This race on the doorstep is a cheery favourite amongst many in the club, with the appeal been building for quite a few months there is a significant Stilton Striders contingent running today. Only fatigue to Andrew Bentley and injury to Simon Bottrill keep them from joining the mass of blue and white, there is a strong contingent of Striders out in support though.
With a much more appealing run through the village rather than hitting the stile in the first 400m the race is greatly improved, Mike Bryan goes off like a scolded cat throughout the village just to prove he can stay ahead for at least a while of eventual race winner Tim Hartley. The initial climb up to Bluebell woods doesn’t get any easier, three of us had run a fell race the previous day and it did show a bit in the legs of the young and ever improving Luke Egglestone, I’m trying to keep Greg Pettingill in my sights that’s my sort of plan. Thought Michael Atton had gone off too quick as he`s breathing hard on the uphill, nope he had an awesome paced race, kicked on superbly through the wood section and then began troubling Greg for the rest of the race.
I spent most of the race either looking at Greg in front or wondering how far away the Stilton legend Mick Stevens is behind me, that I passed him in the last 1k and seemed to be cruising only to see him go past me in the last 40m of the race, darn. Have to admit the finish is way better with the straight route to the finish instead of doing that silly loop.Great event, we all seemed very cheery after (Could’ve been the beer) and throughout, special mention to John Houghton`s number which apparently is being framed.
See you next year! [Rob]
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Mike Bryan – 45.56;
Greg Pettingill – 47.44;
Michael Atton – 48.03;
Mick Stevens – 49.05;
Rob Beers – 49.06;
Luke Eggleston – 49.31;
Dan Valencia – 50.58;
Andy Nicholls – 52.24;
John Houghton – 53.37;
Nicholas Smith (representing first claim club, Stamford Striders) – 54.02;
Danny Casey – 55.49;
Tony Allen – 57.13;
Louise Houghton – 57.32;
Ben Pickard – 57.33;
Lloyd Willett – 59.09;
Celina Silver (representing first claim club, Stamford Striders) – 1.06.15;
A special mention must also go to Nicholas and Celina for bringing over a huge number of runners from their first claim club, Stamford Striders.
