Results

Not being there means that I have no idea of any jokers played, or if anyone has recently entered the short league.

So, if I've missed you, then please let me know.

Thanks to all those who ran or helped out in any way in what was the most well-attended ERR handicap race in years.

The age groups are based on ages at the start of the year. Also, for newcomers with no previous 'form' then, rather than guess, we didn't set a handicap time. Think of it as setting a marker for next year.

Anyway, well done to Reem for winning overall, and to the various category winners (all marked in italics).

Juniors first:

Then adults, in finishing order:

Well done to Robert and Denise for giving Eynsham a clean sweep at Thornborough. A pity that they decided to hold a clandestine presentation ceremony, but hopefully the trophies will be coming our way soon. Well done also to Mark on another PB.

Update (11/5): apparently Derek played his joker. Suppose we had better take his word for it...

Well done to all the club members who have recently completed marathons.

We will do our best to keep this page up to date with all the results.

Vienna, 15/4

Dafydd Warburton 3:06:31

London, 22/4

Some spectacular performances at what was an excellent event at Maidenhead, even if they did send us the wrong way after 200m (it worked out ok in the end, and was still 10 miles).

Well done to Denise for beating the club record by over 3 minutes, to Mark for his 'big' PB, and to Kate for winning another Kate award in addition to her PB. If anyone else recorded a PB, or played a sneaky joker, then please let me know.

Welcome back to Katherine, for her first club race since last July. Jane won the wine, and her report follows the results.

Well the wine’s all gone and the run is now a distance memory, but a deal’s a deal so here’s the report.

Sunday 6 April (Good Friday) dawned bright and cold. I can’t remember if it was -1 or 1 degree when we got into the car after a nice hot bowl of porridge. What to wear is always a dilemma but I had decided to wear thermals underneath my club t-shirt. We picked up Linda and Derek and were soon on the way. In preparation, the night before we had put Maidenhead into the sat nav to give us an idea of how long it was going to take. It wasn’t long before the sat nav was telling us we were there, but the centre of Maidenhead did not seem quite right! A cargument (ask Derek) almost ensued, but we dug out the postcode and were on our way again, and soon arrived, just a bit later than planned.

Unusually, the queues for the mens’ loos were longer than for the ladies and Linda and I got some drinks while we waited for Tony and Derek. It was warming up quickly and one or two of us ladies had a wardrobe change. We got to the start with 5 minutes to spare but the race was delayed by 15 minutes (time for another loo stop). Eventually we were off. But that’s strange, we passed the 1-mile marker within a couple of minutes. We’ve gone the wrong way! It wasn’t long before the faster runners were running back past us and we could wave to our ERR colleagues. However, by the time we had done a couple of laps of the industrial park (not too pretty but had the advantage of seeing Linda and Jane B and family a few times) the 3-mile marker seemed to be in the right place.

The next 7 miles were on minor roads and tracks around fields but I can’t remember many details except it was a pleasant route and flat. As I approached the finish, the announcer was spurring us on to get in under 90 minutes. I managed it (89:09) but was still the last ERR runner – well someone has to be. Others had very good times. Denise had a pb and set up a new club record for 10 miles. Graham Bridges and Mark Schofield also had pbs as did Kate who also got 1^st FV65. If I could have a pb at the age of 65, I would be well pleased. Come to that , I’d be pretty happy if I could have one at the age of 54, but that’s not going to happen! At least we had done something to justify those Easter eggs. Oh yes, the bacon butties were pretty good too.

Some outstanding performances at a very pleasant setting by the Thames. Well done to Robert for his podium finish, and to Denise, Sheila and Joan for winning their categories (although Linda and, er, Steve had to take the place of the latter two when collecting the prizes). Denise's PB was officially 'big', as it was by 3 1/2 minutes.

Hopefully I've got all the jokers that were played, but let me know if I've missed yours.

Steve won the wine, in addition to his prize collecting duties, and his report follows the results.

What a day! superb setting, weather not too hot and my short league nemesis injured and not here (sorry Jem!) so it’s Joker day. We arrived nice and early and it felt early as the clocks had gone forward the night before but this meant it was still quite cool even at the 10:00 start time. Got our numbers then found a nice plot of grass to base ourselves, and within minutes the rest of the road runner team appear. Drink drank, loo sorted, banter dealt for not doing the half (I can live with it!), pass up the opportunity to run as a tap or a loo,  and the realization that Jem isn’t running and that most of the guys are doing the half, it’s joker time!

