Wells City Harriers

Honorary Harrier Life Member Oliver Fox has been named in the TeamGB team to compete for the senior men at the World Cross Country Championships coming up at Aarhus, Denmark on March 30^th. This will be Oliver’s 5^th TeamGB vest following on his debut selection as a junior to compete at Edinburgh in January 2015.

Wednesday March 13th saw the conclusion of the 30th Series of the Street 5k Races with edition number 180. Appropriately enough, perhaps, one of the Harrier's 'other' TeamGB athletes, Ben Tickner, came back to win as his dad Ed stood down as Race Director; and Daisy Davies made her debut at Street and won for the females in a new Street 5k record for the u18 women. Queen and King of the Street 5k Series 2018/19 are Helen Southcott & Tom Dukes! Read on for Street 5k positions and times.

Oliver’s selection this week comes as a consequence of his great run on Saturday (March 9^th) at the Inter-Counties race at Loughborough where he finished 3^rd overall. Now aged 22, Oliver first competed for TeamGB as an u20 athlete back in Jan 2015, and has subsequently followed it up with TeamGB vests at the European XC Championships of December 2015 (Toulon) and December 2018 (Tilburg) with another vest from representing his country at a 10m road race in Rennes, France last summer. Oliver was awarded Hon life Membership of the Harriers back in May 2015. He started training with the Harriers at the Monday training sessions when he was aged 8.

Also competing well at Loughborough, was another Hon Life Member of the Harriers, who also used to be a regular at our Monday evening junior training sessions, Luke Prior, who finished 22^nd overall in the big field of 293 drawn from Counties across the UK. Great running by both Oliver and Luke.

TEAM GB NEWS

30 Years of the Street 5k!

So, that’s the 30^th Series of the Street 5k done and dusted – and what a windy night it was! Times on the whole were down although you wouldn’t know it from just looking at the winning time – of 15.28 - by Ben Tickner (Wells City Harriers). Ben of course has previously run for TeamGB and has a 5k road best of 14.36 from 2005. His time at Street was remarkably good given conditions and how long he’s been on the circuit, as it were. It was a nice touch that he gave his dad, the retiring Race Director Ed Tickner, the bottle of bubbly to go in the specially engraved glass that the Club had bought him on his ‘retirement’. Now Ed can get back to racing the Street 5k instead.

First for the ladies on the night was 16 year old Daisy Davies (Wells City Harriers), making her debut at the Street 5k races and recording a new personal best of 18.14 for the 5k distance. This eclipses the previous womens u18 record held by Elise Thorner - 18.33 (set in December 2017). Daisy set off like a train and was on Ben’s shoulder throughout the first lap! Unsurprisingly Daisy slowed a little and Helen Southcott (Maiden Newton/Wells Harriers), 1^st F35, was closing on her on the last lap to finish in 18.54.

1^st V40, and 2^nd overall, was Tom Dukes (Wells City Harriers) in 17.04 with his Rotterdam Marathon coming up next month. 3^rd was Robbie Hawkins (Wells City Harriers) in 17.26. 1^st Junior male, 4^th overall, was Dylan Dukes (Wells City Harriers) in 17.41. 1^st V50 was Yeovil Town’s Graham Still in 19.33 (pb); 1^st V60 was the Harrier’s Matt Sparkes, 20.28; 1^st V70 was Len Horlock (South west Veterans AC) in 26.11

1^st senior female was local Cary runner Claire House (u/a) in 22.38; 1^st F45 was Catherine Moffatt (Crewkerne RC) in 24.29; 1^st F55 Karen Shears (Wells City Harriers) in 26.28; 1^st F65 was Sue Nicholls (Burnham Harriers) in 26.14.

Remarkably despite the blustery conditions, there were a number that improved their 5k times from the Series and were thus able to claim their Lamyatt village co-operative Bullbeggar Cider for going at least 1 second quicker than before! More supplies of the Cider available from Paul, or the Bruton Spar shop, with all profits going into the Lamyatt Village Hall fund. On an age graded basis we tip our hat to Sue Nicholls once again with her whopping 90.2% whilst Ben Tickner's was only a measly 84.4% !

There was also some great running on the night by 7 of the Harrier’s most recent Couch to 5k running group that had been ably led by Lynne Elstob, Sharon Bowles ,and other helpers including Kim and Emma. The Club Chairman, Graham Goldsmid, presented completers certificates on the night to the 7. Well done all! (Beginners are always welcome to come and join the Harriers).

