Denbigh Harriers Dinbych

In terms of weather this has been a ‘Goldilocks’ season: pretty dry, reasonable temperatures, and no gales. So 10C and heavy rain on top of several days of heavier rain meant that only the hardier committed souls turned up. Mud and soft grass does make a difference to the strength requirements and the fitter brethren and sorority gain an advantage in these circumstances. Flat, boring road it isn’t! A good prelude to the Cross Country on Saturday then. Anybody who got anywhere near their time of last month is clearly on the up and should be pleased. I am especially pleased at the close finishing with the first 14 within 70 seconds of the winning time. Not bad handicapping given the conditions. Officials Kate W and Rob made it all possible.

…………………………Finishing time….Actual time…….Points

1st Elen………………..6.38.03pm……….24m03…………73/5

2nd Tony W…………….38.05…………….19m35…………25/5*

3rd Tracey……………….38.15…………….24m15…………34/5*

4th Mat……………………38.18……………21m48…………59/5

5th Tony B……………….38.23……………23m23…………33/5*

6th Mel……………………38.33……………23m33…………43/5*

7th Luke………………….38.38…………….25m08………..57/5*

8th Duncan……………..38.42…………….24m42………..80/4

9th Carys…………………38.51……………..26m21…………9/1

10th Arwel……………….38.54…………….25m54…………56/5*

11th Glen………………….38.55…………….20m55…………46/4

12th Peter L………………38.58……………26m28………….53/5

13th Bob……………………39.08…………..27m08………….64/5*

14th Chris………………….39.12……………27m12………….77/4

15th Ruth…………………..39.29…………..34m29………….59/5*

16th Ruari………………….40.52…………..27m52………….48/5*

• Best of five races.

The series has a very worthy winner in Tony W who got through to 2nd and therefore substituted this for his 14th in May, having already dropped a 25th and a 17th – illustrating the value of doing as many races as possible, especially when there is a lean month for numbers and lower scores are easier. Tony B played his cards very well and takes a good Silver. Victoria fell at the last hurdle, her 43 points being overtaken by Tracey for Bronze (as predicted in view of her improving form) and equalled by Mel. Mentioned in dispatches for finishing 6th-17th in the championship are Ruari, Peter L and Ron, Arwel, Luke, Mat and Ruth, Bob, Diane, Mark, and Elen who also completed the series with at least 5 races. Fastest Man was Shaun in May with 18m04. Joe did 18m27 and Tony W 18m48. Fastest lady, once again after all these years, was Emma who did 22m19. Katy did 22m21. Alaw has a faster official time but apparently she got lost and missed a bit.

Due to IT glitch the results only list actual times and points total/number of races.

*Best of 5 races.

1st John LT 30:18, 17/3

2nd Ron 36:39, 53/5

The first Tuesday at 6pm – 1st October at the Leisure Centre. This is the last one of 2019, completing my 20th year of setting the handicaps. Might possibly get this one right, do you think?

6.00 pm. Mari J

Warm-ish but windy with intermittent rain. The grass is longer in the fields which does restrict progress a little, but the playing fields were cut recently so on balance the conditions were good. Interesting that most people were a little slower than last month and I think this may indicate that there have been a lot of particularly long and hard races recently which are beginning to sap the energy levels. This is a point to note as the Cross Country season approaches. Not that I am ‘anti’ half marathons or Fell ultras, but go into October tired and you won’t have time to recover before two of the League races are gone and the team is 100 points adrift of where we need to be. This handicap race worked well in terms of showing how difficult a close finish can be with 17 of the 21 within a minute. In the Women’s League races a minute represents about 40 places – blink, feel tired, or lack confidence, and you lose half a dozen. The men have longer to regret not taking a couple of weeks off!

Rob has done a sterling job tabulating the results and the points competition is wide open, though Tony W has taken a significant lead having been able to drop his worst position (which was 25th) in favour of this 12th. Victoria drops an 18th for this 14th and both now have two more races – and both potentially have a worst 14th to discard. Ruari, Tony B, Luke, Bob, and Arwel also now in a position to get rid of the big numbers.