HRLL Alton 10 and Woodland Woggle 10k

HRRL Alton 10

A huge turn-out of forty-one Farnham Runners helped the club to secure an amazing set of team results at the Alton Ten, the ninth of twelve Hampshire Road League races. Each of their six teams took the top spot in their respective divisions which must be extremely rare for any club in the league. The ladies A team were first in A division one for the very first time. Four from the club were among the prize-winners, while ten gained top ten age group positions, even some for whom this was their debut at this distance.

Sunny and warm conditions enhanced the scenic but challenging, hilly route which wends its way out from Alton through Holybourne to Binstead and Blacknest before returning along more country lanes via Isington.

Fifteenth of almost 500 finishers was star Farnham Runner, James Clarke, ninth senior man in 1 hour 2 minutes 17 seconds. Second M50 in an impressive 1:04:15 was Matt Saker who only just got the better of fellow prize-winner, third M50, Andrew Ellison in 1:04:19. They were 30th an 31st overall. David Roy was delighted with a personal best of 5 minutes in 1:05:15, as final scorer for the A team. This team now has a 12 point lead on second placed Andover Runners and promotion to the top flight for next season is almost guaranteed.

Comfortable in B division one is Farnham’s B squad, lying tenth of 15 clubs.

At Alton the B team was led in by Charlie Hill-Venning in 1:05:19, placing him 14th in the M 40 category. Not far back was Harvey Wickham in 1:05:59, 16th M40. Newcomer Simon Carson-Jones made a valuable contribution in 1:08:17, while Mark Maxwell took a new PB by 8 minutes in 1:09:02.

John Hill-Venning headed the C quartet in 1:09:13, followed by Charles Ashby in 1:10:47, Neil Ambrose in 1:11:40 and Mike Taylor in 1:12:01. This ranks them 7th of 19 clubs in B division two. New member Phil Hames in 1:12:16 in his first ten miler and men’s captain John Phillips in 1:12:31 were not far behind.

The ladies were over the moon about their success in division one. One club, hosts Alton Runners, scored even better but they are in division two. It was Louise Granell’s first ten miler and yet she came in as 9th lady and 4th in the senior lady category in 1:14:10. Sarah McCulloch gained a new PB of 1:16:43 to take the second F50 prize while Linda Tyler, just two weeks after the London marathon and 4 weeks after Boston, clinched the first F55 prize in 1:18:08.

Again two weeks after running in London was Emma Pearson who led in the B trio in 1:19:16 as 6th F45. Emma Russ and Eloise Stradling clocked 1:21:41 and 1:22:14 respectively. They boosted the B team placing up two to 10th.

Jane Georghiou clocked 1:22:18 as second F65, followed by sixth F55, Kay Copeland in 1:30:25 and Vicky Goodluck who was final scorer in a new PB of 1:35:17 just one week after her Southampton marathon. Farnham C ladies lie 10th of 15 in B division two.

With such a good set of results the following had to settle for non-scoring places this time but most notable was third M75 Douglas Blyth who recorded 1:47:34 in his first attempt at the distance.

Steve Bailey 1:13:34, Ali Hardaway 1:14:30, Tim Cummins 1:15:06, Chris Cramp 1:16:22, Damian Probett 1:19:22 (debut), Craig Tate-Grimes 1:19:57, Steve Murphy 1:20:13, Paul Tucker 1:30:05 (debut) Steve Payne 1:31:30, Helen Bracey 1:36:05 (PB), Keith Toms 1:37:21, Tina Harrison 1:38:28, Clair Bailey 1:40:57, Jane Probett 1:45:55 (debut), Julia Tagg 1:47:46, Jackie Wilkinson 1:54:35, Nicola O’Connor 2:08:38.

Woodland Woggle 10k

On the same day some Farnham Runners, including many who started with the club as “Absolute Beginners” chose the Woodland Woggle 10km. This is a one lap undulating trail race in the beautiful Hampton Estate and over Puttenham Common. They were Justin Clarke, Geoff Brown, Richard Denby, Shirley Perrett, Debbie Whitehead, Robert Drummond, Emma Campbell, Hannah Bence, Clive Frostick, Sally Kerr, Kathy Brown, Jacquie Browne, Shereen Atkinson, Tracy Holmes.