2002 Report

Green Belt Relay 2002

2002 Report

The Green Belt Relay has come and gone. In total 24 teams took part and almost everything seemed to go remarkably well. The finishing order and times for each team is listed below:

1^st Ranelagh Greyhounds 21 hours 16 mins. 21 secs.

2^nd South London Harriers 22 .54.03

3^rd Fat Frank’s Slim Serpies 23.25.25

4^th(1^st Vets) The Millennium Group 23.31.51

5^th Stragglers "A" 24.01.53

6^th 26.2 RRC 24.31.17

7^th West 4 Wombats 24.49.58

8^th Epsom & Ewell Harriers 25.03.32

9^th Stragglers Vets 25.04.02

10^th Brighton & Hove AC 25.21.47

11^th(1^st ladies) South London Harriers Ladies 25.25.10

12^th Ranelagh – Old Dogs 26.16.29

13^th Dulwich Runners 26.36.40

14^th Thrift Green Trotters 26.40.48

15^th Serpentine – Rocky Pathfinders 26.53.55

16^th Ranelagh – Mongrels 27.26.02

17^th Striders of Croydon 27.37.56

18^th Ranelagh – Lassies 28.13.50

19^th Serpentine – Baker Street Runners 29.28.50

20^th Stragglers – Ladies 29.48.38

21^st West 4 Wombles 30.16.55

22^nd Serpintine – Hillsprinters 30.18.06

23^rd Stragglers C 30.49.25

24^th (Toilet seat) Ranelagh Blood Hounds 32.30.38

Serpentine won the claret jug, for most supportive club. Hugh Jones V45 of Ranelagh took the prize for best individual male performance, winning leg 7 by ten minutes. Lindsay MacLaren, of Serpentine, took the prize best individual female, finishing second overall on leg 5. Other notable performances were by Mark Critchlow (West 4) and Stuart Major (S.L.H.) winning legs 3 and 4 respectively, both by over five minutes.

Some GBR people that deserve a special mention.

The Results Service, Nigel Collins, Paul Hutchings and Paul Gadd - managed to make the finish of all 20 legs with up to date results, time-kept on leg 10 and still produced the best results of any race.

The Timekeepers, James and Sue Long, Sue Waters and Val Tanner, Jim and Merren Sell, Ray and Sue Cockle, Andrew Wallace and Tim Wood, Mike Bangham, Keith Haworth and John Barrow. To take charge of what are in effect twenty races over a weekend is a great achievement. For some to have time-kept five stages, some to run in the teams, and some to marshal, arrow and de-arrow is an even greater achievement.

The Marshals, Suzie Kelsey and Mark Thomas, Jon, Julie, Mari and Graham Pile, Emma and Sarah Long and Steve Saville, Jenny Thomas and Family, Mike Hutchings, Colin Penn, Les and Jackie Brown, Bob Waters, Tony and Shirley Oakes, Arthur Boardman, the Stragglers teams and all the other clubs. In total you all managed to marshal the runners and direct traffic at over two hundred prearranged (and many other) points around the course.

The Others, Nigel Collins and Jim Desmond for helping with the maps and many other things throughout the year; James Long for his help in organizing the time-keepers this year; Linda Clements for organizing the accommodation and the meal for us all on the Saturday night; Nigel Blandford for arrowing legs 6 and 7; Mike Hutchings for input throughout the year and help with the course; Tim Wood and Andrew Lane for arrowing on the Friday; Robin Waterfield, Paul Hutchings, Hilary Walker and Andy Smith for checking out parts of the course; Sue Waters and Val Tanner for stuffing the goody bags; Alan Pemberton and Steve Daly for organizing the men’s, vets and helpers teams; Chris Glew for getting a ladies team together and to the team for finishing every leg; Ray Cockle, Neil Sloss, Steve Rowland, and Jim Desmond for the photos; Mike Bangham for leading the runners over Hampton Court Bridge; Mark Daly for making Stragglers men run further than any other team, the only person who can run three times round a roundabout; Epping Forest for letting a path get overgrown and making Sean mark the course four miles in the wrong direction; Emma and Clare Davis for choosing the prizes and putting up with picnics in mid winter around the course; Jim and Merren Sell for not getting upset when they thought they had a park bench for B&B at Blackmore; Tony Hopkins and Mark Critchlow for supplying us with beer at Blackmore; Andrew Wallace for the toothpaste; John Barrow for the coffee and drawing arrows at 5am on the Sunday morning and all the Stragglers teams for running and hosting what was a great event; and finally.

A great big thank you, to you all.

Lynda Howe and Sean Davis