The half marathon starts promptly and we are off in 15 minutes, kids get the bags to look after and the normal “be good and don’t fight” speech.

Before we know it we are lined up and we are off, the first mile is mostly tarmac and takes us out of the sports ground and around to join the river towpath, it’s a beautiful day with a slight cool breeze I quickly settle into my pace and find myself running with three other guys, one of which is running in barefoot shoes so I keep passing him on the gravel and he comes past me on the grass. The course is now a mixture of grass and gravel as we follow the river and it’s getting warmer! There are some seriously nice houses on the opposite side of the river and I don’t suppose there are many ambulance staff that live around here. Coming up to mile two and we have a couple of bridges to cross, bit of a queue but never mind, then it’s back along the towpath. Mile three and a welcome water station and the point where we go left and the half runners go right, we are away from the river now and it’s notably warmer but at least it’s gravel so Mr Barefoot is now well behind. Back over the bridges (I am sure they are bigger now?) and we are along the river for the final push, back onto the tarmac and into the sports complex , 200 metres to go and Mr Barefoot passes me again (I hate it when that happens) and it’s over. I collect my medal get a bottle of water a Banana and a tee shirt and have a chat with Mr Barefoot and the other two guys we were running with. The kids are where I left them (result!) they still have our bags (result!) and they haven’t killed each other! In fact they have only been told off once for playing in a sand pit they found near the golf course??(bless em!)

Back to finish line and Sheila is back and before long all the 10Kers are in as well as Robert (excellent result) and within the hour everyone is back.

Presentation time and I share the podium with Robert only he gets award for second overall and I get one for being fastest FV60?? (well done Joan).

Elaine’s back so we’re off for a picnic by the river, wonderful!

What was that splash? Has someone has jumped in? Who would be crazy enough to do something so extreme?? ( Nick I can recommend a good counsellor)

On the whole it was a fantastic day, excellent venue with excellent company. Thanks everyone.

Thanks to all who attended and helped out or took part in the ERR Duathlon today.

The overall winner was  Max Robinson of Oxford Tri whilst first lady was Emma McDermott also Oxford Tri.

 ERR spoils went to Andy Sears and Jacky Pinnock, (we really do need to find the Ladies Duathlon trophy...if you have it, can you return it please!)

Oxford Tri completed a clean sweep, winning The Town and Gown, dual against OUTri winning the coveted prize of a box of Cadburys Heros.

Big thanks to all marshals out on the course, to the time keepers especially Lisa and Ben who had to cope with both Bikes and Runners coming in and to Marisa for making tea.

The results are now on the ERR website on the 'Duathlon' page (under Running)

Thanks to the ERR folk who turned out at the county road relays. Particular mentions go to Kate for agreeing to run at short notice, and to Dafydd and Simon, who ran home (or somewhere in that direction, anyway) afterwards.

The ERR ladies finished 7th out of the 10 ladies vets teams present in 1:23:55, while the men were 5th out of 11 senior teams in 2:03:17, although there were some rather fast vet teams present as well, so we were 8th out of 17 overall.

The individual leg times were as follows:

Kate Williamson 24:09

Jane Bishop 28:26

Julie Weiskrantz 31:20 

Dafydd Warburton 18:45

Simon Walker 20:57

Ben Pollard 19:43

Mark Tyrrell 20:07

Graham Bridges 20:19

John Bishop 23:26

Pretty horrendous conditions at Wittenham, so well done to all those who turned out.

A particular thank you to the Bishop family for singing 'Happy Birthday to you' on my first lap, even if it did provoke some interesting comments from the runners around me.

The ERR ladies were 6th in Division 2, and the men were a season's best 4th on the day. 

Overall, both teams were 6th in Division 2 for the season.

An excellent turn-out, considering how many were away being jolly/bawdy (or even both).

A most welcome return for Lesley, another Kate award, and a PB on debut for Alyssa, who wasn't in club colours, so an early jobsworth award for me.

A lot of jokers were played, so if I've missed yours then please let me know.