Redditch Mid-Week MT race

Wednesday 14th June 2006

After a one year absence from Redditch, the Worcestershire mid-week series returned to an improved multi-terrain course in Arrow Valley Country Park. The new two lap course was easier to control and many runners complimented the marshalling afterwards. There was a good showing by the club members and officials, Dagmar's work colleague Tracy, Ian’s dad, his friend and Mick the Bobby! Thanks to Redditch Council, the undergrowth had been cleared from some of the wilder paths for the race (well done to Dave Kesterton and Gordon Hardy for organising that). There were even nicely mowed paths to follow in some places – a far cry from some of the route that was used in the trial run which been a nettle gauntlet a few weeks before. The competitors were also spared the muddiest stretch alongside the River Arrow as it was too atrocious (the race organiser’s mountain bike couldn’t cope with it and I’d got covered in the thick stuff when checking the proposed route)- instead they were directed on to the fast tarmac alongside the lake.

The course was intended to be roughly 10 km but was probably a bit longer than that as somebody clocked it as 7.2 miles with a GPS - OOPS! The dry but not too hot weather  was probably a factor in the good turn out by local runners. There were 92 finishers with particularly strong showings by Halesowen, Stourbridge and Kidderminster & Stourport. In the men’s race first and second places were reversed from the first race at Hagley with K&S’s Tom Kenderdine finishing nearly a minute ahead of Tom Owens, now running for Halesowen. In the women’s race, Halesowen went one better with Sally Spence finishing as first woman.

The need for marshals meant that B&R was unable to field many runners but Paul Atkins was first home team runner, finishing in 48-23 for 21st position. The longer distance and tougher course must have suited mid-week race regular Phil Richardson who took 34th spot in 51-47. The only B&R woman runner, Jane Hawkins making her series debut, was third woman and 44th overall in 54-23. Organiser Ian Keyte was still nursing his Achilles injury in the hope of being fit enough to run in Copenhagen on the following Saturday so had to sit this race out but should be congratulated on a successful event.

Results

1	Tom Kenderdine	K&S	39.49
2	Tom Owens	Halesowen	40.41
3	Bill Nock	Halesowen	41.59	M40
4	Matt Granger	K&S	42.03
5	Dave Turvey	Halesowen	42.28
6	Andrew Butler	Halesowen	42.54
7	Matt Raden	Stourbridge	43.26
8	Carl Harris	Halesowen	43.36	M40
9	Alex Morgan	Halesowen	44.06	M40
10	Nick Hazelwood	Halesowen	45.11
11	Andy Aston	Stourbridge	45.30	M40
12	David Daniels	Cobra	45.40	M50
13	Paul Durnall	Stourbridge	45.54
14	Tony Warner	Stourbridge	46.07	M45
15	John Hood	Cobra	46.29	M45
16	John Hill	Halesowen	46.59	M50
17	Peter Bevan	Droitwich	47.46	M45
18	Richard Guest	Halesowen	48.02	M40
19	Andrew Nock	Halesowen	48.07	M45
20	Sally Spencer	Halesowen	48.22	F40
21	Paul Atkins	B&RAC	48.23
22	Gordon Orme	Birchfield	48.35	M60
23	Ian Hopkins	Dudley K	49.03
24	Ian Price	Stourbridge	49.07	M40
25	Barry Thompson	Halesowen	49.18	M50
26	David Mole	Tipton H	49.35
27	Stuart Granger	K&S	49.54	M45
28	Dave Larkin	U/A	49.56	M40
29	Andy Sole	U/A	50.09
30	David Lloyd	Halesowen	50.31	M50
31	Louise Hey	Stourbridge	50.39	F
32	Bob Hopkins	Stourbridge	50.41	M40
33	Jonathan Jones	Stourbridge	50.45
34	Phil Richardson	B&RAC	51.47	M45
35	Ian Goodall	Merry Hill Striders	52.16
36	Christopher Pearson	Cobra	52.27	M50
37	Steve Phillips	Worcester AC	52.30	M50
38	Peter Lymer	Droitwich	52.39	M45
39	Tom White	Stourbridge	53.02
40	Michael Postin	Stourbridge	53.10	M45
41	David Sheppard	Stourbridge	53.31	M45
42	Mark Hawkins	K&S	53.46
43	Martin Willmott	K&S	53.59	M50
44	Jane Hawkins	B&RAC	54.23	F35
45	Mark Perry	Cobra	54.43
46	David Gould	Trail Running Ass	54.58	M50
47	Graeme Beavers	U/A	55.11	M45
48	Michael Deakin	Halesowen	55.19	M40
49	Clive Poyner	Reepham Runners	55.31	M40
50	John Taylor	K&S	55.38	M60
51	Mike Clackson	Amazing Feet	55.41	M50
52	Garry Postin	Stourbridge	55.49
53	Geoffrey Jones	Worcester AC	55.52	M60
54	David Hirons	Droitwich	56.03	M50
55	M P McDonald	U/A	56.16	M45
56	Garry Jones	U/A	56.27	M40
57	Jen Aston	Action Heart	56.29	F40
58	P McDonald	U/A	56.35	M40
59	Roger Russell	K&S	56.38	M60
60	Ray Bunn	Halesowen	56.43	M60
61	Phillip Payne	Cobra	56.48	M40
62	Paul Bennett	U/A	56.56	M40
63	Graham Amer	K&S	56.58	M50
64	David Vale	K&S	57.02	M50
65	Lesley Woods	Halesowen	57.16	M60
66	Ellie Hooper	Amazing Feet	57.18	F45
67	L Leeming - Latham	Stourbridge	57.26	M50
68	Pat Fletcher	K&S	57.34	F40
69	Kevin O'Malley	Centurians	57.59	M60
70	Liz Spooner	Stourbridge	59.11	F40
71	David Moss	Stourbridge	59.12	M40
72	Mark Pearson	Stourbridge	60.36	M50
73	David O'Toole	Stourbridge	60.50	M50
74	Steven Reece	Dudley & Stourbridge	61.37	M50
75	Brian Worthington	Birchfield	61.38	M50
76	Chris Harrison	U/A	61.46	M50
77	Gabriela MacKinnon	Halesowen	61.49	F45
78	Malcolm Birch	Halesowen	61.59	M45
79	Colin Upton	Cobra	62.04	M45
80	Sara Peace	U/A	62.15	F35
81	Ellen Ambrose	Halesowen	62.57	F45
82	Marion Bailey	Halesowen	63.36	F45
83	John Haynes	U/A	63.39	M40
84	Simon Richards	U/A	65.12	M45
85	Martin Wright	Droitwich	66.02	M50
86	Helen Keegan	Stourbridge	66.02	F35
87	Nicola Thorp	Stourbridge	68.29	F
88	Noel Sanders	Stourbridge	68.39	M45
89	Adele Farnsworth	Halesowen	71.28	F
90	Sonia Mitchell	Halesowen	73.29	F
91	Ingrid Cain	Stourbridge	81.20	F40
92	Jackie Thomas	Stourbridge	81.27	F50

(IK/PA 26-6-06)