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SOME
THINGS YOU NEVER WISHED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GREEN BELT RELAY
In The
Beginning.........
The first Green Belt Relay started at Elmbridge Leisure Centre
and finished on Weston Green. The first day finished in Doddinghurst, in Essex. We almost
cancelled the event the day before - it seemed a little bit complicated.
Preparations were still being finalised up to minutes before the start.
The race was won by Ranelagh Harriers beating
Stragglers by 41 minutes. London Marathon winner Hugh Jones won both his legs by a total
of 27 minutes, running 22.7 miles in 1 hour and 56 minutes and 9 seconds - that's 5.07
minute miles. There were very few marshals or arrows in the first event but Hugh memorised
his instructions and never went the wrong way - a lesson for us all.
The
Route
From 1995 to 2005 the route consisted of 20 stages
varying from 206 to 214 miles. Since 2006 the route has been extended to 220
miles and 22 stages. These changes are done mainly to improve the route and
make it safer for runners. They have often taken place as a consequence of the feedback provided by the runners. Over 80% of the route is now off-road, the other
20% is on quiet country lanes or river roads.
A huge thanks to everyone
who has supported GBR over the years. I rely on all your continued support to
achieve the above goals. If any of you wish to get more involved, you are very
welcome too. Just send me an e-mail at the GBR website (address is at the bottom
of the main page).
Records
The overall record is held by Ranelagh Harriers (21 hours 10
minutes and 15 seconds) set in 2000 over a course of 211.9 miles (avg. pace 5.59/mile).
This was over 11 minutes faster than that previously held by Reading Road Runners,
set in 1999 over a course of 211.1 miles (avg. pace 6.06/mile).
Again Ranelagh Harriers won in 2002,
and only in 6 minutes slower than their record. This was Ranelagh Harriers third success in
the race, their other being in the first one in 1995. Poole Runners is the only
other club to win the race twice, and on both occasions were very unlucky not to
set records. In 1998 they were unlucky to have to use a substitute runner for
leg 18 and incurred a 10 minute penalty in accordance with the rules. This was
Mike Hoey second run of the day and third in the race. It was a great effort and
a shame a penalty was incurred. This meant that Reading Road Runners took first
place that year by 1 minute and 40 seconds. In Reading's three other attempts
they finished second each time.
Once more it is only bad luck that prevents
Poole Runners from holding a record. In 1997 they came close to it, and had it not been
for John Boyes running an extra mile on leg 18 they would surely have taken it
(incidentally John came from behind to win the leg in the last mile and put things right
the following year by knocking 3 minutes off Ian Johnson's (Stragglers) course record for
this leg.
In the 1998 event it is likely that they would have bettered it
but John Boyes again went off-course and ran an extra 3 miles on leg 5 (he had won this
leg the previous year).
In 2003 the race was
won by a pub team. Sunday Night Shandies, captained by Jim Desmond of
Stragglers. The same year also saw Ranelagh Old Dogs smash the vets course
record by 28 minutes and 20 seconds, in an unbelievable time of 22 hours 51
minutes and 25 seconds, a time that will be very difficult to beat. Jim Desmond
was successful once again with BPTT.Net in 2006.
In 2003 we also had
our first overseas team take part. Wissahickon Wanderers came all the way from
Philadelphia (USA) and finished a credible 19th overall in 27 h 52 m 46 s. In
2004 Flanders Running Club, from Belgium, won the overall prize in a time of 22
h 12 m 17 s. What makes their win even more amazing is that their runner on
stage 3 went wrong and ran 5 miles extra, their average age was 46 and they won
by almost an hour.
In the ladies event Serpentine have won
four times. They hold the ladies' course record, running 211.6 miles in 25 hours
2 minutes and 13 seconds in 2005. Ranelagh Harriers and Poole Runners have both
won the ladies' event on two occasions. In other years the prize was taken by
Dulwich, Ranelagh, and in 2002 the ladies record fell to
South London Harriers in a time of 25 hours, 25 minutes and 10 seconds beating
the previous best (set by Dulwich Ladies) by over 42 minutes, an amazing
achievement and one hour and 40 minutes faster than any other ladies team that
year.
