performances by Harriers at the Milton Keynes 10k, the final race in this year's 8-race East Midlands Grand Prix series. Pride of place goes to Larry Corkery who confirmed his position as the overall winner of his age group.  Though third at Milton Keynes, Larry was the first MV65 in finish in six of the other seven races and was a very deserved victor overall.

Also running well was Veronica Singleton (42:31) who was the 1st LV40 to finish and Chris Proud who was the second MV55 in 39:43.Jim Gannon also had a good run and clipped a minute and a half of his previous 10k best to finish in in 47:04. The first Harrier to finish was Rob Miller in 39:37. It was Rob's fastest 10k time this year.

The other Harriers running were Tony Barnes (40:31), Henry Downes (42:32), Alex Rothwell (45:30), Chris Williams (46:24), PW Brown (48:28), Charlie Hampstead (51:11), Donna McEwen (52:39) and Suet Lua (52:39).

Full set of MK10K Results

Maulden Multi-terrain 5
(4th July 2004)

Chris Williams Reports on the Maulden 5

Yours truly and Henry Downes had a day out in Maulden for correct me if I'm 
wrong ,the first running of their 5 miler. It didn't get started till 2 o'clock 
so plenty of time to get registered and have a look around the fete they had set 
up. It's a shame that they chose to hold it on the same weekend as the River 
Festival as I'm sure they would have got a better turn out but anyway back to 
the race, at a guess I would say that there were about 120-150 runners and that 
included maybe 8 harriers. In fact Rob Miller has started a new trend by wearing 
his vest back to front, can't see it catching on mate ! So 2 o'clock and we're 
off down hill and Cathy Rogers goes past me like Zola Budd on roller blades ! 
The race official told us it was an undulating course and to pace ourselves 
which turned out to be sound advice. In no time at all we're off the roads and 
into the woods, its very soft under foot with plenty of roots to trip you up and 
puddles to run around. Now I'm starting to wish I'd done a bit of hill work 
because they do not stop coming ! but as hard as it was ,it was a very enjoyable 
course, more like cross country then anything I'd done before. No mile markers 
no drink stations just hard slog. I finally got home in 41 minutes which I was 
quite pleased with ,Henry thought it was more then 5 miles but he did get sent 
the wrong way at the start ! I think everyone enjoyed this race and it's 
definitely one I'd do again, no good if you're looking for a PB but a very good 
work out and we got a medal and a T-shirt so no complaints from me for a change 
! well done to all Harriers who took part , that was a tough one ! 
Chris Williams. 

Rob Miller was the first Harrier to finish at Maulden in 33:58. Henry Downes followed in 36:16, David Herincx did 38:06 and Cathy Rogers was the 1st LV35 in 38:09. Other Harriers times included Colin Gipson in 39:04, David Gallagher in 40:48, Chris Williams in 40:54 and Elaine Munday in 44:00.

Race Reports: January to June 2004