Leigh lucky in rare snow weekend road race go-ahead

A new 10k PB for Leigh, a lone Chingford League run for Philip, and clockings from the ever reliable parkruns are the only UK results that have cropped up so far from this weekend, with snowfall having caused many races to be cancelled, including the latest instalment in the club’s Rob Jackson championship, although a Dubai 5 miler was obviously far removed  from all that. 

The Fred Hughes 10 was on the agenda for many Heathsiders this Sunday as part of the Rob Jackson road race championships, but its cancellation, alongside that of plenty of other road races, means there is little to report this week. Besides the disappointing news of next Saturday’s Southern Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill being cancelled, of course …

Leigh was lucky enough not to have a trip down to Devon wasted – although still in doubt until the Sunday morning her 10k went ahead and in nippy conditions she “eeked out” a small PB of 38:47. Ken, who traded in Muswell Hill for Dubai late last summer, loyally ran under London Heathside in a hot 5 miler on Saturday. He’s in the middle of Ironman training and takes in a marathon next weekend, his last race as an official Heathsider before his membership lapses (expat discount?) …


(Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, near to which the 5 miler took place - Spot the difference between the two photos?)

Closer to home Philip was the only Heathsider at the Chingford League race on Saturday, an experience he kindly helped illustrate with a parallel from the natural world. It sounds like it was a wonderful race in any case, along Hackney Marshes in the soft snow, with 188 runners taking part in a friendly atmosphere and warm changing facilities to stay out of the cold beforehand, according to Philip. 

“I can report that the Heathside A team ran well, as did the B team, and the C team,” he said. 

He clocked the roughly 5.2 miles in 34min54sec to finish 54th, but wistfully projected that finishing position onto another race: 

“If only it were a 54th place in the Met League …,” he sighed. 

Otherwise there are seven parkrun results to report, the bulk from Finsbury Park.

Results as follows, with apologies for any omissions. Remember lheathside@gmail.com for all your race report needs ...

First Chance 10K, Exeter, 20/01/2013

47th Leigh James 38:47 (5th woman) PB 

Chingford League, Hackney Marshes, 19/01/2013

54th Philip Hogg 34:54 (10th V40)

Oakley Run Series, Race 3 (5 miles), Dubai, 19/01/2013 

8th Ken Heney 29:33 

Parkruns, 19/01/2013

Brighton & Hove 

16th Mark DERRY 00:21:13

Finsbury Park 

6th Constantinos STAVRIANAKIS 00:20:36

8th Carl Andrew HEAP 00:21:08

14th Henry HAMILTON 00:21:59

40th Luka MELON 00:27:31

53rd Caroline BOYLE 00:30:56

Hampstead Heath

31st Andrew SULSTON 00:25:27