Individual Wins
Hugh Jones of Ranelagh
has won 9 stages out of 10. The only stage he lost was on the second day in 2006
when Dave Symons of BPTT.net beat him on the tough stage from Boxhill. Mark Critchlow of West 4
holds a unique record by running 8 stages and winning all 8.
Close
Finishes
Arguably the best match-up in the race history came in 1996.
Possibly the two best runners in the race that year came up against each other on both
days on the longest two stages. In both days Ian Johnson of the Stragglers beat Robin
Kindersley of Serpentine by one second on sprint finishes.
There have also be dead-heats at the end of
individual stages, none more notable than in the last stage of the 1998 race. Terry Cutler
(Poole) and Simon Brazil (Stragglers) had battled it out for 12.3 miles yet were
inseparable as they approached the crowds at the finish. In an act reminiscent of to Inge
Simonson and Dick Beardsley in the first London Marathon they decided to cross the line
together and share the victory.
Wins
With Different Clubs
Only one male, Mark Caldecourt, has
won with four different clubs, Stragglers in 1996, Poole Runners in 1998,
Sunday Night Shandies in 2003 and BPTT.net in 2006. Ian Edwards has been in the
winning team three times. Twice with Poole Runners in 1997 & 1998, and with
Sunday Night Shandies in 2003.
In the ladies event, Sue
Ashley has won legs with Ranelagh Harriers in 1995, with Epsom & Ewell Harriers
in 1999 & 2000, and with South London Harriers in 2002.
Most
Runs
Only 2 people have ran in
every GBR. Alan Pemberton & Tim Wood (all
Stragglers).
Tony Hopkins (26.2 & West
4) ran every event up until 2009 which he missed due to injury.
Two ladies deserves a
special mention. Sue Ashley (Epsom, Ranelagh & South London Harriers) has missed
two years, but frequently ran multiple stages in a day and in total has
completed as many legs as anyone else. Hilary Walker (Serpentine), and holder of
many world ultra records, keeps running for lots of teams and sometimes has done
it so much that our Results Service gets totally confused.
Course
Marking
Last year there were about eight hundred arrows put around the
course. This was supplemented by four sacks of sawdust and marshals at over 100 points. This is only possible with
help from all the teams taking part and the dedicated helpers from the Stragglers.
I now know the course from start to
finish, but in the past I have managed to get lost in
Epping Forest
in 1995, Hughenden Woods in 1996 (I won both stages, but by seconds). Booker
Common (at Wycombe) always catches me out when I'm marking the route.
Epping Forest forgot to cut the grass on a path in 2002 and I ran an extra 5
miles through and back around the forest. In 2002 I could it took me 15 minutes
to find a turn in Chevening - I blamed Jack Straw for cutting back on gardeners.
Through age, a bit of extra weight and going much slower, I now don't have any
problems (I hope). However, being chased down by guys that do 5 minute miles, it
still can be difficult at times.
In the early days when I could run a
bit, it was not that difficult. Most sections were on-road. Now almost aren't.
Thank God, Lynda and myself have some others to help. Pat & Alan Short in the
Ripley area, Tim Wood & Andrew Lane (also Graham Brook) through Hatfield and St.
Albans, Mike Hutchings & John Barrow before Chevening, Clive Beauvais & Sue
Ashley from Merstham to West Hanger, Robert Teer and his Essex Way Relay friends
at Aveley and Les Brown and his Army into Boxhill. It
takes a lot of pressure away and without them we would not stay in front of the
runners.
In my opinion, stages 4 and 5,
through the Chilterns, and stage 14 over the North Downs are easily the toughest
in the relay. Leg 5 is the
longest and most difficult to arrow / marshal. The route was mainly developed by
Mike Hutchings, who at the young age of 79 ran this leg in 1996, and after the
event said he held back to show another runner the way. Mike also drew the
design for the original T-shirt, came up with the original route, keeps
suggesting changes, has run most of the course and been heavily involved in the
relay throughout the years.