In the accompanying junior races there was some great racing by a bumper turn out of youngsters. Michal Eames won yet again in the 1km race and was presented with the 1k Series Shield afterwards, whilst Alice King was the 1k Series winner for the girls. In the 2k race Owen Dukes was the 3rd member of the Dukes family to win something - 1st in the 2k race in a nippy 7.47 and also the recipient of the 2k shield (to replace the 1k shield he has won the last two years!). Owen has another year to try and beat the 2k record of 6.52. Junior results below.

Clive and Angela Thomas 5k Series Standings

‘Queen’ and 'King' of the Street 5k Series for the second Series in succession were Helen Southcott and Tom Dukes. (Last year Tom shared the King’s crown with his son Dylan). That’s some great consistency, based on 5 out of 6 races. Helen was awarded her engraved 1^stF35 Glass and Tom his 1stV40 Glass but please refer to them as the Street 5k Queen and King when you next see them!

2^nd in the overall rankings for the females was also 1^st junior, Isabelle Walker (Wells City Harriers). 1^st F45 in the Series was Harrier Membership Secretary, Alice Knight. 1^st F55 was Karen Shears (Wells City harriers); 1^st Senior female was Kirsty Eveleigh (Maiden Newton Runners).

For the men, 2^nd in the overall rankings was Dylan Dukes who was awarded the 1^st junior male engraved glass. 1^st senior male was Chris Hockley (Running For Time); 1^st V50 was Andrew Piper (Wells City Harriers). 1^st V60 was David Carnell (Maiden Newton Runners).1st V70 was Len Horlock (South West Vets AC)

(Note that the attached Series standings are not necessarily in order – check the points total – lower points better!).

Street 5k Results March 2019

Street 5k Series overall standings 2018/19

Junior Results March 2019

Street race records as at March 2019

All that competed in 5 editions of the Street 5k Series should have received their Clive & Angela Thomas Street 5k Towel. Please contact us if you didn’t receive one.

Our thanks as ever to the various marshals, the finish line crew, the tea-brewers, the first aiders, and of course to our retiring Race Director. Some of the volunteers have been around helping out at Street for almost three decades! Lynne Elstob will be the Race Director for the 31^st edition of the Series starting on October 10^th 2019. 

A little bit about the Street Series (HISTORY ALERT!)

Clive and Angela Thomas came up with the idea for a monthly time-trial around the roads of Street back in 1989. Clive was a former TeamGB international who had trained under the guidance of Frank Horwill, and he knew that to motivate runners to train properly, especially over the sometimes harsh autumn and winter months, that you had to have varied coaching sessions and little tests of competitive fitness every now and again.

The first such Street 5k back in October 1989 was actually using a 4 lap circuit which started on the High Street, outside the Bank, went down Farm Road (where we start from today) and then ran a longer 1.25k lap which came back up Cranhill Road, rather than Orchard Road, back to the High Street. We moved from that 4 lap-circuit to the 5 lap-circuit in about 1993 to avoid running past the Fire Station on Cranhill Road, as there might be a time when the Fire tender suddenly had to emerge and it might disrupt the race! The race has only ever been postponed once in the 30 years and that was due to snow and ice making it difficult, not only to race, but for runners to actually get there. We held that month’s edition, the following Wednesday.

We renamed the 5k Series the Clive & Angela Thomas 5k Series at the start of the 2014/15 Series in memory of those two great instigators. We hope you enjoyed racing the Street 5k this year.

TRAINING WITH THE HARRIERS - we have a training session suitable for you

TEAM OPPORTUNITIES – Get ready for Track & Field & Cotswold Way Relay teams

MEMBERSHIP OF WELLS CITY HARRIERS - new membership year starts April 1st

RACES COMING UP 

Sunday April 14^th – Butleigh 10k multi-terrain – (Wells City Harrier supported community race) enter in advance by e-mail and pay on the day

Sunday May 26^th - Wells Fun Run (Wells City Harrier supported community race) – entries open now for races for all ages

See Somerset Series website, sponsored by Cornwall Glass, for all Series races

Also – check our calendar for all local races we know about including:

Sunday April 7^th Penselwood 10k road race and junior race

Easter Monday April 22^nd Yeovil Easter Bunny 10k road race / Shapwick Bunny Hop 7.5 mile trail race

See you at the Yeovilton 5k race Series (& junior races) on Wednesday April 10^th (7.15pm start)

& Finally - Good luck to the Harrier coached juniors competing for their County Schools team at the English Schools XC Championships this coming Saturday (March 16th)  in Leeds. Parents you can help by sending photos for the website.

 Other recent news items: Ian Teesdale  & Final Gwent League & National Indoors report