1^st London Front Runners 21.55.20 (new course record)

2^nd Serpentine 22.36.17

3^rd Clapham Chasers (1^st Mixed Team) 23.27.44 (new mixed team course record)

4^th Millennium Group (1^st Vets Team) 24.39.42 (new vets course record*)

(2^nd Mixed Team)

5^th Ranelagh Harriers (1^st Club Vets) 24.41.08 (new club vets course record)

6^th Elmbridge (3^rd Mixed Team) 24.41.43

9^th Serpentine Ladies (1^st Ladies Team) 26.34.33 (new ladies course record)

15^th Ranelagh Harriers Ladies (2^nd Ladies) 27.56.49

14^th British Airways AC (1^st Corporate Team) 27.33.53

16^th Stragglers Super Vets (1^st Super Vets) 28.10.51

21^st Clapham Chasers Ladies (3^rd Ladies) 30.39.43

26^th ExorCISM (2^nd Corporate) 32.56.13

28^th Olsgbosco (Toilet Seat – Last to complete) 33.56.39

* Ranelagh Harriers Vets deserve a mention for their run in 2006 over a very similar course in a time of 24.14.31.

Congratulations to London Front Runners for winning GBR at their 5^th attempt. The new overall course record is over 46 minutes faster than the previous held by London Stock Exchange AC. An amazing achievement as this year’s course is 0.3 miles longer. Overall Front Runners won 10 stages and set 6 new stage records – somehow their B team also managed to win a stage.

In second place for the 3^rd year in a row are Serpentine Men, who at 22 hours, 36 minutes and 17 seconds were 27 minutes faster than their time last year and faster than their victors, Stock Exchange and BPTT.net, in the previous two years. They had 7 stage wins and set 3 new course records.

In 3^rd overall Clapham Chasers Mixed Team came home 1 hour and 12 minutes in front of Millenium Group to take the mixed team category. Clapham’s time of 23 hours 27 minutes and 44 seconds was an improvement on their previous best of over 1 hour and 11 minutes. As well as their men taking two stages, their ladies also came home first overall on two stages – one of these now being an overall stage record.

The veteran’s category was the most competitive of the weekend. Millenium Group coming home in 4^th overall and just one minute and 26 seconds ahead of Ranelagh Harriers who take the club veteran’s award.

In the ladies’ event Serpentine dominated taking 8 stages and finishing 9^th overall, an hour and 22 minutes ahead of Ranelagh who had 4 stage wins. Clapham’s 3^rd place in this category could have possibly been improved if their two fastest ladies were not running with their mixed team.

The Corporate Shield was won by British Airways AC who beat ExorCISM of Kingston University.

Winners of the Toilet Seat and last to complete the course were OLSGBOSCO Runners in a time of 33.56.39, mostly running dressed as nuns and as Superman. They also collected the Wissahickon Shield for raising the largest amount for charity.

Mark Critchlow Award (Broken Record Margin) – Clare Pauzers (Millenium Group) broke the ladies’ stage 10 record by 5 mins and 50 secs.

Mike Hutchins Award (Oldest Runner to finish 2 stages). Keith Evans (Serpentine)

There were many of these over the weekend although the quality of all we will not appreciate. I have listed the top age-graded performances (79% and above) which can be downloaded here. There are 40 on the list, and if condition were dry under foot probably would have been many more. These do not necessarily represent the best runs as many factors need to be taken into account. Stage 4 did not make the list because of its tough hills and cross-country, as did stage 11, but this time the mud was to blame.

On comparing some runner’s age gradings over two stages we can see compare the difficulty levels. Callum Martin along the flat gravel towpath on stage 22 scored almost 5.5% higher than on stage 10 thru’ the hills of Epping Forest and the mud of the Essex Way. Shaun Whelan managed over 88% on stage 7 along the flat cycle track of the Alban & Cole Green Ways, but on the tough hills of stage 16 was almost 7% less. I’ll leave you to play about with the spreadsheet and the results to add light to the rest of the stages.

Two runs especially worth a mention are the ladies from the Clapham Mixed team, Justina Heslop & Moana Burt who beat everyone, including the men on stages 13 & 14.

Of the old fellows Steve Badgery of Millenium and Clive Beauvais of Ranelagh both had an age-graded average of almost 86%, the highest over the two days and all 4 performances in the top 8 of the table.

Dee Smale of Stragglers and Sonia O’Sullivan of Millenium were the only two ladies to make the list with both of their runs.

Thanks to everyone who ran, marshalled and supported. If you have any stories to tell or have photos of the event somewhere on the Internet, then please let us know.

sean.davis@lycos.co.uk

GBR 2008 Photos

The link below will take you to lots of photos of this year's event. All taken by official race photographer Nigel Rothwell. Surely everyone appears at least once.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rothwell_nt/sets/72157605246603195