Results
The excellent results service is provided by Nigel Collins of
the Stragglers. From doing the results for the Green Belt Relay, Nigel has developed
RaceMaster2 which probably the most advanced and best race software current on sale. Using
this software, up to date results can be produced as runners finish each leg. The course
may limit the number of teams, but the software can cope with about 87,000 teams.
Nigel is now working on more advanced software for timing races, and is
becoming a bit of a globe-trotter, offering his services to many races around
the world. In 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009 Nigel was unavailable and Clare Nicholson of Stragglers used
Nigel's software to provide just as excellent a service.
For more information on RaceMaster software
please contact Nigel at
info@sportsystems.co.uk.
New Teams for 2010 (to be updated in March 2010)
I have always looked forward to seeing teams
from overseas taking part in the relay. In previous years, we had Wissahickon Wanderers from
Philadelphia,
Flanders Running Club from Belgium and Silver Fern Harriers, Kiwis from London taking part.
Four years ago
we had and a sole runner from New Jersey,
who flew over for the weekend to run with Stragglers.
Permission
to Run the GBR
To run the race we need permission from Hampton Court Palace,
the National Trust (at four different points), BoxHill, Ranemore Common, Hughenden
Manor and The River Wey Navigation,
The Royal Estate at Windsor, Epping Forest, Homebase,
Thorndon Park, Lullingstone Park Visitors Centre, three golf courses,
four parish councils, three cricket clubs, Thurrock Hotel, five borough councils, Emmet's Farm
Shop at Little Marlow, the Met. Police,
Windsor Police, Eton College Boat Club, the Royal Parks, Hawker
Leisure, Lea Valley Park, Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre at St Albans, Latimer
Park Farm, Thames Chase, Commons Woods at Welwyn, about fifteen different pubs and a few others. We thank all these organisations for
granting us permission, please respect their sites so that we can use them in future
years.
The main reason permission is given, is because the event
raises money for charity. This year the main race charity will be The Children's
Trust, based at Tadworth. Overall the
relay encourages clubs / individuals taking part to collect monies for their own
charities. For future years we would like to encourage charities, corporate,
schools, college and others to take part and raise money for their own charities
and causes. In 1997 a group of teachers from Winston Churchill School in Woking
ran and managed to raise almost £7,000 for charity and for disable lifts, for
their school. Two years ago the efforts of mainly one girl from Serpentine raised
£800 for charities, and between 2004 and 2009 a team of Olsgbosco Runners (some in fancy
dress) raised over £10,000 for The John Bosco Children's Project. It's amazing what individuals can do, if the really put
their minds to it.
Out of
Sight - Out of Mind?
Lynda Howe, ex-chairmum of the Stragglers Running Club, has been
at the forefront of organising the relay since the start. Because of the organisation and
the logistics, she has never been able to run both days. She never sees much of the race
as she is usually well ahead of the event with myself checking the course, the
marshals, the arrows and staying in contact with the time-keepers, the results service and
others by mobile phone. However, it is rewarding to see how she loves the event,
still takes time to organise it, even with a young family. Yet when she gets everyone around safe
and knows she has helped you all to have a really enjoyable weekend, it
makes it all worthwhile. You'll see her standing on the table on the Sunday
evening,
presenting the prizes and saying thanks.
Prizes
Prizes are awarded to overall team, ladies’ team,
veteran’s team, last team to finish, and individual stage
winners (both male and female). These include a large green belt, a pewter plate, a
walking stick, an engraved toilet seat, plus many other individual and team prizes. There
are also prizes for the club to collect the most money for charity, plus the
oldest runner, the person to break a record by the most and most supportive club over the weekend. In 2010 there were some new prizes,
including super vet's team. Watch
this space for more prizes.
2001 Race
Cancellation
This was cancelled due to the Foot
and Mouth Epidemic. During this at least one part of each leg was closed to the
public. Since 2001 everything has gone smoothly an, touch wood, lets hope we
have a great race this year.
[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Introduction ] [ Background ] [ Trivia ] [ Credits ] [ Faces ] [ PreviousYears ]
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Green Belt
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