Stocks wins Thames Path 100

The outstanding news of the weekend (along with Heathside’s triumph at the Cambridge SAL, which gets its own special report) was that Mike Stocks managed to not only run 100 miles in The Thames Path 100, but to win the race too! Other races include Hackney Half, Maratona Sant’antonio in Padua, Last Friday of the Month, Belfast marathon and a triathlon in Gran Canaria.

100 MILERS

The Thames Path 100, 29.04.17
Most people would have difficulty simply walking 100 miles, but Mike Stocks managed to not only run the distance (fast) in the Thames Path 100 ultra marathon race, but win it too – ably supported along the route by Jane Stephens and Rob Schulman (a task requiring complex logistical organising over such a long distance). Rob also joined Mike running in the last 23 miles to help him with final pacing, moral lifting and company (this was no mean feat, being what must have been around 10 or 11pm by this time and in pitch blackness, and on uneven terrain). Mike is obviously busy recovering, so Rob wrote a report of the day: "Mike Stocks recorded a stunning victory at the Thames Towpath 100 mile race, even more amazing as he had never run more than 56 miles before.  This was a trail event starting at Richmond and finishing in the beautiful college grounds of Oxford University. Mike had meticulously planned this race and had a well drilled supporting crew of Jane Stephens, Rob Shulman and Rob’s wife Helen. The race favourite and recent 100 mile event winner went out characteristically quickly but Mike stuck to his plan and was in 4th place at 22 miles. By 35 miles the lead runner was paying for his early aggressive start and soon after had to withdrawal. Mike picked up places and was soon in second place. Having reccied the course thoroughly he saw the new lead runner taking a wrong turn in Marlow, summoning the sporting spirit that Heathside is renown for, he shouted to his competitor to put him back on the right route. Sensing his moment, he then attacked with devastating impact and took over the lead, extending his lead as the race progressed. A pacer was permitted in the latter phase of the race and Rob joined Mike for the final 23 miles which should have been 22m (but for a missed turn) in the dark, finishing just before 1am. Mike was able to step up the pace for the final stretch finding a final effort to finish in just under 15 hours, for what turned out to be a 104 mile course – that’s nearly 4 marathons! The second placed runner came in 32 minutes later and the 5th overall placing was a female athlete finishing in 16.55. A third of the field dropped out and there were 209 finishers. Mike now has just 5 weeks to recover until he runs Comrades marathon in South Africa."

5KS

Last Friday of the Month 5k, Hyde Park, London, 28.04.17
6 Heathsiders took part in this monthly fast flat 5k in Hyde Park, and were led home by Joe Garrood who came in in 20th place in a sprightly time of 17.51 with Jackie 1st V55 Lady in a time of 22.23 (new club record!) and Pete Crockford first V55 man 18.52.

MARATHONS AND HALF MARATHONS

Belfast Marathon, Belfast, 01.05.2017
Laura Boothman took part in the Belfast Marathon on 1st May in a time of 5.00.22 - she wrote this report: "Fantastic, varied marathon route with lots of support, including the fire brigade hose to shower us on a sunny day. My left ankle was rate limiting, was just glad to get round".

Hackney Half  30.04.17
17 Heathsiders took part in the Hackney Half held on Sunday running through the streets of north London. Katy Webster was first Heathsider home, and 27th overall, in a great time of 1.20

Maratona Sant’Antonio 23.04.17, Padua, Italy
Greg Bell popped over to Italy last weekend and ran the half marathon option of the Maratona Sant'Antonio. This is his report: “Combining a visit to relatives with a road race, so that I'd have a good excuse to be lavishly overfed by said relatives afterwards, I ran the Half-marathon option of the 'Maratona Sant'Antonio'. The Half started in the spa town of Abano Terme, some 3km from where my cousin lives - a good distance for a warm-up jog to the 10am start. It finished in the city of Padua's Prato delle Valle, the largest square in Italy (and one of the largest in Europe). A fast, flat course, though the last couple of kms are hard going as they're run over cobblestones. The weather was sunny and warm (around 18 degrees C) with a nice breeze. Water/feeding stations were every 5km with a couple of wet-sponge stations in between. The goody-bag contained a large bottle of shower gel, an electrolyte drink, two bags of mixed nuts and raisins, a pack of breadsticks and two boxes of sundry vitamin and mineral supplements! Plus a token for a generous plate of pasta in the Finishers tent. Well worth the 20 euro entrance fee (tho' this was an early-bird offer price). I got a 30+ sec. PB by my watch, my 3rd for a Half this year - unfortunately, not an 'official' one due to the race being some 200m longer than the 21.097km standard. May not seem a lot, but at my 5+min/km pace, this equates to at least a minute's extra running..."

