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The Greensand Ridge
Relay is a 34.3 mile orienteering cross country race starting in Leighton
Buzzard and finishing in Northill. This year there was no fewer than 44
competing relay teams (6 people per team) and 21 nutters running it solo.
The Bedford Harrier SAS squad were looking to retain their mixed team
trophy after running it for the first time in 2013 achieving the course
record. This year it was ran by Gill Fullen, Dave Sharman, Steve Horton,
Anna Folland, Kirstie Meeten & Andy Palombella, meaning three changes to
the 2013 team.
After a few 'fairly' successful weeks of reccying, the day posed a new
challenge in the form of torrential rain and poor underfoot conditions.
Gill started the team off in Leighton Buzzard at 12:22pm in 34th position
(a start time and position calculated on a handicap based on age and sex
of each runner for each leg meaning each team should finish around 5pm)
unfortunately the handicap didn't factor in that we had a 'world champ'
running, meaning we could have tied both her legs together and she would
have still smashed it, that said and even despite the horrendous weather
and occasional stray cow en route, Gill finished her 5.5 mile leg in
38:05mins (women's course record) passing 7 teams handing the baton over
to Dave in 27th position.
Dave ran a superb 3.9 mile leg which had some of the more trickier
sections contained within it, he too obtained a female course leg record
in 28:21mins but despite protest was not allowed to accept it given he was
of course the wrong gender. Dave passed the baton over to Steve in Woburn
in 18th position after passing 9 teams.
Steve being super human (and allegedly on performance enhancing drugs this
year) was given the unenviable task of completing the longest leg of 9.1
miles across a number of different surfaces which after the downpour now
included amongst other things 'gravy', 'not quite dry cement' and
'marshmallow'. He skated through in a highly commendable 57:30 mins
passing no fewer than 13 teams and handing over the baton to Anna in 5th
place who was waiting patiently at Millbrook.
Anna who had unsuccessfully reccied the leg on a few occasions decided to
draft a Tring runner so closely she was able to see his tan lines. After
stalking him from almost start to finish on a very hilly leg, unselfishly
allowing him to open all of the 17 gates for her decided enough was enough
and showed him no mercy by dropping him like a stone in Malden woods. Anna
finished the 5.7 mile leg in 38:54mins passing 3 teams and receiving a
stalking caution from the local constabulary. She handed over the baton to
Kirstie in 2nd place who was taking shelter in an A6 lay-by.
Kirstie ,with an upset Tring team in tow, had to run against the traffic
down the A6 towards Clophill for the first 500 meters before crossing it
to join the ridge. Kirstie our very own pocket rocket raced her legs off
over the tricky 5.4 mile course. Her leg took her through Clophill and
then through some overgrown farmers fields. Most runners could be seen
coming over the field to the final changeover point but Kirstie in a
zeberdee like manoeuvre popped out of the corn field near Deadmans Cross
to surprise everybody and handed over the baton to Andy after completing
the leg in 38:04mins and maintaining the teams 2nd position.
Andy after seeing the race leader run into the distance a few minutes
earlier had to pass over the potentially lethal road at aptly named
Deadmans Cross with a worrying shout of "it's clear now if you're quick",
after avoiding that hazard set off in the 4.7 mile pursuit of the front
runner. Andy wrestled with his conscience as to whether to wait or not
after approaching a gate after passing a solo runner only 20 seconds
earlier, but decided the latter only to be hit with karma by slipping and
face planting into the next gate and gashing a knee. Despite the setback
and in the knowledge that Anna's homemade chocolate tiffin were being
hastily demolished by the rest of the team, Andy brought the baton home in
Northill in a time of 30:32mins in 2nd place.
The team finished the 34.3 mile relay in a commendable 3hrs 51mins 26
seconds a mere 1min 4 secs away from the record they set in 2013 and in
much worse conditions.
We would definitely recommend this very popular local race and hope next
year the harriers can enter more teams and maybe the odd lunatic solo
runner. To learn more about this race please visit the website http://www.smoc.info/GSRR/gsrr.htm.
This years Bedford Harrier SAS Squad roll of honour........
Fastest mixed team - 12:26mins ahead of the 2nd fastest mixed team
2nd fastest ahead of handicap time - 2 mins away from first place.
3rd fastest team overall
Leg 1 female record - Gill Fullen
Andy
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