Results

Well done to Robert and Denise for their category prizes. There should also have been a Kate award, but for some sort of admin error by the organisers. By way of compensation, she won the wine, so her report follows.

What a fantastic run, well it would have been but it was a race not just a run.

The scenery was wonderful but I had forgotten just how ‘undulating’ it was until we drove down into the valley to The Inn at Fossebridge and back up just before we turned left to Chedworth.

My selective memory is already sifting out the pain of that horrendous hill up through the trees and just not getting any nearer to the Witney lady just ahead. I didn’t catch her in the end! And taking avoidance action going through the stream and finding myself in the deeper part - but the water only just came up to the knees of the chap in front, why was I so wet!!

Well done Robert and Denise, but no Queenie award for me, the years had just fallen away for that one day.

Well done to our various club members who took part in the Reading Half Marathon, many of whom were attempting the distance for the first time.

The changed course at Carterton, coupled with the snow, meant that it wasn't quite the PB-fest of old.

So, well done to Denise for being the first lady overall, and to Mark for such an excellent PB. There may be other category prizes, but it's not clear who has won any at this stage.

Any missed jokers/PBs, please let me know. Abby wasn't in club colours, so out comes the jobsworth hat.

A new course for most of us at Harwell, which could be described as 'multi-terrain', saw a decent ERR turn-out for the final event of the season.

The ERR ladies were 5th on the day, for 6th place for the season, while the men finished 4th on the day, to finish 5th for the season (both teams are in Division 2). Checking the official results, I find that the ERR ladies have been relegated, which seems a bit harsh from 6th place.

There were 137 finishers in the women's race, and 183 in the men's.

Decidedly cold at Bourton, which meant that any PBs were even more well-deserved.

Congratulations to Kate for winning the Kate Award, and to Denise for being 2nd in her category in what is a high quality race.

Well done to all those who managed PBs, particularly Steve, whose margin of 2 minutes over his previous PB makes it officially 'big'.

Any jokers/PBs missed, or people in the wrong league, please let me know.

Jane won the wine (for the first time, apparently), and her report follows the results.

A fairly limited turn-out overall at Swindon, including the Eynsham teams, although the men actually did their position some good as a result. Perhaps more importantly, the new tent was a great success, and we won the competition for 'quickest de-tenting' (not sure if that counts towards our score overall).

125 women ran overall, and 195 men. The ERR ladies were 7th in Division 2 on the day, while the men were 5th in their Division 2. Both teams are 6th for the season as a whole.

The first Club Championship and Short League fixture of 2013 seems to have been a proper romp in the mud, judging by the pictures.

If anyone went for the early joker option, please let me know.

There were 180 finishers in the women's race and 254 in the men's.

The ERR ladies were 5th and the men 6th on the day (both in Division 2), which is where they also now stand for the season so far.

Kate won the wine, and her report follows the results.

Slippy,  sloppy, stinky, wet mud, do I need to say more? Maybe fun?

After missing a few turns off various roundabouts and nearly (by way of a quick u turn) visiting the Sandhills park and ride we found our way to the right car park and on to the field where we found the Eynsham tent already standing proud.

Looking around to see how muddy some of the younger persons might be, the first one I spotted had mud up to the top of his head – say no more. So on to inspect the ditch, our first hurdle, the general feeling was to keep to the right but don’t stop whatever you do.

With hindsight the ditch was a doddle compared to the rest. I made good progress overtaking a few on that endless everlasting hill only for them all to come hurtling past me on the downhill! Then we came to some tarmac but, oh no, round the corner through the wood lurked those hip height (I know I’m quite short) slurpy, sloshy mud puddles. The only way really was straight through the middle, and yes I finished covered in mud. On my return home Philip told me that I wasn’t coming into the house looking like that and to try the hosepipe which is what I did, but only on my legs!

I have to admit that it was lots more enjoyable than freezing cold Wittenham clumps and Shipton under Wychwood. Bring on Swindon and Harwell.

Well done to all those who achieved PBs at what I assume was a pretty windswept Andy Reading 10k. Simon gets ever closer to the magic 40 minute barrier - just hope he's entered the Bourton 10k.

Your joker is played in this race if not before in the year, but this only applied to Arthur today.

A number of debutants in the various events made for an improved showing by ERR in the second round of this competition.

Particular highlights were the Greg/Lesley/Theo 'trandem', and Jess's fur coat.

The Eynsham Ladies 'A' team finished 4th in Division 2 on the day, and are now 6th overall.

The Eynsham Men's 'A' team lie 7th in their Division 2, after finishing 7th on the day, although a lot closer to the competition than before. It just shows we need our best runners to turn out next time (so no more christmas market trips, Mr Tyrrell).

There were 156 finishers in the ladies' race, and 238 in the men's.

Hope everyone enjoyed the woods, sorry I couldn't be there with you. Despite a couple of late withdrawals, I think this is the most runners we have had for this event.

The jokers are as reported to me, and any gaps in points are due to people not being in the 'right' league, or not being club members (yet).

Update (31/12): Nicola won the wine, and her report follows the results. 

Short Race Results:

Long Race Results:

Breakfast run at Wytham woods

My first timed event since joining Eynsham Road Runners, my first Eynsham 10k just weeks away and I've been following Ian's training plan for the 10k, for which we'd done some tempo training the day before. So it's fair to say that I left my house slightly nervous of the scheduled 'easy' run that Ian had timed to fit with the breakfast run. A cold but beautiful morning calmed my nerves slightly and meeting the other runners changed those concerns to anticipation of what doing the Wytham Woods run would be like..

Setting off it was a very cautious start, running along the toll bridge path single file with traffic whizzing past. Follow this with that 'infamous' climb up into the woods and I was beginning to wonder what possessed me to leave my lovely warm house that morning. But then, with a right turn at the top of the hill I was transported into the most amazing scenery - dappled light, bright blue skies and autumn leaves...wow, what a place to run!!!

Seeing the marshal at the half way mark was a relief but also an incentive....knowing the hills were behind me and that I was really enjoying, rather than enduring, the run gave me the extra encouragement to relax and up the pace a little. The return journey just seemed to fly and soon the Talbot was in sight again, and I finished just shy of 55 minutes. I was left in awe of the joint 6 mile winners Jonathan Marks and Sarah Kerswell, finishing in 41.42 minutes and the 9 mile winner Robert Storey in 49.43 and of the marshals giving up their time to make sure this event happened.

I also found myself wanting to immediately plan for my next chance to do this run.....think it's safe to say I now know about a 'runners high' and have definitely caught the bug....thanks everyone!