TRIATHLONS

Challenge Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, 22.04.17
Sebastian Harrison took part in the Olympic distance of the Challenge Gran Canaria triathlon last week – here is his report: “Last weekend I took part in a pretty special triathlon - the challenge gran canaria race which featured none other than Alistair Brownlee! It is probably not necessary to say this but I will likely never share the same course as him again (unless I trespass) so I was pretty stoked to see if I could maybe stay on his wheel long enough to get a picture with both of us in it or perhaps draft him to olympic qualification all the way around the course!

I was doing the Olympic 'short' distance of 1.9km swim, 40km bike and then 10km run. I feel the need to say that it was advertised as a 7.5km run so there was a sharp intake of breath during the briefing when they said 10km run - 'no problem,' I thought, 'you've done plenty a 10k in your time son,' reckoning without the fact that I would be a frail husk of a man by the time I got to the run.

Well on the swim course Brownlee did not lap me (*fist pump*) and that can only be down to the Heathside open water sessions at Park road lido which I hope are coming back soon! I should say he was doing a half ironman - so 1.9km swim, 90km bike and half marathon. He did whizz past me on the bike at least once, his speed was simply awesome to behold up and down the rugged cliffs of the coast in gran canaria (16 or so 10% gradient climbs - ouch!). He won the pro race by a healthy margin - roll on the world champs for him. I also got to see Daniela Ryf, Emma Pallant and Mark Buckingham up close which was awesome!

I did pretty well on my non TT bike - posting a bike split that was 26th overall (I fared not bad in the swim being 48th after the 1.9km) following some crazed, foaming at the mouth, late night sessions up Muswell Hill with drunk pub goers berating me! When I got to the run I developed some hideous stomach cramps but managed to just grin and bear it - in the end I posted a 44 minute 10k which is decent for my first longer race, coming in 35th in the end. “

FULL RESULTS
Thames Path 100, 29.04.17
1st Mike Stocks 14.57.53

Belfast Marathon,Belfast,01.05.17

1704 Laura Boothman 5.00.22

Hackney Half Marathon, Hackney, 30.04.17,
27 Katy Webster 1:20:02
135 Esa Valtanen 1:26:28
317 Natan Doron 1:29:46
485 James McBride 1:32:55
585 Tom Bedwell 1:34:09
902 Jonathan Parker 1:37:40
1071 Cheryl Evans1:39:08
1290 Neil Headlam 1:41:05
1371 Shaan Haque 1:41:48
1719 Paul McWilliams 1:44:06
1725 Ruth Aitken 1:44:07
1984 Conor Forbes 1:45:41
2061 Elspeth Storrar 1:46:15
4526 Sarah Illingworth 1:59:50
4916 Alison Harrow 2:02:25
5690 Frances Powrie 2:07:51
8004 Rosie Peasgood 2:47:32

Maratona Sant’Antonio (Half marathon), Padua, Italy 23.24.17
997th        Greg Bell      1:49:36      2497 finishers

Challenge Gran Canaria, Olympic triathlon, Gran Canaria, 22.04.17
35th Sebastian Harrison Olympic distance 02:46:11 (1.9k swim 40k bike,10k run)
Swim   38.09
Bike 1.23.32
Run 4429

Last Friday of the Month 5k, Hyde Park, London 28.04.17
20 Joe Garrood 17:51 SM 
45 Pete Crockford 18:52 V55 
99 Leo Pemberton 20:26 V35 
103 Michael Abrahams 20:34 V60 
171 Jackie Wastell 22:23 FV55 (new club record)
200 Alun Nash 23:28 V55 

Parkruns can be found here. Nell Swinhoe was first lady at Finsbury Park, Ryan McCrickerd first at Hampstead Heath, Eilidh Wagstaff first lady at Highbury Fields, Rebecca Bunting first lady at Alice Holt Parkrun and Ursula Wilson first lady at Orange Parkrun